All in a Week's Work

It happens every year- we end up with so much to do and so little time left.  This feeling comes in large part because the children are so capable and we know each other so well- the opportunities for learning seem limitless!  Here is a look at some of last week's activities that show a range of learning experiences from open exploration to focused discussion.
These friends are building a fairy house in the courtyard.

Here's a look at hands on planting and sequencing the life cycle of a bean plant.

And now for a look at information gathered during Thursday's Math Warm Up- "what do you know about the number 20?"

As the class grows more comfortable with subtraction we are able to have fun with a game in which you know the total and you can see what's left- the question is how many were taken away?

Celebrate, Concentrate, Create!

We may not have done things in that order but it's getting harder and harder to sum up a week in one post.  I'm going to let the pictures do the talking for the most part this week.  Take a look at our paper plane flying celebration- it was our reward for meeting the goal of whole body listening at meeting times.

 

Below you will see the children engaged with books from their "in-school" book packs.  Everyone has books at their current level that they read and record in their book logs.

 

And now have a look at our third sessions of both "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" with our guest teachers from Vermont Common School and Lego Robotics with Paul.  Can you tell how much fun we're having?

More Growing!

 Much of our work this week focused on "growing and going" green!  On Monday the children looked through seed catalogs for pictures of fruits, veggies and flowers that they might like to plant in a garden.  This activity was inspired by the Caldecott winning book, The Gardner by Sarah Stewart.  On Tuesday we had a Farm to School session with Chef Anne and Jenna who used the book Tops and Bottoms to introduce the crew some of the delicious root vegetables we eat. On Thursday we had three young and inspired teachers from Vermont Common School come to lead the first of six lessons on environmental responsibility- the focus was waste: reduce, re-use, recycle! Below you will also see the class recording data on the changes they noticed in the bean seeds we are sprouting.  And just for fun, I included a picture of our session with Mr.Schmidt's third grade class and the games they created using "Blue bots"- just like the "Bee- bots" we have worked with.

Growing Up!

Last week Mrs. Pecor's second grade class paid us a visit to collaborate on measurement.  They were able to share about measuring in different units (inches and centimeters) as well as how to graph measurement data that you gather.  We looked at a line plot of their class member's heights and noticed only two dots for any one measurement. That meant that no more than two students in their class were exactly the same height.  After they measured us, we arranged sticky notes with our measurements on them and noticed that the same was true in our class!  No more than two students were exactly the same height!    They will turn our sticky note sorting into a nice, neat line plot and bring it back to us.  Thanks second grade friends!

Here is a look at us making maps for the Bee Bots.  First we created a small map with a start and an end point.  Then, we enlarged our maps so that the Bee Bots could follow our coded directions.  

 

Let the Sun Shine!

What a week!  Being able to go outside without jackets this week was a thrill.  We took advantage of the weather and visited the courtyard for the first time in a long time.

Back in the classroom the children worked in groups to write stories that "added one more thing". Remember the old tale, "The House That Jack Built"?  "This is the rat that ate the cheese, this is the cat that chased the rat..."  Here's a look at our class using that concept as the springboard for original stories- stay tuned for updates.

Here's a look at our recent session with 5th Grade Buddies.  Mr. Wright's class helped us make "word family flowers" that are now on display on the back bulletin to use as a reference.

Wrapping up this post is a look at a math activity- measuring with a ruler to the nearest inch! We're excited to put our measuring skills to the test sometime next week when we measure the flight distance of paper airplanes.

Too Much For One Post

This past week was a short one with Thursday and Friday being half days due to Parent Conferences.  Looking back at all we accomplished, I was there and I don't know how we did it!  I thought about splitting this into separate posts but the pattern of this blog is to post highlights from the week, so... here goes. 

Early in the week the group who had been rehearsing a Reader's Theater version of Strega Nona  performed for the class.  From there, we channeled our excitement for great books into learning how to give Book Talks- telling a friend the main idea of a book , perhaps highlighting an exciting part, and letting the friend know how you'd rate the book from 1 (not for me) to 5 (so good I want to read it again and again!).  Have a look at Book Talks in action.

More partner work happened in Math this week.  Take a look at pairs of friends working together to measure tape paths with popsicle sticks as the unit of measure.

To finish up, here's a look at our first lego robotics session with Cailin's dad, Paul in the lead.  His expertise in robotics and design propelled us into building and programming in four collaborative teams in no time flat!  We can't wait to continue.  Before the day ended we found a little time to unwind with Cosmic Kids Yoga.

Another Fantastic Guest, Games and Good Times

Fun with Strega Nona continued this week with a little help from my good friend, Julie Graham.  Julie and I worked together at Chamberlin School and I feel incredibly lucky to have her visit every now and again to lend her expertise.  On Tuesday she worked with a group of students on a Reader's Theater version of Strega Nona.  Below you can see the actor/reader blowing the magical three kisses.  

While Mrs. Graham rehearsed with her group, others made some character puppets and a set piece to dramatize the story at the puppet theater.  

In Math this week a new game challenged the children to be aware of the operation sign (+ or -) as they tried to be the first squirrel to collect all the "nuts".  

Lastly, I wanted you to see a great example of this group's inclusive spirit.  In the blocks, with legos, even with books this class loves to team up and work together.