Update for 3/6

       Dear Parents,

      We have gotten into our Pollution and Conservation unit!  The culmination of this unit in April will consist of us constructing environmentally friendly homes in class.  If you can, please begin to set aside recyclables we may be able to use - GS boxes and trays that can be part of the house and windows, grape tomato containers that we can make into greenhouses, washed straws and egg cartons to be water pipes and water catchers.  We appreciate your help!!  The students LOVE this unit each year and learn a ton so we are excited to get started.  :)  More instructions and our rubric are below...

      In Writing, the students have finished their 4th opinion piece and have begun typing them.  In Social Studies, we are currently studying F.D.R. and Eleanor Roosevelt and working on constructed responses after researching their lives in our little readers, on www.brainpop.com, and www.pebblego.com in class and for homework.  We are also reviewing our Economics unit on Pebble Go and Safari Montage, then completing choice board activities to reinforce the students' knowledge.  In Math, our 3.2's are continuing Unit 5 on fractions and our 4.1's are continuing their study of factors and multiples as well as prime and composite numbers and patterns.

        Thanks for all of your support and please let me know if you have any questions!

        :)  Jenny M-G

Building A Structure : Environmentally Friendly Home Teacher Name: Student Name:     ________________________________________

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Construction -Materials	Appropriate materials were selected and creatively modified in ways that made them even better.	Appropriate materials were selected and there was an attempt at creative modification to make them even better.	Appropriate materials were selected.	Inappropriate materials were selected and contributed to a product that performed poorly.
Construction - Care Taken	Great care taken in construction process so that the structure is neat, attractive and follows plans accurately.	Construction was careful and accurate for the most part, but 1-2 details could have been refined for a more attractive product.	Construction accurately followed the plans, but 3-4 details could have been refined for a more attractive product.	Construction appears careless or haphazard. Many details need refinement for a strong or attractive product.
Information Gathering	Accurate information taken from at least four sources in a systematic manner.	Accurate information taken from at least three sources in a systematic manner.	Accurate information taken from at least two sources.	Information taken from only one source and/or information not accurate.
Journal/Log - Content	Journal provides three paragraphs/ five sentences on how your house conserves energy (What kind of power does it use?), reuses materials (How did you build your house?), and does not pollute (How is your house friendlier to the environment?).	Journal provides almost three paragraphs/five sentences on how your house conserves energy (What kind of power does it use?), reuses materials (How did you build your house?), and does not pollute (How is your house friendlier to the environment?).	Journal provides at least /two paragraphs three sentences  on how your house conserves energy (What kind of power does it use?), reuses materials (How did you build your house?), and does not pollute (How is your house friendlier to the environment?).	Journal provides less than two paragraphs/three sentences on how your house conserves energy (What kind of power does it use?), reuses materials (How did you build your house?), and does not pollute (How is your house friendlier to the environment?).

                                                  

Name __________________________             

       My Environmentally-Friendly Home

   

       Your first job is to check out the model house at www.ecofriendlyhouses.net/ and research its features and decide which one you want to include in your home.  Next, explore the other real world houses on the site and make a sketch of the house you want to create.

       When you are thinking about what materials to design your home out of, remember what you saw at www.ecofriendlyhouses.net/  You can design your home out of any materials that are solid enough to make walls (sand/soil with glue, rocks, cardboard, recyclable plastic or glass.  REMEMBER to put plenty of insulation in the walls and attic to keep the heat from escaping in the winter and the cool air from escaping in the summer.  You can use pine straw, cut up pieces of old cloth, dirt, cotton balls as insulation.  

      We will collect your recyclables to create your houses out of in the classroom over the next month, then start construction in May!