House 43 Digest Online

The distributive property of multiplication is a helpful tool to use when solving problems, computing mentally, estimating solutions and checking solutions for accuracy.

Here is an example of how we can use the distributive property to solve a double-digit multiplication equation.

17 x 8 =

The distributive property allows for a mathematician to break the factor 17 apart into two addends and then multiply both those addends by the second factor in the equation.

In this case 17 can break apart in to 10 and 7: 10 + 7= 17

So, we can write: ( 10 x 8 ) + ( 7 x 8 ) =

Both 10 x 8 and 7 x 8 are multiplication facts. We know that 10 x 8 equals 80 and 7 x 8 equals 56.

So, 80 + 56 = 136.

Therefore 17 x 8 = 136.

House 43 students visited the American Museum of Natural History to learn about the cultural scope of the areas surrounding the Silk Road. In the Hall of Asian Peoples, children learned about the trading city Samarkand, a sister city to Kashgar. With an anthropologist and their teachers, the children discussed modes of transportation along the Silk Road, imagined being a merchant and sketched what they would trade for while in Samarkand.

On our second visit to the AMNH, children observed the clothing and personal effects typical of the people of Central Asia and China. Using their powers of observation, the children made hypotheses regarding materials and technology available to the various cultures. These inferences were based upon the observable evidence as displayed in the cases. On this trip, children took time to sketch the details found among the artifacts of these cultures.

Our next trip to the AMNH will focus on the artifacts specifically associated with Persia and Turkish cultures.

House 43 children viewed master works of Renaissance artists. Through careful observation and comparison, the children created the following list of style attributes of Renaissance art.

European Renaissance Style

Types of Artifacts: Painting, Sculpture, Tapestry, Architecture

Stylistic Features:

Subjects & Themes

- Greek & Roman Gods
- Mythological creatures
- Christian religious scenes (Mary & Jesus, Saints)
- Science (mirror, scales, tools of trades)

Spatial Illusion (Use of Light, Shade, Perspective)

- 3-Dimensional perspective – focal points and diagonals
- Layered figures
- Use of shading, rounding; contrast between lights and darks
- Drapery folds in clothing, especially around knees
- Detailed backgrounds
- Scale – people and places in background are smaller than foreground
- Sense of space and emptiness

Naturalism (Realism)
- Trees, plants, vegetation – very specific details
- People dressed in clothing of the time (gowns, hats)
- Animals, especially birds, lions, unicorns, dogs
- Geography (mountains)

Interest in Anatomy
- People are barely clothed or naked
- Muscles are very realistic
- People look strong and real

Arches (architecture)
- Roman columns
- Rounded arches

Order & Balance
- Circles
- Symmetry
- Arches

Surface Decoration: colorful, fancy, details

Studying the Silk Road is complex. This 7,000 mile long, overland trade route connected X’ian in China to Antioch in Turkey, as well as every country and major trading city in between. The geography spans a variety of terrains and ecosystems from snow-filled mountain peaks to hot, dune-filled deserts. In our curriculum, Kashgar (Kashi), a midway point and oasis city of the Silk Road, is the focal point of our study and our archaeological dig. In order to create an engaging and educational experience, we invite the children to become junior archaeologists and art historians. Through the study of the artifacts found in our archaeological dig site, the children will learn about the diversity along the Silk Road and learn that materials AND ideas are exchanged in trade situations. (Read on …)

When the children completed the excavation of the site, they could not wait to find out what was next. Upon returning from Spring Recess, we discussed the next stage in archaeology – artifact analysis. In order to begin this process, the children returned to the level two artifacts. As they studied each artifact, the children decided upon first choices, second choices, and sometimes even third choices. By the time the children actually picked their artifacts, an observer could not tell if the choices were first or third because the smiles on their faces shone so brightly. See for yourself!

House 43 finished excavating the site on March 14th — the last day of school before Spring Recess. Elated about extracting the final level three artifacts out of the red sand, the children bounded back in to the classroom asking questions about what we are going to do next.

Pictures of the final days of work can be viewed in the “scrapbook” section 3rd Grade Website under “Days 6, 7, & 8 of H43’s Archaeological Dig.”

Flexible and patient, House 43 students admirably coped with the frustration of the elements to continue work on the dig. Although they did not dig as much as they would have liked, House 43 spent much time discussing the artifacts in their care and hypothesizing why the artifacts are found together. Level two artifacts will be researched formally during April and May. We are collecting these artifacts in the classroom and will share our findings with you in the months to come. For this diary entry, the children reflected on the similarities and differences of digging in level two vis a vis level one. Enjoy the words and ideas of your children! For pictures of this experience, please click here for the link to “Days 3, 4 & 5 of H43’s Archaeological Dig” on the 3rd Grade website.

DIGGING IN LEVEL TWO

The digging experience in level two is different from level one. It was really exciting to find the artifacts in level two. They are so big and they are so rare. Finding a bicycle pedal, from level one, is something you could find today, but finding a sword or axe is more exciting because you wouldn’t be able to see these items today on the street.

As we said in our last diary entry, the screening is much easier. There are no pieces of wood and other natural objects in level two’s clay. The clay is more like flour. It is so powdery. When you are sifting in level two, we found fewer objects than in level one. We think that is because the objects in level two are larger. Also, the clay does not clump. When the dirt did clump, we had trouble telling if the clump was an artifact or not.

We noticed that there is no plastic in level two. In level one, we found a lot of jade. In level two, we found less jade and more porcelain. We found lots of tiles in level two. Some were red and some were blue. In the beginning of level two, we found some artifacts that could be found in a household, and then there was a large amount of arms and armor, which began with a quiver and a bow case under it.

In level two, we didn’t know what the artifacts were when we first looked at them. The artifacts are not modern, so we are not so familiar with them, and we had never seen or experienced them before. An example of that is we found bicycle pedals in level one, which we recognized. But, we found an axe, which we thought was a typical axe that we would use today. We found out from Neil that it was a battle-axe. The artifacts are getting older and older so it is harder to identify them. If we don’t know what an artifact is, then Neil would give us a idea of what the artifact might be or tells us what he thinks it might be.

One of the problems about having exciting artifacts is that we usually forget to dig the extra dirt or clay around it, so you have a big hole that keeps collapsing on itself. Neil says that if you dig around the artifact while you are digging it out, you will actually dig faster. The artifacts were longer, so they were harder to remove from the site. We found ourselves in a pickle when there was a sword that was under a battle-axe, which was under another artifact, which was under another sword. It was a little bit problematic when we found really exciting artifacts because we would try to rip them out of the site and not finish excavating. We had to be patient and wait until it was fully uncovered.

Over the days, digging the artifacts has gotten more fun because now we know what to do and what not to do. The deeper we dig into the site, the more artifacts we find. We feel more confident. The more fun it becomes, the less the dirt gets in the way and bothers us.

Now that we have been digging for a long time, we know the process of excavation better. We know what to wash and what to dry brush. We know how to excavate without breaking the artifact. We are becoming better archaeologists. We are learning more about the site, the artifacts in it, and the Silk Road.