Tuesday 31 January 2012

Math- Geometry- 3D Shapes

Geometry is one of the topics we are working on this term in math.  I like to start with three dimensional shapes first.  While our student teacher was doing her two week practicum at the beginning of January, we sorted three dimensional objects.  We also created three dimensional shapes out of a variety of materials such as plasticine, gumdrops and skewers and marshmallows and toothpicks.

This challenge that we did last week, was to build a castle using prisms, pyramids, cones and cylinders.  The students worked in small groups to complete their castles.  Once done, they were asked to draw their castle in their math journals and create a table to show what shapes they used and how many of each.



















One group created an addition equation for the number of three dimensional shapes they used.  I liked the connection they made to other math we have been working on.
It looked like this:
16 prisms +  4 cubes + 6 cylinders + 2 cones = 28 shapes.

Monday 30 January 2012

Thinking Outside the Box...Again


Okay, can you tell we are super excited about all the big thinking our students are doing during these challenges.  I thought I would share some of the things we have been doing on my days for Thinking Outside the Box.

Feather Challenge

I posed the challenge, who could get the feather to travel the furthest?  I told them they could use anything we had in the classroom/school.  I asked them to first create a labelled diagram of their plan and include a list of the supplies they would need. The students were highly motivated to write. There is nothing better than looking across a grade 1 classroom and seeing everyone totally engaged in their writing.  Once their labelled diagrams were done, the children started building.  I just loved going around the room and hearing all their ideas.  I especially loved hearing them chat, question and assist each other.  For example, one student had built a plane and was putting the feather inside.  His friend was watching and said, "Don't you think the feather will fall out when you try to fly it.  I think you should tape the feather inside."

Here are some of the solutions:


This student had taped a magnet to his feather and then threw it to the metal cookie sheet.  It was exciting
 to see him use what he was learning about in Science (magnets) to assist with this challenge.
Science to Science Connection!!!!

This was our second place winner!

It was exciting to see this student's thinking during the project.  Initially he had taped a bunch of popsicle
sticks to his plane.  After testing it a few times, he asked for a new piece of paper.  When I asked him why
he said, "I have to start over, I made my plane too heavy.  The sticks were weighing down the plane.
  If I want the plane to go far I need to make it lighter. " 

This was the big winner.  He had taped his feather to a ball and threw it across the room.

Instrument Challenge

Our school had a visiting Vietnamese music performance come to entertain us.  As part of the show, one of the musician's shared a few instruments he had created himself.  I thought it would be cool for the students to try to create their own instruments.  We began by looking through some books of instruments and having a discussion about how instruments make sounds.  I then raided the supply cupboard for anything I could find that could make a sound.  The children were given an opportunity to experiment and explore the supplies  Once again, I asked them to create a labelled diagram and supply list.  Not only did this give them a meaningful writing task, but also gave me a chance to see what other supplies I needed to gather for the students to create their projects.

The criteria for this challenge was:
-it must make at least 3 sounds
-it could not be an instrument that already existed

Here are some of the solutions:

This one was pretty amazing.  He wanted to make it like his piano at home with notes
that would press down.  Under each chopstick he put a different material so that each
 would make a different sound.  Pretty big thinking for a seven year old!










This one used the chopstick in different ways.  First he plucked it like a guitar then
he bowed the elastics like a violin.  It was great to see him problem solve different ways
 to get the popsicle sticks to hold the elastics.  It took many different tries before he found this one.




This instrument had two sides.  This side had different length and width elastics.
 It was neat to see them discover the different sounds they could make.
I just loved the variety of this one.  In fact, it was more like a one girl band than a single
 instrument.  I'm not sure what those blue things on top are actually used for but they did
make a cool sound when she blew on them.
   


I just loved this labelled diagram, complete with text boxes and wonders.



Saturday 28 January 2012

Thinking Outside the Box: Build a Catapult

This week's Thinking Outside the Box challenge was to build a catapult.  My son got the Angry Birds board game for Christmas and the catapult that the game came with, inspired me.

I brought it to show the kids and we talked about catapults.  We also spent some time watching short videos on You Tube how to make different catapults.  I asked the kids to make a plan that included a picture and a list of materials that they would need.





I was amazed at how well they did.  These weekly Think challenges have really developed our students into independent thinkers and problem solvers.  Because there is not one right answer and there are so many ways to go, our kids are able to take risks and create things that seem way beyond their years.



I brought in marshmallows for them to use with their catapults and we designated a shooting area so that no one would get hit or hurt.








Monday 23 January 2012

School of Snow

We had snow last week and in our neck of the woods, snow is a novelty because it doesn't happen too often.  When I heard the weather report and that the snow would likely disappear by the afternoon, I promptly shifted my morning plans to Monday.  We spent the periods between recess and lunch immersed in snow fun, snow math, snow science and snow art.

How cold is snow?
We bundled up and headed outside to gather snow.  Each person filled a cup full of snow.  We came inside and used thermometers to measure how cold the snow was.  We did a mini lesson on using a thermometer.  It was great to hear their connections between a thermometer and when their parents take their temperature to check for a fever.


How long can you hold snow?
Next we had a little fun with a challenge, how long can you hold a handful of snow?  Some kids held their snow for a minute, others for ten minutes.  There was lots of discussion while they were holding snow about what they noticed and how cold it felt.






After these two activities, we sat in a sharing circle to share as scientists.  Each person took a turn to share what did they notice (observe) and a wonder that they have about snow.  After each person had a turn to share, the students wrote about their observations and wonders.  Earlier in the week, they had written about snow as a poet, now we were looking at it through the lens of a scientist.

Some of their observations and wonders:
"When my thumb is on the red part of the thermometer the red goes up."
"My hand was really red after holding the snow, I wonder why it got red?"
" The snow melted and ran down my arm, I think it is because my hand is warm."
" I noticed that the snow is cold and wet."
" I wonder how snow melts?"

Salt and Snow
Before the students started writing, we set up one last experiment.  We put out two plates of snow.  One plate we added salt and the other we left as is.  Periodically as we were writing, we checked on the status of our snow.  Again I was so pleased with the connections that they were making to using salt on the sidewalks and why that might be.  One of our goals, is to encourage  students to make connections in their science and math.  We want to carry over our connections in reading to other disciplines.  Good readers make connections, but so do good scientists and good math mathematicians.

Art Collage and The Snowy Day
One of my favourite snow books and snow art project comes from The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.


After enjoying the book, the children were given a blue paper for the background and a white paper for the snow.  Using scrap paper, they re-created a snow scene.







The final touch is to stamp or sponge paint snow to their picture in the style of the end pages in the book.





Any good snow lessons to share?