The first day of class Composition is writing thank-you notes to service personnel. I had another idea. Why not have kids create note templates: thank-you, birthday, sympathy, etc? We might try AI to see what it generates. I’m going to have the kids create and label Google Drive files to save all of their work, too, for their high school transcripts. I want the kids to write genuine thank-yours to their moms as Christmas presents. I’m getting excited for Composition class!
Rob and I teach in our unfinished basement. We have loads of supplies because we teach several math, science, finance, and English classes. Loads. Below are some pix of the space. Rob and I have favorite stations. He wants a wall of white boards for problems. He took-over the mini white board to post assignments. I need table space for labs and supplies. The smaller, white board is usually enough. We set up two computers, too. One laptop is connected to an old TV for presentations. Rob prefers a large monitor; mainly he posts slide decks to follow as he instructs. Occasionally we teach different classes at the same time. This year, we are team teaching Biology and Algebra sequentially. Rob might help with my Composition class, too. Take a look at our classroom space.
Rob and I are planning material for Algebra I. Chapter Five has graphing. Our plan is to do some M&M Math. (This link has 212 pages of ideas.) We’re going to do the Percent Composition of M&Ms Lab. This is a great lab to introduce graphs, data analysis, and percent error. There is one caveat; the M&M color distribution varies. We’re using plain M&Ms. Here is an article explaining (eventually) that the color distribution has changed and is different depending on the M&M plant. Here is an article with the color distributions for minis, peanut, pretzel, dark, and almond M&Ms. I have no idea if these numbers are up to date.
What are we going to do? We’re going to give kids individual packages and one ounce samples from a big bag to count as homework. The kids will graph on paper and with a spreadsheet. I’ll post more when we get to the class. Candy makes for great labs! Kids get excited and retain more.
I can hear you groan! Hear me out. I insist Paul make presents for Christmas. I’m an expert at five minutes gifts, such as home-made vanilla or rubs. A few of these projects can count as Art credit.
Paul likes to spray paint. We buy glass vases at the thrift store for him to paint. He’s building LEGO cherry blossom stems for the vases.
I teach for the local Co-op, STARCH, outside Quantico. There are so many reasons to join a Co-op. Ours meets in May or June to plan for September. Mainly we plan course offerings; although, families have talked about courses and sequences for a year or more. But, Co-op is more than just class. Ours attends a home-school Mass together, followed by a trip to the park to play and have lunch. Families bring extra books, textbooks, math manipulatives, etc, to swap. Our Co-op plans to join the Catholic grade school for Holy hours monthly. The group joins forces with other Co-ops to host dances, bowl, or roller skate. Usually a mom know about discounts if people want to ski or go to a water park. STARCH share information in emails about opportunities at the Marine Corps Museum’s educational day. Some Co-ops take filed trips. My friend, Jen, belongs to two Co-ops, one in Woodbridge. That group takes overnight field trips to Luray Cavern or Beckly WV’s coal mine. See? The opportunities are endless. Ask friends about a Co-op near you!
Many introductory science courses begin with measures. There are loads and loads of resources. General Science or Physical Science is a great time to teach measures well. Surprise! Start with a series of labs.
1. TEKS has this Measurement introduction. Read this first.
2. Metric Measurement has kids measure length, volume, temperature and mass.
3. Do a density lab. Here is my slide deck with Accuracy and Precision and Density. I use It’s All About Density. I have a jar with glass marbles, metal washers, metal cubes, lead fishing sinkers, corks, golf balls, etc. I distribute wooden blocks and index cards to measure, too. I have scales, cylinders, tape measures, yarn, calipers, and rulers to use to make measurements. The kids end up reviewing a few formulas for volume as part of the activity.
4. Measuring with Significant Figures has a few more activities, such as measuring the number of drops in one mL of water or locating some object on your body 1 mm long.
5. Try a few measurement worksheets: Measurements, Metric Conversion Worksheet, Metric Measuring Worksheets ( several grades), and Units and Conversions. We use this Metric Mnemonic, ‘Many Kids Have Dropped Over Dead Converting Metrics.’
Rob is still finishing Chapter 1 notes in a slide deck, here. He’s still working on the notes. He completed his Day One slides; however there are some personal information on it. I did take a screenshot of the first day’s class work. After I spoke to Rob, he explained that this slide is his book tour. So I made a worksheet instead. Here is the textbook tour worksheet.
