More on Magnets

This week, we have continued to explore toys and games that use magnets in preparation for our final project.  On Monday, the students brought in toys and games from home that used magnets.

The kids rotated through four stations each with different toys and games. After about ten minutes and before switching to a new station, we would have a quick debrief about what they were playing with and how magnets were used.  This enabled me to further build their background knowledge and give them an opportunity to think about what game they would like to create.

At the end of the exploring and playing time, each student filled out a planning sheet.  The sheet included what they were making and what materials they would need for their game or toy.

Today was toy creation day.  Before we got down to work, we created two games as a class.  This allowed me to model how to use different materials and support those who were not sure how to make their game.

Snake Charmer:

Cut a snake out of paper in a circular pattern.  Add eyes and a mouth.  Attach a paper clip to the underside of the head.  Use a magnet to charm the snake and make it stand up.

Boat Races:

This game required a wine cork, but I could not get my hands on one, so we improvised.  We used a plastic disc and glue gunned a paper clip to the bottom.  The idea is to create two boats and use magnets to have them race each other.

The kids got right down to work and it was so interesting to watch them complete their project and the different ideas they had, even when creating the same game.  Most kids created some kind of a fishing game.

An erupting volcano game:

Mazes:

Fishing Games:

Airplanes that find things that are magnetic:

There were two, but the other photo had some students' faces in it.

A magnetic truck that would stick to the chalkboard:

This truck was modeled after magnetic toy trucks that were brought in on Monday.  The trucks were able to drive up the chalkboard on their own.  A great connection.

We spent our writer's workshop writing about our creations.  I spent recess quickly printing up the photos of their creations so they could attach it to their writing. In all of our science, we have been really focussing on the students making connections from what we are doing to other science activities or things in their own lives.  So we talked a lot about what their toy reminded them of and what inspired them to make their toy (a student came up with the word inspired).  So I was hoping it would come out in their writing and in some cases it did.  Many students who created fishing games, talked about a fishing game they played at a year end carnival they had in kindergarten.  A great connection.

Magnet Challenges

We have been exploring magnets as part of our science program this term.  Our previous lessons have included exploring magnets, defining magnets and classifying magnets according to their strength.  This week, I set up a series of magnetic challenges as well as a magnetic toy centre in preparation for our final project, creating a toy or game that uses a magnet.

Station 1:  Can you remove a paper clip from a glass of water without getting wet?

Station 2: Can your paper clip walk up a ruler?

Station 3: Can your paper clip finish the maze?
I printed mazes from a free website and taped them to small chalkboards.  Each student was given paperclips and a magnet.

Station 4: Toy Shop
I brought some toys from home that use magnets.  The students spent time at this station exploring these toys and how the magnets work within these toys.

The purpose of these stations was to further develop background knowledge about magnets, but also give them exposure to how magnets work in toys and games.

Our Math Journey Begins

As many of us think back on our own Math experiences, our hearts often start to race as we remember those long stressful hours of memorizing the steps to complete different questions.  Many of us sat and watched as the teacher taught us everything we needed to know and then we would spend the rest of the class trying to practise these new skills.  Math is so different now.  Just like in Science, we want the children to be the thinkers and problem solvers.  We want to get them excited and involved in creating  and sharing their own learning.   I believe it is all in the approach.  As a teacher, if I approach the problem excited and oozing with enthusiasm about the next new challenge, the children will naturally join in on my passion for learning.  

Much of our Math learning is done through problem solving.  At the beginning of the year, we focus on providing the children with opportunities to build on the strategies they can use when they come to a problem.   Our lessons follow the same basic format:

      1. Pose the Problem

·      Allow the children an opportunity to ask questions, seek clarifications, share possible strategies.

2. Exploration/Conferencing/Assessing

·      Children are given an opportunity to solve the problem independently, with a partner or in a small group.

·      Children are able to access whatever manipulatives they need to solve the problem (unifix blocks, egg cartons, rulers, 100’s charts, calculators, base ten blocks, ten frame cards).  All the manipulatives are kept in so the students can access what they need independently.

·      While the children are working, the teacher will circulate around the room and conference with the children.  This provides the teacher with the opportunity to listen and assess where the children are and then ask questions and provide meaningful feedback that will assist the children along their mathematical journey.  It is from these conferences that the teacher will get the information to guide future lessons.  In other words, this is the assessment for learning piece.  What is it that the students can already do?  What are the challenges?  What are the next activities/problems should follow that would meet the current needs of the class and assist them in reaching the big math ideas or curriculum goals.

3. Sharing

·      Children are given an opportunity to share their questions, challenges, strategies and successes.

·      By sharing their thinking with others, it allows children to reflect and understand what they have done as well as see other possible ways to solve a problem.  By seeing other methods, children come to see that there is no “right” way to solve a problem.

·      By listening and watching each other, children are learning new strategies that they can build on or use in the future.

·      This sharing time also provides the teacher with another opportunity to listen and assess the students for planning future lessons.

Now a chance to see some of our Math thinkers in action!

For the first problem, I began by reading the children the story, The Enormous Turnip.  After reading the story, I asked a few kids to come up and act out the different characters.  Once I knew they were very familiar with the story and events, I posed the first problem, "How many hands helped to pull out the turnip?".  I knew this would be easier problem for many of them so it would allow them to try and use different strategies to solved it.  I reminded the kids that they could use pictures, numbers and words to solve the problem.   

After giving them time to work on the problem on their own or with a partner, we shared different strategies they came up with.  I used to think I had to directly teach the strategies before we began problem solving, but I am always amazed and excited when they come up with the strategies on their own.   The learning is so meaningful and so much more memorable when they discover it for themselves.

Here are some of the strategies they came up with:

After solving the problem by making an equation, I then challenged this student to solve it in another way.  They counted by 2's (looking for a pattern) and then drew a picture. 

This student kind of combined a few strategies (finding a pattern and drawing a picture).

This student also challenged herself to solve the problem using different strategies. 

Although all the students were not able to solve the problem in numerous ways this first time, they did get to see others strategies during the sharing time.  Many only drew a picture but OOPS I didn't actually take any pictures of those samples!!!  I promise I will have better samples that show the full range of the students work in the class next time.  What can I say, I'm the rookie blogger in this partnership!

Using Powerful Words: The Candy Corn Bandit

Halloween was a week ago, but I wanted to post a lesson that we did that incorporated some Halloween art and writing.
I found this cute Candy Corn Bandit on this blog, The Inspired Apple.  I introduced the kids to the Candy Corn Bandit through a story that I told them about how he sneaks into houses and snatches delicious candies.  They were very taken with this Candy Corn Bandit.  The students created their own candy corn bandits.  We used tracers for the three parts.  The kids created their own masks.  Each student was given googley eyes and two candy corns to add to their picture.

The next day, I wanted each student to write a short introduction about their candy corn bandit.  This term, we have been working on using powerful words in our writing.  This seemed like the perfect chance to work on this skill, since it was a short writing piece.  We brainstormed powerful words for things that taste good.  We also talked about different words for taking things such as sneak, snatch, or steal.  The kids were very excited to talk about the mischievous tricks of their candy corn bandits.

I wanted to keep a record of words that we brainstormed, so we could refer to it during other writing times. So we started a descriptive word wall of words that we have talked about or words that have come up through stories we have read.