Check out these AWESOME opportunities to extend your learning through NIU! Click here!
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Friday, October 16, 2015
What We've Been Up To....
10/16/2015
Today I am starting a weekly update of class activities, as seen through the students' perspectives. I've asked students in each of my classes to write a brief update on what we've worked on in class this week. Here are their thoughts:
3/4 DEB:
"We are researching explorers and then we're going to write a journal about our explorer" - Riley, Brynn, and Alayna.
5/6 DEB:
"We learned about Coming of Age ceremonies. We are trying to make presentations for our own Coming of Age ceremonies. For example, there are slide shows, stop motion, movies, and invitations." - Levin
5th Advanced Math:
"We worked on how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals. We also worked on our contracts. We also took our retake test." - Matas
6th Advanced Math:
"We learned about Rational Numbers. In class, we worked on our summative test and the Real World Experience." - Rishendri
Thank you to the students who volunteered (or were drafted) to write this week's update. Next week, we will take our Unit 2 Pre-Assessment in 5th and 6th Advanced Math, present our Coming of Age ceremony ideas, and attempt to contact some of our explorers through twitter and email!
Have a great weekend!
Today I am starting a weekly update of class activities, as seen through the students' perspectives. I've asked students in each of my classes to write a brief update on what we've worked on in class this week. Here are their thoughts:
3/4 DEB:
"We are researching explorers and then we're going to write a journal about our explorer" - Riley, Brynn, and Alayna.
5/6 DEB:
"We learned about Coming of Age ceremonies. We are trying to make presentations for our own Coming of Age ceremonies. For example, there are slide shows, stop motion, movies, and invitations." - Levin
5th Advanced Math:
"We worked on how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals. We also worked on our contracts. We also took our retake test." - Matas
6th Advanced Math:
"We learned about Rational Numbers. In class, we worked on our summative test and the Real World Experience." - Rishendri
Thank you to the students who volunteered (or were drafted) to write this week's update. Next week, we will take our Unit 2 Pre-Assessment in 5th and 6th Advanced Math, present our Coming of Age ceremony ideas, and attempt to contact some of our explorers through twitter and email!
Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Welcome Back!
It's been so exciting to see all the DEB and Advanced Math students already this year! We've been doing some fun problem-solving and team-building activities, and this week we are delving into our core curriculum. Check back for more posts - including the winner of the Summer Reading Challenge!
In addition, check out this link for STEM opportunities and classes for students offered through NIU:
http://www.niu.edu/stem/programs/stem-saturdays.shtml
There are STEM classes offered in Dekalb, as well as Naperville, plus additional opportunities throughout the school year!
In addition, check out this link for STEM opportunities and classes for students offered through NIU:
http://www.niu.edu/stem/programs/stem-saturdays.shtml
There are STEM classes offered in Dekalb, as well as Naperville, plus additional opportunities throughout the school year!
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Summer Reading Challenge Update #3
Well, it's been a busy month, but here are the books I've read recently:
Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowitz - I loved this non-fiction book about what scientists have learned about life from a dog's viewpoint.
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate - So many students have told me how much they enjoyed this book that I have been wanting to read it for a while. Now I understand why! Based on a real gorilla that was kept in a department store as an attraction for customers to enjoy, Ivan is written from the gorilla's perspective. The story is very well-written and touching, especially for animal lovers.
The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got that Way by Amanda Ripley - I found this book extremely interesting, because I always want to learn about education in other countries. This non-fiction text examines what school is like in Finland, South Korea, and Poland, three countries who have recently scored very well in international tests of critical thinking. She follows three American students who study abroad in high schools, so we are able to understand first hand how these schools from American schools.
I also read some new picture books, which I am not going to summarize as I will probably read them to students this year!
What Do You Do With An Idea? by Kobi Yamada, Illustrated by Mae Besom
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
Ice Cream Summer by Peter Sis
When The Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop by Laban Carrick Hill, Illustrated by Theodore Taylor III
Only about 3 more weeks until school starts! Keep reading!
Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowitz - I loved this non-fiction book about what scientists have learned about life from a dog's viewpoint.
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate - So many students have told me how much they enjoyed this book that I have been wanting to read it for a while. Now I understand why! Based on a real gorilla that was kept in a department store as an attraction for customers to enjoy, Ivan is written from the gorilla's perspective. The story is very well-written and touching, especially for animal lovers.
The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got that Way by Amanda Ripley - I found this book extremely interesting, because I always want to learn about education in other countries. This non-fiction text examines what school is like in Finland, South Korea, and Poland, three countries who have recently scored very well in international tests of critical thinking. She follows three American students who study abroad in high schools, so we are able to understand first hand how these schools from American schools.
I also read some new picture books, which I am not going to summarize as I will probably read them to students this year!
What Do You Do With An Idea? by Kobi Yamada, Illustrated by Mae Besom
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
Ice Cream Summer by Peter Sis
When The Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop by Laban Carrick Hill, Illustrated by Theodore Taylor III
Only about 3 more weeks until school starts! Keep reading!
Friday, July 3, 2015
Summer Reading Challenge Update #2!
I just checked the google form responses and it looks like we've read 30 books so far this summer! WOOHOO! Great job, everyone! Keep reading!
I've finished three more books. It took me a while to get down to entering them, but here are my three latest reads:
1. Countdown by Deborah Wiles - This book would be good for students in 5th grade and up. I really enjoyed this novel, which is the first in a trilogy. In this book, Franny Chapman, a 5th grader living in 1962, is having trouble with her family and friendships. What makes this story unique is that the book takes place during the Cuban Missile Crisis, when America and the USSR were at the height of the Cold War. The author calls this a documentary novel, because she includes actual photographs, media images, and speeches given during the crisis. Having these images and texts from the Cold War really helped the reader understand the characters' lives. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read the others in the series.
2. Spark by John J. Ratey, MD - This book is written for college students or adults. It is a nonfiction book about the link between exercise and the brain. I always try to learn more about the brain and what scientists and doctors know about it, because I know it will help with my teaching. The basic message of this book is the brain responds to the stress caused by exercising by becoming stronger, working more efficiently, and releasing chemicals that help to combat (among other things) worrying, attention problems, and aging. It took me a while to get through this book because it was so technical in terms of medical and biological language - luckily those words use a lot of Greek and Latin stems, which make them easier to remember (for those Caesar's English and Building Language students!).
3. Doll Bones by Holly Black - The most recent book I completed was Doll Bones. This book would be for students who aren't easily spooked in grades 5 and above. It is about three friends who go on a quest to help a haunted doll get back home. The book is sort of a horror/adventure. It's not scary, but does have some spooky situations with the haunted doll (or maybe she's not haunted - it could be in their minds!).
I've finished three more books. It took me a while to get down to entering them, but here are my three latest reads:
1. Countdown by Deborah Wiles - This book would be good for students in 5th grade and up. I really enjoyed this novel, which is the first in a trilogy. In this book, Franny Chapman, a 5th grader living in 1962, is having trouble with her family and friendships. What makes this story unique is that the book takes place during the Cuban Missile Crisis, when America and the USSR were at the height of the Cold War. The author calls this a documentary novel, because she includes actual photographs, media images, and speeches given during the crisis. Having these images and texts from the Cold War really helped the reader understand the characters' lives. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read the others in the series.
2. Spark by John J. Ratey, MD - This book is written for college students or adults. It is a nonfiction book about the link between exercise and the brain. I always try to learn more about the brain and what scientists and doctors know about it, because I know it will help with my teaching. The basic message of this book is the brain responds to the stress caused by exercising by becoming stronger, working more efficiently, and releasing chemicals that help to combat (among other things) worrying, attention problems, and aging. It took me a while to get through this book because it was so technical in terms of medical and biological language - luckily those words use a lot of Greek and Latin stems, which make them easier to remember (for those Caesar's English and Building Language students!).
3. Doll Bones by Holly Black - The most recent book I completed was Doll Bones. This book would be for students who aren't easily spooked in grades 5 and above. It is about three friends who go on a quest to help a haunted doll get back home. The book is sort of a horror/adventure. It's not scary, but does have some spooky situations with the haunted doll (or maybe she's not haunted - it could be in their minds!).
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Ms. Askeland's Summer Reading Challenge Update #1
6/13/2015
I finished my first book of the summer today! Learn Like a Pirate, by Dave Burgess, reminds teachers how important it is to create lessons that engage students. The book was easy to read and had a lot of ideas that will help me plan some fun and memorable lessons for next year!
DEB students: Don't forget to use the Google Form (in the post below) to enter books you've read this summer! Keep on reading!
I finished my first book of the summer today! Learn Like a Pirate, by Dave Burgess, reminds teachers how important it is to create lessons that engage students. The book was easy to read and had a lot of ideas that will help me plan some fun and memorable lessons for next year!
DEB students: Don't forget to use the Google Form (in the post below) to enter books you've read this summer! Keep on reading!
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Ms. Askeland’s Summer Reading Challenge!
Ms. Askeland’s
Summer Reading
Challenge!
I’ve decided, like many
students, I need to do more reading at home! This summer, I am going to be
challenging my DEB students to read more books than I do! Students can record
the books/pages they read over the summer and submit entries on the following
Google Form site: http://goo.gl/forms/N6YmB8kEbg.
How to enter a book you’ve finished to your
summer reading list:
- 1. Just use your school log-in to Google Chrome.
- 2. Enter the link: http://goo.gl/forms/N6YmB8kEbg (will be on my blog, as well)
- 3. Fill out the information on the form and submit it.
At the beginning of the school year, I will
print out the books students have entered and require a parent signature for
verification. Students who read more books than I do will get to attend a
lunchtime pizza party in my room in September. The student who reads the most
books will receive a $20 gift card from Anderson’s
Bookshops!
I will be updating my
classroom blog with my reading list during the summer! Hope you will join me!
Dates of program: June 11 – August 26, 2015
Eligibility: Must be in Ms. Askeland’s 3/4
or 5/6 DEB Class
Contact me at askelandr@woodridge68.org with any
questions or issues logging onto the google form!
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Getting Involved
In 5/6 DEB, we have been studying Water Pollution, as it fits into our theme of Conflict. We identified water pollution as part of Man V. Nature, since humans cause a lot of pollution. Through our studies, we have learned a lot about water and how the runoff from household chemicals actually can pollute our watershed. This week, we begin to teach the younger classes at Meadowview what we've learned! Here are some pictures of a model watershed experiment and our water quality tests that we completed (Good news! Our water is safe!)
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
6th Grade Advanced Math Test - Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Attention all Advanced Math students! We will have our first test on Unit 4: Statistics on Tuesday, May 5th. I have assigned lessons on LearnZillion.com for students that want refreshers on the following concepts:
- Statistical Questions
- Number of Observations
- Mean
- Median
- Mode
- Range
- Mean Absolute Deviation
- Shape
- Skew
- IQR (Interquartile Range)
- Box Plot
- Line Plot
- Histogram
Remember to use your vocabulary and graph study guide, as well as your notebooks, as you study this weekend and next Monday. If you need another copy of your Enrollment code for Learnzillion.com, send me an email!
For example on what is available on Learnzillion.com, check out the lessons below:
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Don't forget to stop Room 17 during Open House
Open House is Thursday, April 23, from 6:30 - 8:00 PM. Please feel free to stop by Room 17!
Thursday, March 26, 2015
STEM Programs in Naperville
Check out the updated list of STEM programs from NIU Outreach!
http://www.niu.edu/STEM/programs/stem-saturdays.shtml
http://www.niu.edu/STEM/programs/stem-saturdays.shtml
Monday, March 16, 2015
Important Advanced Math Update!
6th
Advanced Math ALERT!!!
We have finished our content lessons for Unit 3: Expressions and
Equations. We will begin our unit test on:
Thursday,
March 19, 2015
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
The Distributive Property
Today in Advanced math, we discovered that algebra is a process of breaking apart and putting back together. In fact, the word "algebra" came from the Arabic word "al jebr," which meant "reunion of broken parts." In the 1500s, it developed into the Medieval Latin word "algebra," which was also applied to bone-setting at the time, so again, we see that algebra is focused on breaking apart and putting back together.
We practiced this in class today by applying the Distributive Property to expand, factor, and simplify expressions so we could evaluate them more efficiently. Tonight's homework continues to focus on this concept, by using rectangles and area as a model. If there are questions about the homework, here are some resources to use:
https://learnzillion.com, type in code LZ3411 to watch a video lesson about the distributive property
http://www.mathsisfun.com/associative-commutative-distributive.html
https://www.khanacademy.org/math/cc-sixth-grade-math/cc-6th-factors-and-multiples/cc-6th-distributive-property/v/the-distributive-property
"algebra." Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. 24 Feb. 2015. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/algebra>.
We practiced this in class today by applying the Distributive Property to expand, factor, and simplify expressions so we could evaluate them more efficiently. Tonight's homework continues to focus on this concept, by using rectangles and area as a model. If there are questions about the homework, here are some resources to use:
https://learnzillion.com, type in code LZ3411 to watch a video lesson about the distributive property
http://www.mathsisfun.com/associative-commutative-distributive.html
https://www.khanacademy.org/math/cc-sixth-grade-math/cc-6th-factors-and-multiples/cc-6th-distributive-property/v/the-distributive-property
"algebra." Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. 24 Feb. 2015. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/algebra>.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Making Our Thinking Visible
Lately in our classes, we have been busy reading novels, myths, and even math problems! One of the ways that we are able to process this information is by writing down our thoughts on Post-Its and then discussing similarities and differences we find in our ideas. When we our thinking becomes visible, we are able to reflect on our learning and how our minds work. This makes us eager to learn more! :)
Here are some recent images of our ideas (pretty good ones, too):
Here are some recent images of our ideas (pretty good ones, too):
How creation myths from different cultures are similar and how they are different
Finding evidence of the different themes in Breaking Stalin's Nose
Friday, January 23, 2015
Goodbye, 2nd Quarter!
Today marks the end of 2nd Quarter! It's hard to believe we are halfway through the school year already. I look forward to continuing to develop our critical thinking skills throughout the last half of the year!
Friday, January 16, 2015
Exciting New Lessons in DEB!
This week we started some exciting new lessons in DEB. In 5/6 DEB, we are going to be reading Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin. We will be analyzing the many different conflicts in this Newbery Honor book, as well as comparing what we've learned about the US government and the government during the Stalinist era in the USSR. In 3/4 DEB, we are beginning to look at how culture influences one's perspective. We completed a problem solving activity, which simulated being shipwrecked on a tropical island and forming a new civilization. Next week, we will begin to look closely at how various cultures develop stories that have common themes and ideas.
Have a great weekend!
Have a great weekend!
Friday, January 9, 2015
Welcome Back to Winter!
It's great to see everyone back for this (surprisingly short) week! In 3/4 and 5/6 DEB, we are finishing up our latest activities (soon to be shared online). In Advanced Math, we are solidifying some concepts of Rational Numbers, as we move towards taking our assessment and completing the Real World Experience in the next two weeks. Hopefully, the weather will warm up, so we can keep our momentum as the quarter ends! Have a great weekend!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)