HAL 2012-2013

With all the snow on the ground, it is hard to imagine a lazy Sunday afternoon resting peacefully in a hammock (see photo at right and imagine!).  However, the HAL students are beginning a study of hammocks and their design.

Each HAL student has a partner and will be working together to design and create a hammock that will hold the most golf balls.  The hammocks must be stand-alone and be made from a specific list of supplies (see Student Resources for the specification sheet for our hammocks).

If you are a HAL student (or someone interested in trying this with us), see the links at the left of this page under “Hammocks”.  These sites will take you to web pages that discuss the history of hammocks, hammock design, and creative hamocks from around the globe.

We will be testing the hammocks on March 12th in the HAL classroom.  Best of luck to each team!

I have created a new page on the HAL site for enrichment camp and summer camp opportunities for HAL students!  I will continually update the page as I receive information from schools, colleges, and other entities about these types of camps.

Check out the page above (in the menu) and see what opportunities await your HAL student!  As always, be sure to contact me with any questions! ~ Mrs. Harrison

Paper Airplanes!

Our HAL department is currently studying aerodynamics and couldn’t complete our study without having a paper airplane contest!

Each HAL student has been busy designing, folding, and testing paper airplanes in order to create a plane that will fly the farthest distance. We have identified the forces acting on flying objects, and have adjusted our designs to take full advantage of lift while lessening the effects of drag and gravity.  The students have had a fun time testing their creations and “tweaking” their designs to achieve maximum results.

Our paper airplane contest will take place on Tuesday of next week (02/26/13).  Each HAL student will have three opportunities to fly their plane and distance will be determined by their median distance.

I have uploaded the record sheet we will be using for our contest (see Student Resources at the top of this page).  The first three questions will be done before flying the airplanes and then we will move to the gym to test!  I have also included some paper airplane links on the right side of this web page so you can try some at home if you’d like!

Update:  Here is a picture of the top 5 paper airplanes from our 4-6 class!

They are:
Back row l-r:  Seth, Bryce, Tyler   Front row l-r:  Kaitlyn, Jack, Wyatt

1st place:  Jack (60 feet)
2nd place:  Wyatt (52 feet)
3rd place:  Kaitlyn (48 feet)
4th place:  Seth (47 feet)      5th place (tie):  Tyler and Bryce   (46 feet)

The HAL students have started what will be an on-going unit based on hands-on engineering.  This unit will employ the students’ mathematical, technological, scientific, and creative thinking skills.  A majority of the projects will involve working with a partner/group.  However, some activities will allow the students to work independently, thus allowing each student to showcase their unique abilities.

Notes were sent home with the students asking for supplies/donations for our projects.  Although the response has been good, we will continue to need supplies for our upcoming engineering tasks.  Please feel free to send any available supplies (anything you aren’t using around your home) to school with your student.  We certainly appreciate it!

Our first project in this unit is titled “Building Bridges”.  The HAL students have been busy researching bridge basics, bridge designs, and bridge movement.  The students have been put in pairs and will construct a bridge that will span at least two feet and have a width of no less than six inches.  We will test the bridges during class and then work together to modify/enhance/adapt the bridges in an effort to improve the design.

I plan to post pictures of our design process and the finished work.  Check back with this page to see the HAL students’ creations!

      The HAL classroom is currently exploring a unit on the election!  The students have been busy researching candidates, making posters, creating a ballot box, blogging about cadidates and the election process, and interviewing members of our school about their views on the election.

     While we intend to do our best in covering the many facets of this democratic process, we also recognize our duty to be respectful of the many diverse ideas and views of those with whom we share our learning.  To that end, our classroom will focus on the procedures involved with electing our President, the qualifications for voters and their potential leaders, and the way in which Nebraska differs in its approach to the process. 

     What will not be evident in our classroom will be those facets of the election that deal directly/indirectly with a particular candidate or their campaign. We will not discuss personal viewpoints or express our approval/disapproval in an attempt to influence a student’s vote. While we will certainly discuss candidates, we will not discuss details that will serve to persuade or sway a student in a particular direction.

     To learn more about the process of electing our President, please see the link on the right titled, “Government for Kids”.  The link will take you to:   Kids.gov (the U.S. government’s official web portal for kids).

     As always, we encourage parents or patrons to come see what is happening in the HAL classroom.  We like to share what we are learning!

Be sure to ask your HAL student about their blogging experience! For our first couple of blog posts, the students are allowed to write/post on a topic of their choice. Later, we will post on certain topics, our opinions, and the activities we are doing in class. As is typical for a blog, other HAL students have the opportunity to comment on posts by their peers. I hope this will not only introduce them to a form of social media in an educational setting, but increase the positive exchange of ideas and creativity among our group.

This year the students will be adding photo, video, audio, and text files to their blogs. The addition of these files will enhance the students’ blogs and expose them to a wider variety of technological capabilities within the confines of our censored blog.

In order to keep this a safe experience for our students, only teachers, students, and members of the administration will be participating in the blog. Unfortunately, parents and others will not be able to post to our blog. However, your student may always share what they are writing with you at home.

Stay tuned for further blogging topics as it will provide an opportunity for you to discuss the issue/topic with your student!

- Mrs. Harrison

Be sure to check out the continually-updated “Student Resources” link at the top of this page.  It contains many (if not all) the resource links students can access from any computer.  These links include HAL assignment templates and rubrics used for assignment evaluation.  Keep checking back for further updates!

Welcome to the HAL program web page for the 2012-2013 school year.  I am excited to keep you informed of the happenings in our HAL classroom.  Please visit the site to learn more about our program, its coordinator, lesson plans, and more!  Thanks for stopping by!