Today's lesson focused on traditions from other cultures. Mercer read material about a Thailand custom where women wear coils around their neck to create a longer neck. Mercer participated in discussing how strange their custom was and how much pain the women had to endure to practice their tradition.

We took turns reading "Hank the Cowdog", then discussed what we had read, going over the new vocabulary.

We took turns again reading from the book "Hank the Cowdog", then discussed the reading and reviewed the new vocabulary.

Reading and discussion of the book, with review of all new vocabulary words.

We took turns reading and discussing the book, which has more depth than one would expect. Surprisingly good book for discussions.

We continued reading and discussing Hank the Cowdog. I am compiling a list of vocabulary words from the book with which he is not familiar and which we will review.

Lesson 1 Representing Data: We learned how and why scientists construct models. Then we learned the types of models that can be used to represent data. When something is too small such as an atom or too large like the Earth models can be used to understand and predict future events. We learned that there are physical, conceptual, and mathematical models. Next we learned the benefits and limitations of models. We learned why scientists use simulations and how simulations use models to copy the function, behavior, or process of the thing it represents. Next we discovered how simulations help explain scientific phenomena.
Assignment: Add descriptions of model types and simulations, their benefits and limitations, in science notebook.

Continued reading and discussing "Hank the Cowdog"...

Mercer continued exercises from his 6th grade math Envision textbook, Dividing Fractions.

Mercer and I played a game of Scrabble.