Researching about Natural Resources

4HR is beginning our summative assessment for our Where you live impacts how you live unit. We will be sharing our learning about:

Resources: natural, capital, human

Needs & Wants

Trade & Scarcity

Supply & Demand

Consumers & Producers

After choosing a natural resource to investigate, each student will use their Nonfiction reading skills to find important information. Here are our list of resources to use:

Encyclopedia Britannica 

username: panthers 

Choose to read at Elementary level first. You can choose to challenge yourself at the Middle or High school level after getting the important information from the Elementary level. This resource will be the most helpful, so start and stay here!

Big Universe

Username: student panther apps

Password: student panther apps

Group Username: libiskl

Your resource may have its own book on Big Universe. This your second stop for researching. 

Appropriate Google Search

This is the last resort for finding information. You will need to take your time sorting through information, too high, too low reading levels, and unimportant details. Use the other resources first.

-Oil for kids

-Oil - natural resource

Trade Routes

Trade Map

This resource is tricky to use, but gives you great information about the consumers of your country's natural resource. 

Other possibilities -no guarantee of finding anything related to your research.

Natural Resource Maps - website

Country Profile- National Geographic - Can read to find out what natural resources the country has.

Africa Natural Resources - Commodities

CIA Country Fact Book

Natural Resource - World Map

Natural Resource - World Map 2

Our investigations

Sean, Connor & Jamie - diamonds in Canada

Zaaviar & Sissi, Carmen, Emily- gold in China

Miguel - fruit in Spain

Mason - gold in California

Victoria, Eva & Carol - lumber

Ryan & Mihir- diamonds in Botswana

Sarah - Iron in the UK

Caimi - UK

Sarah - cattle

Elin - lumber in Nordic countries

ZY - fishing in Norway

Amaan - diamonds in Russia

 

Building Our Own Seismograph

4HR is building seismographs that are affordable, accurate, and sensitive for countries that can't afford fancy computer seismographs. Our first step to collect information that will help us design accurate and sensitive machines.

What is a Seismograph?

Finding out:

Handout

PowerScienceKnowledge

PBS Kids

Simple Seismograph creation

UC Berkeley professor explains

What could be more accurate? What could be more sensitive?

What did we find out about seismographs? What are they made of?
Connects to base ten number system, in that the Richter scale works in powers of ten - Jamie
Steady and stable - Zaaviar
The paper would go around a wheel, with an axle in the middle. - Sarah
Wood plank needs to be smooth. Paper needs to be tight. - Connor
Platform: use cardboard. - Emily
Ink: when the paper keeps on moving, the writing instrument keeps writing. - Mason
The height of the weight and the weight of the weight. If the weight is super heavy, it wouldn't show small movements because it is held down. If it is lighter, it would show the smaller movements. - Sean
Vertical metal rod and steel wire. - Victoria
Platform: use cereal boxes, put something heavy in it. - Carmen
Platform: wood, because you can drill into it. - Amaan
Platform: tile. - Sean
Ball and pencil hung from rod. - Carol
Inverted pendulum seismometer: pencil suspended on a metal rod, adjusted to change the pendulum, so it can be more accurate. When the ground shakes, the pencil shakes, drawing on the paper. Wavelengths converted on the Richter Scale: lines on the paper. - ZY
You need a weight to make it stable. - Miguel
Measures how big the Earth's movement. - Elin
These seismographs connect to pendulums, except they don't move and stay in the same spot. It picks up the vibration of the surface, which causes the pencil or pen to move. - Caimi

Environmental Impact of Printing

What do you think is the impact of printing our information books?

Positive:

-Good feedback will move us improve as authors
-Sense of accomplishment
-Sharing useful information
-We could save lives
-Share our learning with others

Negative:
-Uses paper which causes trees to get cut down
--> Animal habitats may be destroyed
-Uses energy: computers, printer --> energy comes from burning coal, water dams
-Uses ink: color uses up more ink than we need

Other thoughts:
-Gifs need to be screenshot-ed

We need to be aware of the negative impacts and try to lessen them.

From Get Dimples

You ever stop to think about the impact you make on the environment when you hit the print button?  Most folks focus on the amount of paper used in printing, but few stop to think about what goes into the ink and toner cartridges in their printer.

To find out, I’ve researched the environmental impact of printing and what I’ve found is quite shocking.  Here are some facts about the shadier side of ink and toner:

• Each year, more than 350 million ink and toner cartridges are thrown out in the United States alone (and this number increases every year!)

• Ink cartridges in landfills can take up to a millennium to decompose, as they contain resin

• Toner cartridges contain toxic ingredients such as volatile organic compounds in the form of solvents

• It takes almost a gallon of oil to make a single laser ink cartridge

• Manufacturing a single toner cartridge releases 4.8 Kilograms of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
• 
  

What can we do?

1) Minimize the amount of color in our books 

 - backgrounds need to be white, text needs to be black

2) Minimize the amount of printing

 - two-sided

 - ask myself do I really need to print this?

3) Choose not to print, create a PDF and post to our blogs

4) Eliminate unnecessary slides

Flipped Classroom

4HR is learning about different geometric shapes and attributes. To help us get comfortable using the new vocabulary in class, let's practice independently.

For each concept, choose one way of finding out. Then, on Friday, we will share your Way to Show Your Learning.

All About Geometry
Watch BrainPop video
Glorious Geometry on Big Universe

Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
Watch BrainPop video
Stone Age Geometry: Lines on Big Universe

Line segment, Lines, Rays, and Points
Khan Academy tutorial
Lines Segments, Rays, and Angles on Big Universe

Angles: Acute, Obtuse, Right
Lines Segments, Rays, and Angles on Big Universe
Stone Age Geometry: Squares on Big Universe

Big Universe Log-in Information
Username: student panther apps

Password: student panther apps

Group Username: libiskl

Ways to Show Your Learning
1) Draw a piece of Art: In your beautiful drawing, include the following geometric attributes (parallel & perpendicular lines; acute, right and obtuse angles; lines, line segments, rays, and points). Make sure to label all the attributes.

2) Make a YouTube Editor movie that demonstrates your learning about the following geometric attributes (parallel & perpendicular lines; acute, right and obtuse angles; lines, line segments, rays, and points). Make sure to label all the attributes.

3) Brain Pop shape sorter: Sort the shapes. Take a screen shot or print final results to bring in on Friday.

4) Your choice: Talk to Ms. Heather before Wednesday to have your choice approved.

Measurement Unit Tuning In

Today we tuned into our Measurement unit today. Our first step was to record everything we knew about our central idea:

The metric system aligns with our base ten number system

Thoughts

Kilometres, decametres, metres, centimetres and millimetres are all in the metric system.

The metric system and base ten number system connect with x10.

ex. metre x 10 = 10 metres

10 metres x 10 = 100 metres

100 metres x 10 = 1,000 metres

1,000 metres = 1 kilometre

Metric system has something to do with base ten because the examples have 10 or 100 or 1,000.

Questions

Does it have anything to do with measurement? - Yes!

What is the metric system? - Measurement based on Celsius, degrees, metres, litres, grams

Does the metric system use base ten blocks to find answers?

Does align mean connect? - arrange things, join

Is this about base ten in another way?

How many types of measurement are inside the metric system?

Through the process of reading books about the metric system and interacting with tools (scales, measuring cups, metre sticks), we began our discovery. Our next step is to figure out how the metric system aligns with the base ten number system.

Finding inspiration

4HR is beginning our journey as Realistic Fiction authors. The first step is to find ideas that make us passionate about writing. Ideas that we are called to write! Today we are looking at how other authors, like Kate DiCamillo, get their ideas and organize (or don't organize their ideas!).

Let's watch this video where Kate DiCamillo is honest about mistakes, rejection, and where she gets her ideas. In your writer's notebook, write down 3 - 2 - 1

3 Thoughts or ideas
2 Questions (for Kate DiCamillo or authors)
1 Piece of advice for you as an author

Nonfiction Reading Strategies

Grade 4 has been working on developing our Nonfiction Reading Strategies. Our big foci have been word attack skills, interpreting visual information, determining main idea and detail, and merging information through synthesizing. 

We have been collecting ThinkMarks aligned with this rubric throughout our Nonfiction reading unit. Now we are going to create a video explaining our thinking about Nonfiction texts and our great strategies with the world.

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Hugo Cabret Visualizing

In Hugo's dark dark house, with Isabelle, they were glancing at the automaton. Their gaze was filled with excitement and shock. The automaton is leaning over the desk, with its pen, hovering over the piece of paper, in its hand. The automaton looks lifeless because its mask has no expression. It looks blank and has black eyes. The automaton looks so fragile and delicate.

Intercultural Humor

Many times comedy or humor plays on how cultural universals look differently from culture to culture.

Here are the cultural universals we are learning about:

• Food
• Clothing
• Communication
• Celebrations
• Beliefs
• Religion
• Customs and Traditions
• Shelter/Architecture
• Family Structure
• Art/Music/Entertainment/Sports

We are going to watch three videos that show cultural diversity (differences in cultures). Your job is to hunt for the differences in the cultural universals. Hint: It is what makes the videos very funny!




Now you have a quick skit! Come up with a quick skit that shows how cultural universals are different.

Where Did Numbers Come From?

Today we are going to inquiry into how numbers came to exist. In your Mathematical Strategies notebook, title a page The Story of 1. Below, answer these questions:

Where did numbers come from?


How did humans start using numbers?

Finding our Values

4HR is exploring beliefs, values, cultures, and traditions in our current Social Studies unit. We began by exploring what 4HR values. We found out that we really value:

Understanding     Learning    Respect     Care     Listening     Collaboration     Fun & Enjoyment

Next we looked at ourselves. We arranged these statements in order from most important to least important, and analyzed our responses to determine our individual values.

I try to understand what other people are feeling.

I am as important as everyone else.

Everyone else is equal to me but different from me.

I know what is fair and not fair. I try to do the right thing.

I look after the environment and don’t waste things.

I try to help others and not fight with them.

I have my own ideas but can alter them when I realize they were wrong.

I want to learn more about the world.

I think I can change things in the world.

What would your responses be?

A Day in the Life of an ISKL Student

To investigate how Where you live impacts how you live, 4HR watched documentaries about a day in the life of children in Thailand and Vietnam. But there was no documentary on Malaysia! We decided to make movies that show how the natural, capital and human resources of Kuala Lumpur affect our daily lives. Take a look!




And Afterschool and Weekends!

Our feedback:

What went well:
-the editing process
-the timeline
-timing of audio and video

What we would change:
-equal collaboration
-quiet room for recording
-audio difficulties
-keeping on task
-keeping to agreements

What we learned:
-what impacts our lives
-video and audio in YouTube
-collaboration on YouTube
-pros at tech

Geometry Practice

Today we are going to practice our Geometry skills and strategies. Look at your "I Can" statements to determine which skills and strategies are most important to practice.

Geometric Shapes
I can look for, identify, and draw points, line segments, angles, and perpendicular lines and parallel lines in two-dimensional figures. Splash Math

Classifying Triangles
I can classify triangles as right angles or not. Splash Math

Area and Perimeter
I can use the area and perimeter formula. Ship Builder, Compare Area and Perimeter
I can use the formulas to solve problems. Area and Perimeter, Party Planner

Angles
I can explain that an angle is measured in degrees. - Estimating Angles, Hitting the Target
I can measure an angle using a protractor. - Protractor Game, Random Angle
I can use a protractor to create a given angle.
I can sketch angles when given a measurement. - Banana Hunt,
I can explain that the angle measurement is the sum of its decomposed angles.
I can write an equation with an unknown angle measurement. - Angles Games, Add and Subtract Angles
I can solve word problems involving unknown angles. Kung Fu Angles

Choose wisely!

NYC: Where I Lived Impacts How I Lived

When I lived in New York City, the physical and human characteristics impacted how I lived. Firstly, New York City is an island and it impacted my transportation choices. Then, the climate impacted the clothing I had to buy. Lastly, the museums and cultural places impacted the activities I would do in my spare time. Therefore, my time in NYC was different because of these physical and human characteristics.

There were so many physical characteristics that affected the way I lived. First of all, it is an island! I couldn't just walk to neighboring states. I had to take bridges and tunnels, which had expensive tolls. So it wasn't cheap to get to New York City or leave it. On the other hand, we can take ferries as a form of transportation, and really lovely beaches were nearby.

Did you know the winters in NYC are brutally cold? They are ridiculously cold. This would impact how I lived because I would need an arsenal of hats, gloves, scarves, and coats to help me through the winter. My closets were full of sweaters, warm pants, and socks. Bet you didn't know that summers in NYC are as humid as KL? It's true! You sweat all the time when you are walking around NYC. Therefore you need to also have dresses, shorts, and sandals to help you keep cool. Not every apartment has air conditioning, so people love to go to restaurants or cafes to enjoy the cool air con.

In NYC, we have so many museums and places with culture. If it was a rainy day, no need to stay inside your house! You can go see a play or look at art. During the summertime, many cultural events happen outside, so you don't have to miss a second of fresh air or sunshine. I recommend going to concerts in the park and outdoor art exhibitions to anyone visiting New York.

I hope you understand why my life was so different in New York. I had to adapt to living on an island, with seasons, and so many cultural things to do. I miss some things (like the museums), but don't miss others (like the brutal winter winds!). If you ever decide to move to New York, please know it is a unique place to live.

Flipped Classroom!

4HR is learning about different geometric shapes and attributes. To help us get comfortable using the new vocabulary in class, let's practice at home.

For each concept, choose one way of finding out. Then, on Friday, bring in your Way to Show Your Learning.

All About Geometry
Watch BrainPop video
Glorious Geometry on Big Universe

Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
Watch BrainPop video
Stone Age Geometry: Lines on Big Universe

Line segment, Lines, Rays, and Points
Khan Academy tutorial
Lines Segments, Rays, and Angles on Big Universe

Angles: Acute, Obtuse, Right
Lines Segments, Rays, and Angles on Big Universe
Stone Age Geometry: Squares on Big Universe

Big Universe Log-in Information
Username: student panther apps

Password: student panther apps

Group Username: libiskl

Ways to Show Your Learning
1) Go on a geometry hunt. Find at least 15 objects that demonstrate different geometric attributes (parallel & perpendicular lines; acute, right and obtuse angles; lines, line segments, rays, and points). In a Google Slide or poster, includ a picture or drawing and identify each attribute.

2) Draw a piece of Art: In your beautiful drawing, include the following geometric attributes (parallel & perpendicular lines; acute, right and obtuse angles; lines, line segments, rays, and points). Make sure to label all the attributes.

3) Brain Pop shape sorter: Sort the shapes. Take a screen shot or print final results to bring in on Friday.

4) Your choice: Talk to Ms. Rich before Wednesday to have your choice approved.

Grade 5 Service Learning Fair

4HR attended the Grade 5 Service Learning Fair. The 5th graders had been inquiring into social issues and organizations since October. Today they presented their learning and actions with the Melawati community.

What we learned:

Ashton - Human trafficking sells body parts.
Colin - Body parts cost a lot of money from human trafficking, over $100,000
Jacob - same as Colin and Ashton
Tessel - Sun bears are very endangered.
Joshua - same as Colin and Ashton
Alicia - Sun bears can climb trees. I never knew what sun bears were!
Julie - Some 5th graders were helping 2nd graders be tuned into school.
Juliette - Rhinoceros only have 10 left.
Kaelyn - Syrian refugees had to run from their homes because of the war.
Aron - There is an island made of trash. That is bad.
Leila - Same as Julie.
Beckett - Melawati is not recycling enough things. We should recycle more.
Rea - Panda bears are endangered.
Mikaela - Same as Rea.
Linh - 7,700 seas animals die each year.
Jack - There is a sign on most cartons of juice or other products that says if they are recyclable.

What we could do next:

Start looking for recyclable sign on cartons to throw it in the correct bin. - Beckett & Jack
At lunch, we could remind people to put recyclables in the correct bins. We could start a little group to organize bottles and cartons. - Colin
Donate money to the SPCA. - Mikaela
Eat tuna, salmon, seaweed, but leave the others alone. Or stop eating fish. - Joshua, Jacob, Ashton
We can make a video about pandas and red pandas. - Juliette and Alicia
Write Ms. Cheng a letter that says we need to recycle more. - Tessel and Rea

Kindness Fair

Today 4HR shared our projects about Kindness. We could respond to one of these three quotes from our class read aloud Wonder by R. J. Palacio.

How do we know we have been kind?

What is it to be kind, anyway?

Always try to be a little kinder than is necessary.

We had so many different responses: skits, essays, posters, presentations, books, and flip books.

What did we learn about kindness from the book Wonder and our opportunities to respond? Go to our individual blog to read our blog post reflections!

3-2-1 Multiplying Fractions

4HR completed a Visible Thinking Routine about multiplying fractions. We recorded 3 thoughts or ideas, 2 questions, and 1 simile about multiplying fractions before we began learning about this concept. Here are some of thoughts, questions and similes.

Thoughts
I think the answer will get smaller when multiplying fractions.

It might be easy, it might be hard.

I think multiplying fractions is the same as multiplying. Adding and subtracting fractions were the same as with whole numbers.

Questions
Would it be the same or similar to multiplication with whole numbers?

How do we multiply fractions?

Similes
Multiplying fractions is like looking at yourself in the mirror because you double yourself.

Multiplying fractions would be as easy as doing nothing.

Go to this LearnZillion lesson to see what we did next!

Creating Line Plots

4HR is learning how to to use line plots to organize and display data. Are you curious about line plots? Here is a quick video to teach you more about making line plots.




What did we learn?
Line plots go from the smallest (or least) to the biggest (or most)
Use Xs to show how much or how often
It is similar to a graph (only x axis)
At the bottom, you need to label
At the top, there is a title

Today we will use line plots to interpret data on different athletes. On this site, we will make a line plot and determine the information it is telling us.

Our next step is to use these skills to help us interpret data in the real world! Watch out for our next steps.

Tuning Into Unit Fractions

 4HR is beginning to find out about unit fractions. We learned that there are many types of unit fractions, based on the denominators. Take a look through our presentation to see all the different types.