Food Science

Over the past few weeks, students have explored the big picture question, "What is the relationship between producers and consumers?" To address this question, students defined the terms, consumer and producer and discussed the concept of marketing. What does marketing mean? What marketing techniques do producers use - especially when marketing to kids?

As another great addition to this study, students welcomed a special guest speaker to their classroom, Julie Ellis. Julie is a Food Scientist who came to share her knowledge with the group about what being a food scientist entails. Students asked Julie questions that they prepared before her arrival.

"What do you do at your job?"
"What made you want to become a food scientist?"
"What advice can you give us that will help us in our cereal companies?"
"What was the most exciting project you have worked on?"
"What does your job do to help food companies?"
"How does the system work for testing food?"

After a session of Q & A, students completed a mini-sensory test experiment. Students taste-tested using sensory deprivation by plugging their noses and being blindfolded. They determined that, when developing their own cereal, the look and smell of their cereal will be equally important as the taste.

Paige’s group’s Week at a Glance

Communication Literacy

Book groups

- fluency and intonation

- making predictions

- identifying figurative language

- identifying author's voice

Sight word spelling
Editing persuasive writing to determine if our evidence supports our persuasive statements
Identifying which mindsets were modeling by the people in the biographies we are reading
Collaborative imaginative writing for Story Pirates

Patterns & Modeling

Data collection
Representing multiplication through repeated addition and arrays
Review of mode, range, minimum, and maximum in a data set
Introduction to the median in a data set and averages

Theme Time

Visit from a food scientist to discuss how products are developed for companies
Reviewing the terms "producer", "consumer" and discussing their relationship to each other
Sensory observations and testing of jelly beans
Analysis of product packaging and branding

Misc

Visit from Tiffany Persons for a follow up on our correspondence with the school in Sierra Leone
Celebration of the end of our read-aloud book Pie
Teaching the basics of 3D design and Tinkercad to Emmarose's group

Clubhouse Week at a Glance

Communications Literacy

Writing stories for Story Pirates
Book Groups - City of Ember
Introduction to root words
Reflection about types of writing we have done this year. What is the purpose? Who is the audience? What perspective are they written in? What are characteristics of this type of writing?
Informative writing - reading Biographies - discussion about observations

Patterns and Modeling

Make 100 - Youcubed - Practicing multiplication, area models, and fractions.
Equivalent fractions with color block painting
Talking about norms for learning and group work
Revisiting our understanding of minimum, maximum, and range in a data set.
Introduction to the median in a data set and averages

Theme

Special guest: Julie Ellis, Food Scientist
Sensory observations and testing of Jelly Beans
Review of big picture question: What is the relationship between consumers and producers?
Why do you make the choices you make? Analysis of product packaging and branding
Introduction to Tinkercad - 3D printing

Misc