Write a review!

 The Co-op class wrote reviews.  We started with captions again.  See the photo below.  

‘Pebbles is distressed over her new attire.  The Crocs and tiny bows clash with her military rig.’

I’m using Steps to Writing an Effective Complaint and Sample Complaint Letter for this lesson.  We chose McDonald’s or another fast food restaurant) because this was a common experience.  I went over the tips and shared the examples from reviews I’ve written.  

Next, we listed our main complaints with McDonald’s.  

I wrote questions to help guide their writing.  This group is taking Composition because writing is hard.  

Take the opportunity as a family to write a complaint or review.  Talk about writing with a purpose!

What happens when I get stuck on a topic?

In another life I taught at a tiny private school: Biology, Chemistry, Physical Science, Earth Science, French, and Grammar and Composition. Really.  No one trains for this type of scenario.  It’s a lot like home-schooling—just with bigger numbers.  What is unnerving is to encounter a topic, question, or concept that is completely unknown.  If the textbook just wasn’t helping, I went to the library and looked for an elementary level book on the same topic.  Yes, you can use Khan Academy; it frequently works.  But, if you get stumped, say trying to understand how to measure the speed of sound in a Physical Science lab, try a search with key words: ‘elementary’, ‘Grade 5 or 6’, or ‘intro’.  The search engine will steer you to similar concepts for younger children, with simpler explanations.  Share these simpler explanations with your kid.  Admit things are about as clear as mud. 

What happens if you just don’t get a concept?  Let me give you an example.  An ambulance siren is a good example of the Doppler effect.  Beyond that, I’m still not clear about the wavelengths.  I’ve taught the topic many, many times.  I read the section aloud to kids, use the ambulance siren as my example,  squeal like a French ambulance siren, WEEEE-OOOOOO!, and move on.  Really.  There are plenty of other topics I do understand.  Tell your kid that maybe we’ll all understand the idea better when we teach his sister.  Here’s my tip.   When you get stuck, try simpler versions.  Do a little research on the topic.  See if Khan Academy makes sense.  But don’t let one topic, such as the philosophers’ theories which influenced the Founding Fathers, or ratios between corresponding triangles keep you from teaching many, many other subjects which you do grasp. Move on.

Geoboards

 Good Will has a set of Geoboards, which might be handy for a Co-op group.  They are useful to teach elementary geometry.  These can be pricey!  I looked for some instructions to use Geoboards, too.  (You may make one yourself.)

1.  Geoboard Geometry is an older resource (1996).  Hear me out!  There are excellent step by step instructions and examples.  

2. Here is a preschool or early elementary-aged activity with simple shapes.

3. Here is a Geoboard Geometry introduction for second grade.  It’s fine for early elementary grades.

4. Here and here are Geoboard cards for kids to match.

Does your Co-op have a LEGO club?

 Good Will online frequently has LEGO deals.  Our local Co-op has a LEGO club.  Does yours?  Did you know LEGO has free teacher resources?  Yes: LEGO Education, WeDo, WeDo Curriculum, STEAM Lessons, Robot Trainer, and MINDSTORMS.  Many of the kits come with instructions. Our family built and programmed with LEGO Boost kits.  One summer, we enrolled Paul in a LEGO camp at the community center led by a Sylvan instructor.  She brought educational kits and read from the manual.  I’m betting you can do a better job.   BTW, if your club just wants to build with LEGO bricks, that’s time well spent, too.

Write a Review!

 Next week, the Co-op Composition class is going to work on writing a review and a letter of complaint.  Here and here are my guides.  I located a few reviews I posted to Expedia.  BTW I like to write reviews.  I try to write politely; however, reviews spark change and results.   For many months Rob and I drove the same route and stopped at the same McDonald’s—pretty much the only choice along the route home.  The service and cleanliness were uneven.  I wrote reviews each time we stopped.  McDonald’s emailed me several times.  I continued to write reviews when the management changed and the service improved dramatically.  Again, McDonald’s emailed me frequently.  Posts can result in change.  BTW this type of writing is empowering for teens.  Keep an eye on their social media posts!  Some teens can go a little overboard writing reviews or posting complaints.

M&M Stat Lab

 I just bought a variety pack of Halloween M&Ms: peanut, peanut butter, and milk chocolate?  Why?  I’m saving them for the M&M Stat Lab. We’ll do the first two exercises in the lab packet.  Time will dictate whether we extend the stat analyses.  Here are the color distributions for different types of M&Ms.  We have 12 kids in the Algebra I Co-op class.  I like the fun-size samples.  Trust me, they don’t need anymore sugar.

Human Proportions Math lab

 We’re doing many more labs in math.  Rob did a lab on Human Body Ratios with the Algebra I class on Thursday.  He wanted to introduce proportions.  Here are some typical body proportions for reference.  The kids are putting the data into spreadsheets to analyze.  They will compare the data as a class next week.

Hypsometer Math Lab

  Rob and I are teaming up for both Biology and Algebra I this year.  Rob’s doing more hands-on activities than ever in his math classes.  This week, he’s going to introduce the unit with a hypsometer lab. (Use a metal washer instead of a paperclip.). Basically, the kids will make and use the Hypsometer to measure the height of the house, tree, basketball hoop, etc.  Here is an excellent math lab which makes connections.  (BTW, tree height can be measured using a hypsometer, clinometer, or a Biltmore stick.  Here is a bit more information.  I did a number of tree studies in another life.).  The math activity from the textbook is below.

Make writing fun!

.  I start class with an interesting photo and have the kids write something.  

Claude drops in to his favorite all you can eat stop for breakfast every morning.  He feasts undisturbed.  

This morning the Co-op Composition class did a Descriptive Writing exercise and did the exercise in this Grab and Go assignment.   I wrote see and said on the board and we brainstormed synonyms.  We consulted a thesaurus.  The kids improved sentences which we shared.  I make a habit of doing these assignments and contributing to the discussions.  

#8. Taking tests makes me nervous.  Here is my response, ‘During a math test, I read the problem, weep a little, and then tell myself to buck up.  I resume the test and draw a picture.  Board feet!  I would go to Lowe’s.  Wouldn’t they measure the fence for me?’

Make things fun and do the exercises, too.  

Grammar Resources

 The Composition class is doing some grammar.  If you’ve never tried adding some grammar to your curriculum, try Easy Grammar Plus.  Easy Grammar Plus is for grades seven and higher.  There are versions for every elementary grade.  The group in Composition has not had much background in grammar.  I’m drawing from Warriner’s and the English textbook.  Warriner’s First Course is 7th grade, Second Course 8th grade  Third Course 9th grade, and the Complete Course is 12th grade.  I’m teaching some diagramming with Diagramming Sentences.  Diagramming is great for parts of speech!  Grammarly has an introduction to diagramming.  We’re struggling with the difference between the predicate adjective and direct object.  Here is a bit on that topic.  You can find used copies of Warriner’s and the Diagramming Sentences on eBay, Thriftbooks, Amazon, etc.  If you haven’t done much grammar, start with the First Course.

Low Tech Smart Board

I use an old TV, a laptop, and my iPad all the time as a low tech Smart Board.  I use an HDMI adapter for the iPad.  There is a port on both the TV and laptop.  Anything I type is broadcast  on the TV.  I have a graphing calculator app, GraphNCalc 83, on the iPad.  Desmos is a free graphing calculator I can use on my laptop.  If you have a math Co-op class, this low-tech solution can be a game changer.

Assign both substantive and substantial projects.

I just looked up the difference between substantive and substantial; the first refers to quality and the second to quantity.  Okay!  Let’s go for both.  I like projects.  Kids tend to learn a great deal.  In another life, I led a large club.  The teens collected and distributed gowns for Home-Coming and Prom.  The club planted hundreds of trees.  Teams did outreach to the local kindergarten classes.  When club members had an idea, we tried to support it.  I assign projects in every class I teach for Co-op.  For example, both the Biology and Composition classes are working on research projects.  The type of project really depends on the subject.  In Biology projects range from giant food webs, cell models, to science fair projects.  Chemistry class usually includes a time-line of the development of a modern atomic theory.  However, I’ve had kids make Mendeleev raps, create blogs, write software, and produce videos.  Appeal to your child.  Would she like to create a podcast?  Does your teen like to make models?  Would he like to read and record textbooks for a sibling with learning differences?  Does your family like to fish?  Ducks Unlimited often need volunteers to plant riparian buffers along streams; stream temperature is critical for fish survival.  Plants and shrubs cool streams.  What sounds fun?  Interesting projects produce the best results.  

Make Books!

 I bought a pack of mini-books from Temu.  I also assembled simple books using construction and copy paper.  Why not make books?  Start by making a Lapbook.  Just pick a theme: Human Body, Weather, States, or these Monthly Lapbook Ideas.  Make your own mini-book.  Write your own Children’s Book.  Then illustrate the story and assemble it into a book.  Here and here are step by step guides to writing and illustrating your own book.  What a great Christmas present a book makes!  Here are some more tips for making books with kids.  Fun, right?

Pick a research project!

 The Co-op Composition class overlaps with the Co-op Biology class.  I spent most of today’s class working in ideas for research projects.  The kids are writing their null and alternative hypotheses this week. There is a tremendous amount of writing in a research project.  Here is my overview slide deck.  My kids are researching diet and chicken eggs, surface temperature, and soils.  I sent some protocols for experiments to the kids.  For example, one team  is using a GLOBE field campaign: Urban Heat Island Effect.  I lent the team an IR thermometer and an oven glove.  I sent soil tests and GLOBE Pedisphere information to another student.  Teens should keep a spreadsheet with citations.  Initially, kids should copy the website addresses into a spreadsheet.  Later, we’ll review how to use MLA to cite web pages correctly. If you want a crash course in waiting, start a research project! 

Desmos: Free Online Graphing Calculator

 More and more public schools use Desmos, a free, online, graphing calculator.  Is Desmos intuitive?  Not really.  I’m comfortable using a TI 83/84 graphing calculator; I could figure out a few functions.  Where to go for help?  Try Jon Bergmann on YouTube.  He explains steps clearly.  BTW I like his videos for TI 83/84 instructions, too.