Blog Archives - What's going on in Mr. Solarz' Class?

SchoolWide Reading - Lesson 3

9/30/2015

Must be tough times and long time ago. I wonder why Jessie and her Grandmother are poor? Couldn't they have a little more money?
Jessie must have a really tough life because her parents died when she was a baby and that must make her really sad.
I thought that the setting might be Poland because Poland was kinda poor back then.
I wonder what is a Rabbi?
Jessie went to school with boys and that must be bad for her because she has no girl friends.
Rabbi got a ticket to America and I wonder if he will give the ticket to Jessie?
Jessie got to go to America!!!
Jessie is a 13 year old going to America! That is kinda young! I would be scared to leave my grandmother to go to America.
Jessie gave grandmother her mother's wedding ring. Why?
Words of the wiser from the grandmother. " Life will be better in America."
Must be really tough on the boat because back then, in the olden days, if you travel on a boat it was really tough.
People think that America's road was paved with gold but it was not.
She is missing her grandmother. She would like to show her grandmother New York and show her how pretty it is in America.
Jessie made friends with a guy on the ship!
Jessie found her friend from the ship walking in the park! His name is Lou.
I wonder if they will get married because they like each other.
Lou proposed to Jessie wanting her to marry him but Jessie said "Maybe later."
Jessie must be making money for the wedding if she said later.
Jessie made some money making dresses and selling them and when she had enough, she bought another ticket to America and sent it to her grandmother!
Grandmother gave Jessie her mothers wedding ring. I think that Jessie gave her mother's wedding ring to her grandmother because she wanted it safe with her.

Questions:

What did you think of this book? What did you like and what did you dislike?
This was historical fiction. What do you like about historical fiction and what don't you like?
When the book ended, what were you thinking about? What are you still wondering or wish you'd know more about? Why do you want to know?

Answers:
1. I thought this book was amazing! It brought me so close to the times in the book. It just touched me amazingly. I disliked that the book was a little sad.
2. I love about historical fiction is that you learn about all the different kinds of events in history. It seems interesting learning all about the different events.
3. I would love to know what kind of life Jessie and grandmother had. I wonder when grandmother died. I also wonder if Jessie got married with Lou. I was also thinking if grandmother and Jessie had a very good life or maybe even an amazing life in New York.

Schoolwide Reading - Lesson 2

9/29/2015

Stop And Jot:

Why does he want to live in this really old house?
Henry must be very brave to move into a house that's vacant for 7 years. I would be worried about the ghosts and spiders.
Why did nobody live in the house for 7 years?
I wonder if he will fix the house?
I wouldn't care what other people think about my house, I just need what I want and I would be fine and HAPPY!
Again and Again signpost, this place is a disgrace keeps coming up. But why are they saying that? I think they keep saying that because they might not be able to sell there house for a good price because Henry's house is really, really crummy.
Henry must be very rude to say "Excuse me," and go back home to read his book.
Why would the neighbors send fines to Henry. He just might be a normal guy.
Everybody was getting angry at Henry. But why would they care? Its just a crummy house!
I'm proud that Henry can take the negative peer pressure, doing what he thinks is best!
Henry never talks to his neighbors. In Henry's perspective, the neighbors must be unfriendly/jerks. But from the neighbors perspective, they are just being "nice" to Henry.
I'm starting to wonder if Henry is really rude. Like why wouldn't he take the pie from the two little old ladies. I would be like "WOW! Thank you so much!!!
Words of the Wiser Signpost. The Mayor said "Be nice, try it twice!"
Henry doesn't want any help from the neighbors with shoveling the snow! Why?
Henry is leaving! He had enough with the neighbors.
What?! Really?! What a kook.
Neighbors are missing Henry a little. Wondering if Henry will return.
Aha moment for the neighbors. How might this change things in the city? What will the neighbors do now?
Neighbors must be guilty/feeling bad now. =(
Neighbors want everybody to be like them. Why?
Henry wrote to the Mayor asking questions and waiting for the answers from the Mayor.
I think Henry WILL move back to his house and BACK to that city with THOSE neighbors.

Questions:

Where and when do you usually read?
What kinds of books do you like to read? Why?
Do you have a favorite author, series, or genre? What is it?
How do you decide what to read once you are ready to select a new text?
Select a question from the class Padlet, and write some notes to record the answer.

Answers:
1. I usually read in my room on my bed and I usually after read after doing all my other homework (math science social studies ex.)
2. I LOVE to read fantasy and mystery books because they seem to fit my type and they seem so interesting and amazing. I just get so into them!
3. My favorite genre is fantasy and comics because it seems really, really, fun and amazing.
4. I decide what to read is like I go to the library and see what fits me from what I read last.
5. Why do you choose to read? I choose to read because when you read, you learn some new words and you also get into the book so much if you chose the right book for your self. So that is why I choose to read.

Conductors of Heat!

9/28/2015

Questions:

How did heat energy transfer to the butter in this experiment?
What connections can you make between this experiment and yesterday's experiment? "Both today's experiment and yesterday's experiment... The main differences were..."
How did your results compare to your predictions?
Which of the tested materials were the two best conductors? What is your evidence?
Which of the tested materials were the two worst conductors? What is your evidence?
Do you think water is a good or poor conductor? Why? Can you think of any evidence to support your answer?
Why do you think it matters which material is a good or bad conductor? How do we use conductors in our life?

Predictions:
1. I think that the butter were slide in the following order...aluminum (shiny metal)...copper (copper brown)...brass (gold)...plastic (white)...bamboo.
Answers:
1. The heat plate went through the cup and into the sticks and all the way to the butter which put all the heat inside of the butter.
2. Some connections with today's experiment and last times experiment was that they both used a bit of heat but last times experiment used some cold water but today's did not.
3. They compared to my predictions because I was wrong on the first one. I thought that the aluminum would be first.
4. The two best conductors were copper and aluminum. My evidence for that was because those both conductors were the quickest to melt the butter. The copper melted in about 10 seconds and the aluminum melted in about 13 seconds.
5. The two worst conductors were the bamboo and the plastic. My evidence for that was that it took FOREVER for the butter to finally melt.
6. I think water in a very good conductor because I remember doing an experiment last year about that and I saw that water was a good conductor.
7. It matters which conductor is a good or bad material because what if we need to know which is good or bad and we don't know? What if we need it right now but we can't check it. We use conductors in our life like when we cook, we use a frying pan as a conductor.

Transferring Heat Energy!

9/25/2015

How did the temperatures of the water in the red Solo cup and the water in the bucket compare at the beginning?
What happened to the temperature of the cold water over time?
What happened to the temperature of the warm water over time?
How did your graph show what happened?
After 15 minutes, what did you notice about the lines on your graph?
What happened to make the temperature of the cold water get warmer?
What happened to make the temperature of the warm water get colder?
Use your line graph to predict what the temperature of the warm and cold water would be after 10 more minutes. Record your predictions below. Why did you choose these temperatures?
Did the water go through the red Solo cup? How do you know? Can the food coloring in the warm water help you explain this answer?
Which direction did the heat energy move?

1. How they compared was that the hot water was 85.9ºF and the cold water 42.9ºF. So the difference would be 43.1ºF.
2. It went up the chart dramatically because probably the temperature in the room is effecting the water.
3. It went down the chart dramatically because probably the cold water must be effecting it.
4. It showed us the temperature on the chart and it also showed us what was happening to the cold temperature and the hot temperature.
5. I noticed that the cold line was actually getting hotter than the hot line. It was really weird.
6. I think the temperature in the room was effecting the cold line or maybe because it was out of ice.
7. I think the temperature in the bucket (which was cold) was effecting the hot.
8. I think the cold line will be 61ºf and the hot line will be 55ºf. I picked these temperatures because I think they are fair with the other temperatures.
9. I think it just stayed in the cup because I saw nothing in the bucket. If it went in the other bucket the solo cup dye would probably be a little like lighter.
10. It went first down then after a few minutes it went started slowly moving a tiny but up.

The Second Continental Congress!

9/24/2015

Was a letter that American colonists wrote to King George saying they want to break free from England.
NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!
Tired of laws, they didn’t have any say in the laws.
Arguing because of laws.
Tax collectors, people capture tax people and tar them with feathers.
Got together for the First Continental Congress.
Met for to months.
Sat around talking.
Decided to boycott British goods.
Asked King George to take away the laws/acts.
Got together for the SECOND Continental Congress.
Lexington and Concord first real battle of the war. April 19, 1775.
Plan to fight the war. Weren’t ready.
Decided for who to lead troops.
Decide to fight or write a letter.
More and more people wanted to free from England.
Decided to declare independence.
Not nice to King George in the letter.
Met in Philadelphia for Second Continental Congress.
Three Jobs to face:
Bring all thirteen colonies to fight for the war/organize colonies for war.
Decide who should lead the army. George Washington
Decide whether to Declare Independence for Great Britain.
56 people in Second Continental Congress.
Virginia was important because it is the biggest.
New york had the most of the patriots and loyalists.
Support from France and Spain.
Stamp Act, Boston Harbor
No age for being in the war.

1. What did we decide during the Second Continental Congress?

Answer: They decided to declare independence and they did that by writing a letter saying that.

2. What is one thing that you think everyone should know about the Second Continental Congress?

Answer: That King George is really mean and it was hard for the people to make lots of decisions and know what to do with King George.

3. Why should more teachers try to connect with other classrooms when learning things like history?

Answer: Because other classrooms might know a little more information about the subject than others. So it is always a good idea to learn from each other.

Energy Transfer in Toys!

9/17/2015

Energy Wheel!

9/16/2015

Where is energy found?
What forms of energy are easiest to find?
Which energy forms are hardest to find?
Do some items possess more than one form of energy? If so, which ones?
Why is energy important?
Describe how your group worked together. What collaboration happened? Were there any challenges?

1. All around us everywhere!
2. I think its motion cause mostly everything is moving around us!
3. I think its gravitational because not everything is hanging.
4. Yes some of them like: computers, server, lamination machine and light, but there is also more.
5. Energy is important because with out it we wouldn't have technology and we would be weak.
6. We worked very well, found lots and extra pictures, one person wrote everything and the other took all the pictures. No challenges but fun!

International Dot Day! By Audrey

9/15/2015

Questions:
1: Why did you do what you did?
2: What were your creative touches?
3: Did you enjoy this activity? Why or why not?

Answers:
1: I did what I did because I love cats so I always do something with cats!
2: My creative touches were making the ears triangles making the face out of dots and the eyes also.
3: I enjoyed this activity a lot because I love creating creative stuff!

Energy Card Sort Reflection

9/3/2015

I thought that the card sort that we did today was kinda fun. It was a little bit tricky knowing which picture went into which category because the picture had like two categories to go into but once we used the book to help us and see what was wrong I kind of got it. It was really interesting knowing all 8 different kinds of energy. There was light energy, sound energy, motion energy, electrical energy, heat energy, gravitational energy, chemical energy, and elastic energy. There was a lot of writing and definitions for each energy but it was very interesting knowing all of them. I really enjoyed it!

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