In-Class

News: Check out Macguire's blog at http://talonsmacguire.edublogs.org !

April 23rd - Wow has it been that long since my last visit? Here is the focus today:


 * What do you know? What do you want to know? How are you going to find out?**

__PROJECT PLANNING:__
In the next few days, this is what I would like from you. I would like you to start developing the answers to these questions and then create a discussion on your page to answer these questions for me: (You might need to do some research first)
 * //1. What are we trying to find out?//**
 * //2. How are we going to do this?//**
 * //3. What do we expect to find out at the end of our research?//**
 * //4. How are we going to present this information?//**
 * 5. Are we showing higher order thinking skills? (Explain)**
 * //6. What supplies do we need, how can Mr. Truss and Mr. Kennedy help?//**

You can cut and paste these questions into your page for now, so that the class can see your progress.

When you are done, each group will add these questions to **your own journal 'discussion'**: The discussion title will be __PROJECT PLANNING: (Specific topic)__ Use your topic title, not your page title. For example the group doing Intelligence are on the Human Ability page. This group will add their discussion to the Human Ability page but the title will be... __PROJECT PLANNING: Davinci's Crossbow__


 * Do not rush to answer these questions! You might have to do some research first.**

March 26th - The official beginning! (And for most of you that were away, April 2nd)

Your task today is to answer the following questions. Please do this in the discussion section of YOUR journal page. Simply copy and paste the questions below and start a new discussion called 'Project Planning'.


 * 1. You will be exploring a da Vinci inspired topic, of your choice, and going into great detail. What subject or subjects are you interested in?**


 * 2. What interests you about your subject? Why is it something you want to know more about?**


 * 3. Would you rather work individually or in a group? And what is the largest group that you would be interested in working in?**


 * 4. Look at the images on the In-Class page for March 12th. For each of the levels/skills on Blooms Taxonomy that we discussed, use the key words in the image to tell us some of the things that you might do in your wiki assignment, in order to demonstrate each of the Skills.**

Remember/Understand:

Apply:

Analyze:

Evaluate:

Create:

--- Mr Kennedy and Mr. Truss will be circulating and asking you clarifying questions about your answers. Next week we will set goals, pick a project end-date, and plan a project-ending celebration to showcase your work.

March 12th We are heading into the March Break, Battle of the Books is almost over, and it is time to think about your big project. Today in class we talked about 'Higher Order' thinking skills and looked at these two diagrams:

Start thinking about what you want to do for your project. Remember to add to your Journal and have a great break!

March 5th Today we are going to check out some websites to help us think of some ideas for our projects (that we will begin after the March break). Go to [|Mr. T's da Vinci Links] and EXPLORE! Also **remember to reflect on some of the things you have learned in your journal.** You can add links and images etc. to your journal and today I can help you with that if you need help.

See what Macguire did with his learning from Feb. 26th. Although he made a mistake with his Classification of Levers, that is just part of the learning process. So rather than erasing that entry, Macguire will leave that entry there to show his thinking and learning, and he will add a new journal entry today to show what he has discovered since then. //Young da Vinci's consider mistakes part of the learning journey to be celebrated... congratulations to Macguire for sharing his thinking with us!//

If you ever need help with anything, you can go to the Home page and click on the Discussion tab. I have created a discussion called [|Questions] and I've set it up so that I get e-mails to tell me if someone has left a question there. Ask away and I'll help in any way that I can!

Finally, you can start your own discussions or discuss other pages on this site. Be respectful to other Young Da Vincis, if you want to share something with someone, rather than doing so 'in' their journal, just go to their journal page and add to their own discussion page. Share links, ask questions and share.

Feb. 26th, 2009

Looking at Levers Here is Mr. Kennedy's notes on the board

Macguire uses minimal force to lift Audrey, (our carbon based training unit), on the other end of a lever.



Can you figure out (on your own) which of the levers are first, second and third class levers?

What can you tell us about effort as it relates to weight and distance travelled?

What are examples of the different classes of levers and how are these levers used?

What else do you want to know about levers, or other simple machines?

How can you show what you've learned in your journal? (We can scan things in for you, or you can upload photos if you want).

Feb. 19th, 2009

Here is an easy link to our wiki home page: http://tr.im/davinci -easy to remember and type in!

Today we are going to the Inventor's Tool Box: http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/InventorsToolbox.html and we are reading up on simple machines then trying out [|Gadget Anatomy].

Next, share something that you have learned in your journal. If there is something else you would like to share instead, go ahead, the goal is just to ** get things started with your jounal **- be creative, have fun, express yourself... start typing! :-)