Mr. Cook - Media Literacy and PE

May - June 2011

2011-05-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

My, Spring Break must have lasted a long time! Sorry for the lapse in updates. Here's what's been going on, and what we will be working on for the rest of the year:

Media Literacy

3rd Grade: Students have been hard at work on their bird reports. Many of them have finished typing their reports in Microsoft Word. Some have started finding pictures of their bird on Google Images. As we finish this, they will put these pictures onto their PowerPoint slides. We'll also be working on summarizing, so they can put nice, short bullet points on their slides. This will probably take most of the rest of the year, but the end result will be a nice, polished report and PowerPoint that the students can be proud of.

4th Grade: Students have been working hard to finish the library unit on reference books. After discussing different types of books (dictionaries, atlases, encyclopedias, almanacs, etc.), they used them to answer research questions. A few classes need to finish this up, and then it's on to our next unit: the Oregon Trail. Students will first see artifacts that would have been brought on the journey and discuss what they could have been used for. Then, they will be researching web sites with information on life on the trail. Finally, they'll be able to play the computer game Oregon Trail. This simulation has come a long way since the Apple ][ days, and is now a fairly accurate representation of life on the trail.

5th Grade: The fifth graders have been working on a project that's all about them: an iMovie slide show with pictures of themselves. They have created a title for this using PowerPoint and their school pictures, and a few students who have brought in pictures are working on the rest of it. The rest of the students need to bring in pictures. I'm hoping for at least 10 per student, of themselves, friends, family, pets, etc.

P.E.

There have been quite a few game days lately with testing going on, and we've also learned a few new games. Most popular of these has been Capture the Frisbee, a variation of the game we've already played titled Capture the Cone. We've also had a bit more running outside to gear ourselves up for our trip to the track, which is coming up the week of the 31st-3rd. Look for permission slips to be sent home this week. Other upcoming events are the second round of fitness tests, and after that it'll mostly be cooperative games and activities as the year winds down.

April 11 - April 15

2011-04-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone enjoyed Spring Break!

Media Literacy

We'll be spending some more time this week on practicing the format of the new MSP test, learning how to answer the questions and use the available tools to do as well as possible.

P.E.

We'll be running again this week. Outside if weather permits, otherwise we'll play continuous tag again indoors. This game requires students to run past fixed students who are "it"; successfully passing these students earns you a token. Students try to gather as many tokens as possible-but if they get tagged, the tagger gets all their tokens.

March 28 - April 1

2011-03-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

Media Literacy

With Spring Break on the way, we're finishing up past projects so we can start fresh after the break. Third grade is finishing their Microsoft Word formatting projects, as well as polishing their keyboarding skills. Fourth graders are finishing up their dictionary assignments, and are also working on their typing. Fifth graders are nearly all completed with their iMovie projects on a favorite animal.

PE

We'll have fewer PE classes this week, with the early release days for conferences. For the classes that we have, students will continue what they started last week: running laps on the field. Students are training to improve their endurance and speed in preparation for going to the high school track later in the year.

March 14 - March 18

2011-03-12T17:01:00.001-08:00

Media Literacy

Since the last update, 3rd grade has worked more on their keyboarding skills, as well as their general computer skills (switching between programs, using menu commands, etc.). They are also learning more about formatting text in Microsoft Word, a project that they will continue this week. They are learning how to change the appearance of their typing, as well as add elements such as clip art.

Fourth graders have been learning more about how to use dictionaries quickly and easily. They have also had a basic introduction to the computer program they will use to take the MSP. This week, they are continuing to work on dictionary skills, as well as using other reference books such as encyclopedias.

Fifth graders have been working on their iMovie projects, downloading pictures of a favorite animal and arranging them with sounds, titles, and effects to create a multimedia presentation. They will hopefully complete these this week or early next week.

P.E.

We've finished up with hockey, and since then students have had a chance to practice some pitching and kicking skills for kickball, and pitching and hitting skills for Swedish Baseball (like kickball, but you hit a volleyball with your hand instead of kicking a playground ball). Most classes have also had a chance to play both games. If they haven't, they will this week.
After kickball, we're working on building students' cardio-respiratory endurance. They can run fast, but hopefully they'll be able to run farther after doing some intense workouts with jump ropes and interval running, where they must cover a set distance in times that get progressively shorter.

February 21 - February 25

2011-02-20T16:27:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone enjoyed the 4-day weekend! Media Literacy Third grade is working on keyboarding again this week, building their speed and accuracy. Fourth graders will be continuing their library unit on Non-Fiction books. Since they learned about text features last week, this week they will be applying that knowledge through a scavenger hunt activity where they must find the correct information they are looking for. Fifth graders are putting the pictures they collected last week into their iMovie projects, adding titles and effects in the process. P.E. We'll be wrapping up our Hockey unit this week. After that, each class will have a game day where they can choose a favorite game that they've already played. Our next unit will be kickball, and some classes will begin that this week, starting with a bit of skills practice and a quick game.

February 14 - February 18

2011-02-12T15:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! A reminder that Mid-Winter break and President's day are coming up, so there's no school on Friday the 18th or Monday the 21st. Have a great 4-day weekend!

Media Literacy

Third grade will be putting the final finishing touches on their All About Me PowerPoints this week. After that, they will be doing a review of some important computer skills such as managing multiple open programs and manipulating files (moving, renaming, saving, copying).
Fourth grade is beginning a library unit on using Non-Fiction books. This week, they're learning more about "text features" found in these books and how to use them. For example, they will learn how to pinpoint the exact information they need in a reference book using the index, how to find unknown words in a glossary, and how to use headings to find specific information on a page.
Fifth grade is collecting pictures to use in their upcoming iMovie projects. The iMovie program (similar to Movie Maker on a PC) allows them to create multimedia slide shows with pictures, sounds, and video clips. For this introductory project, they will collect photos of a favorite animal, and arrange them with sounds and captions to create a short slide show.

P.E.

Third and fourth grades will be moving on to hockey games this week, using the shooting, passing, and other skills they practiced last week. Fifth grade is joining in this week as well, beginning with the same skills that the lower grades practiced last week.

February 7 - February 11

2011-02-07T15:28:00.000-08:00

Hope to see everyone at our Art Show & Auction this Wednesday at 6:00. There should be lots of great baskets, and the halls are covered with the students' amazing artwork. Wednesday is also a late start day.

Media Literacy

This is the last week for 4th and 5th graders to finish their sports PowerPoint projects. Third grade is also finishing up their All About Me PowerPoints. Remember that 3rd graders can bring in pictures from home for this, they really do help to liven things up.

P.E.

5th graders are finishing their dance CBA this week, where they must choreograph and perform their own (short) dance. 3rd and 4th graders are starting the hockey unit, learning how to safely handle the hockey stick, as well as practicing passing, wrist shots, and slap shots. 5th graders will also be starting on Hockey, next week when they're done dancing.

January 31 - February 4

2011-01-30T15:49:00.001-08:00

Media Literacy

Our projects from last week will continue this week. Third-graders are making excellent progress with their All About Me PowerPoint projects! They have already learned how to add slides, change backgrounds, and add pictures. This week, they'll be learning how to further customize their presentation with different fonts, custom color schemes, and animations.
Fourth- and fifth-graders are continuing their sports research projects, finishing up their notes and starting their PowerPoints this week if they haven't yet. Once started, they will have a chance to add pictures, backgrounds, and other elements to their PowerPoints.

P.E.

Our dance unit is coming to a close this week. Third and fourth grade students will be working on group activities to come up with dance steps for certain songs. Fifth grade students are completing a state dance assessment (known as a CBA, or Curriculum-Based Assessment) where they must choreograph and perform a short dance based on 2 different types of weather. Their performances will be graded according to a rubric that is reviewed with the students. Both of these activities will give students a chance to show their creativity and ingenuity in coming up with different ways to move to suit a specific song or theme.

January 24-January 28

2011-01-23T15:53:00.000-08:00

Media Literacy

Third grade students are diving in to Microsoft PowerPoint this week. They learned how to open the program last week, and saved a file with their name on it. This week, they will begin turning that file into an "All About Me" PowerPoint, with pictures of themselves and information on what they like to do. For this week, they will be putting in a picture of themselves, as well as writing an acrostic poem for their name (with a word for each letter). If you have any good pictures (digital is preferred, but prints work), please send them in so they can put them into their presentation!

Fourth and fifth grades are also working with PowerPoint this week, using it to create a presentation on the information they researched about their favorite sport. They will create a short presentation about the history of their sport, how to play it, important people or places, and activities we could do in class.

P.E.

After finishing up the dances from last week, classes will be learning the final dance in our unit: the Cha-Cha slide. This popular dance incorporates many different steps, so it should be a challenge for students, while still enjoyable. After that, Fourth and Fifth grades will have a chance to create their own dances to a specific theme or song. I look forward to seeing their creativity!

January 17 - January 21

2011-01-17T18:32:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone enjoyed the 3-day weekend!

Media Literacy

Well, it's back to the grind now that MAP testing is completely finished. Students in 4th and 5th grades will finish organizing their server folder, learning how to create folders, rename files, and do other file-manipulation tasks. Then, it's back to the Sports Research projects that we started earlier in the school year. We'll finish out the research on those and summarize what they found.
Third-grade students, after getting in the last few fitness test results, will be learning how to use Microsoft PowerPoint. They will begin with a simple, one-slide presentation about themselves, later branching out to more-complex tasks.
Also, classes that did not have a chance earlier in the year to hear about some great books from Sara Wall, children's librarian at the Tenino library, will be doing that this Wednesday.

P.E.

We'll be doing more dancing this week! After finishing the dances from last week, we're moving on to the Electric Slide. So far, the students have turned out to be pretty good dancers!

January 10 - January 14

2011-01-08T20:37:00.001-08:00

We have a late start this Wednesday the 12th. School opens at 10:00, and classes start at 10:20.

Media Literacy

Media Literacy will be cut a bit short this week, due to the late start and the last stage of MAP testing on Monday and Tuesday. Classes that meet will continue on prior projects: entering their fitness test results, organizing their server folders, and working on their sports research project.

P.E.

All three grade levels are beginning the dance unit this week in PE. Third graders are beginning with some simple, but fun dances: the Hamster Dance, and the Partner Slap dance (hopefully the kids aren't disappointed that they don't actually slap their partner :-), they just clap their hands together). Fourth graders will start with Mamma Maria, which is a basic line dance, and follow up with the Cupid Shuffle, which gets slightly more complicated. Fifth graders will also be doing the Cupid Shuffle, followed by the Butterfly Waltz. It should be fun! We'll most likely be continuing to practice these next week, as it takes time to master the steps.

January 3 - January 7

2011-01-02T17:50:00.000-08:00

Welcome back! Students will have extra PE this week, as the computer lab will be closed starting Wednesday for MAP testing.

Media Literacy

Classes that meet this week will be continuing to work on entering their fitness test results, and calculating their BMI and body fat percentage. If they have finished, they will practice their keyboarding skills.

P.E.

We'll be concluding our basketball unit this week with a set of team-based games that incorporate the basketball skills we have learned thus far. In addition to a couple more drills for shooting and passing, 3rd graders will work on the concept of positions by playing Lane Basketball, where each player has a "lane" they must remain in during the game. 4th graders will instead play Paperclip Basketball, where teams of 3 must pass the ball 3 times and shoot a basket. Successful shots lead to earning paperclips for their team; the team with the most paperclips at the end will win. 5th grade will play Freeze Out, which is similar to the game Horse. Pairs of students will compete to attempt shots from different areas. If a student misses, they receive a letter, and once they have spelled OUT, they are out. In addition to these games, all three grades will play 3-on-3 basketball, rotating through teams to give everyone a chance to play. Other team games, such as sideline basketball and the regulation version of basketball, will also be played to the extent that time allows.

Classes that have extra PE this week will be learning a few new games. Third graders will be introduced to Tucker's Land and Dino's Nest, both of which involve retrieving items from a guarded location. All three grades will learn a new tag game (continuous tag), and will participate in a relay race where they build a pattern of PE equipment based on an example at the front of the gym. Since only 1 piece can be moved at a time, and they cannot see the pattern from the place where they are creating it, they will have to make good use of their memory in order to be successful.

December 13 - 17

2010-12-10T17:40:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone has a great week before Winter Break! This should be a fun week with the special events going on. Among other attractions, I will be having my head shaved at the Winter assembly (Friday at 2:10) if the students can bring in enough items to reach our goal of 2,000 points in our food drive. So far they've been doing a great job of bringing in items, so I may be looking for a hat by the end of the week!

Media Literacy

Lots of special things going on in Media Literacy this week! Our COW (Computers on Wheels) is now ready for use, so students will be learning how to properly use and care for the laptops contained within that cart. While using the COW, they will be organizing their server folders - with all the work they've been completing, they need cleaning! Students will learn how to rename files, create folders, and delete unneeded files.

In addition to using the COW, students will be entering their fitness test results on the computer this week. They will enter their height and weight on a web site to calculate their BMI (Body Mass Index), which can provide a basic idea of whether or not a student is at a healthy weight. To get even better information on their body composition, students will measure their (approximate) body fat percentage using a fat loss monitor. This device uses the "Bioelectric Impedance Method." Essentially, it passes a small, harmless current through the body and measures how much returns to the device. Different body materials (muscle, bone, fat) contain varying percentages of water, and therefore resist electricity at different rates. Higher resistance, or impedance, of electricity indicates a higher percentage of body fat, since fat has less water than muscle.

Lastly, students will be given an overview of some great new books we have in the library. We have processed the books for three different awards: Children's Choice, Sasquatch, and Young Reader's Choice. Students who read at least 2 books for a specific award will be able to vote for a winner in a state-wide poll around March and April. Prizes will be available for the students who read the most books for these awards.

P.E.

We'll be continuing our basketball unit this week. Students did a great job last week of practicing passing, dribbling, and shooting. It was a lot of fun to see them work together as teams to finish dribbling relay races, or to do timed passing drills. This week, we're adding some drills for offense and defense, and more shooting. Games practicing sets of those skills will also be played. Captain Ball, where they must get past the opposing team to pass a ball to their "captain," will be one of these, as will other simple basket-shooting games such as Around the Key. After the break, we'll come back and start playing games that incorporate all the skills together.

December 6 - December 10

2010-12-05T19:06:00.000-08:00

Please remember that there is a late start this Wednesday, December 8th.

Media Literacy

Third graders will be learning more about using our file server this week. Classes that haven't yet been introduced to our keyboarding program, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, will log into the server to access it. After that, they will learn how to save a file to their folder, and how to open it again once it's been saved.
Fourth and fifth grade will continue with their sports research projects. After finding resources (and learning how to copy-and-paste and highlight on the computer), they will start to organize their notes so they can use them to create their final project.

P.E.

Fitness tests are all completed now, so we'll be able to begin our basketball unit (there turned out to be too little time to begin it last week). Students will work with a variety of drills and games to build their ball control, passing, dribbling, and shooting skills.

November 29 - December 3

2010-11-29T08:02:00.000-08:00

It's so nice to be back after so much time away! I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed the snow days!

Media Literacy

This week, third grade students will be reaching the end of their keyboarding unit. They are graduating to the computerized typing tutor, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. This will allow them to instantly see their progress in accuracy and words per minute.
Fourth and fifth grade classes will be starting a sports research project. This week, they'll be choosing a sport, finding resources, and getting a few notes on how it's played, where it comes from, and other information.

P.E.

It's time for fitness tests! All classes will be completing these this week, measuring their abilities in Muscular Strength, Cardio-Respiratory Endurance, and Flexibility. After that, they'll be finishing up their soccer unit if they haven't, or starting the basketball unit if they have.

November 22 - November 26

2010-11-22T09:49:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone has a wonderful week! It's another week of crazy schedules. Last week we had half-days for conferences, and this week we have a half-day on Wednesday and no school on Thursday or Friday. Happy Thanksgiving!

Media Literacy

Classes that meet this week will have a chance to work on a Thanksgiving webquest. They will visit 2 different web sites about the first Thanksgiving, and answer a few questions about what they learned. Last week, students had the privilege of having the children's librarian from the Tenino Timberland library, Sara Wall, come in and give a talk about what books and resources are available there.

PE

Classes that have finished up their soccer unit will be starting fitness tests this week, measuring their aptitudes in the 5 different components of fitness. Other classes that have earned it will enjoy a free day this week, where they can choose what activity to do.

November 8 - November 12

2010-11-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

There's a lot going on this week: a late start on Wednesday (school starts at 10:20), a Veterans' Day assembly at 1:40 on Wednesday, and no school on Thursday to honor the veterans who have served our country. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Media Literacy

Students will be completing a short test on the computer this week that assesses how much they remember of the things we went over during the first quarter. Questions about finding web sites, using library resources, and the 5 components of fitness will be included.

P.E.

Our soccer unit will be drawing to a close over the next week or so. Now that the students have had a chance to practice the basic skills, we'll start moving up to team-based games. Foosball soccer, where students stay on a line just like in a Foosball game, is one example, as is four-corner soccer (4 teams), and line soccer (2 teams, with a sideline that can kick the ball if it comes near them). It should be a lot of fun!

November 1 - November 5

2010-11-01T07:59:00.001-07:00

Media Literacy

All three grade levels will be busy finishing up assignments this week. Classes that have completed all their assignments will be creating a Wordle about their favorite sport. To see more about Wordles, go to their web site.

P.E.

We're starting on soccer this week. We'll start with basic ball-control skills such as dribbling and juggling, then move on to kicking and play a few modified games. It should be a lot of fun!

October 25 - October 29

2010-10-24T14:42:00.000-07:00

Media Literacy

All three grade levels have been hard at work at their internet research. Third grade is researching animals, writing down the site they found their information from, and what search engine they used to find the site. Fourth grade is evaluating web sites about sunken ships (i.e. Titanic, Edmund Fitzgerald, etc.). They must pick 2 web pages about their topic, writing down information on who created the site and what they say about the ship. They must then determine whether or not their site is a good overall resource about their topic. Fifth grade is also evaluating 2 web pages, but their topics are more difficult: topics such as Crop Circles and Bigfoot where it's more likely to find web sites with inaccurate information. The students are doing a fine job of determining which sites are credible, and which are not.

Moved to this week is the library call number review. Students were so busy in the lab last week that most classes didn't have a chance to get to the library. This review will help students to become more familiar with how the Call Numbers are sorted on books, with the intent that they can more easily find resources they are looking for in the future.

P.E.

Unfortunately, an out-of-order pole standard prevented us from playing 4-square volleyball last week, so most classes have finished with our volleyball unit. We will be able to revisit 4-square volleyball later in the year as a review activity when the pole standard is fixed.

For this week, students will be learning the 5 components of fitness: Cardio-respiratory Endurance, Muscular Endurance, Muscular Strength, Flexibility, and Body Composition. Then, students will have a chance to play various games and complete different activities that help to build their abilities in the different components. For example, a tag game helps to build Cardio-respiratory endurance, while tumbling activities can help with flexibility. In the near future, once students are familiar with the components, they will be taking a fitness test and setting a goal for a specific component. Then, near the end of the year they will be re-tested, and they can see how much they have improved in their goal area.

October 18 - October 22

2010-10-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

Media Literacy

We'll be continuing our work on internet research this week. Third grade students will be learning how to use different types of search engines, writing down information they find and how they found it. Fourth and fifth grades will be adding the skill of evaluating the accuracy and credibility of a web site. For example, The History Channel is generally an accurate source on history, someone's blog site may not be. Classes that complete their internet research introduction will be reviewing call numbers in the library, so students can become faster and more accurate at finding books they're looking for.

P.E.

Volleyball skills continue throughout this week. Individual and small-group practice is followed by simplified volleyball games that work on specific skills. Circle volleyball works on setting, Volley Bombers works on accurate serving, and 4-square volleyball combines all the skills we've learned into a fun game.

October 11 - October 15

2010-10-07T17:54:00.000-07:00

Media Literacy

After completing their library scavenger hunts from last week, students will be back to the computer lab to learn how to find good resources on the internet. Strategies for using search engines and evaluating what makes a good resource will be covered.

P.E.

This week we will begin our volleyball unit, starting with serving, setting, and other basic skills. From there, we'll move up to practice in partners and small groups in preparation for a full game.

October 4 – October 8

2010-10-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

Remember, no school this Friday for a teacher inservice day. Hope you have a great long weekend!

Media Literacy

Over the past week, students have begun working on their keyboarding skills. For 4th and 5th-grade students, we have used the program Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. Since they have already learned to correct posture and fingering, the program allows them to review their skills and increase their accuracy and speed. Third-grade students have been working on worksheets from the Herzog keyboarding program, which takes them through the alphabet from A-Z. After they have learned the fingering for all of the letters, they too will be working with Mavis Beacon.

Students will also be in the library this week to work on their book-finding skills. After reviewing where everything is found in the library, students were given a scavenger hunt to see if they could find the various resources around the room. Soon students will be working on research in the library and computer lab, so they will be well-prepared to find the resources they need.

P.E.

Over the past week, students have begun a unit on football, which we will be completing this week. We have focused on passing and receiving skills, passing between partners and small groups. This week they are working up to team-based games, finishing up this week with a version of touch football called Ultimate Football.
Classes that finish the football unit will be working together to finish the Scrabble relay, where teams work to build a word, running for 1 letter at a time for their team.

September 20 – September 24

2010-09-17T15:49:00.001-07:00

Welcome back! I finally have my blog site up and running again, so check back each week to see what classes will be up to for Media Literacy and PE. Media Literacy is the name we've given to our computer class this year, since students will be working extensively with finding, sorting, and using information found on the internet and other electronic sources. We will also be in the library on occasion to learn how to use search for books, use nonfiction resources, and do other tasks related to books.

So far, students in Media Literacy have been introduced to the computers and the rules, and have started right out with researching in our World Book encyclopedia. They have also worked in our updated Renaissance Place system, where they can access Accelerated Reader quizzes, practice math facts, and take the STAR reading assessment.

In PE, students have been learning the rules and procedures, and we have started the year with a variety of games to practice working together, pairing up or dividing into teams, and other skills we will need throughout the year. Games they have played include Moving Day (working as teams to move a variety of equipment without using hands), Rock / Paper / Scissors Splits (a flexibility exercise using rock / paper / scissors), and a few different tag games. This week, students also played Indiana Jones, where they had to work as a team to move a large cage ball in order to tag the person playing Indiana Jones.

Upcoming activities this week:

Media Literacy

We'll be finishing up MAP testing in the lab on Monday and Tuesday, so students will have PE during that time. After that, any classes that have not yet seen the new Accelerated Reader will learn how to use it. Classes that have already taken quizzes will learn how to navigate our Technology Resources page, where they can find various educational web sites.

PE

We're breaking out the scooters this week in PE for Scooter Basketball. In this game, students work on small teams of 4-5 people to try and get a foam ball into the opposing team's goal (we're using a clean trash can). This game mostly works on the skill of passing, since there is no dribbling involved, and the ball can be passed to any other player, even if they're on the sideline. Third-graders will later be playing Bean Bag hunt, where teams work together to find bean bags of a specific color that have been hidden under cones. Fourth- and fifth-graders will play 4-team battleship, where they try to knock down the opposing teams' bowling pins.