The purpose of Math Stars is to challenge students beyond the classroom setting. Good problems can inspire curiosity about number relationships and geometric properties. It is hoped that in accepting the challenge of mathematical problem solving, students, their parents, and their teachers will be led to explore new mathematical horizons. Math Stars are in sets for Grades 1-8 and include commentaries for teachers. All Math Stars Newsletters are ready for classroom use and available for downloading as PDF files.
All posts by Jenny Henningsen
On Cloud Nine
Cloud watching has been a favorite past time of kids for ages. 
We see them floating by, some fluffy, some wispy, and others dark and stormy.
Here is a question for you-
Why don’t clouds fall from the sky?
Watch this PBS video- Why Do Clouds Stay Up. You will find the answer to the question “Why don’t clouds fall from the sky” and you will gather fun information about these big, fluffy piles of water vapor that live overhead.
Take this quiz after watching this video to show what you learned!
EY and Conferences
Hello! Here are some updates from EY
Conferences:
I will be at PL on Wed from 5:45-7:45
Swanson on Thursday from 10-12
Please email if you would like to set up a phone conference.
Battle of the Books- I am doing my slides checks each time that we meet. I am excited to see the work done by the students, and I am also thrilled to see that there are so many children that have already read several books and completed activities! I attached the graphic organizer link here if you want to have a visual at home to help keep the kids organized. They all have one and they are keeping it in the EY folder.
Snapple FactsWe learned how to use Haiku Deck a few weeks ago. It is a great way to showcase what the students have learned. The students explored Snapple facts, and conducted research to determine if the “facts” were true or false. You can ask your child to share this presentation with you-they are fun to see!
Each child took a Spelling bee qualifying test. The contestants will be released on Wednesday of this week. There will also be qualifying tests given in the next few weeks for the following events: Trivia Contest and Geography Bee
I have made sure that all children can log into KHAN and know how to navigate the site. The math portion of Khan is wonderful, but there are also many other learning areas that the children can access.
I am so in love with Wonderopolis. Please check it out. This site is so fun to explore and the children have unlimited learning all in one spot.
Enjoy the long weekend coming up! Please drop me a note with any questions and comments.
Jenny
Build a Whole New World
The mysterious door opened and none of the children were prepared for what was on the other side…
Words like these are what make fiction books so hard to put down. We are taken to amazing new worlds that allow us to experience a journey with our minds as well as our senses. The Author Kate Messner does just this – builds new “worlds” for her readers in the fiction stories that she writes. Watch the video below on creating fictional worlds. After watching, explore the “Think” and “Dig Deeper” sections.
http://ed.ted.com/on/AQtELfQR#watch
Some research has even shown that certain parts of your brain are stimulated (or woken up) when you read fictional stories. So not only are they fun to read, but great brain food too!
Hopefully this challenge will inspire you to take up your pencil and begin your own journey of “world-building”! Leave a comment and tell us about an author or book you’ve enjoyed reading. Tell us about the fictional world that author created.
A House for a Mouse??
It was awesome to see all of the EY students again after the summer break! This week we spent time jumping right into our first quarter concept: Exploration! This theme lends itself to a whole host of areas, but we are focusing on creative problem solving for now. This will also lead us into our Creative Problem Solving seminar coming up on Friday, Sept. 26th (more details on that to follow shortly).
During EY small group, students were given the challenge of building a house (or room of a house) for a mouse and then had to present their house/room as realtors selling to a mouse family (played by Mrs. Skaggs). The creative juices were definitely flowing as mouse structures were popping up everywhere! Who knew mice these days enjoy refrigerators filled with cheese, cookies for life (with your house purchase), and even a mouse potty! Check out the photos below for some amazing mouse-inspired architecture!
A Year of Opportunities!
Another school year has begun and I am left wondering where the summer went and when the snow will begin. I know, WAY to early for that, but it sure seems like time just flies right by!
This is an exciting year for EY as well as the school district! We have made some changes that I am super excited about! I will be working more closely with the teachers to provide enrichment opportunities for all students. This means that I will be in all of the 3-6 classrooms during their E/I (Enrichment & Intervention) times once a week (or every 6 days to be exact :). At that time, I will share ideas and resources for all students to use to explore and enrich their learning experience. EY students will meet with me outside of the classroom in a pull-out setting during their E/I time once a week as well (in addition to the classroom E/I lessons).
Please explore the other areas of this blog site for information on the events & contests, weekly challenges, and other exciting learning opportunities we are offering this year. Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions or thoughts you may have.
Here’s to a wonderful 2014-15 school year!
The End Is Here!
Wow, it’s hard to believe that the last day of the 2013-14 school year has come and gone! We wrapped up the year with independent projects in order to dig deeper into our own interest areas. There were projects completed on the history of favorite gaming systems, nuclear reactors, basketball, robotics, the Holocaust, and more. We learned so much from each other and possibly found new interests for ourselves in the process!
The Oakdale 6th graders took “trips” to many different corners of the world and brought a piece or two back into the classroom to share. We had a presentation day that included a world feast. The food was delicious and such a great way to experience a new culture! They encouraged us all to add a few new destinations to our bucket lists! 🙂
It has been a great year full of new and exciting learning adventures! I am so grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such talented individuals this year! We are all learners in this process and I hope you all learned as much from me as I did from you!
Congratulations to all of the 6th graders on the close of one chapter in your lives and the amazing opportunities that await! I am glad I was able to be a small part of your journey!
Enjoy your summer and always be on a mission to actualize your talents!
~Mrs. Skaggs
EY updates
Hello. This blog has some updates about what we have been doing and also some links for other opportunities/resources for you to try out at home.
The students explored Chemistry and Cooking using TED ED. 60 Students submitted responses to this video and were entered into a drawing to be official taste testers for District 66 Nutrition Services. Here is a link to pics and info about the event.
https://ey.westside66.org/tag/whatsnew/
I have been spending time developing lessons around TED ED videos. Check out more learning videos from this awesome online resource http://ed.ted.com/.
Brownell Talbot hosted a math contest for students in grades 5 and 6 on Thursday, May 1. Swanson and Prairie Lane teams competed against students from 10 area schools. The students showed strong team work, persistence, and problems solving during the event! 5th grader, Graham, scored 3rd place on the individual test in the grade 5 division! Congratulations!
Sample question: Find the total number of triangles of any size in this figure
Bookadventure.com is a fun online reading challenge site for your child to check out this summer. There are over 8000 titles in the quiz-0-matic library. Students read books, take quizzes, and earn prizes. Parents, you can sign up your child @ http://www.bookadventure.com/registration.aspx
Our 4th quarter theme is “CONNECTIONS” and we are studying the area of Social Studies. Have you child check out blog post from Mrs. Spady, titled Worldmapper, and leave a comment about a map you found interesting!
Map # 1 Meat Imports: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=50
- How do they choose the shape of the countries?
Map # 2: Fruit Imports: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=42
- To be so big, how much fruit does Europe import?
Map # 3: Vegetables Consumed: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=124
- What is the most eaten food in china?
Map # 4 Poor Water: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=186
- What is the disease that is mostly caught through water?
Map # 5: Cholera Cases: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=231
- What is the usual age one gets cholera?
Map # 6: Yellow Fever: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=236
- Where would you get a yellow fever vaccination?
- How much does it cost and how hard would it be to get to people in Northern Africa?
Map # 7: Absolute Poverty: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=180
- What would you most likely buy when you live on two dollars a day?
SUMMER 2014
The end of the school year is quickly approaching, and parents have been asking me about summer programs opportunities. Here are a few ideas for you.
Camp Shakespeare Creighton University Dept. of Fine Arts as part of Shakespeare on the Green, workshops and hands on experience Location: UNO Fine Arts Building & Elmwood Park Ages: 8 to 18 Contact: Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, (402) 280-2391, neshakes@creighton.edu
Omaha Community Playhouse Various classes in creative drama, arts exploration, voice, acting, dance, and yoga Grades: 1 through high school Contact: Omaha Community Playhouse at (402) 553-4890 ext. 139 www.omahaplayhouse.com
Mav Kids Summer University of Nebraska at Omaha Campers will participate in a variety of sport and game activities in a non-competitive environment, along with passive activities such as arts and crafts. All campers will also have the opportunity to swim every afternoon in the university’s very own 50 meter swimming pool. AND every camp week is accompanied by either a full-day or half-day of recreational or educational attractions both on and off campus! Ages: 6-12 years. Contact: www.unomaha.edu/~wwwocr
Techademy
UNO College of Information Science & Technology For middle and high school students. Depending on the camp, some age restrictions may apply. Our exciting camps include: Cyber Adventures in Security, Digital Music Synthesis, Game Development for Mobile, IT innovation. To find out more, call 402- 554- 2070 or visit techademy.unomaha.edu
Summer Program In Computer Science Peter Kiewit Institute, UNOmaha Grades: 10-12 Contact: Judy Kelsey, Judith_Kelsey/IST/UNO/UNEBR@unomail.unomaha.edu
Talented and Gifted Academy of Omaha
The Talented and Gifted Academy of Omaha is now accepting applications for high ability students in grades 4-8th. Exciting and challenging courses will be offered in robotics, technology, science, math, creativity, art, and performance arts. Opportunities will include after school scheduling as well as week-long full and half day summer camps. TAG Academy was created to fill a need for highly able students so they will have a venue for exploring their passion areas and excel outside of regular school curriculum.
For more information, please view our website at www.tagacademyomaha.com or contact us directly at 402-315-3500
AD ASTRA Creighton University Experience college life while you attend classes taught by outstanding faculty and professionals. Attend classes in the morning and then later each day have fun attending the theater, staying overnight at the zoo, paddle-boating at the state park, and meeting new friends. Location: Creighton Campus Grades: 7th- 8th grades this fall Contact: Mavis Hill, 1-800-637-4279 or mhill@creighton.edu
https://ey.westside66.org/2014-summer-opportunities/
Enjoy the spring weather!
Jenny
answer to triangle question: 47
Culture Shock!
Well, the warm weather has finally appeared and everyone seems to be coming out of their winter hide-outs. What better time to take a “trip” to explore lands far and wide?!
As we enter the last few weeks of school, many students are embarking on a journey to another country/region through independent studies. These “trips” will be documented through products of their choosing and then presented to the class. We hope to gain a wealth of information connecting us to the world and it’s cultures. It has already been quite an adventure! 🙂
Check back for a full list of places we visited and the products that were created…
EY updates for Prairie Lane and Swanson
Hello! Here are some updates from EY!
Wrap up Q 3 Science Olympiad-Many of your children attended the Science Olympaid last week at the CCC. The event was a great success, and I am happy that so many of our students choose to participate. There were science challenges for all levels of students, and the hands on activities kept the students engaged throughout the day. The sessions were run by guest scientists, WHS science club members, and ESU # 3 staff. The team events were Pasta Bridge, Catapults, Estamania, Sink or Float, Metric, Mystery Boxes, and Write It Do It.
Click here for pictures and videos from the event.
Q 4 Topic and Theme-The umbrella concept for Q4 is CONNECTIONS. We will study connections within social studies/history. The grade 5 an 6 students will study a historical event and then create Peabody and Sherman skit to alter history in some way. The students will format the scripts using Mensa for Kids as a guide. Our grade 4 students will choose a historical event to research and create “Was it Possible” keynotes to share with the grade 4 classes.
Wordly Wise-We will continue Wordly Wise each week. I have been encouraging the students to use complete sentences when doing the response questions. These questions are sometime quite difficult, and I appreciate the extra time and effort from the students. If your child is having difficulty with the passage, please ask him/her to take the time to reread. This second reading will often make a huge difference.
Math Olympiad-Our 5th Math Olympiad contest is wrapping up. The contest is timed and the students only have 30 min to complete the problems. After the contest, we spend quite a bit of time going over solutions and strategies for each problem. Some groups worked on solving the problems last week and some will do that this week. This time is valuable. After I provide a few hits, or strategies, they are able to work through problems that they perceive as “IMPOSSIBLE” and the kids are often quite proud.
Often the contest will start with a problem that most of the children can do by drawing a picture or making a table:
SAMPLE PROBLEM: How many combinations of pennies, nickels and/or dimes are there with a total value of 25 cents?
The problems progress in difficulty.
SAMPLE PROBLEM: A four-digit perfect square integer is created by placing two positive two-digit perfect square integers next to each other. What is the four-digit square integer?
Try the above problems with your child at home! I’ll put the answers at the end of the post.
Math Contest-Grade 5 and 6-Brownell Talbot hosts a math contest for grade 5 and 6 math students each spring. We can only take 3 teams of 5 students. The combined scores on the Math Olympiad Contests will be used determine the 15 participants. The Brownell Contest will take place on Thursday, May 1 after school. I will send home permission slips before spring break.
Grade 4 Math-Grade 4 students will continue working on Khan through the end of April. Please remind your son/daughter to spend time at home working through the lessons, videos, and practice problems. I have taught all of the grade 5 skills, with the exception of decimal division. We will spend the next few weeks doing mini lessons over this.
Answers to math problems are below so stop scrolling if you want to try them!
SAMPLE PROBLEM: How many combinations of pennies, nickels and/or dimes are there with a total value of 25 cents? (answer: 12 combinations)
SAMPLE PROBLEM: A four-digit perfect square integer is created by placing two positive two-digit perfect square integers next to each other. What is the four-digit square integer? (answer: 1681)