Our next design challenge!
Machines inspired by Rube Goldberg

https://www.rubegoldberg.com/

You challenge is to create a Rube Goldberg style machine (using only simple machines) that can do one of the following:

• make art
• make music
• perform a task (approved my me)

This project will be in three stages

1. Design 

- each person submits a design (this is individual)

- designs are due before March Break (Friday March 9th)
- it may need some revisions as you move forward - that's ok! - document your revisions

Design success cirteria:

- a detailed drawing that is to scale

- precise length and angle measurements

- directional arrows to show the path of the machine

- a list of materials (including amounts)

2. Create your machine

- This is due by Monday March 26th

Machine success criteria

- use at least three different materials

- has at least three "stages" or parts to the machine

- achieves the goal (makes art or music or performs a task) in other words - did it work?

3. Present documentation of machine - Our "Inspired by Rube Goldberg Film Festival!"-

- This is on Tuesday April 3rd

- You will be making a film of your project in action

Documentation success criteria

- Introduction and explanation of your machine

- Footage of your machine working

- Title and credits

- extras? music, bloopers, commentary?

Some inspiration!

We had a very dramatic morning.

Through the story The Streets are Free we worked on creating role and staying in role - even in a short performance. We are a very dramatic class! I look forward to everyone being 100% in for our future drama challenges.

Reminders:

• Math checkpoint tomorrow - integers with pictures and numbers.
• First draft of Trupp monologue is due tomorrow for feedback
• Portraits from Fatty Legs are due Friday
• Look for magazine and newspaper images for your surrealist collage
• Your Genius Hour Blog is separate from your actual project. The blog is to document your process towards your project. Talk about your successes and your roadblocks.You are expected to do a minimum of one blog post a week.

Genius Hour on Monday - How is your project and your blog coming along?

Today we had our second tracking outing with our nature buddies. We talked about the differences in tracking when there is snow and no snow. We are working on the art of questioning with our buddies. Who do you think made these tracks? When do you think they were made? What was the animal doing?

Our focus as a class right now is figuring out how we can complete our work to the best of our abilities AND get it in on time. We have two new assignments (see below). How can you parcel out your time to make sure you get them done well and on time? Are you busy this weekend? If so, when can you work on it during the week? Conversely, are you busy during the week? How can you use you time this weekend? Make a plan.

Math
Please complete Patterns in Integer Operations (3 pages)

Literacy
Today we finished Fatty Legs as a start to our study of First Nations issues in Canada. This study s a combined history/literacy focus. The first assignment is due next Friday (March 2nd).
Please draw four portraits. Show me through your portraits what you learned about: the swan, the raven, the owl and the wrens.

I also introduced a drama/literacy assignment:

Your challenge is to write and perform a monologue as one of the characters in the story Trupp, or one of the objects in Bernice’s suitcase.You must tell the audience about yourself, your thoughts and feelings, and also about your past, your present situation, and your hopes and dreams for the future. If you are an object, I will be looking for you to tell about how you got to be in Bernice’s suitcase, what life is like now, and what you hope for Bernice in the future.I will be looking for you to make inferences based on evidence from the book.

Dates for this assignment.
Draft for feedback -  Tues. Feb 27th
Final written due and performances - Tuesday March 6th
Rubrics below.

Writing Rubric	Level 4 Went Past Expectations	Level 3 Met Expectations	Level 2 Almost Met Expectations	Level 1 Did not Meet Expectations
Thinking: What you say Including ideas, inferences, character voice Discuss the past, present, and future Use word choice that is interesting and sophisticated Use sentences that are varied in length and style
Communication: The way you say it Including sentence fluency, conventions, Makes no errors in SPG (Spelling, Punctuation, Grammar). Organizes ideas logically.
Application: The way you connect it Including reasoning, connections, ect. Makes connections between inferences and evidence in the book
Knowledge: What you write Including text form, elements Monologue using object/character point of view

Oral/Drama Rubric	Level 4 Went Past Expectations	Level 3 Met Expectations	Level 2 Almost Met Expectations	Level 1 Did not Meet Expectations
Use of voice and body to convey character Maintains focus, clear voice, use of body language
Relationship between audience and performer Engages audience, maintains audience interest
Dramatic elements Speaks in character and conveys emotion

Please return you signed report card envelopes as soon as possible.

Lots of work returned today - please share these assessments with your families.

Today we began a literacy/drama study of the book Trupp.
We discovered Bernice's suitcase and "everything she owns".
Please write about the four characters Trupp, Krok, Bernice and Mad Moe.
What does home look like to them?
If you consider them homeless why do you think they are homeless?

What a great day!
Thank you everyone!
Happy Family Day weekend!

I have a full day planned for tomorrow at the ROC.
Its going to be great!!!
Please remember to bring:

• Warm layers of clothing 
• A waterproof outer-layer (snowpants/splashpants)
• Extra socks and mitts
• Snacks and lunch
• An open mind and positive attitude

We will be outside most of the day - please dress appropriately!

Mini- Greenhouses - The Final Products!
Amazing. Love it.

Math
Homework from today (You Cubed Day 8) will be collected and assessed tomorrow.
Checkpoint tomorrow - algebra.

Literacy
Mini - Greenhouses
Tomorrow we are presenting our greenhouses and the advertising that goes with it.

Today we started the book Fatty Legs. Tell your family what you have learned so far.

The ROC
There are still a number of people who have not completed their sign up for our trip to the ROC on Friday. You must sign up on School Cash Online AND bring in the OSBIE consent form. Many of your have done one or the other but not both. Please don't leave this until the last minute.

Mini-Greenhouses
On Wednesday you will be presenting your advertising campaign for your Mini-Greenhouses. Sell us your product! Please make sure you have completed:
1. The greenhouse itself (plant/seeds and all)
2. Your print ad
3. Your commercial (will be acted out on Wednesday)

A quick note regarding upcoming report cards.
In intermediate, we switch from letter grades to percentages, but all assessments are graded on the 13 point scale (4+, 4, 4-, etc...) I would like you all to know how those assessments translate to the percentages. These are the grades that you will see on the report cards.

Level assessment	Percentage Equivalent
4+	94
4	87
4-	82
3+	78
3	75
3-	72
2+	68
2	65
2-	62
1+	58
1	55
1-	52
R	Less than 50

One week to our trip to the ROC!
Please make sure you have signed up through School Cash Online AND make sure you bring in your OSBIE consent form.

Genius Hour
Today each person created a blog to log the process of our genius hour.
Show your families your blog.
The expectation is that there will be at least one blog post per week tracking your progress on your genius hour. Tell your blog audience your topic and thick question. Keep your blog audience up to date on what you are learning, how you are progressing and problems you might be encountering.

Math 
We continued with the pentomino challenges.
Please explain to your family how we came up with these formulas and how we use them.

Have a great weekend!
Watch some olympics!
GO CANADA GO!

I'm back to the blog - thank you for your patience while I was away.
Now that I'm back, apparently I'm picture happy too.
Long post today because of great stuff happening!

ROC - Feb 16th.
Please make sure you bring back the signed OSBIE consent form. I have one parent volunteer - I could really use two. If anyone is available for an awesome day - please let me know.

Outdoor Ed.
We took our first shot at tracking today.
We talked about the many ways you can find evidence of an animal - not just tracks in the snow.
But since we have so much fresh snow - we did find many tracks.

Literacy
We will be presenting our advertising for our Mini - Greenhouses on Wednesday of next week.
Here are the things we talked about that make successful advertising. Make sure they are in your print ads and commercials for Wednesday.

Math
Today we began the pentomino challenges.
Please talk to your families about what you have learned.