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Always remember what the Cat-in-the-Hat says...
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but you have to know
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Newswire Dateline Room 207:
Well our sixth grade scientists did not disappoint with their Wacky
Experiment submissions. Among the most inventive were the
Sleepenator Fountain, which promises to let sleep-deprived persons catch
up on his or her sleep while a cloned imposter temporarily fills in, the
study of left-handed baseball pitchers, and why they are so effective
against right-hander batters, and the ever-popular good grade pill,
which when taken, insures against Ds and Fs on tests in school.
Also worth noting were leg-strengthening shoes, water-powered car
experiment, Mentos-in-a-bottle of Coke study, attention-focusing gum,
dog relaxation study, hot versus cold water freezing experiment, and
mint-flavored gum weight loss study.
For
those reading about the Wacky Experiment for the first time, don't be
alarmed: these were entirely formed in the imaginations of the
students. No actual experiments, as far as we know, were
conducted. The exercise was entirely made up so that our students
could practice developing studies using the scientific method.
This
week, our fifth graders begin work on systems of the body, starting with
the skeletal system. Bob, 207's torso model, will be pressed into
action as we explore the wonders of the human body. Fifth grades
should be prepared to pass around the parts as we discuss them:
always an interesting lab, but a bit shocking for some. We hope to
demystify the body, and better understand what a tremendous and valuable
creation it is.
This
week the sixth grade begins Terra Nova testing, and we want to remind
students and parents alike that the stakes are high. We must all
change our routines a bit so that our sixth graders perform the best
they can on these important tests.
What
can you do to prepare? Students should get plenty of rest the day
before test days (Monday through Thursday this week, and Monday next
week), and eat well, especially breakfast in the morning. Although
they may not show it, they really do feel the draining stress of these
tests, so a little extra emotional support and freedom from unnecessary
stress is suggested. The teachers will be assigning less than the
usual amount, or no homework the nights before tests to help out.
These tests are often considered by high schools and even colleges when
choosing candidates for their various scholarships and programs, so we
owe it to the kids to help them in any way possible.
The
schedule should return to normal for them on Tuesday, October 14.
The
inquiry design for a project like this involves asking a question like:
"Will the Student Remote Speech Controller work as designed on
sixth grade students at St. Lawrence School?" A possible
hypothesis may be: "The Student Remote Speech Controller
effectively controls more than 75% of St. Lawrence' sixth grade
students' speech." The test would involve outfitting the
entire sixth grade with the necklaces, and trying the remote to see if
it really works. Once the results are analyzed, a conclusion can
be reached as to whether the hypothesis was correct. The last step
involves publishing the results to interested parties. Such
audiences may include teachers, coaches bus drivers, cafeteria workers,
scout leaders, electronics manufacturers, and of course, Mom.
Based on their behavior late in the week, our beloved fifth grade would
benefit a great deal from such a remarkable invention.
The
projects are due Friday, October 3, and we look forward to reporting on
them next week.
Due
to circumstances beyond our control, the First in Math website was
unavailable to the 207 statistician, so we can't comment on the surely
impressive sticker count for last week. But the students know who
is leading and who is not. So we'll hold our praise for next
week's edition of Newswire.
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