April

Fourth-grade math students learned about lighthouses and how mariners use sextants to navigate by observing the sun or stars in relation to the horizon. In the spirit of using the horizon to navigate a ship, the students used string and a tape measure to calculate the distance of their "boat" from dangerous rocks near lighthouses by applying a specific formula. It was a lot of fun!

Fourth-grade math students learned about renewable energy in Maine. A tidal turbine farm was proposed in Eastport, Maine. Students created a model tidal turbine to simulate how moving water can turn blades to generate electricity.

Fourth-grade ELA students researched countries and created clues for  "Passport to the World."  Gorham Elementary schools displayed their work in different ways.  Village School announces the clues over the daily announcements, and the classroom that guesses correctly will be placed in a drawing to display a levitating globe in their classroom for the week.    Great Falls and Narragansett will have bulletin boards. These clues allowed other classes to participate in guessing which country was highlighted. It was fun to engage the whole school.

Fifth-grade ELA students learned Greek and Latin stems. They segmented dinosaur names to highlight the stems and their meanings, and then they created their own unique dinosaur names.

Fifth-grade math students participated in Gorham's Shark Tank, developing inventions to solve a problem or improve an existing product. They created illustrations and wrote summaries about their inventions. As they entered the Gorham Shark Tank, students were required to set a price for their products and calculate their costs and profits. They also needed to use a formula to determine their break-even point. Some of the innovative and creative inventions included basketball sneakers with springs to help young players jump higher, a stand with ballet shoe rests for ballerinas to practice en pointe, and a suitcase for dance class that featured a fold-down seat on one side and a privacy curtain for changing on the other.

February

 In 5th grade, students worked on a remodel of Robie Park, where they created a map scale to fit the park's dimensions.  They operated within a budget to determine which water features could be purchased.  Additionally, they learned about safety rules for a splash pad and how to appropriately place the features around the area.  Mr. Hanson from Narragansett shared the blueprints for the PreK playground, and he connected the development of the PreK playground to the 5th graders' remodeling project.   

In 4th grade, math students learned how mathematics is used in crime solving. They explored various topics, such as calculating speed using skid marks, using algebra and physics to recreate a car accident, and applying geometry to determine the angle and location of a rock that broke a window. The presentation by the Gorham Police Department, featuring Officer Gagon, Detective Erickson, and Skye from the K9 unit, was engaging, and many insightful questions were asked.

January 2025

**A Maine Connection to a Former President**

In honor of President Jimmy Carter's passing a few weeks ago, I shared a personal connection with my students. I have the rotary phone that he used during a trip to Maine. It has the White House label on it. The students were fascinated by the rotary phone and asked great questions. It was a fun and educational experience to share.

**Consider Adopting a Pet!**

Recently, some 4th-grade students in the ELA class discussed the idea of adopting a pet. They wrote opinion papers to support the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland. The students explored the league’s website to see all the adoptable animals, from dogs to bunnies. After learning how to structure an opinion paper, they explained why their chosen animal would make the best pet. Their papers were delivered to the league, and the staff members were very appreciative!

**Sullivan House Bakery Collaboration**

Sullivan House Bakery collaborated with the 5th-grade ELA group. They generously donated tasty treats that the students sampled before writing descriptions of their menu items using figurative language. Owner Nancy Ames and manager KG Wentworth loved reading their descriptions. Thank you, Sullivan House Bakery!

*UPDATE: The students' figurative language descriptions are displayed on the counter at Sullivan House Bakery. Check them out!

December - Winter Solstice

In one school, the Winter Solstice was celebrated schoolwide. SAIL math students learned about the reflection and refraction of light. They modified a flashlight to test whether a dome or a semi-flat surface would produce a greater distance of light or increase brightness.  The flashlights were tested in the extra coat room.

November

 Golf anyone? These engineers in our 4th-grade math class designed and built mini golf courses.  They applied their knowledge of various angles and lines while they created them.  

                                                             

 

October

 SAIL has been harvesting great ideas this month! 

Fifth-grade math students created business plans while learning about the small business model. They are applying their understanding of decimals and percentages to the food truck business concept.

 Some students wanted to share their business plans rather than their pictures.  Others were hamming it up for the camera. 😊

In addition, all ELA students have been solving anagrams as a warm-up activity in class. Some students have expressed a desire to create their own anagrams to share with the class.

                                                                

Welcome Back to School!

S.A.I.L.'s voyage has begun this year. Here's a peek at our fourth graders in math.  

Golf, anyone? Fourth graders demonstrated how the angles of golf clubs relate to geometry.  The angle of the golf club affects the arch and distance of how far a golf ball will go.