Zombie Posters

Students have spent the last few days creating posters of a zombie/creature that shows the path and function of the organs of the digestive tract. Here are some pics of students working.

The Human Body

Last week we started our study of the human body. As an introduction, students worked in their teams to create posters. Teams had to place the organs where they thought each one belonged and explain the function/purpose of each organ. This was meant to be a pre-assessment. Throughout the course of the unit, teams will get a chance to modify their posters as they learn more about each organ. We are focusing on the digestive system to start with. Here are some photos of students working.

Scientific/Engineering Method Presentation

Over the last two weeks, Power House students have been conducting experiments or creating prototypes as if they were scientists or engineers.  In small groups, students needed to create presentations with videos showing the steps of the scientific method. The groups had to answer one of the following questions:

1. How do you build a bridge out of flat wooden sticks using only its weight to keep it together? (No glue, rope, or other fasteners)

2. Can a water balloon fit inside a glass bottle?

3. How do I get a balloon to withstand heat from a candle?

4. How do you make a paper airplane fly the furthest?

5. What thickness of paper makes the best paper airplane?

6. How do you make a hovercraft using a cd?

When you get a chance, ask your son or daughter about it. I hope to post some pictures in the near future.

Math/Science Integration

This school year your son or daughter has a math and science block either 1st and 2nd hours or 5th and 6th hours.  These blocks allow us to be flexible with what we do each day.  There are some days that we will work on math stuff one of the hours and science stuff the other.  However, there are some days we might spend either both hours working on math or both hours working on science.  For example, if there is a science lab that typically takes two class periods, I might choose to have the students complete the entire lab in one day rather than clean everything up and have to set it up again the following day.  That would mean we would not have math that day, but would have math two periods on a different day.  Also, because math and science are very closely related, I will try and integrate units and lessons as often as I can so that students can apply what they've learned in math into their science work and vice versa. Although each day may look a little different, I can guarantee we will cover all of the 6th grade math and science standards.

What is Science?

Students used the Pic Collage application to create a collage to answer the question "What is Science?".  Students were able to take science related pictures around the school and find pictures on the internet.  Below is an example of what a collage looks like using this app.  You should ask your son or daughter to see theirs.

Marshmallow Challenge

The first day of school all Power House students participated in a "Marshmallow Challenge". In small groups, students were given 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of string, one yard of tape, and a marshmallow, and were asked to create the tallest free-standing structure. Students had 18 minutes to work on this. Team building was the main purpose of this activity, but it also gave students a chance to creatively use their math and science skills to think like engineers. Below are some pictures of the experience.