Core Values

1)  Considering these artifacts, in which of the core values have you shown the most success?

I think that I have been the most successful in being a communicator, because I have been better and conveying my ideas into projects and essays in a coherent way.   

2) Thinking back to our first Student Led Conference, in which of the core values have you demonstrated the most progress or growth?  Why?

I remember last Student Led Conference I wanted to be much more of a communicator, and now, I have realized I am much more of one.  I have always explained my thinking in a way that others can understand it.  I know that I have also become more of a communicator when I am talking.  I always used to studder and say nevermind, and now I do not as often.

3)  Which core value is most challenging for you?  Why?

I have found that risk taking is an ongoing challenge for me.  I want to think of an attack plan for fourth quarter and seventh grade that will help me become more of a risk taker.   

4)  How has your thinking / performance changed since first semester?

I have persevered through many more things this semester.  In the first semester, my mindset was saying “I can’t, I am blocking this out, I can’t do it..”  But now, I have improved and I understand how to make myself know that “this is what I have to do, and this is what I will do.”  I try think everyday “I can, I will, and that is it.”  

Metacogntion Project Reflection

In math, we have been working on our iPads to complete a project about metacognition.  Metacognition is thinking about your thinking and listening to the voice inside of you that asks "Why am I doing this?'  I have found it very interesting because we were always aware of the fact that there were voices in my head that I had never really thought about or noticed.  My inner voice usually says asks me why I am doing what I am doing.  I think that reflecting on my thinking helped me as a mathematician because I was able to speak out loud and before I did something.  As a mathematician, I have learned that I need to talk to myself when I am solving a problem.  I have also become more aware during other subjects.  For example, when I am writing, I now think "what is the pupose of this sentence?" or "will this help improve my writing peice later on?"  I really enjoyed this entire process because I feel I have become a better mathematician.

Looking at Our Lunch- Post Lab Questions and Answers

Post Lab-
Today in science we will be looking at lettuce cells. I think that we will see a brick wall type of structure.  I think that we might see the tear in the leaves.  I do not think we will see the nucleus because when we looked at the elodea, we did not see it.  We will see chloroplasts (because plants perform photosynthesis)  The possible functions the cells might be photosynthesis.
_________________________________________________________________________________  Answers-
In science, we looked at lettuce leaves.  I thought it was really interesting because I thought that we would see a brick wall type structure, but we actually saw other things.  These are some notes of what we saw-
Upper Layer 40X-  We saw many shapes that were not really any particualar shape, and they were all close together, overlapping.

Upper Layer 100X-  We saw the stoma and epedermis.  There were wavy lines around it.

Lower Layer 40X-  Jigsaw shaper peices with coffee bean shaped cells scattered around, in no particular order.

Lower Layer 100X-  An oval (the coffee bean up close) with long, stretched out spaghetti like lines connected to it.

They were all very interesting to look at, especially the lower layer at 40X.
If chloroplasts were placed in darkness for a long time, I think that they would stop functioning because they need sunlight to make the food for the rest of the plant.  The plant would therefore die, because the small "kitchens" would not work.  If they were placed in light 24 hours for a couple of days, I think that the cells would not be able to rest.  They would have to constantly keep going in the heat, and some plants are not made for the heat.  The stoma would not be able to open and get water to feed to the cells.  The guard cells and stoma would not have any water to open up to if they were placed under the sun on a summer day.  The plant would dry up and die.    

Lendas

Na aula de português, nós tinhamos uma projeto de lendas.  Nós escolhermos uma lenda na Lower School Library.  Depois, tivemos que contar e ouvir lendas diferentes dos nossos colegas.  Quando nós ouvimos todos deles, você tinha que escolher a sua lenda preferida que você quer usar para o projeto.  Depois, tivemos que estudar sobre nossa historia e sobre a estrutura de uma lenda.  Quando terminamos a primeira versão do nosso texto, tivemos que revisar coisas como masculino/feminino, conjugaçāo, e ortografia.  Após esta etapa, nós colocamos a versão final na apresentação.  Tivemos que escolher ou desenhar uma imagem para colocar no seu slide, personalisar o seu slide com cores que combinassem com a sua lenda. Eu gostei desse projeto porque você tinha que ser muito criativo durante o processo e eu gostaria de fazer mais uma vez.   

Lendas e Contos Tradicionais 2014 turma 1

Publish at Calameo or read more publications.

Science 3rd Quarter Reflection

This quarter in science was full of achievments and ideas.  So many fun things happened.  We had our Science Fair and we had started studying cells.
The core value I have found that I am the best in is curious. I think that I am mostly curious because I am always excited to learn about new things. I like to notate what I learn and I love to listen to what is newly planned. I want to become more of a risk taker. I have always had a little bit of a stuggle with this when it comes to science. I have new ideas, but I am scared to mess up a lot if I were to use a new strategy. To become more of a risk taker by looking description of the word before class. Every day, I will focus on one of the values in the description until I improve in that. I will try to move on to another one until I am more of a risk taker.  
During the science fair, I learned so many new things. I learned to always be bold and unique. It will help you because different ideas make you stand out from others. I also learned how important it is to be inclusive. We were working in a group of three and that meant that someone could have been left out. I also learned that you have to be innovative because the more creative you were, the more it payed off. It was a huge part of the science fair. You needed to be innovative when you are choosing your topic and innovative when you design your board. Also, when we were looking at the cells, we had to be critical thinkers. For example you had to use your prior knowledge to think of the names of the parts of the cell. You had to think of what part of the cell is what.  
Third quarter was so much fun, and I cannot wait for Fourth quarter!

Exploring with Iodine

During science, we have been using the microscope to look elodea and onion clells.  It was really cool, because we got to see things like the nucleus or cytoplasm.  We first looked at Elodea with water, and then with idodine.
Before doing this experiment, I had expected for the elodea and onion cells to look rectangular, like any other plant cell.  If we were lucky, we might have been able to see nucleus.  I did not think we would see very detailed pictures of the cells.
When I actually saw the cells, I was in awe, because they were so interesting because there was so much to look at.  My favorite to see was elodea 4X because you could also see the outside of the actual leaf, not just a little part of it.
I also really liked to see the onion cells at 100X because you could see the nucleus up close.  It was really interesting because I realized that that was what funtions a cell to do something.  They are what controls the cells.
We also looked at cheek cells!  We took a toothpick and rubbed it in the inside of our mouths.  Then, we put iodine on a slide and stirred our toothpick around in it.  Then, we put another slide on top of that and out it under the microscope.  We saw little flakes, that looked like confetti that were a really dark green, almost brown.
I wonder what would happen if we were to look at an onion cell that was still alive.  Would we see cytoplasmic streaming?  Would things be more enhanced and detailed?  I cannot wait to do another lab like this!

Onion Cells

Elodea Cells 

Theme- City of Ember

Curiosity is a great thing to have, but it could also be a costly thing.  It can be worth the risk. 
For example, in the chapter ''Something Lost, Nothing Found,'' Sadge had gone to the unknown regions out of curiosity.  He did not find anything and his nerves got the better of him.  He can only remember this from his curiosity.  He should not have used his curiosity here, but in a place where it could be more useful.  He was unable to find something and could have used it in a way where he can look even deeper into the situation.  Later into the book, Doon and Lina tell the guards about their discovery about the mayor, but they do not believe them.  Although this was an amazing discovery founded by their curiosity, they shared it with the wrong people.  Finally when Lina is caught by the guards, she tried to convince them that it was not a lie, but they did not believe her.   This shows that there are consequences in curiosity.  Curiousity helped Lina and Doon all throughout City of Ember and did risk themselves, but it was the net that caught them in the end.

I used to think that "The City of Ember'' was about two children that wanted to explore and discover new things.  I read that Lina liked to run and wanted to be a messenger.  She also knew her way around Ember by heart.  I also read that Doon wanted a job in the pipeworks because he wanted to fix the generator.  My initial thoughts when I read these were that the theme could be freedom and adventure.

Now, I realize that the City of Ember is really about how curiousity is something that will help you.  I see that you should not be afraid to take the risk.  I noticed this later in the book, when Doon and Lina are wanted for spreading untrue rumors.  They risked telling someone where their curiousity had lead them, and they soon had to pay for it.  I realized that theme is not something that can just be seen by taking the first idea that comes to mind, it is something that you have to dig deep to find.