A VTS Lesson on Urban Lights

Students participated in a VTS discussion using the following activities.

When we were done students made their own poem about what we learned about.

The final step was turning the poem into a song or rap.

The following are PowerPoint slides from the lesson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some amazing student poems:

micah w. to

Lynch p. 1-2 Champion students

Calm, night, black sky,
Watch the bats flying by
Calm night, black sky
Until the light blinds your eye
Blinding lights, artificial daylight
Gives these poor bats quite a fright
Blinding lights, artificial daylight
It throws off the bats and hurts their sight
Dark house, dim lights
We should help these poor bat’s plights
Dark house, dim lights
We should help these bats fight their fights

Calm, night, black sky,
Watch the bats flying by
Calm night, black sky
Until the light blinds your eye
Blinding lights, artificial daylight
Gives these poor bats quite a fright
Blinding lights, artificial daylight
It throws off the bats and hurts their sight...

Fun lesson!

fatima g. to

Lynch p. 1-2 Champion students

Wings
BY: Fatima Gallardo
Butterflies fly away
They don’t come back until I say
I see a bat
Wait does it have a hat
Flap! Flap! Flap!
Amazing wings

macy m. to

Lynch p. 1-2 Champion students

Here is my poem on the picture of the lights on the Earth at night:

Lights, lights, everywhere!
Lights here! Lights there!
Can’t you leave us in the dark of night?
Complete darkness doesn’t give me a fright.
Let the stars light your way,
The stars and the moon don’t come out in the day!

Well done Champion Students!
 

DyKnow at DATA

With one-to-one computing at D.A.T.A., teachers have the opportunity to use DYKNOW, an amazing classroom management and interactive learning software. It allows teachers to monitor each student's computer screen, broadcast PowerPoint presentations on their screens, have students participate in interactive quizzes and checks for understanding, open an educational "chat" room for students among students or students with teachers, poll student progress, and many more features. Check out the YouTube video below highlighting DYKNOW and D.A.T.A


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIRg5RmF6NA

VTS Ventura River Project

Working with the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and Friends of the Ventura River, our students have been learning about how to protect and preserve our natural resource. Connecting art to critical thinking using Visual Thinking Strategies has provided our students with an amazing educational opportunity.

Field Trip Pictures:
Students taking pictures of the Ventura River (the good and the bad)

 Students reflecting using VTS 3-2-1 bridge

Student art using sketches from the Ventura River and Art Lessons from the Santa Barbara Musume of Art:

Putting the student art to a poem:

Student Persuasive Essays about Protecting the Ventura River:

March 6, 2013

 To: Ventura residents

                Can you imagine families from all over Ventura zip lining, swimming, and kayaking in the Ventura river wilderness? I can. That is why the Ventura parkway vision and other organizations are getting together to help restore the Ventura river ’s lost beauty and animal habitats. I believe that the Ventura River should be saved for several reasons. First, it has been invaded by species that are not native to Ventura, such as eurendo. This plant can grow up to 30 feet tall, and looks like bamboo. It removes poisons and metal from the water. This may sound good, but when animals eat it, the eurendo still has the poisons in it, so enters the food chain. This can kill the fish, frogs, and other animal species that thrive in this environment. Organizations have helped remove these invasive species, and so can you.

My second reason for saving the river is because waste water has been dumped in this ecosystem, and the population of species has declined. For example, when I went to the river yesterday, I saw a lot of dead crawfish in the dried out areas of the river. I suspect this is also because of the small dam built near foster park. Also, have you ever seen pictures of people holding huge trout or salmon that they caught in Alaska? Well those fish used to swim freely in the Ventura River, until it became polluted and littered. You can join a clean-up today to help restore the lost aquaculture and species in this environment.

My third reason to clean up the river is that it can be a community park. Here is my vision for this future park: Imagine families spending the day at the river. There would be zip lines, kayaking, picnics, and swimming. Kids could explore the river banks and look for frogs and crawfish, while parents could enjoy bird watching and fishing. Artists could come and paint the small dam, the mountains and plants. This is my vision. If this vision comes true, the river could provide a free park for the kids who live on the avenue, where there is not very much open space and parks.

Some people might argue that the river is not worth being saved, and that money should be spent on more important things. I would respond by saying the river is a lost treasure, and that it is worth saving, so that families and friends can enjoy it for free. In conclusion, it is my firm belief that the river is worth saving for the community to enjoy.

Sincerely,

Laura Gurney


Next up..
a field trip to the beautiful Santa Barbara Muesum of Art to see our art presented to the community!

Pepperdine

We had a wonderful day in Malibu checking out the Pepperdine Campus and enjoying a wonderful show. Many students want to attend college at Pepperdine now that they had a day there.