Desert Research

image by TLPOSCHARSKY

 in flickr  ARIZONA HIGH DESERT PLATEAU

Today in class we will be using the internet to read for information.  The first thing we will read is a page about the Sonoran Desert (click on the words Sonoran Desert to go to that page).

After reading that article for some background information you are going to research a desert animal and a desert plant.

This are the links for the desert animals.
The Southern Pacific Rattlesnake 
The Desert Tortoise
The Cactus Wren
The Jack Rabbit

This are the links for desert plants.
Desert Paintbrush
The Mojave Monkey Flower
The Ocotillo
The Organ Pipe Cactus

You will click each link and fill out your data collection sheet on the animal and plant you choose.

You will be researching by READING, so please don't watch the videos.  We are practicing getting information from written texts today.

Definitions to keep in mind:

•  Range is the geographic region where a plant or animal lives, such as “arid regions of the North American southwest” (any plant or animal you choose to write about must live in the range of the Sonoran Desert.) 
• Habitat is the kind of area where it lives, such as “sandy and rocky soils in desert locations.”

Birds and their adaptations! (October 01, 2014)

We're learning about birds, and how they're adapted to their environment and diet.

First we'll read this book about Sanderlings.

Next, we'll explore different kinds of birds.  Click the picture for your resource!

Raptors (or birds of prey)

Water birds

Hummingbird

Scavengers

Woodpeckers

Finches

If you want to look at more birds and their beaks, click here!

Programming a Game on Hopscotch 2.0

Hopscotch got a great upgrade!  Today we are going to learn about it and help our class guests to program a game in hopscotch.  This lesson builds on the previous lesson on programming a game in Hopscotch  (That is a link to the post, so if you can't remember how to do it, read that post)

The big changes in Hopscotch are that you can save an ability.  This means if you create the ability "run around" and code move and rotate blocks in a repeat loop, you can quickly add that complex ability to many characters without rewriting the code.

The second change is that it is easy to create a variable to keep score or change the performance of the game.  You can make all the characters speed up every time you score a point, or touch the edge, or step on the chicken.  Here is a short video we will watch together once and then you can re-watch if you need to.

Creating a Storyboard with Storyboard That

 You begin at: https://www.storyboardthat.com/classroom

Programming a Game on Hopscotch

This lesson owes a debt of gratitude to Wes Fryer, his book of Hopscotch Challenges has made this lesson possible.  Get it here.

We have use Hopscotch to create shapes and drawings.  Today I want you to create a game.  Let's get started.

...

if this slideshow doesn't work all the images are on the next page

Understanding The Harlem Renaissance Through Art, Music, and Poetry

We are learning about the Harlem Renaissance by looking at and listening to the art, music, and poetry of the time.  Today in class, you will be paired up into observation teams.  Each team will look at and listen to a different part of the Harlem Renaissance experience through art, music, and poetry.  As you observe you will take notes about what you observe, writing down words that describe what you see or hear.

You will work with your group to create a diagram that shows what qualities art, music, and poetry of the time have in common.  We will create the Venn diagram on the computer and print it out when we are done.

A Venn diagram

Observation and Note-Taking

Art:

Watch this video, pause it as you need to if you want to get a better look at the images.




You will need to be ready to share your list of words that descibe this art with your team members:

Poetry:

Listen to the poems of Langston Hughes



Read the poems "Harlem" by Walter Dean Myers

You will need to be ready to share your list of words that descibe this poetry with your team members:

Music:

If your pair has been assigned music, watch the overview video and listen to a couple of songs.  Then work together to create a list of words that you feel describe the music.


Over View of: Jazz and Blues of the Harlem Renaissance



A Playlist of songs



You will need to be ready to share your list of words that descibe this music with your team members:

Looking for more resources?  Check out the books from our Library:

Making your Venn Diagram.

1. You need to complete your List of Characteristics for music, art, or poetry.

2. Meet with the other teams and share your list.

3. Copy their list onto your notes.

4. Open the Venn Diagram Link by Clicking Here

Your First screen:

Type your first name in the box and then click on "Begin by Making a List"

Add the words from your Art notes, be sure to spell them correctly! When you have all the words copied, click next.

Add the words from your Music notes, be sure to spell them correctly! When you have all the words copied, click next.

Add the words from your Poetry notes, be sure to spell them correctly! When you have all the words copied, click next.

You will place each word onto the circle that applies.  Look for words that were on more than one list, place those on the overlapping of the circles they share.  Think about your terms, do some seem to apply to music, art, and poetry? place these on the area where all 3 overlap.  You can use the + and - signs on each circle to make it bigger as you need.  

When you are done, please print.  You cannot save the image or share without printing.