Friday, February 21, 2014

Thrills in Three - D!

In geometry, we have been studying solid, 3 - dimensional, shapes.
Shapes that have three dimensions have length, width, and height.

Today Mrs. Ranney gave us toothpicks for edges and 
clay to create vertices.
We started out with simple figures, like cubes, rectangular prisms, and square pyramids
 Then we explored other possibilities! See if you can find triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, septagonal
and octagonal prisms





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What shapes do you notice?
Describe a particular shape you see. 
How many faces, edges, and  
vertices does it have?
What shape are its faces?
Tell about your experience building with clay 
and toothpicks. 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Amazing Angles!

In geometry, we are learning about angles!


An angle is a  figure formed when two rays share the same endpoint.


 
Below is a special angle called a right angle.
It is also called a 90˚ angle.


Any angle less than a right is called an acute angle. 




Any angle greater than a right is called an obtuse angle. 



Below is a quiz. Can you guess each kind of angle?





 

Angle Quiz! on PhotoPeach



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Do you see any acute, right, or obtuse angles in your house?

Tell us about them!

Monday, February 17, 2014

Happy President's Day, 2014!

In honor of President's Day, I have republished this post from 2012! 

 

Will the Real George Washington Please Stand Up?

Mrs. Ranney's class has recently begun a unit on the 
history of our country and government.

Certainly,  we can't think of the beginning of the 
United States of America without thinking about

George Washington!
(also known as The Father of Our Country)


During a recent visit to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library,

Mrs. Ranney was able to view the temporary exhibit called
Discover the Real George Washington! 



The exhibit helps viewers get to know what George Washington 
was really like, what he thought was important, and what
his special talents were.


This scale model diorama of Mount Vernon, George Washington's home in Virginia was on display.
Each inch represented about one foot.


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Three very special parts of the exhibition were the life-size models of George Washington. Each one represented a different age and important event in his life. These figures were created using some amazing technology!  Articles of Washington's own clothing, a life mask created by French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon, and even Mr. Washington's dentures were all part of the process used to figure out exactly what he would have looked like at these stages of his life!

George Washington as a 19-year-old surveyor

Some of Washington's surveying equipment


General Washington during the Revolutionary War



















President Washington taking the oath of office in 1789






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There were many other interesting displays and artifacts!


The signing of The Constitution




Mr. Washington's very own dentures!
The Washington Family Bible
A beautiful gown worn by First Lady, Martha Washington


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In addition, two years ago when Mrs. Ranney was spending time with her
daughter in New York, she was able to visit the Fraunces Tavern Museum, an important meeting place during the Revolutionary War. When the war was over, this is where
 General Washington celebrated with his men!



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What did you find most interesting in this post?

What facts can you add about George Washington 
or this important period in United States history?
Use World Book Online
to do some additional research.
Remember to take notes first. Then rewrite your notes 
in your own words in your comment!

Friday, February 14, 2014

Happy Valentine's Day, 2014!

Today is February 14, Valentine's Day!


Did you know that the tradition of celebrating Valentine's Day
has been around for hundreds of years?

Please enjoy this slide show that shows some of the
ways we observed the day!



A Very Heart-Filled Valentine's Day! on PhotoPeach

 What did you enjoy most about our day?
How did you celebrate Valentine's Day 
with your family? 




Thursday, February 6, 2014

Chumash Challenge!

Today we visited the 

We had a wonderful time and learned many things too!


Below are photos of activities we did and displays we saw.

The challenge is for you to write a comment that explains a photo and shares some information about what we learned.
















































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What did you enjoy most about our special trip?

What new facts did you learn about the 
Chumash people?

What can you explain about a photo?