| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Here is a copy of the final assignment for our last day of Target class. We will be evaluating our journals and choosing our best entry to present to the class. This is a way for us to use all of our creativity and show how our thinking about robotics has gone from the basic, "Quicker Picker Upper," to the more elaborate "NXT Robot." Students may bring in an edible treat as part of their presentation. Download journal_reflection.doc
Fourth and fifth grade Target classes have made outstanding progress from "QUICKER PICKER UPPER" to "NXT." We have learned many great things about the history of robots and the impact on society. In the past weeks, we have programmed the NXT robot to communicate using sound and text. This week we have focused on circumference and how it affects the robot's movement. We then used this information to program our NXT to move!
All of our learning has been documented in our journals. This is one of the assessments for our unit. The due date for journals will be:
Here is a picture of an actual EduBot getting ready to move!
Monday, May 12th
Tuesday, May 13th
Thursday, May 15th
This contest allows you to showcase your creativity and win cash! Here's what you do...brainstorm a list of times that you have demonstrated creative thinking. Remember, In Target class, we have learned about the elements of creativity (originality, flexibility, fluency and elaboration.) From your list, choose one to write an essay. (ages (6-9) 150 words, ages (10-13) 300 words.) Submit this essay following the link below. Don't forget to include in your essay how you felt! For official rules and entry form, more information and previous winner work samples, please click below. Remember to get your parent's permission!
Our big day is coming SOON! On Friday, April 18th at 9:30 am in Mrs. Burke's Room 111 , we will be presenting our "Occupation Speeches." Parents are encouraged to attend! We have been working diligently on the research and writing process. Today, we learned how to present our information so that our audience can understand. I am sure you will enjoy this special day!
Please help your child prepare by encouraging him/her to learn their speech. One fabulous strategy we discussed in class is to "chunk" it into smaller parts. By Introducing the parts slowly and remembering the previously learned parts, it is easier to manage.
Students are encouraged to bring a costume to wear over their clothes and props that help tell about their chosen profession. Please limit props to items that can fit onto a student desk. I appreciate all of your support in this endeavor.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR CHILDREN WITH ME! :-) 
Friday's third graders are learning that earning money really does matter in Target Town. In order to buy our homes, pay our bills, and feed our families, we had to choose a profession and begin earning money. Before we chose our profession, we researched many different ones and discussed our financial and personal goals. We also discussed the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards that our job would bring.
We have used laptops to research information and have created exciting Power Point presentations and speeches. Soon, we will be ready to share with our parents. Parents are invited to attend on Friday, April 18th. Please see next week's Target Tally for the exact time of this exciting event. Rubrics were sent home last week. Download money_matters_occupation_presentation_rubric.doc
AN INFORMATIONAL LETTER WENT HOME THIS WEEK WITH STUDENTS! CLICK HERE TO VIEW A COPY OF THE LETTER.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR CHAPERONES AND ALL THAT HAVE VOLUNTEERED! A CHAPERONE LETTER WENT HOME THIS WEEK WITH STUDENTS! CLICK ABOVE AND GO TO THE SECOND PAGE TO VIEW THE LETTER.
REMINDER FIELD TRIP DATES:
ALL FIFTH GRADE TARGET STUDENTS: TUESDAY, MARCH 25th
ALL FOURTH GRADE TARGET STUDENTS: THURSDAY, MARCH 27th
ESSENTIAL QUESTION AND FOCUS OF OUR TRIP:
HOW HAS ROBOTICS INFLUENCED THE WORLD THROUGH THE BOTTLING OF COCA-COLA?
We will tour the museum and find the answer to our question, especially in the area named, "Bottleworks." This attraction in the New World of Coca-Cola features a real, functioning bottling facility. We will have the opportunity to wander through the bottling plant via a glass tunnel. A "ghost" image will appear on the walls to explain what's happening behind the glass. At the end of our experience, we will be invited to pick-up a collectors-edition bottle of Coca-Cola from the tasting lounge located upstairs. Facts to consider:
We are looking forward to an awesome learning experience!
Visit the amazing site below to build a robotic arm.
http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=32 
Once you have built your robotic arm, respond in your journal to the following question: How can this technology help society? Please remember to write the title of your entry, date and the source you used. Since you used what you learned from the activity above, you should list it on your entry.
The link below takes you to a website that will allow you to explore different types of jobs. Third graders will be researching and exploring categories in class on the laptops. We will be given an outline and grading rubric to present and share information with one another.
Third graders have completed their penny boxes! I am so proud of all the hard work and time that each student put into the research process. Each student shared a historical connection for each year of their lives and this made the presentations interesting. However, we were more fascinated to hear each other's unique life story and see each other's pictures. The time lines were created using the Time Liner program on the laptops and were the perfect finishing touch! We saved our work on our flash drives so that we can add to them in the future. I am sure that you will be proud when your child shares this project with you at home!
Each student received a deposit registry from "Burke's Bank and Trust." We are going to apply what we have learned about budgeting money, making good financial choices, and managing deposits/ withdrawals to simulate real life. We will be given a jobs and earn a paycheck, but will also have to budget for all of our expenses. It will be challenging to problem solve and make good financial decisions when the rent must be paid, but we want to buy that new video game. We will even get to use debit cards to take money out of our account, but must remember to balance our registry and list all of the transactions that we make. We are well on our way to realizing that "money doesn't grow on trees."
Fourth and fifth graders have graduated from "Technic Design School." They know how to design and engineer a strong robot using Legos. Students have formed TEAMS and are focusing on qualities of group collaboration and problem solving. Together, they have created and built an original robot design with legos. We are currently learning how to program using the NXT software and laptop computers. It is amazing how many steps that are necessary and how much thinking is involved when you are writing a computer program. Please visit the link below for tutorials about NXT programming.
http://www.ortop.org/NXT_Tutorial/html/essentials.html
Please note that field trip permission went home this week for our World Of Coca-Cola trip on Tuesday, March 25 (5th graders) and Thursday, March 27th for 4th graders. Our focus will be on how the industrial robots are used in the bottling process. Of course, tasting Coca-Cola from around the world will be pretty fun, too! Please return pink permission forms next week! 
