March 7 – March 11, 2011
Central Idea: People express themselves in various ways
Lines of Inquiry:
1. What are the different means that people use to express themselves?
2. How do artists express their uniqueness as human beings?
3. How do people become artists?
4. How can we express our uniqueness?
Monday
In your Home Journal, write a persuasive letter to your parents asking them to install a solar water heater at home. Make sure to state the problem and mention at least three facts. Finish your letter with a good concluding sentence.
Tuesday
Go to http://macmillanmh.com/math/mathconnects/grade2/sg2c6lesson1.html
And play scrambled egg city. Enjoy adding and subtracting!
Wednesday
Research different words that mean happy, sad and put at least 4 of these words in meaningful sentences.
Thursday
Do appropriate pages in the PS math book.
Friday
Watch http://www.brainpopjr.com/artsandtechnology/art/drseuss/
Take the easy and hard quiz. In your Home Journal, answer these questions:
1. How did Dr. Seuss express himself?
2. What do you think makes Dr. Seuss a special author?
3. Make a connection: Does Dr. Seuss remind of any other author, artist, or person? How are they similar?
Reminders/Notes
• Thank you parents for attending the end-of-unit celebration. The children were both proud and confident to be on stage and share their knowledge with you!
• We have begun our fourth unit of inquiry on Thursday. Please read the central idea and lines of inquiry stated at the top of this page.
Environmental Tips:
Can Solar Water Heaters Save You Money?
Discover the pros and cons of a solar water heater system
With many people looking for alternative energy sources, it's no wonder many are considering solar water heaters. These roof-mounted collectors absorb the sun's heat and transfer it to a closed-loop system that runs to the water tank. If this sounds good to you, keep reading to discover if one of these systems is in your future.
Pros
A solar hot water heater has several good things going for it. First, it uses free energy from the sun and could "theoretically" pay for itself in as little as two or three years if you consider tax credits. A good environmental feature is the fact that they cut greenhouse-gas emissions, which is good for everyone. And remember, you will have hot water regardless of power outages!
Cons
Before you purchase a solar power water heater, you also need to consider the "cons". The cons of the systems involve the extra cost that you will incur by using them. You will have extra expense for biannual service calls to inspect the collector and check the heat-transferring fluid connections. The fluid requires changing every 5 years and the systems are susceptible to damage due to wind, tree limbs, hail, lightening.
As mentioned above, theoretically speaking, the solar water heater could pay for itself within two/three years. However, in the real world, unless you live in a very warm part of the country (but Beirut is), it could take much longer to pay off the system.
Deciding if solar heaters are for you boils down to one thing: Do you want to save money and help the environment? If you are, then solar water heaters are perfect for you.
