Informed Argument Podcast

Click HERE to hear our podcast.

What did you learn about writing informed arguments?

I learned a lot during this informed arguments unit, for example, I learned how to make myself sound persuasive, work well with a partner, and I also learned a lot about my passion topic, and both sides of the argument.

What did you find challenging about writing this genre? How did you overcome this challenge?

Something I found challenging was finding good websites that supports my argument, because I was cons for our debate, and most people are pros, and agree with giving students free time.

What did you find challenging about recording a podcast?

While doing the actual recording of the podcast, some students in other grades made a lot of noise, so we tried to carry on and cover it up. Another problem was the techie part, because sometimes we didn't know how to use the Garage Band, and how to add the music.

What are you most proud of about your podcast?

I am most proud of our final outcome, and how we did something a bit different from the usual, because this was our first podcasts this year. I am also proud of the research Ria (my partner) and I put into our scrips.

What are you hoping your listeners will feel/do as a result of listening in your podcast?

I hope the listeners will consider all the things mentioned, and are slightly effected and convinced of our argument.

Digital Expressions: Trimester Reflection

1. What were your initial expectations about taking Digital Expressions? What were you expecting to learn or do? Did you have an opportunity to learn or use those skills this trimester?

My initial expectations about taking Digital Expressions was to learn to make good trailers, movies and stop-motions. I did have an opportunity to learn these skills, except for maybe making movies, but we also did much more like making Youtube intros and headers.
2. Overall, what was your opinion about the iMovie Trailer project? Did you enjoy it or not? Why? 

I really enjoyed making the iMovie Trailer project, because we got to feel free to do it on whatever we wanted, and be creative. Also, it was fun working in a partnering, and watching other students' trailers.
3. Overall, what was your opinion about the stop-motion project? Did you enjoy it or not? Why?

Overall, I loved the stop-motion project, because I had the freedom to choose what I wanted to do, what kind of stop-motion I wanted to do, and I hadn't done a stop-motion before. It was a great experience getting to learn how to make stop-motion, and watching the other stop-motions.
4. What was your biggest lesson or takeaway from the stop-motion project?

My biggest lesson or takeaway from the stop-motion project was to learn to be extremely patient in making it, because it is a really long process. Another takeaway was learning to actually make a stop-motion.
5. What would you change about the stop-motion project for future Digital Expressions students? Why?

I don't think I would change anything about the stop-motion project, but a possible suggestion is to show the children some more student examples in addition to the professional ones, so that we know what our expectations are, and what to aim for.
6. Overall, what was your opinion about the YouTube Intro project? Did you enjoy it or not? Why?

I enjoyed the Youtube Intro project, because there wasn't a certain way we had to do it, and I also learned how to make one on Keynote. Also, I was introduced to the different websites where we would explore different color palettes and icons.
7.What was your biggest lesson or takeaway from the YouTube Intro project?

My biggest lesson and takeaway from the Youtube Intro project learning the different ways you could use Keynote, and learning about the different icon and color palette websites.
8. What would you change about the graphic design unit? Do you think it was a good unit to gain skills in graphic design or is better left for older students?

I wouldn't change anything about the graphic design unit, and yes, I think it was a really good unit to gain skills in graphic design, and six graders should continue doing this.
9. If you could add ANY project to the trimester, what would it be and why?

Something I may add is possibly learning to make more of a short movie instead of a trailer, and maybe let us work in bigger groups for projects like the iMovie Trailers.
10. What did you enjoy most about this trimester? Why?

I think I enjoyed making the stop-motion the most, because it was new to me, and I had lots of fun exploring. I also enjoyed watching other projects made by other students.
11. What did you enjoy least about this trimester? Why?

I can't really tell. I think what I enjoyed least was making the Youtube intros, because I didn't really know what to do, and I didn't really like mine that much.
12. Does this class make you want to take more video classes in the future? Do you plan on it while in middle school?

Yes, this class makes me want to take more video classes in the future, and I am actually taking it next year in seventh grade.

Maddy's Integer Operations

Modeling Integer Operations

During math, we reviewed by adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers. Here are some examples of what we did.

6 +  -4  = 2

First I started with six yellow (positive) chips, then added in four red (negative) chips, then crossed out the zero pairs. I ended up with two positive chips.

4 - -3  =

I started out with four positive chips, then we added three zero pairs, and crossed out the three red negative chips.

-4 * -2  =

I put eight zero pairs, knowing how many I had to cross out later on. Then I crossed out four pairs of negative two.

-8 ÷ 4 =

I started out with eight red negative chips, and divided them into four groups. There are two negative chips in each group.

Rules for adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing integers: (Clearly explain the rules as you understand them here. Use math language.)

For multiplying and dividing integers, two positive numbers are positive, two negative numbers are positive, and if there is one positive and one negative, it is negative.

PE/Health End of Year Reflection

PE / Health End of Year Reflection - 6th Grade

Write your favorite sports quote and tell who said it and what it means to you. I don't really have a favorite sports quote, but something I found really inspiring is Michael Jordan's quote, "I can accept failure, but I can't accept now trying.". I like this because it shows how you should try no matter what, even if you fail. Everyone can relate to this, because there is always people who are better than you at something, and you may fail, but you should try anyways.

What does wellness mean to you? To me, wellness means being healthy physically and mentally. Meaning you should be strong by eating well, and exercising, and also mentally.

What do you do on a daily basis to be well and healthy? Well, my friends and I basketball or some kind of running game during lunch recess.

BRAIN BREAK: 20 Jumping Jacks

Rate your enjoyment of  PE? 1-5 (1=poor 5=awesome) What are your favorite things about PE? I would rate PE a 4, because sometimes we don't always do things that I enjoy, but that's life. In general, I enjoy PE. Some of my favorite things about PE is fun activities that we do. For example, fun sports that we learn, and things like the ropes course.

Rate your enjoyment of  Health? 1-5 (1=poor 5=awesome) What are your favorite things about Health? I would rate Health a 3, because overall, I'm pretty okay with some health things we learn, and they don't bother me that much, and I learn a lot. Sometimes, I like to do slightly more actives things, instead of sitting all class.

What would you change about the Health or PE program? For health, I would maybe change keeping the boys and girls apart in puberty class and other things like that. For PE, maybe I would give kids more time for changing and showering.

BRAIN BREAK: 1 minute of push-ups (or as many as you can do in 1 minute)

How physically active have you been this year on a weekly basis? Share as many of the sports, select teams, intramural sports or activities that you participated in this year in 6th grade. Include activities you do both in and out of school. To be honest, I don't think I've been that physically active this year. I don't really do any sports after or outside of school, but one thing I did was the intramural volleyball near the beginning of the year. I found it pretty fun, and I may do it again next year.

Finish this sentence. I am a good teammate because… I can be a leader, and help teammates. Also, I try to work well in a team, instead of doing everything independently.

How have you shown leadership this year in PE? What qualities make you a good leader? (If you have not taken the opportunity to lead this year what you could do to improve on this next year?) I have shown leadership sometimes, when people need help getting things together. I think a quality that makes me a leader, is being able to tell people what to do when things sometimes get out of hand, or when people sometimes need help. Also, I can complement people. I should work harder on volunteering for more things.

What is your strongest area of physical fitness? (strength, flexibility, cardio respiratory endurance) Which area do you need to work on? I think my strongest area of physical fitness may be cardiorespiratory endurance, because I think my lungs are pretty strong. I need to work on my core and upper body strength, to help with sit-ups and push-ups, and also work on my flexibility.

Why do you think being physically active is important? Being physically active is important, because it keeps you in shape, and builds up to having a healthy body, and longer life.

BRAIN BREAK: One minute of sit-ups

Describe your strengths and weaknesses eating ‘MyPlate’ 3 meals a day. My strength is eating fruits and vegetables very day in most of my meals, and lots of protein. For example, most of the time, my breakfast is fruits, and I usually have veggies in my lunch and dinner. Weaknesses may be not eating enough vegetables, and eating white bread and pasta instead of whole grain.

What is your food goal? (Review your MyPlate blog post) Did you achieve your “food goal” or do you need to continue to work on it? I haven't achieved my food goal, but I mostly did. I eat fruits and veggies more often, but I don't drink milk twice per week, because I am lactose intolerant.

How stressed have you been this semester? I haven't been that stressed this semester, but nowadays, I get a bit stressed, so I should sleep more.

What two strategies work best for you to reduce stress? Two ways that can help reduce stress is breathing in and out, and relaxing and listening to music.

BRAIN BREAK: Hold the hamstring stretch for 30 seconds x2

If you finish early and are proud of your work, you may watch the following videos with your ear buds in. PEOPLE ARE AWESOME 2015 (UNBELIEVABLE) PEOPLE ARE AWESOME SPORT EDITION Epic Trick Shot Battle | Dude Perfect Danny Macaskill: The Ridge

BRAIN BREAK: Run one lap of the track

Find your favorite videos which promote lifetime sports or activity or health living and add the link to the following Google Doc. Favorite Sports Videos from 6th Grade 2015

Student Trailer - The Sucky Spy

Scratch Games - IT

My very first Scratch game... (It's not that good.)



My next (second) Scratch game... (We did this as a class, and it's much better than the first.)



My third Scratch game... (This was also something we did as a class.)



My last Scratch game! (I did this all by myself :)

Crime Scene Investigation - Science

Who do you think is responsible for the crime?

I think the evidence found in the 'crime scene' points to the Koltutsky family. The RLA and Social Studies teacher, Mrs. Koltutsky, and the art teacher, Mr. Koltutsky.

Why? (Evidence)

I think this, because we found a sign that says, 'CATCH US IF YOU CAN', meaning that there is more than one culprit. It was written in paint, and there was paint all over around the area. This represents Mr. K, because he is an art teacher. Another piece of evidence is the couple poem above the gerbils, and it mentions their 'kids'. And Mrs. and Mr. Koltutsky have two children, Jonah and Jonathan. Also, in the middle of the room, there was a pyramid made with the stools, and in front is a painting of the sphinx in Egypt, and we all know of Mrs. Koltutsky's love for the country. Finally, in another poem, it states that the person likes biking, hiking, and love to listen to singing. We all know that Mrs Koltutsky loves to sing, and that she likes biking an hiking, too.

Poetry Reflection

What do you know now about poetry that you didn't know before? How do your poems demonstrate your knowledge of poetry? Explain with specific examples.

I learned a lot of things I didn't know before about poetry. For example, I learned some new terms like hyperbole, assonance, and consonance, and I learned what they mean and how to incorporate them into my own writing. I also learned about different kinds of poems, like; list poems, summary poems, personification poems, haiku, etc. Additionally, I learned a great process on how to write poems (slash and burn, pick and choose, etc.), and some other things like subjective vs. objective. My poems demonstrate my knowledge of poetry, because I now add some different kinds of poetic devices. For example, I learned how to personify in my poems. In "He Was Responsible", it says, "He took Family and Love, dissembled their...". Also, I wrote a haiku!

For your 'best' poem, explain the following:

• How did you come up with the idea for this poem? What was your planning process?

I got the idea to write a poem about the Holocaust, because I do National History Day, and I learned a lot about WWII, so I decided to write a poem about it. My planning process was mostly in my mind, and I didn't really write my plans out. I sort of went straight into writing it.

• How did your poem evolve while writing it? What moves did you make as a poet? Explain your revision process.

My process was to first put down my thoughts on paper, then I took out unimportant words and phrases, and added some new parts. Next I added effective line breaks and stanzas. I kept doing this until I got my final draft. Some moves I did as a poet, was my revising and editing, and my poem evolved a lot from my first to final draft.

What feelings or ideas do you hope to instill in your reader?

As I stated in the video, I want my reader to be aware of the horrors and terrors of our past, and possibly make them feel pain or sorrow.

Electromagnet Fishing Pole - Science

Above, is my electromagnet fishing pole we created in science class. In the middle of the stick there are two batteries, then a red wire and black wire connected the the batteries. The black wire was twisted together with one end of the long yellow wire which was then coiled around a nail. The other end of the yellow wire lay on top of a rectangular medal piece at the top of the stick, and it is used as a switch, because there is a nail under it so that it works like a seesaw. If you press down on one side of the metal rectangle, the wire and 'switch' touches the red wire, completing the circuit.

The electromagnet works because an activated (turned on) wire emits a magnetic field, and if you coil a wire around a ferromagnetic metal (like iron, nickel, cobalt, etc.), it makes the metal act like a magnet. We used an iron nail, and wrapped the yellow wire around it (a lot).

To use our electromagnet fishing pole, you turn it on my pressing down on the seesaw like metal piece at the top, the switch, which creates a full circuit, and makes the iron nail work as a magnet. Then you pick up the paperclips (fish). To release the paperclips you break the circuit by letting go of the switch (the metal seesaw-like mechanism).

Some problems that occurred was that after we made our first successful model, our nail became a permanent magnet, and we were no longer able to use the switch because it was rendered unnecessary. Because of this, we had to keep trying different nails until we found one that worked to our liking. Some strengths were that we were able to create a working switch that made 'fishing' easier.

C Side vs. A Side B Blocks - Comparing Homework Times - Box and Whisker Plot

C Side and A Side:

C Side - B Block:

 

Mean: 76.8

Mode: 60

A Side - B Block:

Mean: 75

Mode: 45

How was the data similar?

Both the population size, median, maximum, minimum, outlier and third quartile are the same.

What was different in the 2 sets of data?

We discovered that the C side box plot didn’t have the top whisker, also, C siders had smaller outliers, 180, 135, 135, 120, and the A siders have larger, like 180, 180, 150, 150. However, the C side average is slightly larger than the A side average, as 76.8 > 75. Furthermore, the first quartile, and interquartile ranges are different.  

Were there any outliers?

Yes, the outliers for C and A side are 180, as they are much more than the other pieces of data.

Which class spends longer on their homework? PROVE IT!

C side B block spends more time on their homework. We know this because we used the three measures of center, mean, median and mode to prove this. C side’s mean is 76.8, whereas A side’s is 75, and 76.8 > 75. The median for both are 60 minutes, and the mode for C side is 60 minutes, which is longer than A side’s mode, which is 45 minutes.

Science Quizboard

For my quizboard, my topic was 'Do You Know the Famous Dead People?'. So on the left side, I had names of famous dead people, and on the right, I had pictures of them. On the side of each photo and name, I had a push pin, and on the back of the board, the matching picture and name was connected with a wire, and held on with the brass pin. I also had a two batteries with two wires connected. Attached to one of the batteries was a small lightbulb. So if you pressed both wires to the correct answer (name and photo), the bulb would light up because it would have made a full circuit.

Here's a model of my quizboard:

Video Design

Thank You Drf Font

Dream A Little Dream Palette

How Tall is a Typical 6th Grader?

What is the height of a typical 6th grader at SAS?


The typical height of an average 6th grader is roughly 61 inches. I think this, because the median and the mode of the data of a typical 6th grader is 61 inches, and the mean of the data is 60.96 inches, which is very close to 61.

How does your own height compare?


My height (with sneakers on) is about 63 inches, and this is only two inches taller than the median, mode, and mean for the data of 6th graders. I don't think this is very precise, because without my sneakers, I am around 61 inches tall, but I think the data also shows the heights of 6th graders with their shoes on, too.

Does the height of 6th graders have a lot of variability? How do you know?

Yes, I think the height of 6th graders have a lot of variability. I know this because the minimum height is 52 inches, and the maximum height is 72 inches. The range, 72 minus 52, is 20 inches, which is a large gap.

Stop - Motion Short

What was your overall opinion about the stop-motion short project? Do you think it was a good beginning project for the trimester? Why?

I really liked the stop-motion short project, and I think it was a good beginning project for the trimester, because it introduces us to a new aspect of video-making. I also really liked doing the stop-motion project, because I hadn't done it before, and making it was a new thing for me.

What did you enjoy most about this project? Why?

Something I enjoyed about this project is how we were free to make whatever type of stop-motion we wanted, and be creative (but mine is a bit boring...). I enjoyed making my video, and putting it all together with music, sound effects, etc.

What did you not enjoy about this project? Why? 

What I didn't enjoy about the project is that it takes a long time and lots of patience to finish recording everything (but I don't think this problem can be fixed). I didn't really realize I would have to take so many photos for my video, and spend so much time taking photos (which is partially my fault).

What changes would you suggest to this project for future trimesters to make it better/more interesting?

I'm not sure if I'd make any changes for this project for future trimesters, but an idea can be to give more lessons on editing our videos, and maybe learning a couple of tricks (I'm really not sure though).

Changing Lives for the Better - Literary Essay

We all know that adjusting to a new life can be extremely challenging. Whether it is moving to a new country, changing schools, or dealing with divorce - these events can really change your life. Caitlin, the main character in the book Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine, has to adjust to a new life as she deals with her brother’s death. While coping with her brother’s passing, Caitlin learns that she must persevere, and adapt to her new world.

Caitlin Smith, an eleven-year old girl diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, is the main character of the book Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine, and she has to adjust to a new life after her brother, Devon, passes away. As Caitlin and her father cope with the loss, she becomes determined to find ‘closure’, as this will become her solution to the challenges she has to face, like making friends, fitting in, and dealing with her brother’s death. Finally, Caitlin and her father completes building the chest Devon had worked on, and this helps her find ‘closure’. On her journey to finding ‘closure’, she also starts to make friends, and in conclusion, Caitlin accomplishes her goal of finding ‘closure’, and is also introduced to new aspects in life.

A character that has to adjust to a new life is Caitlin’s dad. He breaks down because of emotional pain and depression because of Devon’s death, and memories of Devon causes him sorrow. On the day Devon died, Caitlin’s dad “slammed the door shut and put his head against it and cried and said, No no no no no.” (pg. 5) In doing this, Devon’s dad shows the challenges he is facing, and it also shows his love for his son. This is important because it displays how he has to adjust to a new life because of Devon’s death, and cope with the loss. Throughout the book, Devon’s father couldn’t stand memories of Devon, because it caused him emotional pain. At the beginning of the book, he covered up Devon’s chest, and shut Devon’s room door. At the end of the book, he and Caitlin completed building Devon’s chest. This is important because he soon realizes that he should be strong and face his challenges, and he slowly but surely, adjusts to his new life for the better.

A significant object in the book is Devon’s chest. It represents hope, and the ‘closure’ Caitlin had been searching for. At the start of the book, Devon’s chest reminds Caitlin and her father of Devon, and how he is gone forever. Caitlin later on realizes that completing the chest would help her and her father find ‘closure’, and it would bring hope to the tough situations they are forced to face. A part of the book that shows the significance of the chest, is at the very end of the book, when Caitlin says, “I smile and begin.” (pg. 232) I think this is important because it shows how the chest helped Caitlin decide to change her life for the better, and make a new and improved beginning.

All in all, I think it is important to face your challenges, find ‘closure’, and adjust to a new life in a positive way. Caitlin shows us that you can you can fix a situation by persevering, and that you can change your life for the better. Her father teaches that you should always stay strong, even when you are facing challenges. In that way, Caitlin and her father serves as mentors for everyone. So, when you are confronted with a challenge - whether you are moving to a new country, changing schools, or dealing with divorce -, remember Caitlin and her dad, and try your hardest to change your life for the better.

~~~

One of the things I liked the most about reading Mockingbird was learning my group's perspectives on parts of the book, and also getting to read a book in the view of a girl around our age, and someone who faces lots of challenges. What I really enjoyed about my book club was that we all could discuss about the book, give new insights, and sort of relate to it together. Belonging to a book club helped my grow as a reader, because I really learned how to understand different people's point of views on the book, and I learned how to dig deeper, and try to interpret different sections of the book.

I have grown as a writer, because now I can use different writing techniques in my book reports and literary essays, like writing about symbols/objects, succinct summaries, etc. A new skill I feel more confident in applying to my essay writing is good conclusions (mini-lesson), and writing succinct summaries. A challenge I faced was putting all of my thoughts down on the paper. I got stuck on how to write what I wanted to say, and I also had to leave out some parts. I surprised myself as a writer when I related back to the beginning in my conclusions, and this surprised me, because I don't usually do things like that in my writing. I realize this makes my conclusion more interesting, and gives it a good wrap-up to my essay. Some feedback I received was to find the deeper meaning of Devon's chest, and my group agreed on what the chest represented.

WP Blog 3

Since I have finished making the video, I will probably send out an email out with the video, and maybe also the links to the blog and Google+. I have recently posted the video on the blog and Google+, and on there are many facts, videos, photos, etc. And this helps spread awareness. I think a problem might be that a Google+ is sort of like a blog, so it can be a bit confusing to have both. A struggle I went through was during Spring break, I didn't bring my computer to Japan and Korea, so I couldn't really work on the project as much. Jada and I are still posting things on the Google+ and blog, and I think we will probably continue to do that as we gather more information, and things to put on there. We are really focusing on water pollution, and giving ways to prevent it, and lots of facts about it, too.
Blog: http://saynotopollutedwaterscience.blogspot.sg/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/110019612181871180644/posts
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJupYeFSWk8

Ancient Greece Google Map Rubric

How did making a google map about Ancient Greece help you understand the geography more effectively than a “paper and pencil” map? Making a Google map helped me understand the geography more effectively, because you can see everything accurately, and you can also learn more about the landmarks, because you can add additional information about the geography and civilization.

How did making a google map about Ancient Greece help you understand more about the culture of Ancient Greece? Making a Google map helped me understand more about Ancient Greece because first of all, geography plays a huge role in a civilization's culture, and you also had to do a lot of research on the landmarks, and add pins to where they belong - and this researching helped us understand more about Greece.
What were the features of google maps that you enjoyed working with to make your map effective? Feature that I enjoyed working with were how you could add different icons to represent the landmark, and also how you could add lots of information on the pins, and also visuals to help people understand more about the location. What challenges did you face when working with google maps? A challenge we faced was at one point of time, we had several of the same pins, but one written by myself, and the other by my partner. We had about 5 pairs of the same topic pins. But soon after, we fixed the problem.
What challenges/successes did you encounter when working with a partner on this assignment? I think all in all, we were pretty successful, because we did well working together, and splitting the work evenly. A challenge we faced was a small misunderstanding that occurred.
What advice would you give another student about working with google maps? A piece of advice I would give is to have a Google doc where you put all your paragraphs, and from then you just copy and paste your work into the map. You should do this just in case your map doesn't save your work.
What will you always remember about Ancient Greece from having made a google map?

I think I'll remember Ancient Greece's geography the most because (obviously) we made maps, but we also did a lot of research and reading on Ancient Greece's geography and culture.

Here's a link to our map: https://www.google.com.sg/maps/@39.1855122,26.2668029,6z/data=!4m2!6m1!1szeTnmLnbQRHI.k-M3PAclQaAI?hl=en

Historical Thinking

What did you learn about thinking like a historian?
I learned that historians must dissect a piece of information, and always use different ways of studying a document or resource. For example, we had to use SCAN, FILTR, and ask questions - to see whether a source is valid and reliable.

What do you like about historical thinking?
I like that you find all the necessary, good information when you think like a historian, because you really work hard to find helpful information, and you also find out if a source is good or not. I also like finding discrepancies, because it makes you realize how some sources can be pretty questionable, but you can only realize that if you actually search for errors.

What do you find challenging about historical thinking?
Something I found challenging about historical thinking is to ask big, important, relevant questions, because I usually don't do that when I'm reading a piece of information.

How have you grown as a historical thinker?
I have grown as a historical thinker, because now I can really examine a source well, and I can tell if it is valid, useful, or has discrepancies. I've sort of learned how to asked relevant question, find new sources within a source, etc.

What's next?
I think I have to work more on finding the necessary information in a piece of text or photo, learn to ask big, relevant questions, and to learn to find good sources that can provide lots of details.

My Storyboard - Video

WP Blog 2

Jada and I have already planned what were are doing, and we have just started making a Google+ and a blog, and we are still adding information on it. I've also just finished my video, and I will soon start sending it out. We've also decided not to present to an elementary school classroom because it may be a bit too much to do, and many other people are also doing it. We have decided not to make an Instagram.
Here's the video I made: