Tapping, Tasting, and Testing our Design Skills

Last week was marked by several special hands-on learning experiences.  Outside of the classroom we spent almost an entire day on the beautiful grounds of Shelburne Farms learning about where maple syrup comes from and how it's made.  We also taste tested two varieties, "Amber Rich" and "Dark Robust".  Below you can see us pretending to tap a tree and boil the sap in an evaporator.  You can also see us measuring, tapping, and thanking a real tree.

Back in the classroom we worked on a Force and Motion Challenge with our big Buddies. In pairs and trios we tried to see if we could: make a marble roll the length of a paper, turn a corner, move an object, and hit a target ALL without directly touching the marble!  Have a look:

Celebrate Good Times Come On!

What a three day week!  We returned from break about 12 apples away from our goal of 100 and it didn't take the children long to earn them so... Friday was a day to celebrate!
We called our celebration "Popcorn, Pink Lemonade, and Posters" but should have added "Pop Songs" to that title.  For about half an hour we snacked, colored name posters, and listened to the Kids Bop versions of some favorite pop songs.  Super fun!

Earlier in the week in the week we talked about our new signs of spring sharing theme.  Mrs. Freeman showed us a crocus from her yard!...And we painted rainbows for our March calendar.

Other cool happenings this week included a census activity with Miss Kathy in Math.  Miss Kathy explained what a census is and taught us a song called "Everyone Counts".  After each child completed a form about who lives in their home, we had a whole group activity about counting on.  I believe that everyone in all our homes totaled 73.

 Designing with pattern blocks continues to be a "go to" free time activity for so many friends.  Here's a look at some of the latest.

Final Friday...in February

Deciding what to do with your class on the last day before a school break can be a challenge.  Sometimes there is a culminating event that you've been building up to or a the possibility of an extra recess or earned celebration.  On the Friday before this February break, it seemed like every block in our schedule was filled with something special! 

We began our day with an All School Morning Meeting dedicated to the accomplishments and contributions of Black women.  This was a school wide focus that combined reading, research, and presentation in honor of Black History Month and I Love to Read and Write Week.  Here is our poster about Wangari Maathai- winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, founder of the Green Belt Movement, and person who began the reforestation of Kenya through hard work and empowering women.

Next we took a break from our usual Math Menu format and explored Tangrams with Miss Kathy.  Inspired but the book Grandfather Tang's Story, we used the traditional 7 shapes to complete countless puzzles.  Some children used the interior shape lines and others took the challenge to do without- the power of yet was definitely in action!

And THEN, for something entirely different we tried our hands at cup stacking during Explore time!  A great day all around.

Puppets in Education... and in our hands!

Thanks to a generous gift from a parent in Ms. Garland's room, our classes were able to see a show about friendship skills with the specific focus of how to be friends with a classmate with Autism. The group Puppets in Education has been around for years and they are extremely good at what they do.  Their information is spot on and their delivery can't be beat!  After the show we had a chance to play with the puppets.  I'm not sure who had more fun with that- me or the children!

Valentines and the Kindness Continues

Break is a good time for me to catch up on posting about some recent happenings.  On Valentines Day the crew had a great time simply reveling in all the paper pieces of friendship that they gave to one another.  Have a look at the scene...

On into the following week the spirit continues.  We enjoyed folding, cutting and coloring these paper people chains.  The space between the "held hands" creates a heart!  

Calculating and Creating in Math

Posting to the blog is a great way to supplement the information I am able to communicate in my weekly newsletter.  It also can provide a look at "missing pieces" in the sense that the papers that make their way home in the folders each week are only able to tell a part of each child's learning story.  This post will give you a look at what we've been up to in math this past week.  In anticipation of a partner game that would be appearing on the week's menu, a recent Math Journal session focused on showing everything you know about the number 12.  Children choose to show 12 in tallies, number trees, equations, pictures, 6 groups of 2, 12 wheels on 6 bikes and even more!  Here is a picture of our collective thinking.

With all this understanding of "how to make twelve" the children were primed for the partner game that Miss Kathy brought us.  Cover either 2 or 3 numbers that add up to 12 on your turn.  If you are the last partner to be able to do that- you win!

Have a look...

And of course, in between number talks, journal entries and learning games, there is still time for some creative geometry!

Growing and Stretching..Our Brains!

While looking over this week's photos a theme of growth seemed to leap out at me.  In these four pictures I hope you can see the collaboration, inclusive spirit, artistic expression, and individual focus that students are all displaying as we have reached the 100th day of school.  Speaking of the 100th day, we had to take a raincheck on that due to the snow day but after some festivities on Monday, I will have pictures to share with you next week.

This crew worked together to make 5 groups of 20...100!

This crew made a structure big enough to get inside!

Working out the details on a February calendar.

Making a "lift-the-flap" book for our keepboxes.