aveson projects C-1 Melkonian

using perspective in your drawings

2008-05-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

Elements of Design

2008-05-11T17:09:00.000-07:00

As students complete their CST testing this week, we will be starting a project focusing on the elements of design and perspective.

Students will learn about the 5 basic elements of shape (dots, circles, lines, curves, and angles), analyze these elements in art and the environment, and learn how to use these elements in their own compositions. Later students will learn different forms of perspective, including shading, shadows and one-point perspective to create the illusion of space.

Analyze Art Elements and Principles of Design
3.1.5 Identify and describe elements of art in works of art, emphasizing line, color, shape/form, texture, space, and value.
4.1.5 Describe and analyze the elements of art (e.g., color, shape/form, line, texture, space, value), emphasizing form, as they are used in works of art and found in the environment.
5.1.3 Use their knowledge of all the elements of art to describe similarities and differences in works of art and in the environment.

Skills, Processes, Materials, and Tools
4.2.1 Use shading (value) to transform a two-dimensional shape into what appears to be a three-dimensional form (e.g., circle to sphere).
5.2.1 Use one-point perspective to create the illusion of space.

Chemistry and Heritage

2008-04-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

5th grade study island Science = 5.b. Experimental Design (due Friday 4/25)

This week in projects students will be working with Chemistry, focusing on chemical and physical properties of matter all around us. Students have already completed two experiments, the effect of water density on floating and sinking objects, and the chemical reaction between vinegar and sodium bicarbonate. Students will learn how to measure mass, volume and density of various forms of matter.

Students are also starting a project centered around their family heritage. Some of the work will be completed during project time, while other components will need some family support at home. Look for two items coming home this week, an Ancestor Chart for students to complete going back three generations into their family tree, and a request for a family recipe to develop into a class heritage cookbook.

Ancestor Chart and Recipe due Monday, April 28th.

CA Science standards addressed:

5.1 Elements and their combinations account for all the varied types of matter in the world. As a basis for understanding this concept:

Students know that during chemical reactions the atoms in the reactants rearrange to form products with different properties.
Students know all matter is made of atoms, which may combine to form molecules.
Students know metals have properties in common, such as high electrical and thermal conductivity. Some metals, such as aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and gold (Au), are pure elements; others, such as steel and brass, are composed of a combination of elemental metals.
Students know that each element is made of one kind of atom and that the elements are organized in the periodic table by their chemical properties.
Students know scientists have developed instruments that can create discrete images of atoms and molecules that show that the atoms and molecules often occur in well-ordered arrays.
Students know differences in chemical and physical properties of substances are used to separate mixtures and identify compounds.
Students know properties of solid, liquid, and gaseous substances, such as sugar (C₆H₁₂O₆), water (H₂O), helium (He), oxygen (O₂), nitrogen (N₂), and carbon dioxide (CO₂).
Students know living organisms and most materials are composed of just a few elements.
Students know the common properties of salts, such as sodium chloride (NaCl).

Independent Project - Science Experiment

2008-03-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

Aveson's upcoming Celebration of Learning will host our 1st Annual Science Exhibition. Students in Project class will develop testable questions, form a hypothesis and then, at home, conduct and record their experiment. Final product documenting this process will be on display for all to view. Students should already be able to discuss possible questions for their experiments.

While most "work" will be completed at home, everyday in class students will journal, and discuss their progress with the other students.

Project Timeline:

by Wed. (3/19) - Students will have selected their testable question and formed a hypothesis

by Tues. (3/25) - Students will have completed their experiment

by Mon. (3/31) - Students will have organized all information onto display board

on Tues. (4/1) - Students will bring presentation to Aveson, ready to present

on Thurs. (4/3) - Science Exhibition

Please click on the following link for a more detailed project outline:

Science Exhibition Project

This Week in Projects

2008-03-02T16:50:00.000-08:00

This week students will start exploring and discussing the origins of slavery, the effects of slavery, and the civil rights movement. We will be using some of the short videos on BrainPOP, among other sources. Students will be using the primary source images on the slideshow "Images of Slavery" to reflect on, and make connections to these important topics.

Links about African-American History:

"Images of Slavery"
The Underground Railroad
African American Heroes Matching Game
Hoop Shoot: African-American History
Famous African Americans: Factmonster.com
Famous African Americans: EnchantedLearning.com
"Signs of Segregation"

Links about African Culture and Geography:

Discover Africa
Globe Project - Africa Map (Puzzle)
Detest a Pest! Become a farmer and defeat pests using natural methods (Game)
Do you know the countries of Africa? (Puzzle)
African Myths and Fables
In search of the "Ways of Knowing Trail" (Game)

Also this week, Experiment Design... what makes a scientifically testable question? These questions will lead to experiments with projects and results presented at our next Celebration of Learning, at our first "Aveson Science Exhibition".

In advisory we will be looking at Ecology, how humans are part of the environment, and how our decisions have an effect on our environment. We will first explore the effect waste has on our environment and how we can make positive changes in the way we live. Students can use the games and activities to the left to get familiar with these ideas.

Water Cycle Song

2008-02-16T09:47:00.000-08:00

Water Cycle, Weather and Building Towers

2008-02-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

This week in Projects...

Water Cycle (continued)
Weather
The Tower Challenge (mini-project)

Study Island Science (5th graders)

The Water Cycle (due Mon. 2/18)

Study Island Assignment for 5th graders

2008-01-25T19:25:00.000-08:00

This weekend please work on the following sections of Study Island:

Organ Systems (in Life Science)
Collect & Interpret Data (in Investigation & Experimentation)

These sections are due by the end of Wednesday, January 30th

The Water Cycle

2008-01-23T20:46:00.000-08:00

Students have recently completed work on the digestive and circulatory systems of the human body. Project work included diagrams, performances, posters, creative writing and presentations.

This week we are continuing our study of natural systems and cycles by looking at the water cycle. Talk to your children about what they are learning about this system by referring to this diagram... check their understanding by listening to them explain what is happening in this process.

CA Science Standards

5.3 Water on Earth moves between the oceans and land through the processes of evaporation and condensation. As a basis for understanding this concept:

Students know most of Earth's water is present as salt water in the oceans, which cover most of Earth's surface.
Students know when liquid water evaporates, it turns into water vapor in the air and can reappear as a liquid when cooled or as a solid if cooled below the freezing point of water.
Students know water vapor in the air moves from one place to another and can form fog or clouds, which are tiny droplets of water or ice, and can fall to Earth as rain, hail, sleet, or snow.
Students know that the amount of fresh water located in rivers, lakes, under-ground sources, and glaciers is limited and that its availability can be extended by recycling and decreasing the use of water.
Students know the origin of the water used by their local communities.

Nutrition + the Digestive System

2008-01-06T18:56:00.000-08:00

What is in the foods I eat?
How does the body use different foods?
What happens to the food I eat?
What are the parts of the digestive system, and how do they work together?

These are some of the driving questions we will try to answer as we look at nutrition and the workings of the human digestive system. You can try some of the games, puzzles and interactive sites using the links in the left-hand margin. Here is a preview of some of the important vocabulary students should begin to know...

Important Vocabulary:

Digestion

Esophagus

Salivary Glands

Stomach

Liver

Small Intestine

Large Intestine

Colon

Kidneys

Rectum

CA Science Standards:

5.2 Plants and animals have structures for respiration, digestion, waste disposal, and transport of materials. As a basis for understanding this concept:
a. Students know many multicellular organisms have specialized structures to support the transport of materials.
c. Students know the sequential steps of digestion and the roles of teeth and the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and colon in the function of the digestive system.
d. Students know the role of the kidney in removing cellular waste from blood and converting it into urine, which is stored in the bladder.

Technology in Projects

2007-12-08T09:05:00.000-08:00

Over the past week students have been learning how to use, and applying technology to present their project work. Students are using open source presentation software (very similar to PowerPoint) to present what they are learning about the earths different Biomes, including energy pyramids, food webs, and adaptations within these ecosystems. In addition, student teams continue to use internet resources to develop their understanding.

On Tuesday Lisa Mann, a parent, as well as a USC professor in animation will visit our class to conduct a workshop with our students. She will be teaching us how to use art and animation to show how energy is passed through a food chain. Student teams will create their own animation sequences to demonstrate this process.

Study Island

5th grade students: Please log into StudyIsland.com (students should already know their username and password) to complete the following Science lessons:

Pretest (required 1st)
3c - Ecosystems
5f - Observation vs. Inference

Goal: 80% correct (for 3c and 5f)
Due: December 17th

This is a 5th grade assignment, as it helps prepares for the CST (California State Test) in 5th grade science. It is optional for 4th and 3rd graders.

Global Biome Project Guidelines

2007-11-29T20:23:00.001-08:00

Student teams in Project Class have spent the last week researching and organizing information about specific biomes (examples, rainforest, desert, grassland, ocean). Please check this link for project guidelines... GLOBAL BIOME PROJECT GUIDELINES
We will be working on this project most of next week during our project class. Please encourage your child to discuss their project with you. Use the Guiding Questions from the column to the left to help guide your child.

Week of November 26th

2007-11-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

I would like to thank all the students and adults who participated in the first "Celebration of Learning". It was amazing to watch the students engage their parents in their learning and project work.

This week we are starting to look at the relationship between plants, animals and their environment, ECOLOGY. Please take a look at the Vocabulary, Driving Questions, Research Links, and Interactive Games to the left. Students will be using these questions and resources as they start their next project, GLOBAL HABITATS.

Students will start their projects by working in small groups, with each group researching one of the world's biomes: Grasslands, Forests, Rain Forests, Deserts, Tundra, Freshwater, and Coastal Shaparral. Groups will be able to describe the physical characteristics and geographic locations of these habitats, and examples of the types of animals and plants that live there ... including a food chain specific to this habitat.

When groups present their work we will be on the way to answering our driving questions.

Academic Standards

3.3 Adaptations in physical structure or behavior may improve an organism’s chance for survival. As a basis for understanding this concept:
b. Students know examples of diverse life forms in different environments, such as oceans, deserts, tundra, forests, grasslands, and wetlands.
3.3
c. Students know living things cause changes in the environment in which they live: some of these changes are detrimental to the organism or other organisms, and some are beneficial.

4. 2. All organisms need energy and matter to live and grow. As a basis for understanding this concept:
a.Students know plants are the primary source of matter and energy entering most food chains.
b.Students know producers and consumers (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers) are related in food chains and food webs and may compete with each other for resources in an ecosystem.
c.Students know decomposers, including many fungi, insects, and microorganisms, recycle matter from dead plants and animals
4.3 Living organisms depend on one another and on their environment for survival. As a basis for understanding this concept:
a.Students know ecosystems can be characterized by their living and nonliving components.
b.Students know that in any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
c.Students know many plants depend on animals for pollination and seed dispersal, and animals depend on plants for food and shelter.
d.Students know that most microorganisms do not cause disease and that many are beneficial.

Student-Led Conferences + Celebration of Learning

2007-11-07T20:52:00.000-08:00

Next week (Nov. 15th and 16th) we will be hosting student-led conferences and a celebration showcasing some of the learning that has happened over the last 10 weeks. In a student-led conference students will spend 20 minutes in each class (projects, math + literacy) reviewing their "Personal Learning Plans" (PLP) with parents, as well as presenting a few of their projects or learning centers. Times and dates outlining each student's appointment time and date went out yesterday, and today students made personal invitation cards to take home.

¿Como se dice "Projects" en español? and Personalized Learning Plans

2007-10-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

Starting this week, on Mondays and Tuesdays, Project class transforms into Spanish class! Our class is privileged to have Karen Aenlle, mom to an Aveson Kindergartener, as a Spanish instructor twice a week for Spanish language lessons. Talk to your student to find out what they are learning.

This week we will start developing "Personalized Learning Plans" with each student. In Project class the PLP will focus on student self-efficacy, including time management, work and study skills, and behavior self-management. These areas are very important in helping students develop the self-motivation and self-monitoring that are critical in a project-based learning environment. I will help students identify areas of strength and weakness, and then help them develop two goals to be meet by the student-led conferences and Celebration of Learning.

We are continuing to work on our Explorer Projects in class this week. Our goal is to have projects completed by Monday, 10/5/07. Ask them to tell you about the explorer their project is based on, and what they have completed so far... click on this link to review the checklist they are using in class ... EXPLORER PROJECT CHECKLIST

Explorer Project - working with a partner

2007-10-21T11:59:00.001-07:00

This week students in project class are starting a research based project on different individual explorers. Students are working as partners, focusing on the motivations, results and accomplishments of a variety of explorers from Europe, Asia and Africa. You can find the requirements and options for this project by clicking on this link ... EXPLORER PROJECT

2007-10-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.
-George S. Patton

This week in projects ...

2007-10-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

This week we'll continue to learn the parts of a plant, planting seeds, and the factors affecting plant growth.

We are continuing to learn about Native American culture, the differences between Native American peoples and the ways Native Americans used and adapted to their environment.

Soon we'll start to look at the global explorations of the past centuries, and how it changed the lives of people in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Driving questions start with...

What would drive someone to explore the world?
What kind of personal characteristics are common to explorers?
How do different technologies make exploration possible?
What are the effects of exploration? on the people of the societies doing the exploration? and on the people of the "discovered" lands?

Standards addressed over the next few weeks:

Science:

5.2 Students understand that plants and animals have structures for respiration, digestion, waste disposal, and transport of materials.
4.2 Students know that all organisms need energy and matter to live and grow
3.3.a. Students know plants and animals have structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction.

History:

5.1 Students describe the major pre-Columbian settlements, including the cliff dwellers and pueblo people of the desert Southwest, the American Indians of the Pacific Northwest, the nomadic nations of the Great Plains, and the woodland peoples east of the Mississippi River.
3.2 Students describe the American Indian nations in their local region long ago and in the recent past.
5.2 Students trace the routes of early explorers and describe the early explorations of the Americas.
5.3 Students describe the cooperation and conflict that existed among the American Indians and between the Indian nations and the new settlers.
3.3 Students draw from historical and community resources to organize the sequence of local historical events and describe how each period of settlement left its mark on the land.

Dissecting Plants and Sketching Trees

2007-10-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

"You mean this plant is a vegetable?... I didn't know spinach looked like a plant!"

This week students in Project class started looking at the wide variety of plants and how they're used in our culture. Students dissected and studied the roots, stems and leaves of common vegetables in their most natural states - soil and rocks included.

Ongoing "Driving Questions" for our study of plants ...

What are the parts of the plant?
How do these parts work together?

Other questions answered by students these last two weeks...

How are the roots important to the plant's system?

Students dissecting plants, then worked in teams to research and prepare a visual presentation of their findings. Teams presented their findings to an audience of the other students.

What does the ideal school library look like?

Students visited Aveson's library with the idea of determining what the ideal library should look like. Students worked independently or in pairs to brainstorm lists of ideas focusing on what types of resources would be necessary, including which resources are already available and how to obtain those which are not. Next day students formed small design teams to make blueprints of the ideal library. The members of the design teams learned how to compromise, negotiate and cooperate in order to develop one design plan. Design teams then presented their plans to, and fielded questions from other students. Students voted on the best plan and presentation and we now have three final plans - one for each clan. We still need to have the design teams present to the appropriate action team to make parts of these designs reality.

What are the differences between Native American peoples?

Students researched differences in the ways Native Americans related to varying environments and resources. Students used informational text, internet and folktales to develop an understanding - some students are preforming skits to demonstrate their learning. This week we will have a hands on study of artifacts from California's Native American Chumash culture.

How do you sketch a tree accurately?

A nice way to end the week. On Friday students spent time outside making sketches of the different trees at Aveson. This week we will use these sketches to complete more artistic representations using colored pencil on a dark background.

2007-09-23T17:12:00.001-07:00

Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not.
- Pablo Picasso

3rd week at Aveson

2007-09-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

"Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself."

- Chinese Proverb

Our project class has gotten off to a great start this first year. We have been working on building a strong community in our Advisory group and the three "clans", the Wolf Clan, the Saber-Tooth Clan, and the Coyote Clan. We already have participated in a very successful field trip to Hitachi's NEXTfest exhibit at the L.A. Convention Center. The students, staff and parents experienced the most cutting-edge technology through hands-on learning. We continued this experience in the classroom by encouraging the students to design their own technologies and inventions, followed by group presentations of their ideas. In Science we will continue in the next couple weeks studying the variety of plant life found at the Aveson campus and beyond.

The focus for the first three, and next couple weeks is Native American culture for Social Science. Students are learning the differences between the wide variety of Native American groups, and starting to learn how their culture and practices are still relevant to the way we live today.

Greatest success so far ... keeping C1 and the outside patio clean. Our Advisory students have taken the personal responsibility of doing all the cleaning - dusting, sweeping, organizing, washing windows, and even mopping the floors. They brainstormed what needs to be cleaned and how often, they work together in small teams, and assist others when their specific job is done. They are learning a great amount of responsibility by undertaking this "project" and I hope what they are learning and how they work together becomes visible in all areas of their life.