4th Grade - Spring Break 2014 - Pinokio

We live in interesting times. Technology is all around us. Some technology is passive, meaning it only does what we make it do. Other technology works on it's own...



Can technology talk to you? Can technology play along? The robots of the movies, are they possible in today's technology filled world?



Watch this video and answer the questions below:

Pinokio from adambd on Vimeo.

Here is information about the Lamp from the creators of the video:

Pinokio is an exploration into the expressive and behavioural potentials of robotic computing. Customized computer code and electronic circuit design imbues Pinokio with the ability to be aware of its environment, especially people, and to expresses a dynamic range of behaviour. As it negotiates its world, we the human audience can see that Lamp shares many traits possessed by animals, generating a range of emotional sympathies. In the end we may ask: Is Pinokio only a lamp? – a useful machine? Perhaps we should put the book aside and meet a new friend.

Your assignment:

Watch the video and read the quote from the creators. Post a comment in paragraph form with your thoughts on what you saw and read. Keep these questions in mind:

• Did you ever think a robotic lamp was possible to make?
• Now that you've seen one are there other objects you think can be made to move and interact with people?
• Does this mean we'll have full robots soon?
• Over all, what are your thoughts & reactions to this video and the description from the creators?
• Can you think of any other every-day objects that have been changed or upgraded with technology?

Please post your comments in full and complete sentences with proper grammar, spelling & punctuation.

Have a great Spring Break!

Remember - Comment as "Name/URL" and use your first name and last initial (proper capitalization, no URL)- please respond in full and complete sentences - double check your work before posting your comment.

Grade 4 - Panorama

4th graders,
Since Mr. Casal is absent you will do the following assignment, answering the questions as comments.

Once you have successfully posted a comment you can finish work on your "Me2013" Google Presentation.

Have you ever wanted to look at something from above? Have you ever wanted to look at a monument of city from every angle?



A panorama is a wide-angle look at something. 360 degrees is a full circle...

There is a website that has taken 360 degree panoramic images of famous places and made them available for free on the internet. The company uses helicopters and a variety of cameras to make these 360 degree panoramic photos.

These photos are wide angle looks at various places, wide-angle views from every angle in all directions.

Your assignment:

• Go to the site http://www.airpano.com/
• Chose one or more of the 360 panoramas (you can select from their home page, from the World Map link, or from their full list)
• If you have any trouble loading a panorama click on the "iPad/Android" link to get a version that will load more quickly
• When you open the panorama, explore it, more the image around, look up & down, left & right. Use all the tools such as the ones I've circled in the picture below:

Post a comment with:

• The name/location of the panorama you looked at
• The things you observed
• What  the images made you think of
• Your thoughts & ideas about the website & pictures in general

Remember - Comment as "Name/URL" and use your first name and last initial (proper capitalization, no URL)- please respond in full and complete sentences - double check your work before posting your comment.

4th Grade - February 2/2014 - New Winter Olympic events

The Olympic Winter Games are currently happening. They started on February 7th and go until the closing ceremony on February 23rd.

Below is a video describing the new events at these Olympic Games. These are events that have never before been Olympic events.


Watch the video and answer the questions below...

Your questions:

• What did you think about the video?

• Which of the new events looks most interesting to you? Why?

• Have you watched any of the Winter Olympics this year?

• Have you seen any of these new events? 

• Do you currently do any winter sports? Ice skating, skiing, hockey, etc?

Please respond in full and complete sentences, paragraph form. Double check your work before posting your comment. Once you post your comment, Mr. Casal will be notified and he will grade and approve your post. Your comment will not appear on the blog until Mr. Casal has read and approved it.

Have a great week off, watch the Olympics, and have fun!

Remember - Comment as "Name/URL" and use your first name and last initial (proper capitalization, no URL). Please respond in full and complete sentences. Double check your work before posting your comment.

Grade 4 - Time Lapse: Earth

4th graders,

I am out of school at an educational technology conference. I am being a student, learning from other teachers new tools, ideas, and how I can be a better computer teacher. Learning never stops, even if you're a teacher.

You will watch the video below and answer a few questions...

For anyone that has difficulty commenting you can read this post and watch the video and if you still have questions, this post might be helpful too....

Time-Lapse | Earth from Bruce W. Berry Jr on Vimeo.


Your questions...

• What did you see, in your own words?
• What was one thing that stood out to you?
• Did you recognize any parts of the Earth, any continents or countries?
• When the night-time images came on, what did it make you think about?
• Did seeing the Earth from above during both day and night change your thinking about the world we live in?

Answer these questions in full and complete detailed sentences (at least one full paragraph) as a comment below...

Remember - Comment as "Name/URL" and use your first name and last initial (proper capitalization, no URL)- please respond in full and complete sentences - double check your work before posting your comment.

4th Grade - Christmas 12/2013 - Into the Atmosphere

Have you ever looked at the sky and just watched the clouds go by?

Have you watched the stars imagined the earth spinning?

Have you ever wanted to watch a sunset but dind't have the time?

Time lapse photography is a great way to see things in a way you haven't.

Your assignment...



Watch the time lapse video below and answer the questions underneath it.

What is time lapse you ask?

So, what exactly is Time Lapse?

According to Wikipedia, “Time-lapse photography is a cinematography technique whereby the frequency at which film frames are captured (the frame rate) is much lower than that which will be used to play the sequence back. When replayed at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster and thus lapsing.”

Generally, a video comprises of 24-30 frames of photos per second (called fps). At this rate, our eye is not able to identify the individual frames and we perceive them as a continuous stream of images. So when we watch a 3-minute video on YouTube, technically we have seen 24fps x 180 secs = 4320 frames or images. So, if you set the time-lapse recording for 4 seconds and record a 40-second video, the resulting time-lapse video will be of 10 seconds and thus time flies by, super fast.

In other words, why wait for 12 hours from sunrise to sunset, by using time-lapse, watch the sun set it in a matter of minutes.

(courtesy of http://www.globaldelight.com/blog/2011/07/what-is-a-time-lapse-video/)

Here is the video:

Into The Atmosphere from Michael Shainblum on Vimeo.

Here are your questions

• What did you think about the video?
• What did you see in the video? Describe some things that stood out to you?
• Does time lapse give you a different perspective about what you were watching?
• Any thoughts or comments about the idea of time lapse video/photography in general?

Please post your answers to all 4 questions as a comment below. Remember, use full & complete sentences and check your spelling and grammar.

Enjoy the video and have a great vacation!


Remember - Comment as "Name/URL" and use your first name and last initial (proper capitalization, no URL)- Comments with last names will not be published! Please respond in full and complete sentences - double check your work before posting your comment. 

4th Grade - Thanksgiving 11/2013 - How to Cook a Turkey

You are in charge of cooking Thanksgiving dinner. You have to cook a turkey and 2 side dishes (a side dish is usually mashed potato, mac & cheese, stuffing, etc).

How are you going to cook the turkey? What side dishes are you going to make?

Imagine you have no help from your parents, what & how are you going to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner?

Your assignment:

• Describe your meal in one or two sentences
• List your ingredients for all aspects of your meal
• List the directions you will use for preparing your turkey and side dishes
• If you could have help cooking from one person, who would you choose to help you & why

Post your answers to these questions, in full and complete sentences, as a comment to this blog post. Comment as "Name/URL" and use your first name and last initial (proper capitalization, no URL)- please respond in full and complete sentences - double check your work before posting your comment.

Your comment will not appear right away. I, Mr Casal, will receive an email when you post a comment and I will publish it as soon as I see it. 

Thank you, and have a good Thanksgiving...

Remember - Comment as "Name/URL" and use your first name and last initial (proper capitalization, no URL)- please respond in full and complete sentences - double check your work before posting your comment.

4-404 - Twitter

Students of class 4-404,
Last week we did our first lesson about Twitter and how to post a tweet. Today we did a quick review.

I would like you to comment with answers to a few questions. This is a bit of a quiz on some of the terms we learned last week as well as a personal reflection.

Here are the questions (the first 6 are short answer, the last 2 are extended response)...

4-411 - Twitter

Students of class 4-411,
Last week we did our first lesson about Twitter and how to post a tweet. Today we did a quick review.

I would like you to comment with answers to a few questions. This is a bit of a quiz on some of the terms we learned last week as well as a personal reflection.

Here are the questions (the first 6 are short answer, the last 2 are extended response)...

4-407 - Twitter

Students of class 4-407,
Last week we did our first lesson about Twitter and how to post a tweet. Today we did a quick review.

I would like you to comment with answers to a few questions. This is a bit of a quiz on some of the terms we learned last week as well as a personal reflection.

Here are the questions (the first 6 are short answer, the last 2 are extended response)...

4th Grade - Spring Break 3/2013 - Pinokio

We live in interesting times. Technology is all around us. Some technology is passive, meaning it only does what we make it do. Other technology works on it's own...

4th Grade - February Vacation 2/2013 - Sandy & Our Vacation

4th Graders,
Welcome to your February Vacation assignment.

As you know we now have a shortened vacation due to the days of school we missed after Hurricane Sandy struck in October.

Your assignment for February vacation is...

4th Grade - Christmas Break 12/2012 - Climb Mt. Everest

4th Graders,
Last year you did an assignment during the February vacation in which you looked at 360 degree panoramas. Remember, a panorama is a wide-angle look at something. 360 degrees is a full circle...



You were able to look at a monument or city from every angle. You got a birds-eye view, a view you've never seen before.


This year we will use the same technology, high quality panoramic images, to climb Mt. Everest...



Your assignment:

4th Grade - Spring Break 4/2012 - The Art of Ocean Currents

Below is a video made by NASA. It shows the currents of the worlds oceans.

Many people think it reminds them of the work of the famous artist Vincent van Gogh...

4th Grade - February Break 2/2012 - 360 Degrees Around the World

Have you ever wanted to look at something from above? Have you ever wanted to look at a monument of city from every angle?

A panorama is a wide-angle look at something. 360 degrees is a full circle...

There is a website that has taken 360 degree panoramic images of famous places and made them available for free on the internet. The company uses helicopters and a variety of cameras to make these 360 degree panoramic photos.

These photos are wide angle looks at various places, wide-angle views from every angle in all directions.

Your assignment:

4th Grade - Christmas Break 12/2011 - Technology & You

4th graders, please answer these 2 questions over the Christmas Vacation....


(click "Read More" to see the questions)

4th Grade - Thanksgiving - How To Cook a Turkey

You are in charge of cooking Thanksgiving dinner. You have to cook a turkey and 2 side dishes (a side dish is usually mashed potato, mac & cheese, stuffing, etc).

How are you going to cook the turkey? What side dishes are you going to make?


Imagine you have no help from your parents, what & how are you going to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner?



Your assignment:

• Describe your meal in one or two sentences
• List your ingredients for all aspects of your meal
• List the directions you will use for preparing your turkey and side dishes
• If you could have help cooking from one person, who would you choose to help you & why
  

Post your answers to these questions, in full and complete sentences, as a comment to this blog post. Comment as "Name/URL" and use your first name and last initial (proper capitalization, no URL)- please respond in full and complete sentences - double check your work before posting your comment.

Your comment will not appear right away. I, Mr Casal, will receive an email when you post a comment and I will publish it as soon as I see it.


Thank you, and have a good Thanksgiving...






Remember - Comment as "Name/URL" and use your first name and last initial (proper capitalization, no URL)- please respond in full and complete sentences - double check your work before posting your comment.

4th Grade - Spring Break - Going where no man has gone before...

In honor of New York City getting a space shuttle (albeit a prototype) your Spring Break assignment revolves around NASA and the Space Shuttle program.

Your assignment:
Watch the video showing the first Space Shuttle flight...

Write a response to the video as a comment here on the blog.
- Here are some questions to get you thinking about the type of response to write:
> What do you think about the video?
> What do you think it was like to be on the first Space Shuttle?
> What do you think it would have been like to watch the first flight in person?
> What was the most interesting part of the video for you?

The only audio you will hear on the video is the communication between the control tower and the Shuttle. Think about what you are seeing more than what you are hearing.

Write your response in full and complete sentences.

Space shuttle Columbia launched on the first space shuttle mission on April 12, 1981, a two-day demonstration of the first reusable, piloted spacecraft's ability to go into orbit and return safely to Earth. This video depicts the historic launch, in-orbit activity by astronauts John Young and Bob Crippen, and the vast crowds who witnessed the landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

Here are some other space related links you might also find interesting (feel free to comment about the links too):

Space Shuttle fact site
NASA video gallery
Solar System


Have a great vacation...



Remember - Comment as "Name/URL" and use your first name and last initial (proper capitalization, no URL)- please respond in full and complete sentences - double check your work before posting your comment.

4th Grade - February Break - Who was born this week?

People are born every day. In fact, many people share birth days (not the same year necessarily, but if there are only 356 days odds are a lot of people are born on the same day)

2 people considered important in the world of technology have birthdays this week.

Who are they? Why are they considered important in the world of technology? Have you heard of them before? Do you think they are important to technology?

Use this link:
Click here

Figure out who I am thinking of and answer the questions:
Who are they? Why are they considered important in the world of technology? Have you heard of them before? Do you think they are important to technology?

Have a great vacation...



Remember - Comment as "Name/URL" and use your first name and last initial (proper capitalization, no URL)- please respond in full and complete sentences - double check your work before posting your comment.

4th Grade - Christmas Break - New York to Nebraska...

4th graders of Brooklyn, meet 4th graders of Nebraska....

Mr. Casal has been in touch with Mr. Horst of Chadron Elementary school, in Nebraska, and we thought it would be interesting to have our 4th graders communicate and collaborate.

For the Brooklyn 4th graders here is a little information about Nebraska:

Chadron Public Schools is located in Chadron, Nebraska. Zip:69337
Our school website is www.chadronschools.org

We have approximately 340 elementary students K-4 in two buildings across town from each other. We also have a middle school (5-8), high school (9-12), and 4 rural attendance centers that serve k-8 in two or three classrooms.

Chadron is a small college town with around 6,000 residents and a college that has between 2500 and 3000 students.

Students of Chadron, here is some information about Brooklyn:

Our school is located in Brooklyn, NY Zip: 11215
Our school website is ps10.org (Mr. Casal also has a website, as do other PS 10 teachers too)

The New York CIty school system is quite large, over 1,000,000 million students in over 1,700 different buildings. Our school alone is over 700 in grades Pre-K thru 5th (New York City has over 8,000,000 residents, over 2,000,000 in Brooklyn alone)

Here is some more information about Brooklyn, and New York City...

Now, for the assignment....

1) Introduced yourself (first names and last initial only, no full names)
2) Give 1 fact about the city you are from.
3) Ask 1 question about the other city.

(If you are from Brooklyn, talk about Brooklyn/New York City and ask about Chadron/Nebraska. If you are from Chadron, talk about Chadron/Nebraska and ask about Brooklyn/New York)


Check the comments throughout the vacation to see the different questions and answers.


This will give each group a chance to learn about where the other is from (use the links throughout the post to learn about Brooklyn and Chadron.

Have a great vacation!






Remember - Comment as "Name/URL" and use your first name and last initial (proper capitalization, no URL)- please respond in full and complete sentences - double check your work before posting your comment.

4th & 5th grades - The science of the Olympic Winter Games!

The Olympic Winter Games run during our February/Mid-winter break. They start on February 12th and go until the closing ceremony on February 28th.

Below are a few videos about how some Olympians compete in their sports.
(for more videos check out the website Science of the Olympic Winter Games)

Choose one of the videos to watch. After you watch it post a comment about what you learned. Is it a sport you might want to try? Does seeing the video make it easier to understand how the athletes do it? Has your idea of the Olympics and the athletes changed since watching the video?

These are a few questions to get you thinking. Pick a video, watch it, and post a comment on your thoughts related to what you saw, heard, and learned...

Acrobatic ski jumping:

Hockey:

The science of Snowboarding:

Figure Skating:

Watch one of the videos here, or feel free to go to the Science of the Olympic Winter Games website to check out some of the others. Make sure to post your thoughts about the video you watched when you are done.

Please respond in full and complete sentences, paragraph form - double check your work before posting your comment. Once you post your comment Mr. Casal will be notified and he will grade and approve your post. Your comment will not appear on the blog until Mr. Casal has read and approved it.

Have a great week off Watch the Olympics and have fun!

Remember - Comment as "Name/URL" and use your first name and last initial (proper capitalization, no URL)- please respond in full and complete sentences - double check your work before posting your comment.