Nancy Keck’ Blog

2nd Annual Freedom Walk…

Nancy Keck — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:24:40 +0000

Once again it is time to join together and remember the lives lost on 9/11 and show support for our troops. We at Greenwood Lakes Middle School want to join with the rest of the United States in holding our 2nd annual “Freedom Walk” at the school…601 Lake Park Drive Lake Mary, Florida on September 11 at 9:00 am. The embedded video explains the history behind the Freedom Walk Movement…

Moving Straight Ahead Quiz

Nancy Keck — Sun, 25 May 2008 02:11:59 +0000

A quiz on mystudiyo for my CMP2 Math class next year...

Mother’s Day

Nancy Keck — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:26:59 +0000

I created a video for my daughter’s Mother’s Day. This is Hunter’s first Mother’s Day…

Cinco de Mayo Day Lessons

Nancy Keck — Sun, 04 May 2008 16:15:50 +0000

I love the following Lesson…Going to give it a try on Cinco de Mayo Day

Cinco de Mayo Math

By Paula J. Maida

A celebration of Cinco de Mayo can spark a math fiesta!

Online Extra: A Fiesta of Math on Cinco de Mayo worksheet click here

Integrating mathematics across the curriculum offers students the opportunity to link ideas in a natural, impactive way. I shared these interactive math activities with fourth graders on Cinco de Mayo, a holiday honoring Mexican independence. These fun activities allowed for connections to be made between mathematics and other content areas such as history, and also within the area of mathematics.

Geometry and probability. To kick off the “Fiesta of Math,” I designed a worksheet for students to explore the connections between geometry and probability. The flag of Mexico offers rich math questions since it is not simply one third of each color, due to the emblem on the white region. Therefore, students need to think in terms of geometry and measurement to reason through questions including, “If the flag were lying underneath the piñata, and a piece of candy randomly fell on the flag, what is the probability it would fall on white?”

Into the sombrero. Next, I placed 11 wooden cacti into a sombrero. Each cactus had a letter on it and together they spelled “Cinco de Mayo.” The students were able to witness the connections between fractions and probability by linking the question, “What fraction of the letters are ‘c’?” with “What is the probability that if you randomly select a cactus, you pick a ‘c’?” “Are you more likely to pick a ‘c’ or a letter other than ‘c’?” “What letter(s) are most likely to be picked?” Picking without replacement was explored, resulting in students recognizing how this concept changed the denominator and sometimes the numerator.

The importance of zero and one was then explored: “If Lindsay reaches in to pick an item, what is the probability she will pick a frog?” (0/6 or 0) “A cactus?” (6/6 or 1). The students were challenged to obtain a fraction less than zero or greater than one. Their inability to do so spurred discussion about the limits of answers for probability questions.

Pull-string piñata. The students were particularly excited to see the pull-string piñata in their math classroom. While traditional piñatas are broken open with a stick, piñatas are available today that have strings attached to the bottom. Only one of the many strings will pull open the trapdoor to release the candy. This type of piñata offers a simple application in conditional probability as students recognize that their chance to pull the correct string depends on the outcome of students before them.

The plan was to have each child answer a math question before pulling a string. As the first student stepped forward I asked, “What is the probability you choose the magic string that drops the candy?” The answer is 1/30. His classmates quickly reasoned that he was more likely to not choose the magic string. Of course, I also anticipated that he would walk away with an unmagic string dangling in his hand. Yet, as Aerrol tugged on his randomly chosen string, the unlikely event happened! The trap door opened and the students were ecstatic. The irony of the moment was that I had numerous math questions planned as the suspense was to build so, when the trapdoor fell early, I momentarily thought I had lost some teachable moments. Luckily, it was quite the contrary. The students’ wide-opened mouths of shock resulted in an even more powerful math lesson as they witnessed firsthand that while an event may not appear very likely to happen, anything is possible.

Choosing math over candy. Only a handful of candy had spilled out so far and we all agreed that it would be fun to “talk more math” and dive for candy later. I tucked the trapdoor closed and we continued, with students stepping forward to answer questions before removing a string. “If you closed your eyes and randomly selected one of the colored strings, what is the probability of choosing red?” (6/29).

The piñata was decorated with tissue paper curls of various colors so I asked the next child, “If you closed your eyes and randomly picked a tissue paper curl, what is the probability that it is yellow?”

“One out of 13,” the student answered.

“How did you estimate that?”

“I counted 13 rows of colors and one of them was yellow,” he replied.

Technically, the rows of color did not all contain the same amount of tissue paper curls (for example, the body contained more surface area than the ears), but the student designed a meaningful strategy to obtain a rough estimate and he was commended for his reasoning. To place further emphasis on the importance of zero, I asked, “Knowing Aerrol is holding the magic string, what is the probability that your string choice will open the trapdoor?” “0/27, so it won’t happen,” a student answered.

I continued with various questions and the culminating piñata question of the day was, “What percent of the students in this classroom would like to have the piñata’s candy spill all over the floor now?” One of my students exclaimed, “100%!” and the trapdoor was then swiftly re-opened.

Paula Maida (above) invites a student up to give the pull-string piñata a good yank.

The end of the fiesta. After the excitement settled, each student created two unique probability questions about his or her particular bag of piñata candy and then momentarily switched questions and candy bag with a partner. The students solved these problems as our fun math fiesta drew to el fin. These engaging activities truly captured students’ interest in probability while building understanding and use of terminology through experiments related to our celebration of Cinco de Mayo.

internetconnections Topic: Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo: www.atozteacherstuff.com List of lessons and activities for celebrating Cinco de Mayo with links for background and research.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage: teacher.scholastic.com Well-designed unit with Teacher’s Guide for K-1, 2-5, 6-8 and research starter. Detailed timelines and maps of famous Latinos and a graphic organizer to create a biography.
Cinco de Mayo Activities: www.apples4theteacher.com Compiled resource list and audio e-book about Mexico, online word searches, games and activities.

Online Extra: A Fiesta of Math on Cinco de Mayo worksheet click here

I also plan on using parts of the following packet…Especially the Graphs

http://www.abcteach.com/free/m/mu_cincodemayo_elem_a.pdf

Happy Cinco de Mayo Day

Nancy Keck — Sun, 04 May 2008 16:07:11 +0000

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Wouldn’t It Be Great…

Nancy Keck — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:59:05 +0000

Wouldn’t it be great if all Den Star teachers organized a freedom walk at their schools next September 11…Our administrators have already given us permission to hold our 2nd Annual freedom Walk next school year…

BACKGROUND:

In 2005, Pentagon employees wishing to commemorate the attack on the Pentagon and honor the lives lost on September 11, 2001, created what has become a new national tradition - the America Supports You Freedom Walk. Over 15,000 people walked from the Pentagon to the National Mall to pay tribute to those who died; renew their commitment to freedom and the values of our country; and honor our veterans, past and present. The response from people across the country who learned of that first America Supports You Freedom Walk was overwhelming. The following year, in addition to the National Walk, 135 ASY FreedomWalks sprang up across the country. Last year, the number continued to grow as Americans everywhere embraced the idea, in fact 255 ASY Freedom Walks took place in every state in the nation, as well as in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Italy, Guam, Japan, Kuwait and Canada.

WHO CAN HOST:

The appeal of holding ASY Freedom Walks is taking root at the most basic levels of our society. Last year, 123 schools across the country hosted America Supports You Freedom Walks. Students and teachers found that ASY Freedom Walks are not only a meaningful way to capture the significance of 9/11, but offer an important history and civics lesson for students.

HOW:

● In Sebring, Ohio, a 10-year-old hosted 1000 people for his second annual ASY FreedomWalk. The walk began at B.L. Elementary School and ended at the town’s Veterans Memorial. The walk was backed by the school principal and town mayor. The youth also had a “Scribe for Soldiers” table, where everyone wrote postcards to the troops.

● All 50 of the Killeen, Texas Independent School District’s campuses held ASY Freedom Walks and that evening the Killeen community joined together for a walk. Schools did everything from making a human American flag to walking in silence 6 times around theirschool to commemorate the 6th anniversary.

● In Paramus, N.J., Mayor Jim Tedesco and U.S. Congressman Scott Garrett along with 400Paramus residents joined a first walk organized by a 12-year-old. All participants received a decorated bag filled with a donated water bottle, granola bar and a letter thanking people for taking the walk of remembrance. This youth has since written and published a book called “20 Steps to Host a Freedom Walk” to teach students his age how to organize an ASY Freedom Walk.

● A school teacher in Zachary, La., whose husband served in Iraq, organized an ASYFreedom Walk at Zachary Elementary School. The school invited local leaders, members of the military, and the Zachary High’s JROTC to present colors. The students carried pictures of those they wished to honor as they walked. A special tribute was given to the school’s principal who was called to active duty during the school year. ASY Freedom Walks are becoming a part of the fabric of our country. The demonstration ofschools gathering together to remember this significant day and those protecting our freedom is a powerful message which is felt by our Armed Forces both at home and abroad.

To learn more about how you can host an America Supports You Freedom Walk please visit

www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil

America Supports You Freedom Walks…

Greenwood Lakes Middle School’s Freedom Walk 2007

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Happy Earth Day…
Nancy Keck — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:02:19 +0000


Send this eCard !
Math Lesson for Earth Day…
Earth Day Problems
Name________________________

In 1970, Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin proclaimed April 22 to be “Earth Day.” More than 20 million people participated in the first “Earth Day,” which helped raise America’s awareness of environmental issues.

1.	Rainforests cover only a small part of the Earth but they are home to more than half the world’s plants and animals. It is estimated that rainforests are being cut down at the rate of 100 trees per minute. At this rate, how many are cut down every 24 hours? Every week? 
2.	The average American uses 7 trees a year in paper, wood, and other products. If there are about 275 million Americans, how many trees are used in a year? 
3.	Each American throws away about 60 pounds of plastic packaging each year. At this rate, about how many years would it take one person to have thrown away a ton of plastic? 
4.	When you shower, you use 5 gallons of water every minute. Most people take 5 minute showers. How many gallons of water does a family of 4 use in a week (assuming they each take a daily shower)? How much do they use in a month? 
5.	A bath uses 50 gallons of water. How much water could a person save in a week taking a shower instead of a bath?
6.	If each person took a 4 minute shower instead of a 5 minute shower, how much water could a single person save in a year? 
7.	A gallon of thrown away paint can seep into the Earth and pollute 250,000 gallons of drinking water. A spilled gallon of gasoline can pollute 750,000 gallons of water. What kind of damage would be done by just 3 gallons of paint and 2 gallons of gasoline? 
8.	It has been estimated that, on the average, each person in the United States discards about 32 pounds of solid waste each week. Some of the things that we dispose of can be broken down into: 5.1 pounds of ashes and dirt; 3.5 pounds of metal; 2.6 pounds of glass; 2.6 pounds of garbage; 2.2 pounds of wood, rags, and plastic. Make a bar graph to display this information. 
9.	Make a bar graph showing the annual household waste per person in each country:

(in pounds per person):

United States - 1930

Canada - 1157

Italy - 542

Japan - 758

Sweden - 661

Australia - 1500 
10.	Below are listed materials and millions of tons generated in one year in the U.S. and how much of each is recycled. Complete the table by filling in the % of each material recycled.

Material	Millions of Tons

Generated	Millions of Tons

Recycled	% Recycled

Paper	77.8	26.5

Aluminum	3.0	1.1

Glass	13.7	3.0

Plastic	19.3	.7

Yard Debris	32.8	6.5	 
11.   Make 2 pie charts to display this information:

Solid Waste Management

Recycled or Reused: U.S.- 11%; Japan - 50%

Waste-Energy: U.S. - 6%; Japan - 23%

Landfill: U.S. - 83%; Japan - 27%

________________________________________



Turn off Today For Earth Hour
Nancy Keck — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:51:31 +0000






Earth Hour is tonight, March 29, from 8 to 9 pm local time! Get ready to make it a great celebration for the planet.Wondering what to do after you turn the lights out? Here are 10 fun ideas to help you, your family and your friends make a change and make a difference today.





Time to switch to CFLs!


1. Host a Green Party

Get your friends together for an Earth Hour eco-party. Fire up the flashlights and battery lanterns, serve organic food, avoid the disposable utensils, use natural décor (like flowers and hanging plants) and have a friend provide acoustic music. Talk to your guests about how you’re each reducing your environmental footprint and share ideas and solutions for saving more energy, money and carbon dioxide.
2. Give Yourself an Energy Makeover

Use Earth Hour to make your home more energy efficient: Replace your old light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs; install power strips (so you can turn computers and electronics on and off more easily); and change your air conditioner filters. Or go one step farther and install one new energy-efficient item, like an EnergyStar qualified DVD player. And on Monday, call your local utility and sign up for green power-like wind, hydro or solar.
3. Go Green with Your Kids

Earth Hour is a perfect time to talk to your kids about the environment and why we need to protect our planet from the dangers of climate change. Check out books on the environment from the library and read by flashlight, or head into the yard and have a night picnic. Or how about a night of board games? Check out our downloadable Earth Hour kids’ activities.





Don’t forget your reusable

bags when you shop!


4. Do a Recyclables Scavenger Hunt

Get your flashlights and scour your cabinets and shelves for cans, bottles and cardboard (like cereal boxes) that you don’t normally recycle. Make a list of all the non-recyclable containers you’re using now (like plastic shopping bags and butter tubs), and figure out ways to reduce your consumption of items that end up in landfills. One easy tip: get reusable grocery bags… and reuse them!
5. Green That Workspace!

Working the night shift? Even if you can’t turn off all the lights at work, look around and see what you can unplug, turn down or use less of (like consuming less paper by printing double-sided). Every day millions of computer screens and speakers are left on overnight–shut ‘em off! And talk to your coworkers about what they can do to help make a difference, too.
6. Involve Your Local Leaders

If your city or town isn’t hosting an Earth Hour event, ask your local government to set up a community “green” discussion this spring. Help organize attendance by reaching out to local environmental and community groups, and come prepared to ask your leaders what they’re doing to make your city greener.
7. Clean Up Your Neighborhood

Grab a flashlight and take a long walk through your neighborhood, picking up trash and recyclables as you go. It’s a great chance to do some stargazing, too!





Turn off the television.

© WWF-Canon/John Daniels 


8. Unplug and Chill Out

Most of our daily activities–like watching TV, shopping online and texting friends–require loads of electricity, but do we really need to do so much stuff all the time? Take one hour for yourself to just chill… turn off the screens, put down the handheld devices and just take some “you” time to reflect, read or talk to your family. After all, why do more when you can do less?
9. Take Your Temperature

Your thermostat and your refrigerator are responsible for a huge portion of your carbon footprint. If you lower your thermostat by just 2 degrees and set your fridge to 37 degrees F. and the freezer at 0 degrees F., you’ll make a big difference.
10. Make a Pledge for the Planet

Earth Hour shouldn’t end at 9:01 pm–it’s a chance to take a first step toward lowering your overall impact on the environment. So use part of that hour to make a personal pledge to do more–recycle, drive less often, turn off or unplug electronics, and beyond. The only way we’re going to stabilize our climate is if we make real changes in our everyday lives. That change begins with Earth Hour, and ends with a healthy planet.
Of course, there are more than 10 ways to make a difference. Visit WWF’s website for additional ideas on things you can do every day to help the Earth and reduce your environmental footprint.
Thank you for being a part of Earth Hour and committing to lowering your impact on the planet.
Switching off,





Richard Moss

Managing Director and Vice President, Climate Change








Sign up for Earth Hour  |  Forward to a Friend








Share the Gift…Change a Life Project
Nancy Keck — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:49:26 +0000
We hope that you all enjoyed our “Share the Gift…Change a Life” project this year. Here is a collection of some of those special moments. We wish each and everyone of you a very properous life.
Love

Mrs Abrams, Mrs Dilmore, and Mrs Keck
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Our Share the Gift…Change a Life project is based on the book by Jim Stovall, “The Ultimate Gift”. It tells the story of twenty-four-year-old Jason Stevens. When Jason learns of the death of his billionaire great uncle, Red Stevens, he is eager to receive his portion of the fortune. Like his other greedy, ungrateful relatives, Jason only cares about monetary gain. Red recorded a series of video messages that Jason must follow in order to receive his eventual inheritance. Through a year long journey, Jason discovers the importance of many life-changing gifts, forges meaningful relationships that he never knew could exist, and learns to give back to others in need.
This year our students will participate in exciting activities that address the 12 gifts of the story. Students will be exposed to each of the twelve gifts that Jason experiences. They will have the opportunity to address each theme and engage in activities and discussions that provide insight into their importance. Through the completion of the activities, hopefully students will gain an understanding of their ability to make a lasting positive impact and experience a rewarding year in our Math/Geography classes. 
These include:
★ The Gift of Self/Gratitude

★ The Gift of Friends

★ The Gift of Giving (Service Project Component)

★ The Gift of a Day

★ The Gift of  Learning

★ The Gift of Laughter

★ The Gift of Problems

★ The Gift of Family

★ The Gift of Money

★ The Gift of Work

★ The Gift of Dreams

★ The Gift of Love
Gift 1… “Gift of Self/Gratitude”
This lesson is designed to take our student’s experiences and frame them in such a way that they can begin to make their lives what they know they should be in order to create their own versions of “The Ultimate Gift”. In this way, we can all begin to Share the gift and Change our lives. Students created Gift bags, boxes, or baskets full of items that reflected their unique characteristics. 
Gift 2…”The Gift of Friends”  Freedom Walk
We have connected with “America Supports You” On Sept. 11, Greenwood Lakes Middle School faculty, staff, administration, JRROTC, and students joined with America Supports You, a Department of Defense program recognizing citizens support for our military and communicating that support to members of our Armed Forces and their families.  
We received recognition from Allison Barber, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. Students also wrote letters of encouragement to be sent to our military. Student designed a “postage stamp” to be affixed to the letters. 
We also celebrated “Constitution Day” and “Veterans Day” with programs and lessons from the “History Channel”.
Gift #3… “Take the Lead To Help Others” Community Service Component
Using examples of the generosity demonstrated by the story’s lead character, Jason Stevens, students are urged to learn to take on responsibility by designing and conducting a service project that allows them to give away

part of themselves to others in need.
Today…We have connected with local daycare centers and elementary schools to promote “Firstbook”. We participated in Jumpstart “Read for the Record” and Dr Seuss’s 50th birthday. Our participation in the Seuss celebration included making 1,100 birthday cards for the “Cat” to send to Random House Inc. as part of Project 236, a nationwide initiative to get books to disenfranchised students through the First Book project. 
The goal of Jumpstart’s Read for the Record campaign is to raise public awareness about significant disparities in early education. 
How Jumpstart’s Read for the Record Works…

Read the official campaign book, “The Story of Ferdinand”. 
We are members of Seminole County’s Partners in Preservation…Students will participate in Air Potato Raid in January.
We also support Steve Irwin’s Australian Zoo by wearing Wildlife Warriors bracelets.
We have donated animal supplies to our local Animal Services of Seminole County because of a fire to their building. Students collected 500 signatures on a petition to be sent to our Florida senators encouraging their vote on “Buck’s Bill” the bill supports Pet Safety and Protection Act.
Students also adopted a child from Nambia.
Students knitted blankets and booties for newborns at the Winnie Arnold Hospital.
Gift #4… “Gift of a Day” World Space Week Balloon Launch

We joined educators and space enthusiasts around the world to celebrate World Space Week, Oct. 4-10, 2007. This year’s celebration commemorates the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik 1, marking the beginning of the Space Age. World Space Week is the largest public space event in the world, with celebrations in more than 50 nations. 
Gift #5… “Gift of Learning” Mathlincs Project

Project You Be The Teacher

Mrs Dilmore, Mrs Abrams and myself have joined a Math/Geography Collaboration project called MathLincs. We have posted links to our classroom blog on our class webpage. 
We participated in classroom webinars with Discovery Education…Planet Earth, Discovery Science/Nasa Astronauts, Build it Bigger with Danny Forster, Meerkats and Mr Wizard.
Gift #6… “The Gift of Laughter”

Project “Our Gift of Laughter” Survey:

Our class designed a survey to be shared. We will take our results and make graphical representations of the data.
Gift #7…The Gift of Problems

Our classes have written letters to our Congressman and Senators about “Global Warming” and its effects. One student designed a “Protect the Environment postage stamp” to be affixed to the letters.
Gift #8…The Gift of Family

We have created tote bags with various games, books, and dvds. Bags are taken home and shared with their families. A journal is kept with each bag so families can share their observations. 
Gift #9…The Gift of Money

Gift #10…The Gift of Work
Stock Market Project

How do stockbrokers and financial analysts determine what stocks to buy? Students will collect data about a company and use formulas to analyze the data.  Activities will help them better understand how stockbrokers and financial analysts track stock performance to determine what stocks to buy.
Gift #11…The Gift of Love

Gift #12…The Gift of Dreams
Dear Sweet Parent/Grandparent Gift Bag filled with photos, letters of love, and dreams.
100 acts of kindness from Martin Luthor King’s birthday to Valentines Day…students performed a 100 acts of kindness to represent the beliefs and philosophy of Martin Luthor King.
I have a Dream Speech authored by our students
Final outcome…”Life lived to its fullest is its own Ultimate Gift.”



Happy Pi Day
Nancy Keck — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:12:47 +0000
Wishing all the Den Members a very Happy PI Day…
http://www.123greetings.com/view/7MY30313180741317
Celebrate Pi Day


Pi, Greek letter ( ), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi = 3.1415926535… Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th.
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With the use of computers, Pi has been calculated to over 1 trillion digits past the decimal. Pi is an irrational number meaning it will continue infinitely without repeating. The symbol for pi was first used in 1737 by William Jones, but was popular after it was adopted by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in 1737. Learn More »

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