IPPA PTA MEETING

Dear IPPA PTA members:

IPPA PTA will hold a General Membership Meeting on Tuesday, 11/16/10,
at 9:30 am at the 95th Street Library, Naperville.

On the agenda:
PTA business items: approval of minutes, review of monthly financial
report, etc.
Representatives from the District 204 administration will be there to
discuss PA curriculum and answer questions.
Chess tournament results will be announced.

Children, who are reasonably quiet, are welcome.

When you have a chance, please check out our Google Documents. When
you go to the IPPA PTA Google Group, you will find Documents at the
top of the page. Select Documents to see postings.

Regards,
IPPA PTA Board

IPPA MEETING

IPPA PTA General Meeting

Tuesday, November 16th at 9:30 am

95th Street Library, Naperville, IL

Meeting Room A/B

Questions can be emailed to ippa.pta@gmail.com

Three-Dimensional Geometry

Fourth Grade PA students have been having fun and learning about Three-Dimensional objects through the investigation of the numbers of vertices, faces, and edges that various closed three-dimensional figures have. In one lesson they discovered that for any closed three-dimensional figure, the sum of the number of faces and vertices is two more than the number of edges (Euler's Formula). Building nets they are able to determine whether the net is a net for a closed three-dimensional figure or not. We will be completing our unit on geometry and beginning our literature unit after Thanksgiving Break.

Final Phase of "X"

"Don't listen to your parents"! These have been the words spoken often to your third grade PA student in my classroom this first quarter. That is, "Don't listen to your parents when it comes to them trying to help you in completing any algebra homework from my class". This "Hands-On Equation" system using blue and white pawns, ("x" and "*") and red and green face-value cubes, (positive and negative numbers) is a way to introduce the algebra concept to students. It often happens that if they are having homework problems, and a parent or an older sibling steps in to help, it only confuses the child more. Students are doing very well, and we should be wrapping up our unit at Thanksgiving Break.

Insects Living and Working Together

Second Grade PA students are researching the social interaction of certain insects. Using Bloom's Taxonomy, which is a cognitive taxonomy developed in the 1950's by a committee of educators and scholars headed by Benjamin Bloom. Students think creatively, analyzing, synthesizing, applying, and evaluating information (higher-order thinking skills) needed to achieve success. As the students complete their research, taking notes, they will in the end create a story based on their insects social behavior, as well as, produce a brochure explaining their findings. Students will be working on this project in the classroom up until Thanksgiving Break. Be sure to discuss this project with your child and see which insect they have chosen to complete their research on.

Fifth Grade Economists

Fifth Grade PA students have been learning about the economy and have begun playing a short (week long) version of a Stock Market Game. They have also begun playing a Stock Market Game sponsored in part with the Chicago Tribune that will last through December. By giving students an understanding of the stock market, we are preparing them to deal knowledgeably with an area of our society that has a vast effect on their lives. whether or not they choose in later life to trade stocks on an individual basis, they will at least have the knowledge that will enable them to understand this aspect of the economy and how their personal economic pictures are affected by the larger economic landscape.

Fourth Grade Geo-Wizards

Fourth Grade PA students have been working in cooperative groups with polydron pieces. These pieces help students to create two-, and three-dimensional geometry shapes so that students can describe, model, draw, and classify shapes; investigate and predict results of combining, subdividing, and changing shapes; develop spatial sense; relate geometric ideas to number and measurement ideas and recognize and appreciate geometry in their world.