Wharton, New Jersey USA MacKinnon Middle School

latitude: 40.800°
shadow: 84cm
angle:40.000°

Presentation

6A writes…….Our class is in the Alfred C. MacKinnon Middle School. We have great teachers and it’s a small middle school .We have a dress code at MacKinnon Middle School. Most of the students wear casual clothing like jeans and t-shirts, but we cannot wear flip-flops, tank shirts or shirts with inappropriate sayings on them. We also have school sports like baseball, soccer, cross country, softball and cheerleading.

6B writes……. Our class is in the Alfred C. MacKinnon Middle School in Wharton, New Jersey. It is a great school with great teachers and we have baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, cheerleading, and cross country teams. We also have clubs after school like art, homework, and computer club. We have a great principal and a great cafeteria. As 6th graders, this is first time changing classes for every subject. In 8th grade we will get to go to Boston, Massachusetts over night and get to learn about the History of Boston!

6C writes…….Good Day! We are 6C and we are participating in the Noon Day project as part of a school wide enrichment program. Our school is MacKinnon Middle School. It is located in Wharton, NJ. MacKinnon Middle School has a lot to offer. We have great teacher for all of our classes. They work hard to help us do our best. We have a great sports program that includes soccer, basketball, baseball, cheering, and cross-country. Our performing arts department includes chorus, drama and band. Here in Wharton, we also get the opportunity to attend community events such as dances and carnivals. Our community works hard to give each resident the feeling of family.

6D writes…….I am writing this letter on behalf of my 6D class. My name in Andrea Guaman. I live in Wharton NJ. I go to school here in MacKinnon Middle School. I am 12 years old. I’m from Ecuador. I’m in the 6th grade . The name of my homeroom teacher is mrs Winkler. This is my first year here in MacKinnon Middle School.
 

MacKinnon Middle School

Wharton, NJ 07869

6th Grade Math and Science

Teachers: Mrs. Riordan, Mrs. Silvestri, Mrs. Kepler, Mrs. Allen and Mrs. Leary

Activities:

As a part of our district’s schoolwide enrichment program 6th graders were introduced to the Noo Day Project via a series of lessons and activities conducted by our technology teacher, Mrs. Leary. Some of the lessons included online movie segments, use of Geometer’s Sketchpad, hands on models and simulated practice sessions for the big event.

Once the students were well prepared for the actual measurements the entire Class of 2010 met in our front parking lot to record angle measures of the sun. Our recordings took place on September 20th. We were fortunate to have been granted a beautiful, sunny day. The students set up their measuring stations which they had constructed from cans of sand, meter sticks, protractors, string and plumb lines. Our recordings were made on roll paper. Checks for accuracy were done back in the classrooms.

During the following week students selected Gulf Breeze, Florida as their partner and proceeded to calculate the circumference of the earth. As a reminder of the steps in this mathematical process we used a song composed by previous MacKinnon students. It is entitled "Old Eratosthenes Had a Way" and can be accessed via a PowerPoint slideshow on our school’s math website. You can view this show @ http://mcubed4.tripod.com/id8.html .

Students used their tech class time to write essays on their Noon Day experience. These were share in their math and science classes. The overwhelming response to this project was very positive. Students enjoyed the cross curicular nature of the event, the hands on learning and the use of technology infusion. With this in mind, the district is considering repeating the project with grade seven in the spring.

Final results:

The four sixth grade classes calculated the earth’s circumference to be about 41,652 km. To obtain this result each of the small groups within each class submitted their group calculations for a class discussion on measures of central tendency, outliers, and other elements of the the experimental process. A class vote was taken to determine the "best" answer. Many of the students also "discovered" the relationship between the measured angle and their latitude. Overall, the experience was a very positive one.

Lafrançaise France

shadow: 93cm
angle:43.000°

September 20, 2007
Latitude difference : 44°08’ - 40°54’ = 03°14’ = 3,233°
Distance : 3,233 x 111,1 = 359 km
Angle difference: 43°00’ - 40°00’ = 03°00’ = 3,500°
Circumference: 359 x 360° / 3,000° = 43 080 km