Recent Announcements 2018-2019
Rapping Poetry with Chrome Music Maker
Today in library, students were using Google Music Maker to make music to rap poetry to! What a terrific idea from our librarian Mrs. Swift!   |
Perimeter Using Math Rods
Students were challenged to make a rectangle out of 2 blue rods (worth 9) and 2 yellow rods (worth 5) and then find the perimeter.  Students made a variety of rectangles. They quickly discover that they couldn't just add the math rods together (9+9+5+5) to find the perimeter. For example, in the first picture below, the sides are 9 + 7 (yellow plus the equivalent of 2 whites) + 9 + 7.  We consolidated the activity by looking at some of the samples below. We discussed the reason why the 3rd sample has the greatest perimeter of all of the rectangles.  |
The Power to Visualize: Reading Strategy
 RecentlyI introduced the second reading power to help with comprehension: The Power to Visualize. Students practiced visualizing different objects in their head such as rainbows, dogs and ice cream cones. We called these picture words since they were a lot easier to picture then say a word like at.
Afterwards I read them the following story:
I want you to visualize a lollipop. This lollipop is on a white stick and it has a wrapper on it. Visualize yourself holding this lollipop. I want you to notice the color and shape and size of this lollipop. Some lollipops are big, and some are small, some are round and some are flat —what does yours look like? Now I want you to visualize yourself taking off the wrapper. Listen to the sound as you take the wrapper off. Put the wrapper in the garbage. Now I would like you to visualize yourself taking a lick of the lollipop. What flavor is your lollipop? Take another lick. Now put the lollipop, if it’s not too big, in your mouth. Suck on it for a while. Listen to the sound it makes when it hits your teeth. Now take a bite. Listen to the sound the bite makes. Now crunch your lollipop and really get the flavor in your mouth. Some of the candy sticks in your teeth. Now visualize yourself as you take the lollipop out of your mouth. Look at what is left on your stick. Open your eyes. Students then discussed the following questions about their lollipop with a partner:
1. What color was your lollipop? 2. What size? 3. What shape? 4. What flavor? 5. After you took a bite, what did your lollipop look like? We concluded the lesson by discussing that people's lollipops are all different because they have different experiences.
The follow-up to the lesson was reading a book called Swimmy by Leo Lionni. Students listened to the story without seeing the pictures. Together, we drew some of the pictures we visualized in our heads and labelled them with words. Afterwards, we compared the pictures we drew from the actual pictures from the story.  |
Designing and Testing Spinners and Different Surfaces
In Science, students design and tested their own snap cube spinners. They investigated how friction affected their spinner on different surfaces.   |
Cuisenaire Rods- Challenges!
Recently, students have been using Cuisenaire Rods in math. These math rods come in a variety of colours and represent numbers from 1 (white) to 10 (orange). Students have been using these rods to solve math problems.    |
Pattern Block Growing Creatures
Students are learning to make growing patterns with shapes. Students made a creature out of pattern blocks and have them grow over 7 days in a predictable way. Students captured their learning by making a stop motion film.  |
Hot Wheels Road Trip Math Task
Students have been learning to estimate and measure using an appropriate standard unit (centimetres, metres, kilometres).
Today, students were given a math task about Hot Wheel track. First they were shown this video:  Students wondered: How long did it take to make this track? How long was this track? Could this track be over 1 km long? Next students were asked to estimate the length of this track, giving both high, low and just right estimates:  Students estimated that the track was around 1m 50 cm long. Finally, students were given the math task below which they completed with partners:  Students found a variety of answers. Students determine that "about 2m" meant measurements ranging from 1m70cm to 2m30cm.  To consolidate, we made a chart showing the different ways to make tracks that were about 2m long. Here are a few examples:
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Students Measuring Perimeter Using the Google Maps Measuring Tool
Measuring the perimeter of Roger's Centre.  Measuring the perimeter of the Pyramids of Giza.  Measuring the perimeter of a roof.  Measuring the perimeter of pool.  Measuring the perimeter from the road to the back of our school.  |
Creating Pattern Block Shapes and Measuring Perimeter
Students have been learning to measure perimeter. In this task, students used 6 pattern blocks to make a shape. Then they measured the perimeter (1 unit equals 1 side of a triangle).
Afterwards we sorted the shapes by the size of their perimeters. During our math consolidation, one student observed that the shapes with the smaller perimeter have more sides inside (interior of the shape) therefore those sides are not counted as part of the perimeter. The shapes with the larger perimeters are longer and more sides are counted.  |
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