Fluids – Max learned that everything he touches is either a solid, liquid, or gas and liquids and gases are fluids. Then he learned that warm fluids rise and cool fluids sink. Next he learned when a solid passes through a fluid there is air resistance or friction. Many objects are shaped to reduce drag as they pass through fluids. Then he learned how big, heavy planes fly and convection makes the wind blow and ocean currents.

Max did an acting getting to know you exercise. He then watched a Bill Nye Video about fluids. He answered questions in an activity about the video he watched.

Max continued working on his Act I (i) Macbeth assignment during today's session. We first discussed Shakespeare's use of the" pathetic fallacy " or the weather in the opening scene to reflect mood and /or the ongoing battle referenced in the opening scene. Max then drafted full sentence answers to questions from his London school as to Shakespeare's dramatic technique in the opening scene, the function of the witches in Act I, and the use and significance of alliteration in the witches' incantations . We then reviewed Max's responses and discussed any needed clarifications or grammar/usage corrections. We completed the assignment today.

Today we worked on a Queen, and Nirvana song. We read the taps and talked about how to begin looking ahead in the song. Max enjoyed each song and was able to play the prompted melody.

We examined Max's new Macbeth assignment from his London school which requires a close study of Act I ,scene I of Macbeth which we previously read and studied. As a result, Max did very well in analyzing the questions and drafting answers which we will incorporate into his virtual notebook. We discussed - and Max took notes on - the use of witches, and thunder and lightening to create dramatic tension , the use of the rhyming couplets to suggest incantations, and the use of familiars such as cats and toads to exemplify the literary technique of the pathetic fallacy wherein objects mirror characters. Per the assignment ,we also listened to a musical version of Act I ,scene (i) of the play and noted how the use of music altered the tone of the opening scene. We will continue working on this assignment tomorrow.

Lesson 1: Earthquake Risks – Max learned how earthquakes are measured. The Richter scale is a numerical rating system that measures the energy of the largest seismic waves produced by an earthquake which are measured with a seismograph. This scale uses the amount of ground motion at a given distance from an earthquake to determine magnitude. Each increase of one unit on the Richter scale represents 10 times the amount of ground motion. Then he learned about the moment magnitude scale which is a rating scale that measures the energy released by an earthquake, taking into account the size of a fault, the motion along the fault, and the strength of the rocks that break during an earthquake. This scale uses newer technology to produce more accurate measurements. The modified Mercalli scale measures the intensity of an earthquake based on descriptions of its effects on people and structures. This scale ranges from I to XII. Then he learned that the epicenter is the point on Earth’s surface directly above where the energy from an earthquake is first released.
Assignment: Add pictures of seismograph and comparison of Richter, Mercalli, and Moment Magnitude Scales to measure earthquakes to science notebook.

Lesson 1: Earthquake Risks – Max located the tectonic plates covering Earth’s surface. Then he identified the movement of the Pacific Plate as transform, the South American Plate as divergent, and the Indian Plate as convergent which is how the Himalayan Mountains were formed. He learned what factors affect the amount of damage caused by an earthquake. One factor is the amount of loose sediment on which a building stands. Another factor is liquefaction or wet soil which is responsible for most damage to buildings. Earthquakes can trigger landslides too. When they occur on the seafloor and the plates shift vertically they can generate a large wave or tsunami.
Assignment: Add pictures of types of tectonic plates and liquefaction to science notebook.

Max first completed his reading comprehension assessment for his London school. Based on some of Max's written responses, I distributed grammar exercises on the proper use of comparisons and misplaced modifiers. After Max completed the exercises ,we reviewed his responses and addressed any questions.

We began the reading comprehension assessment forwarded by Max's London school. I first placed the definition of certain words on the board ,such as paradox, followed by identifying references to Henry Miller and Iris Murdoch from the reading . I further provided tips for addressing the comprehension questions. Max then read the passage and began answering the questions in full sentences. We used his written responses as an opportunity to provide instruction on subject-verb agreement , subject- pronoun agreement, and proper use of comparatives such as new, newer ,newest.

Max was seen for a half hour treatment session which continued to focus on cursive handwriting - high connectors and the letter "x"; however, today he was introduced to the first upper case cursive letter group from "Script Island". He was taught the upper case letters "N, M, K, R, B, P, H, U, W - he still needs to be instructed on the letter Y, X, V and Z from that same group. He learned them quickly and well. Max continues to practice writing the letters "w, o, b, v, and the letter x". Great session and a pleasure to teach...