Essaying an Essay

To "essay" means to try, and students have been trying, lately, to write essays! It is a new and challenging writing form for most of them, and I am very proud of what they have achieved so far. We are working on building simple essays that advance a thesis (a thought or claim) and support it with details, examples, reasons, and other evidence. Today we framed our essays using "boxes and bullets" -- a graphic organizer that forms a simple outline. In the box is the thesis, while each bullet represents a supporting idea. Supporting ideas could show reasons why a thesis is true, describe times when a thesis is true, or explain ways how a thesis is true. In the next few days we will explore ways essayists organize their writing, find sources of information and evidence, and present their thoughts in clear ways. I look forward to seeing the final results! If you are able to attend our essay unveiling, held just before Thanksgiving, you are welcome to share in our celebration. More details to come soon.

Conferences and Fall Break

I hope to see you all in the next few days at parent-teacher conferences. Students are welcome to attend their conference, as well. We will have a chance to talk about your child's new report card -- another innovation by the district, although similar in style to what we have been using for the past few years -- as well as any questions or concerns you might have about his or her progress, behavior, etc. It's a good time to touch base after the first nine weeks of school. There aren't formal conference days set up for the rest of the year (we are on trimesters now, so there will only be two more report cards sent home), but feel free to call and schedule an appointment with me at any time. Conferences will be held between 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm on Monday the 22nd and Tuesday the 23rd.

There will be no school on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday this week -- it's our Fall Break! I will be spending some time with my parents, who will be in town visiting from Oregon. They are planning to move out to Boulder next spring, but in the meantime I look forward to seeing them whenever they can make it out to Colorado. Hopefully the weather will improve.... Have a great Fall Break, whatever you and your family plan to do with the extra time off!

Science Fair

The Science Fair is an annual event for our school. Every student completes an experiment and presents their results both orally and on a display board. Experiments and presentations are judged by parents and community members, and prizes are awarded to the top scientists. We stress the scientific method as we prepare students for the Fair: scientists 1) ask a testable question, 2) make a hypothesis, 3) gather their materials, 4) decide on a procedure, 5) collect and organize their results, and 6) come to a conclusion based on their data. Good experiments have a variable -- a part of the experiment that is changed, while everything else is held constant. Without a variable, your project is probably a demonstration, not an experiment! The classic example is the volcano -- mixing baking soda and vinegar together to see what happens is only a demonstration of a scientific principle. It would not qualify as an experiment for our Science Fair. However, last year a student decided to test this question: what happens when you add another ingredient to the baking soda and vinegar? She tested three possible mixtures, recorded her results, and presto! An experiment which was interesting, thoughtful, scientific, and... won first place. Best of all, I think she came up with the idea on her own. Those tend to be my favorites. Of course, it is perfectly okay to get inspiration from science books, the internet, or your teacher if you don't have a question just begging to be answered. Good luck, and start experimenting!