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

KinderPals Reflection

5/22/2018

What is the KinderPals Program?
In what ways do you think the program benefits the kindergartners? Try to explain several with support.
Why is the KinderPals program beneficial to 5th graders? Believe it or not, you should be getting something out of the program as well!
What challenges did you experience in KinderPals this year?
What improvements could be made to the program for next year?
Do you think the kindergartners enjoyed the stories from Peekapak? Why do you think that? Do you have any evidence to support your answer?

KinderPals is a program that helps kindergarteners with traits that a good person should have. It helps them develop them, reflect on them and more.
KinderPals helps the kindergartener by teaching them how to reflect on traits they may not have known about before which they had. For example, one may be very honest, they may not know what it means, but they have it.
KinderPals helps with both the 5th grader and their kindergartener. The 5th grader can learn something new, build on that trait and learn how to teach younger kids.
I think getting to know them was hard because at first they were very shy. Meeting somebody who isn't a trusted adult, nor a friend of their age.
I think next year they could add more programs or traits because it doesn't cover them all but it helps a lot already.
I think they liked it because it was a fun way for everyone to learn. I think mine KinderPal liked it a lot because he'd memorized all the characters in the PeekaPack™ program along with all their hobbies. I thought he learned a lot too.

Testing Plant Growth

5/14/2018

Independent Variable

Plant seeds in different kinds of soil (e.g. potting soil, perlite, sand, etc.)

Dependent Variables

Measure the height of each plant at certain checkpoints.

Evidence

We can record our data using measurements (in cm).

Reflection/Synthesis:

Name your Control Variables (What will stay the same for each of the three cups)?
Name the Independent Variable (What is it that is different for each of the three cups)?
Name your Dependent Variable (What is it that you are testing & recording data on?)
What data are you collecting to serve as Evidence to show how plants grow in organic material versus inorganic planting material?
Why is everyone starting with the same three cups? Why do we need to test so many plants?
What sprouts first in a seed: the stem or the root? How do you know?
How do the pictures below prove your answer for #6?
Why do you think it goes in that order?

Each of the cups have worm casting in them
None of the cups have something differnt yet
We are recording data on the height of each plant
We are going to use the data we collect ofn height
We need different plants so we can change variables to see what happens
The root is first because the plant can still live of the seed's energy until it sprouts a stem
Those are all pictures of stems
Because it goes from a newly-planted to a seed ready to grow a stem

Plants as Producers

5/3/2018

Plants need energy and matter to grow. Where do plants get their ENERGY?
Where do plants get their MATTER?
Where do plants get their FOOD (be careful - this is a trick question)?
Why are plants called Producers?
What would happen if plants didn't have a way to get energy?
What would happen to animals if there were no plants to eat?
What are some of the LIVING components of a plant "system"? (A plant "system" is everything that a plant needs to survive and everything it produces.)
What are some of the NON-LIVING components of a plant "system"?
In what ways do the components of the system interact?
What matter is transported in and out of the plant system?

The plants get the energy from the sun, through a process called photosynthesis
A plant gets it's matter from Carbon Dioxide
They get food from chlorophyll, which is also how a plant is green
Plants are know as producers because they don't take anything from the ecosystem to provide food for the rest of it
If plants didn't have a way of getting energy the plants would die and the ecosystem would fall, because the primary consumer wouldn't have anything to eat
Sort of the same thing as 5 except 5 started with plants and this one just has none
Like humans, a plant needs food and water. It gets it's water from the roots and food from photosynthasis
The plant needs soil to stand and the soil acts as a base to the plant so it doesn't droop (as much)
The water goes to the roots, the plants takes carbon dioxide and exhales oxygen
Carbon dioxide is transformed into oxygen

Players in an Ecosystem

4/23/2018

Choose one of your Food Chains that you created and explain how it works.
Can a Food Web be considered a "system"? Why or why not?
What happens if a plant or animal all of a sudden disappears from the food web?
Using this food chain, "sunlight to apple to worm to bird to cat," How do organisms in this food chain get the matter they need for body repair and growth?
Using the same food chain in #4, How do organisms in that food chain get the energy they need for body warmth and motion?
What do you think happens to the matter that is NOT used by the organisms in a food chain or food web? Is it wasted or does something else happen?

The way my food chain above works is, the Robin eats the beetle, the beetle eats the snail, which eats dead leaves.
I think it can be considered a system because it's a continues thing that works itself.
The whole food web could be out of sorts, for example, my chain above, if the snail is gone the beetle and other animals won't be able to eat.
They eat each other for the matter they need.
They get the energy from the organism before it.
I think it gets stored as fat for the animal that consumed it.

Food - Matter & Energy

4/17/2018

Human food label

How do we find the energy (calories) per serving?
How do we find the matter (carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals)?
Where can we locate the list of ingredients?

It will say it near the top
It shows that near the middle
It shows the ingredients at the bottom

Overall Questions

As a result of looking at food labels, what did you learn about food?
Look at the ingredients of one human food label. Write down the food name. What ingredients came from animals?
What ingredients in the above food label came from plants?
What similarities and differences did you notice between the human food and pet food labels you looked at?
Choose an animal/insect from the ecosystem walk. What do you think it eats? Explain what you think it gets from its food.

Reflection Questions

What does food provide to animals, including humans?
Do the pet food and human food have the same nutrients? In what ways are they different?
Does a higher calorie count mean a food is better for pets to eat? What makes pet owners think that?
What is it in food that helps us repair our bodies and grow?
What in food helps us move and stay warm?
In what way does energy transfer when animals eat food?
Look at the nutrition label below for milk. How much energy is in the food?
What matter is in the food?

Pet food label

Where can we locate the list of ingredients?
How do we find the percentage of different types of matter in the food?

At the top
The bottom or middle

Overall Questions

I learned which things are worse than others on a food label. As an example, sodium is worse than potassium.
None of the ingredients came from animals.
The things that came from plants and vegetables were tomatoes, spices, carrots, and soybeans.
The pet label had a lot of stuff that was ground up, such as corn meal. On the human food label most things weren't ground up (at least it didn't say so).
Robins eat worms and bugs if it were my guess. I'm sure about worms but not so much for bugs.

Reflection Answers

Food provides matter and energy to organisms.
Pet food and human food don't have the same because they need different types.
It doesn't mean it's good in some cases because then your pet might start to get fat but people think it's better because they'll have more energy.
Matter helps grow and repair.
Energy helps us move and stay warm.
Plants transfer sunlight to energy to grow.
160 calories per serving.
The food is matter itself.

Money Island and Vault Reflection

4/10/2018

What is an Ecosystem?

4/10/2018

Lake Ecosystem INTERACTIONS

Within a system of living things

Ducks eat plants
Ducks eat small fish
Lay Eggs
Fish eat smaller fish

Between living & non-living things

Ducks drink the water
Make Nests
Trees do photosythasis
Ducks eat dead bugs
Ducks breath
Grass drink water

Lake Ecosystem INTERACTIONS

Within a system of living things

Between living & non-living things

Fish eat algae
Fish eat seaweed
Big fish eat little fish
Fish get eaten by ducks

Fish breath oxegen out of water
Plants need water
Turtles eat fish
Ducks make nests

Reflection/Synthesis Questions:

What kinds of living things (organisms) do you see in both pictures?
What other living things might be here, even if you can't see them in the photos?
Why might living things in these photos interact with each other?
Read the BIG IDEA below. How do these pictures depict an ecosystem?

I can see plants in both pictures
I think maybe frogs could be in there, or maybe seeds.
It might work like the food chain or keeping their species going
They're ecosystems of lakes

Reflection Questions

What do living things get from their ecosystems?
What evidence do you have to support your answer to Question 1?
What does the term ecosystem mean, based on your experience in this lesson? (Don't use the definition from the BIG IDEA here. Put it into your own words.)
Brainstorm at least one question you have about Ecosystems that you hope you learn from this unit.
Look at the image below that shows a portion of a forest ecosystem. Name at least five components (living or non-living things) of the ecosystem that you can either observe directly or infer.
What are three (or more) interactions that might occur in this portion of the forest ecosystem?

Answered in images
Still answered in images
An ecosystem to me is an area where living organisms do their everyday lives. Catching Prey, eating, drinking. The life cycle of Life and Death and more.
What are all the things that happen in an ecosystem?
Animals eating, grass growing, trees growing, plants growing, rocks sitting in place.
Spiders eating insects, animals eating spiders, and animals eating fish.

Skills21 - Superhero Rehabilitation Program

4/9/2018

#WorldPoetryDay

3/21/2018

Attached is a short BALLAD that I wrote for #WorldPoetryDay

By: Tommy D.#LearnLap #CelebrateGrowLead #d25Learns pic.twitter.com/LnHQL3xwJ2
— Mr. Solarz' Class (@MrSolarz) March 21, 2018

The Constitution of the Kingdom of Dustania

3/21/2018

Questions:

What was the hardest part of writing your preamble? Explain how you overcame that challenge.
What is your favorite part of your preamble? Why is that part powerful and important?
What is the purpose of a preamble in a constitution? What does it do?

I think the hardest part was trying to word things differently to avoid plagiarism.
My favorite part of the preamble was where it said that the people hold the power of our government.
I think the purpose of my constitution was to sum up the beliefs of our country, and the basics of how it works.

5th grade classroom website