Week 13 - Dec 12

Kindergarteners will come to the lab and do phonics activities in Starfall.


Ms. Hilton's and Ms. Billings' classes will learn about Penguins on these sites:
NatGeo:  Emperor Penguins
KidZone: Penguins

Ms. Cason's class will do phonics activities in Starfall.
Mrs. Link's class will practice math facts in FunBrain Math Baseball and Tic Tac Toe.

Upper grade classes will practice typing and will finish all uncompleted work.
Mrs. Gray's class will do a winter web quest on her blog.
Mr. O'Connor's class will do a Winter Web Quest

Week 12 - Dec 5

This week is Hour of Code! Many of the 4th through 6th grade classes will be participating. Note: All year long, all students always can go to the Hour of Code site when they have finished their work.

Hour of Code

Ms. Link's class will do math word problems.

Ms. Cason's and Ms. Nels' classes will do phonics activities in Starfall.
Third grade classes will do keyboard practice.

Ms. Gray's, Mr O'Connor's, and Ms. Koenig's classes will complete their current writing assignments and then do Hour of Code.

Week 11 - Nov 28

Kindergarten classes come to the lab. They will do greater than/less than games in Sheppard Early Math.

Ms. Cason's class will do phonics activities in Starfall.
Ms. Link's class will practice time in Harcourt Math Chapter 14 and Sheppard Math.
Ms. Nichols' and Mrs. McKnight's classes will work on math word problems.
Ms. Nels' class will practice addition and subtraction in Harcourt Math.

Mr. Baum's class will do research for their country reports.
Ms. Tobin's and Ms. Gray's classes will work on their writing projects.

Week 10 - Nov 21

Ms. Cason's and Ms. Nels' classes will do phonic activities in Starfall.
Mrs. Link's class will practice telling time in Harcourt Math and in Sheppard Math.
Ms. Malone's class will practice touch typing on the tablets.
Mr. Baum's class will start research for their country reports.

Week 9 - Nov 14

Kindergarten classes come to the lab this week. They will do phonic activities in Starfall.

Ms. Cason's and Ms. Nels' classes will do the STAR Early Literacy Assessment.
Mrs. Link's class will visit the Plimoth Plantation and learn about the first Thanksgiving.
Ms. Hilton's and Ms. Billings' classes will practice math facts in FunBrain tic tac toe and math baseball.
Most upper grade classes will do typing practice and practice research skills with a trivia sheet about the White House.

Week 8 - Nov 7

Kindergarten classes come to the lab this week.
They will practice Ten Frames in Harcourt Math. Then they will practice greater/less than in Sheppard Math.

Ms, Nichols' and Mrs. McKnight's classes will do the STAR reading assessments.
Ms. Cason's and Ms. Nels' classes will do reading activities in Starfall.
Ms. Shastri's class will do addition games in AAAMath.

Ms. Gray's class will do geography games in Sheppard.

Week 7 - Oct 31

No school Tuesday - parent/teacher conferences.

Ms. Nichols' class will practice typing and work on multiplication facts in FactMonster flashcards.
Ms. Nels' class will practice addition and subtraction facts in FunBrain Tic Tac Toe.
Fifth graders will learn about the election and candidates on Scholastic.

Week 6 - October 24

Third graders will enter the math benchmark answers and complete the ELA benchmarks.

Mrs. Link's class will learn about the Mayflower.
Ms. Nels' class will practice their addition and subtraction skills by playing Tic Tac Toe.

Week 5 - Oct. 17

No kindergarten classes this week.

Most third through sixth grade classes will take the  District ELA benchmarks in the lab this week.

Mrs. Link's class will practice math word problems.
First grade classes will finish the Let's Go Learn assessments and move into the phonics activities.

Week 5 - Oct. 10

Kindergarten classes come to the lab this week.
They will do counting practice in Sheppard Math: Early Math.

First grade classes will start Let's Go Learn.

Upper grade classes will finish and publish their writing projects.

Week 4 - Oct. 3

No kindergarten classes this week.

Ms. Link's class will finish typing their fall poems.
Ms. Cason's class will do math practice in Harcourt.
Third grade classes will practice in Typing.

Most upper grade classes will work on their writing projects.

Week 3 - Sept 27

Kindergarten classes come to the lab this week. Rooms 1 and 3 will do phonics activities in Starfall. Room 2 will do counting games in Harcourt Math. (Note to parents: kindergarten activities are sometimes dictated by whether or not we want to use headphones. We are VERY careful about headphone use, especially if there are any classes in the school with lice issues.)

First graders will do reading activities in Starfall.
Ms. Link's class will start typing their fall poems.
Ms. Hilton's and Ms. Billings' classes will do math practice in FactMonster flashcards.
Ms. Shastri's class will learn how to log in to the tablets.
Third grade classes will continue working in Typing Web.
Ms. Malone's class will work in Typing Web.
Fifth grade classes will work on their writing projects.

Sept 19 - Week 2

No kindergarten classes this week.

First grade classes will do the STAR reading tests. Students will complete any unfinished literacy assessments.
Second grade classes will complete the STAR reading tests. Students who have completed the assessments will do math fact practice in Sheppard Math.
Fifth grade classes will do word processing.

All other classes will begin Typing Web and will complete any unfinished reading assessments.

Sept 12 - Week 1

Kindergarten classes come to the lab this week. They will practice mouse skills in Sheppard Math:

Find and Count Jungle

All other classes will start the STAR reading assessments.

Welcome Back!

Computer lab will be starting in a couple of weeks. We're looking forward to another great year!

May 31 - last week of computer lab

No kindergarten classes this week.

Third graders will enter their district math benchmarks answers and practice in Typing Web.
First graders will complete the phonics and math assessments in Let's Go Learn.
Ms. Link's class will do research on the California Chaparral ecosystem.
Ms. Billings' and Ms. Hilton's classes will research animals at the San Diego zoo site.
Fourth through sixth graders will finish presenting their power points.

May 23 - special post for room 12

Science Scavenger Hunt

Name_________________Teacher_______________

1. Look at the food chain on this page by scrolling down. Fill in the missing pieces:

trees and shrubs ________________ _______________

2. According to this chart, which ecosystem process have humans changed by cutting forests, which leads to increased erosion and flooding?

3. Read The Importance of Plants and explain why plants are the primary producers that sustain all other life forms on Earth.

4. In the Give Me a Little Air section of this website, it states that the atmosphere is part of the water cycle. Name the two important things that the atmosphere provides for the plants and animals in an ecosystem.

5. After reading about the White-tailed Deer, complete this sentence: _____________________ and ____________________ used to be predators of the white-tailed deer, but now _________________ and _____________ are the deer’s main predators.

6. Click on the map on this website to enlarge it. Write the four different ecosystems or biomes found on the continent of Australia.

7. Write the two types of rainforests and where they are found by clicking here.

8. Describe one physical adaptation of an elephant that allows it to survive during the intense dry season in the Tropical Savannah ecosystem.

9. Use this chart to fill in the blanks:

In the __________________biome, the temperature is always warm. The most common type of plant in the Taiga is ______________.

The cold, dry conditions in the ______________ will only support migrating animals.

10. Read the Getting Along section on this page. Write the three types of consumers in an ecosystem and what they eat.

11. What is a river’s contribution to the water cycle?

12. What is an estuary? What is the largest estuary in the United States?

13. Erosion is the process that breaks things down. Look at the photos to fill in these blanks: ____________ _______________ over thousands of years created Yosemite Valley and ___________ _______________ created the Grand Canyon as rocks were taken away.

14. Name the two types of “weathering” that break rocks down during erosion?

15. Once a rock has been broken down, what important force of nature actually helps move it along?

16. Look at the photos and read the captions in this erosion article. What caused the erosion at Venus Bay, South Australia ?

17. A floodplain is land that is close to a river bank and is covered with water when the river floods. How does flooding affect the land in a floodplain?

18. Erosion by rivers can result in the formation of valleys. Look at the photographs of three valleys. Read the paragraph around the bottom photo. What are the two factors that determine how quickly a river creates a valley?

19. Wind erosion is a problem for many farmers in the United States. Explain what wind erosion does to their fields.

20. Deltas form wherever rivers flow into a standing body of water such as a lake or ocean. What does a river deposit (or drop) at the mouth of the river to form a delta?

21. If you pour a glass of cold water on a hot day and water forms on the outside of the glass, this is an example of which step in the water cycle?

22. Read the paragraph about the jet stream. The jet stream steers masses of warm and cold air generally from ________ to ____________ across the United States. The jet stream is about _____ miles wide and _____ miles above the ground.

23. Scroll down and read the section called High and Low Air Pressure. It is more likely to rain if which type of air pressure system is moving to your area? ________________________________ How is air pressure measured? ______________________

24. Put your cursor on the word precipitation. What is precipitation? List 7 examples of precipitation.

25. Click on the word Cloud at the bottom of this menu. List three main types of clouds with a short description of each one.

26. Click on the words Wind Force on the menu. Watch the short videos of kids trying to fly a kite in different types of wind. Which two types of wind are best for kite flying?

27. Temperature is a degree of hotness or coldness that can be measured with a thermometer. Temperature can be measured in degrees on the ______________, ______________, and _____________ scales.

28. Using the temperature conversion calculator, 76 degrees Fahrenheit is __________ degrees Celcius?

29. The wind chill index is how cold the air feels to your skin when the air temperature is combined with the wind speed. Using the wind chill calculator, if the temperature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind is 23 MPH, it feels like _________ degrees Fahrenheit.

30. Read the first three paragraphs about thunderstorms and fill in the blanks: Thunderstorms are most likely to happen in the ________ and ____________ months and during the _______________ and ______________ hours. The 3 key elements needed to form a thunderstorm are ___________, ____________, and ________. Thunderstorms usually produce ____________, ________ and ____________________.

31. List two things that happen to an object if the forces on it are unbalanced.

32. List three ways that friction can be useful.

33. Scroll down the page and read The Car and the Wall . Fill in the blanks: The law of ___________ is most commonly experienced when riding in cars and trucks. Upon contact with the wall, an _________________ force acts upon the car to abruptly __________________ it to rest.

34. Scientists calculate momentum by multiplying the mass of the object by the velocity of the object. Read the section called Momentum Basics. What example is given of an object that has a very small mass and a very high velocity?

35. Gravity is very important on Earth. It is what keeps you on the ground. Read the three sections on this webpage. If you drop a piano and an acorn, which will fall faster? ________________________. Why does a feather fall so slowly?

36. Read about Newton’s Three Laws of Motion. Write which law (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd) applies to the following statements: A cannon rolls back when a cannonball is fired ________ . A book is placed on a picnic table and three weeks later it is still there ________. Your Mom presses down on the accelerator while driving and the car speeds up ________ .

37. What happens to an object as it moves through air? ___________________________ Why are motorsport vehicles shaped a certain way?

38. Read these two paragraphs about simple machines. When you use a simple machine to move something, it seems ____________ because a simple machine reduces the amount of ___________ needed to accomplish the task.

39. Look at the chart on this website. List each simple machine and give one example (hint: to see examples, click on the word in the 3^rd column, proper terms for the examples are in a table under the photos)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

40. Read the second paragraph on this page. A wheelbarrow is an example of a compound machine made up by combining which 2 simple machines?

Week 34 - May 23

Kindergarteners come to the lab this week. They will finish the reading assessments and do phonics games.

First grade classes will complete the reading assessments and the Let's Go Learn math assessments.
Third grade classes will do typing practice.
Fourth through sixth grade classes will complete any unfinished assessments and finish presenting their powerpoints.

Week 33 - May 16

There will be a few makeup SBAC sessions, otherwise computer lab will be back to normal.

All classes, K-6 will be starting the STAR reading assessments.
We'll then be finishing any uncompleted projects and presenting the upper grade powerpoints.

2 May - 13 May

No regular computer classes for these 2 weeks due to SBAC testing.

Week 30 - April 26

Kindergarten classes come to the lab this week.

Third grade classes will look at the SBAC Math performance task and then practice typing.
Fourth through sixth grade classes will present their powerpoints and complete unfinished work.
First grade classes will continue in Let's Go Learn.

Week 29 - April 19

No kindergarten classes this week.

Ms. Shastri's class will do the SBAC ELA training test.
Mrs. Link's class will work on fractions in Harcourt Math.
Ms. Cason's class will start the Let's Go Learn math assessment and activities.
Ms. Nichols' class will play area and perimeter games.
First grade classes will continue math and phonics activities in Let's Go Learn.

Ms. Billings' and Ms. Hilton's class will research their rain forest animals using the following sites:

A-Z Animals

The Animal Files

National Zoo Animals

San Diego Zoo

National Geographic for Kids


Upper grade classes will begin presentation of their biography powerpoints.

Week 28 - April 12

Mrs. Link's class will illustrate their spring poems.
Ms. Cason's class will do work in Starfall.
Ms. Shastri's class will do the Area and Perimeter games to practice areas of complex shapes and will practice elapsed time in AAAMath.

Week 27 - March 28

No kindergarten classes this week.

Ms. Shastri's class will do research on the Ohlone and Miwoks using these web sites:

Native American Facts for Kids: Miwok

California Indians: Ohlone

The Ohlone Indians

Ms. Cason's class will practice math facts in Harcourt Math.
Mrs. Link's class will start their spring poems.
Most upper grade classes will work on their biography powerpoints.

Week 26 - March 21

Kindergarten classes come to the lab this week. They will work on phonics games in Starfall.

Third grade classes will do the training activities in the SBAC site in preparation  for testing in May.

Fourth through sixth grade classes will work on their research projects.

Week 25 - March 15

No kindergarten classes this week.

Sixth graders are off at camp.
Fourth and fifth grade students will take the Bryte Bite survey on technology use.

Ms. Shastri's class will do fraction activities in Sheppard Math.
Mrs. Link's class will do subtraction with regrouping in AAAMath.
Ms. Cason's class will do math activities in Harcourt.
Ms. Nichols' and Mrs. McKnight's classes will work on their biome projects.

Week 24 - March 8

Kindegarten classes come to the lab this week and will do phonics games in Starfall.

Mrs. Link's class will do reading comprehension activities in Mr.Nussbaum.
Ms. Shastri's class will explore the math practice test in the SBAC site.
Ms. Nichols' and Mrs. McKnight's classes will start their biome research.
Ms. Koenig's class will begin a research project on important Californians.
Ms. Gray's class will do research for their state projects.
Most other upper grade classes will research Women's History month.

Week 23 - March 1

No Kindergarten classes this week.

Third through sixth grade classes will complete the district benchmark tests.

First and second grade classes will do math practice in AAA Math and Sheppard Math.

Week 22 - Feb 23

Kindergarten classes come to the lab this week.

Most third through sixth grade classes will be doing the district benchmarks in the lab:

District benchmarks

Ms. Cason's class will do the STAR reading assessments.
Mrs. Link's class will begin their study of birds.
Mr. Baum's class will work on their Human Rights powerpoints.

Week 21

No kindergarten classes this week.

Ms. Shastri's class will do the math assessment in Let's Go Learn.
Ms. Cason's class will read folk tales in Starfall.
Ms. Malone's class will finish their power points.
Ms. Koenig's class will type their persuasive essays.
Fifth grade classes will finish the Healthy Kids Survey.
Mrs. Link's class will practice making change in FunBrain  Changemaker in preparation for the opening of the class store.
Mr. Baum's class will continue their study of human rights.

Most upper grade classes will continue their Black History month research projects.

Week 20 - Feb 2

Kindergarten classes come to the lab this week. They will finish the reading/phonics assessments and do phonics activities in Starfall.

All students will complete the STAR reading assessments.
Some classes will do the SBAC practice tests.

Mr. Baum's class will continue their human rights project by writing a response to their guest speaker.
Ms. Cason's class will do phonics practice in Let's Go Learn.
Ms. Link's class will finish illustrating their winter poems and do addition practice in FactMonster.
Ms. Nichols' and Mrs. McKnight's classes will practice in Typing Web.
Ms. Billings' and Ms. Hilton's classes will learn about Abraham Lincoln.

Week 19 - Jan 25

No kindergarten classes this week.

Students who have not completed the STAR reading assessments will finish during computer lab.

Ms. Link's class will finish typing their winter poems.
Ms. Malone's class will work on their power points.
Mr. Baum's class will work on their Human Rights project.
Third grade classes will learn how to log in to the SBAC site and will do part of the practice test.

Fourth through sixth grade will begin a biography project by picking a person from the following web sites:

• Stamp on Black History

• Enchanted Learning: Biographies of African-Americans

• Black History biographies

Week 18 - January 19

Kindergarten classes come to the lab this week.

Ms. Shastri's class will be exploring the Solar System in preparation for their trip to Chabot Space and Science Center.

All other classes will start the STAR reading assessments during computer lab time.

Week 17 - Jan 11

No kindergarten classes this week.

Ms. Shastri's class will continue their study of world biomes.
Ms. Link's class will work on their winter poems.
First grade classes will continue to work in Let's Go Learn.

Fourth through sixth grade classes will do practice in typing web.
Most classes will continue their winter or Martin Luther King projects.
Mr. Baum's class will work on their human rights project.

Happy 2016

Kindergarten classes come to the lab this week.
They will practice math in Sheppard Math

Ms. Link's class will start their winter poems.
Ms. McKnight's and Ms. Nichols' classes will work on their I Have a Dream projects.
Ms. Shastri's class will continue their research on biomes.
First grade classes will continue in Let's Go Learn.


Upper grade classes will continue practice in Typing Web.
Students will practice their research skills with internet scavenger hunts.