Pet Pen Problems

Today we embarked on perimeter as part of our measurement unit.  Students worked through several stages of problem solving as they considered a pen for a new pet.  First they were given the dimensions as footsteps and found they could not recreate the pen without a more standard form of measurement.  They then used reasoning to deduce the animal to be placed in the pen.  Finally, with a perimeter of 56 feet, students were asked to make an ordered list of all the possible whole number dimensions.  They used this list to discover the pattern than an increased length results in a decreased width.  Next week we will consider the best pen design by looking at the resulting area.

Another focus of our day was on growth mindset.  Students reflected on their own mindset and got to explore some online materials that ultimately gave them their mindset temperature which they were able to record.  A lot of students are really latching on and I can already see a change in attitude when it comes to embracing challenges.  We also enjoyed a quick freeze dance game taking further encouragement from Bruno Mars. :)

For our Jacob's Ladder reading today, students considered the story of Daedalus and Icarus and examined it based on sequence, cause and effect, and consequences and implications.  Next week we will go a little deeper into theme, inferences, and literary elements.

Finally we took back up with our medieval times project and continued with the rook in our Chess sketchbooks.  Students also practiced setting up and beginning a game with opening moves.