Idea Exchange

Please think about these questions and leave your answer in a comment:  What did you learn to do on the computer this week?  I’m NOT looking for what you learned about idioms or the human body.  I want to know: what did you learn to do on the computer?  Also, how did you learn it?  Did you figure it out on your own?  Did someone show you?  Did someone tell you?  Did you find out by accident?   Click on Comment to leave your thoughts.

Explore these  interactive websites.  They will show you cells and help you learn about the cell’s parts.

1.  A Typical Animal Cell  http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/index_tj.asp?objid=AP11403  interactive model of animal cell with a game at the end.

2.   Learn Genetics, University of Utah http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/cell/ 

3.  Menlo School, Animal Cell Page   http://sun.menloschool.org/~cweaver/cells/ 

4.  John K. “This is a Cell”

http://www.johnkyrk.com/CellIndex.html  interactive cell model

Have fun exploring & be ready to share what you’ve learned

Mrs. Nierlich

We are going to write biographies this week by reading books about a person and looking for information online. Before we begin to research, though, we need to know what we’re looking for. Please post 5 important questions that you think need to be answered in a biography about someone new. Keep in mind that we can’t actually talk to these people, so the questions should be ones we can answer through research. For example, please don’t ask, “What’s your favorite movie?” We can’t ask the people. A better question might be, “What did this person do that makes them important?”

Download a Word Document with Teacher Questions to Guide Your Biography Assignment biography-questions.doc

Digesting your food is an amazing (and messy) process. 

Now that we’ve seen a movie about your digestive system, click on  at least three of the links below to learn more about how your body moves food through the system.  After learning, please post a step-by-step description of how digestion works (in your own classroom-appropriate wording, not just copied from a website.)

Digestion Sites

Digestive System fun facts http://kidshealth.org/kid/body/digest_noSW_p2.html

Digestive organs and their function (explains) http://kidshealth.org/kid/body/digest_noSW.html

The real deal on the digestive system: http://kidshealth.org/kid/body/digest_noSW_p3.html

General digestive system http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/body/pg000126.html

Or go to http://ed1stop.net and watch the BrainPop movie about digestion in the Health section.

Presidents’ Day is coming up, and it’s a good time to learn about life as a President.  Click on the links below to learn about what life is like in the Oval Office.

Be President for a Day- you have the chance to plan a day as President of the United States.

http://pbskids.org/democracy/presforaday/index.html

Decorate the Oval Office- How you choose to decorate says something about how you will act as President!

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/96/whitehouse/ovalfrm.html

Secret Life of Presidents- What are the deep dark secrets of our Presidents?

http://pbskids.org/wayback/prez/index.html

Presidential Diary- See what a typical day was like for President Gerald Ford.

http://www.ford.utexas.edu/library/exhibits/daylife/dailydia.htm

We have the opportunity to use laptops and Writers frequently in class.  Please post a comment answering these questions:

Are computers helpful in class?  Can using the Internet help you learn more than using only books?  Do you think it’s important to learn how to use the computer, the Internet, and programs like Microsoft Word in order for you to do well in school?

Your skeleton is an amazing structure.  Check out the links below to learn more.

Mr. Bones- Assemble Mr. Bones!   http://sv.berkeley.edu/showcase/pages/bones.html

Facts about Broken Bones  http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/aches/broken_bones.html

Your Skeletal System  http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/body/pg000124.html

Then click on “Comments” to post three things you learned about the skeleton.  Make sure that you are posting comments in your own words, not copied from a page, and that it addresses the directions- information about the skeleton.

Want to see more about how the cardiovascular system works?  Check out these links!

Simulation of cardiovascular system http://projects.edte.utwente.nl/pi/Examples/Cardio.html

Habits of the Heart: The Lungs featuring lung animations and interactives
http://www.smm.org/heart/lungs/top.html

Map of the Human Heart (with simple explanations)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/heart/heartmap.html

Diagram of Human Respiratory System
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookRESPSYS.html#The%20Human%20Respiratory%20System

Create a do it yourself Lung Model
http://student.biology.arizona.edu/sciconn/respiratory/step4.html

This week in class we’ve learned many new things about the human body.  What we learned has likely sparked many new questions.  Questions are great because they help guide our reading and thinking.

Post your questions about the human body.  We’ll revisit them throughout the unit.

Remember:

1. Click on comments

2. Enter your name

3. Type in your email address

4.  Leave the URL field blank

5. Share your new learning by typing in the box.

6. Send your message by clicking the “Say It” button.

We’re looking forward to your questions!

Mrs. Nierlich and Mrs. Castek

Would you like to take a closer look at the brain?

Follow this link, to look at the brain and what senses it controls up close

http://www.madsci.org/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/~lynn/image?a_vm1110

 Pick one of these two sites and explore the sections about the senses.

1. Kids Health http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/body/mybody_noSW.html

2. NeuroScience for Kids http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/introb.html

Post something new that you learned, and tell us which site you found it on.

Have fun!

Ms. Nierlich and Ms. Castek