Let There Be Light!

 


Here are some pictures of the
2nd and 3rd graders using Play-Doh to make 
squishy circuits. This is a VERY easy way
of introducing children to simple circuit building. 

Students did the same thing using 

2AA batteries and light bulbs.

All of these experiments can  one at
home using very common supplies.
See the video below.  

The Story of the Very Hungry Yeast

This week, the students learned about fermentation. Below is the cartoon I drew to teach Kindergarten through 4th grade sugar becomes ethynol.

Here, these test tubes have fermented sugar in them

Students are looking for bubbles of CO2. 

 

 

Meet Mr. Raines

Hello!
My name is Aurelius Raines II. I will be teaching the X-Men group for the remainder of the summer.
I've been a teacher with the Cambridge School for 10 years. I've taught every grade from Pre-K to 8th and every subject from Spanish to Science. If you want to learn about what I do, feel free to Google/YouTube me (I am the second of three Aurelius'. I am neither the pastor or the 13-year-old rapper/poet. You can keep track at the AWESOME things that we do at my blog cambridgesas.blogspot.com.

I want to really leverage the time I have with your students. With your support, I look forward to making a lot of progress!

Here is a summary of my plan:

ASSESSMENT
This first week has been spent reassessing your child's skill level. I know this has been done already, I just have some extra questions that will give me a better idea of how we are going to move forward. I've spent this week reviewing and creating a general and individual lesson plan for each one of my students.

MATH
One of the areas of need that I have already identified concern fractions, decimals, and logical thinking. In addition to the work that I'll be doing with them in class, the students will get along a lot better if they also do some practicing at home. Khanacademy.org has a wealth of math lessons and practice problems that I can track easily from anywhere. This will give me real-time intelligence on their progress and help me to adjust their individual lesson plan as time goes on. It will also be a tool that you, as a parent, can use as your student goes into the next school year.

READING AND WRITING

I will build students writing and structure skills with daily writing prompts, workshops, and evaluations. We will read a series of short stories and essays to see model of good writing and as a way of build reading comprehension and informational text. Click here to see the writing rubric I will be using. 

I love feed back and thrive on communication with my students and their parents. Please do not be shy about calling, texting, or e-mailing me. Teachers have VERY boring night lives. 

Cell: 773-727-9092

e-mail: araines@cambridgechicago.com

Up, up, and Away!

My students fly paper air planes as learn about the forces involved with flight. Lift vs. Gravity and Thrust vs. Drag.

 As promised, Kindergarten through 2nd Grade learned about flight by making and flying paper air planes. We learn by doing. We identified when the plan had lift, when gravity pulled it down, when our hands provided thrust, and the drag from the air. 

Next week, we are going learn about electricity and how a basic circuit is formed. We will be building small light circuits from scratch. For many of us, electricity might as well be magic. Our knowledge of electricity and circuits don't go far beyond putting batteries in our television remote. In an effort to protect our children from electrocution, they don't even know what a power outlet is or what it does. 

My hope is to help children learn about electricity in a fun and safe way. We be using 3-volts to operate small light bulbs. 

Science at Home 

I'm sure we all have an appliance, electronic device or toy that is broken. Pick one of these devices and sit down with your child at an empty table. Get a screwdriver and take that thing apart. Make sure it is NOT plugged in and the batteries have been removed. You don't have to know what you are doing. Just observe. Look for pieces like:

Motors

 Magnets

LEDs

Well? What do I so with this Stuff??

Go to instructables.com they have LOAD of fun projects for rainy days or anti-bordom ammunition.