Equivalent Fractions: Devon did a good job working independently on fractions. She has her own system that works. She still needs to learn the multiplication tables.
Have Devon look in textbook and on the computer to find the type of mask she wants to make. Read/learn what the masks mean…why are they used. Then she will design and begin decorating masks. Devon is enjoying this assignment and doing a good job.
Fast Forward
Reading - Introduce the short story "A Little Local Color" by O. Henry…which depicts different areas in New York City (local color). Read/discuss story orally. The story was interesting, actually - it taught a lesson that one should not stereotype people. Of course, Devon "got it" and we laughed at the reactions of the people Good session!
Today we took all our images and used imovie to create a video. This included reviewing a tutorial on the internet that instructed Devon how to use imovie, from creating an event, through assigning a frame speed, and exporting clips to an editing station. This sounds much more simple than it actually was, as learning a new application takes time. We almost finished the video, needing only a title and a soundtrack to do next week.
Working on a discussion Devon and I had last week, I though these last few classes we could learn about the solar system. Starting with Pluto, and how it became a planet and then not a planet. Devon wanted to know how they named it Pluto, and I told her about the contest that was held, where ultimately a school girl from Oxford, England won, with the name Pluto, the god of the underworld. In the 1970's they determined that Pluto was only about 2.5 km in size, which is slightly smaller than Mercury. This was in the 1930's. Then with the help of the Hubble telescope, we discovered that Pluto was not a planet, but just the largest piece of ice in a field of thousands of ice particles. Devon then wanted to know which planet was the fastest. I explained the velocity of the planet was a function of it's distance from the sun. Much like a magnet, the draw toward the sun brings some things closer, and they go faster - while others are farther away and go slower. This was a good class - with very good participation and focus on Devon's part.
Fast Forward
Reading - Introduce informational essay - a nonfiction piece about a particular topic and can tell a story about a real-life experience. Read/discuss orally "Volcano!" Use graphic aids - maps, photographs, captions, and subheadings aid understanding. Answer questions. Devon enjoys nonfiction as well as fiction…great!
Writing - Try to finish writing assignment "What I Want to Be or Do in My Life - A to Z." Using each letter of the alphabet to begin the word/phrase. Devon has put a lot of thought into this…an interesting, introspective exercise.
English - Explain/give examples using indefinite pronouns and the correct verb forms, such as, everybody, everything, everyone, anyone, anything, anybody, nobody, nothing, someone, something, and each are all singular so the verb should agree…Nobody likes spinach. For plural indefinite pronouns such as, both, few, many, others, and several…Many like spinach. Complete exercises. Introduce relative pronouns (this that) and interrogative pronouns (who, whom, whose). Complete exercises identifying relative pronouns and use interrogative pronouns to change declarative sentences to interrogative sentences. Devon did a good job today…I am looking forward to her "A to Z" list. I am writing one to and we are going to "share."
I had planned on finishing the claymation project today, but Devon wanted to work on a photoshop project. She selected an image, and I showed her some advanced tools - including selective color, levels, channel mixer, highlights and shadows, and gradient map. We also worked on the warp, skew, perspective and scale options on the move tool. These are all very advanced Photoshop actions, and Devon absorbed their uses, like a sponge. She also understood the batch process, which allows you to do the same action on many images at once. We both had fun with this class. We can do the claymation tomorrow.
