Week of 09/08/2014

Class Pets
We have classroom pets! One is a goldfish named Mr. Lecter and they other are a pair of African Dwarf Frogs named Bill and Bob (or Salt and Pepper. We are still trying to decide.) Mr. Lecter looks bored in his plain tank. We would like to decorate. If anyone has aquarium rocks left over, please send them. We won't need many. It is a small tank. Mr. Lecter thanks you!
         
This Week
5th, 6th, and 7th grades learned about science and scientist. They learned that science depends on Empirical Evidence. that means that you have to prove your claims. 

8th  grade learned about the and what things need to survive. Do you know what those things are. Ask your qualities that define life 8th grader to test you. 

Students experiment to test the claim that Mr. Raines is psychic.

The DC2 students observe algae and plankton using microscopes. 

            

Next Week
5th, 6th, and 7th  will learn about the scientific method. This will prepare them for Science Fair greatness! Scroll down for flashcards to help with study. Click Here to play more games using the vocabulary words. 

8th grade students will learn how to make an artificial life form and study it as the learn about Evolution and Darwin. This would be a great time to talk them about how you view The Theory of Evolution as a Christian. Click here for vocabulary flashcards.


Scientific Investigation Cards

Evolution Flashcards

The Week of 09/02/14

This Week

Pretty cool,right?
Apple has been going through
 this cycle for 10 years
 and now they are 
releasing the iPhone 6!

Along with classroom procedures, The students learned about the Iterative Process. This is the process that engineers and inventors go through to invent new things or improve old ones. In summary the iterative process is:



Here are some of the things we have done week one. 

Two students from GC 5 engineer a "flying flashlight"
using the iterative process.

Students get to see plankton under a microscope
projected onto the screen. The plankton and algae are samples
taken from the tank of our classroom fish. 

Next Week

The 5th through 7th grades will begin their exploration of the scientific method. They will learn how science is practiced. They will also begin reading assignments that will help them learn how to draw information from text. They will be reading Unit 1, Chapter 1 of their Introduction to Science and Technology books. They will be tested on their understanding of this material on Saturday. 

The 8th grade will begin their investigation of life. By the end of the week they should be able to explain why something is living. Wednesday, we will walk to the beach to collect samples from Lake Michigan to examine under microscopes. Question: Is fire alive?

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. 

Welcome to Summer Science

My name is Mr. Raines!

I am a science teacher with the Cambridge Summer Camp. I've been with Cambridge for 10 years and look forward to bringing my experience

This summer, I will be lighting a little fire in your student. 

Do not ask your child if Mr. Raines sets
his hand on fire.

I will focus on teaching your student the fundamentals of scientific observation (click on the link to see an earlier article on small children and the scientific method). They will do experiments in Chemistry, Biology, and Physics. 

My newsletter not only includes news about what has happened, and what will happen in my class, but it has tips and tricks for science at home. Remember, I am only your assistant teacher. You are the most important teacher in your student's life!


THIS WEEK

 The Kindergarten- 3rd grade contemplated the nature of AI (artificial intelligence)
The question was asked:
Can Robots Think?
We ran a variety of "maze runner" tests to see if our robots (HexBugs) were able to learn. For some of our groups, the results were inconclusive. Run the test at home. The bugs only inexpensive and fun to play with. 

The 2nd-graders count the seconds until their
HexBug escapes it's "cell".

Kindergarten kids watch the Hex-Bugs "fight" to see
which one is the strongest.

Science At Home

Next week, we will learn about aerodynamics and the physics involved. The easiest way to do that is making a paper airplane!

Can your child fold a paper air plane? Can you make one? No problem!

First, let me explain why this skill is important. 

• It is important for your student to develop the fine-motor-skills involved with paper folding. 
• paper folding demonstrates fundamentals in geometry. 
• this activity will broaden your child's skill-set in a number of unquantifiable ways. 
• Parents of healthy and smart children know that PLAY IS IMPORTANT!

Below, there is a link to website that has PRINTABLE templates for paper planes. It also has step-by-step video instructions on how to fold your plane. 

How to fold an airplane

If you are throwing them in the house... BE CAREFUL.