We have been learning about letters, sounds, and letter blends both inside and outside of the classroom. The children have memorized many fun poems and songs, which help them to differentiate between the letters and make learning fun as we move around like "S"nakes (des serpents).
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Bonjour ! Now that we can blog about what has been happening in our classroom, we will be updating our blog with photos and information that will help you to see some of the great learning that has been happening so far. Please stay tuned for a few more blogs to get you up to speed. It has been an awesome start to the school year and we are excited to share it with you! The children took a real interest in learning how things move; especially the trikes and scooters as they manipulated them around the new playground and down the grassy slopes of the yard. As we moved further into our inquiry, we looked at various three-dimensional shapes and watched how well they moved in various situation. The children decided that a sphere would not make a very good wheel for a vehicle because it spins in too many directions. We then decided that the cylinder was a better choice when it comes to direction control and upon further investigation, we found that it also resembles wheels on a car. Next we examined different types of vehicles and discussed the importance of the type and size of their tires, as well as their tread. A thick tire tread is good for moving vehicles through mud, gravel, and snow. Thin tire treads are better for racing car, as there is less friction, which makes the car go faster. This lead us to a few art activities where we could really see different tread prints. With an interest in building, we brought in various tools (e.g., manual and electric drills (on low power), hammer and nail, saw, sand paper) and allowed the children to examine and try them out. The importance of safety was discussed before and during these activities (e.g., always wear gloves, always place two hands on the orange hand of the saw, safety goggles, eyes on our project, one at a time). It was great to see them work independently and as a team when trying to drill holes through pieces of 2X4's. They were so proud of themselves. Then the SK's decided that they wanted to build their own car. Mr. Poloni graciously came in and helped the SK's build a nine-seater that the whole class has been sanding and painting. All of the wood that Mr. Poloni brought in came from his other projects, so the children learned about recycling in a fun way. Merci Mr. Poloni ! We can't wait until we are done and can show off our new ride! Some of the children have also made their own little cars, using scraps of 2X4, which they sanded and painted, and then added other details to finish them off. It has been amazing to see their progression throughout the weeks on all of these different activities. Bravo les amis ! Have an awesome night! Bon soir ! Friday, October 23
Community partners are an important resource for our class, providing valuable support and enrichment for student learning. Let’s Talk Science is an award-winning organization that creates and delivers programs that engage children in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) activities. The programs, provided by trained post-secondary students and professionals, are hands-on, engaging, aligned with our curriculum, and offered free of charge to schools and students. Our class was very fortunate to have two student volunteers from the University of Guelph visit us today. The volunteers presented a workshop called “Habitats” that explored a variety of environments where animals make their homes. We discussed the needs of living things and the elements that should be present to make a habitat suitable for supporting life. Our students’ first-hand knowledge of the many creatures that live in the forest and ponds in our neighbourhood was very evident. The volunteers brought in a real bird nest, and the children got to pretend to be birds collecting materials to build their own nests from stations set up around the classroom. We really appreciated the expertise, skills, materials, and programming offered by our Let’s Talk Science volunteers! Wednesday, October 21
In the photos of the kids in action, you can see that I often invite one of the children to hold the book at the front of the class and “be the teacher” while the story plays on a CD. The children love to be chosen for this job! From my spot on the carpet, I can see that the “readers” have clearly mastered several conventions of print: they hold the book upright, turn pages from front to back, and scan their eyes from left to right. These are excellent pre-reading skills! Thursday, October 15
Over the past few weeks, we have been using Halloween storybooks to introduce and reinforce several math and language concepts. The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything is about an old woman who walks in the woods one autumn night. Along the way, she is followed by several articles of clothing that attempt to frighten her. After they are unsuccessful at startling her, the old lady suggests that the items come together to form a scarecrow to scare away the birds. The Big Pumpkin is the story of a witch who plants a pumpkin seed with a plan to make a Halloween pie. When the pumpkin grows too huge to harvest from the vine, la sorcière verte accepts help from un fantôme blanc, un vampire rouge, et une chauve-souris noir who eventually work together to pull the pumpkin off the vine and share the pumpkin pie. There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat is a Halloween twist on the familiar story, There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. The children easily anticipated the pattern the book would follow and quickly identified rhyming words in the text. Using these three books, we reviewed articles of clothing, colours, and Halloween vocabulary in French. The children enjoyed the tactile experience of manipulating and placing the magnetic pieces in the correct order while our group retold the stories. All three books are also very useful for practicing ordinal numbers i.e. “Who did the old lady meet in the forest first, second, third ...? (premier, deuxième, troisième ...?).” “Who pulled on the pumpkin first, second, third ...?” “What did the old lady swallow first, second, third ...?” Storybooks are excellent tools for fostering a link between literature and mathematical ideas. Tuesday, October 13
Spinning Ghosts! Since children learn best by doing, we try to provide opportunities for hands-on, child-driven inquiry. In this activity, the students began by cutting around the outline of a paper ghost with outstretched arms. When we dropped our ghosts from a height, the children observed that they simply “floated” to the ground. Together, we brainstormed why this might be, and what we could do to change this outcome. If we wanted the ghost to spin around as it floated down, what modifications could we make to the ghost? The children made many interesting suggestions including putting tape on the ghost, dropping it forcefully point down, and turning our wrists as we dropped it. I held up four variations of the ghost and explained how each had been altered. (The first ghost had a paper clip attached to the bottom, the second ghost had a paper clip at the bottom and both arms were folded forward, the third ghost had a paper clip at the bottom and one arm was bent forward while the other was bent back, and the forth ghost had no paperclip and no folds.) We then predicted which of the four ghosts would spin like a helicopter and made a graph of our predictions. We examined the data and calculated how many people voted for each option. Next, the children took turns dropping each ghost and we observed how it looked as it fell. (Ghost #1 dropped straight down. Ghost #2 tumbled end over end. Ghost #3 spun. Ghost #4 floated to the ground.) Why did these outcomes happen? Each child brought his or her own experiences and knowledge to this investigative process. Through the sharing of ideas, the children helped each other develop theories, hypotheses, and strategies for modifying the ghost to make it spin. Together, we posed more questions: What effect does the paperclip have on making the ghost spin? Does the size of the paperclip matter? Does the colour of the paperclip matter? Does it make a difference where you fasten the paperclip? What effect do the arm folds have on making the ghost spin? Does the kind of paper make a difference? How does _____ affect _____? What would happen if ...? The children continued experimenting with their ghosts. They made their own choices, controlled the variables, and were leaders of their own learning. Scientific investigation and experimentation contribute to children’s learning in many ways: • The children developed their inquiry skills by observing the “Demonstration” ghost float to the ground, and by forming the question, “What can we do to this paper ghost to make it spin?” • When the children discussed the procedure we would follow, made predictions, represented this information graphically, noted their observations, discovered relationships, discussed their results, learned through trial and error, and made further adjustments to their ghosts they engaged in elements of the scientific method. • The children practiced problem-solving skills, cooperation, helping skills, and communication while taking turns and exchanging ideas with each other as they experimented. Friday, October 2
“Citrouille orange, citrouille orange, qu’est-ce que tu vois ? Je vois une chauve-souris brune qui me regarde.” In our small groups, we have been working on using magnetic pieces to act out this Halloween twist on the familiar story, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? The children made the connection to this well-known story immediately. They really enjoy assuming a role, handling the pieces, and placing them on the board when their turns come up. They are excellent dramatizers and patient turn-takers! Using this activity, we review colours in French and introduce Halloween vocabulary (e.g. citrouille orange, chauve-souris brune, lune jaune, monstre bleu, chat noir, sorcière verte, fantôme blanc, etc.) Through the story’s repetition, we also reinforce and practice saying the French phrases, “Qu’est-ce que tu vois ?” (What do you see?) and “Je vois un(e) ...” (I see a ...”). Tuesday, September 29
As part of our morning check-in, the children are asked to examine a small quantity of objects in a jar. Recently, the items have been Teddy Graham cookies. “Are there a little bit or a lot?” The children are asked not to attempt to count the precise number of items, but instead to concentrate on making a reasonable guess. Using a number line and a transparent overlay, we highlight the three or four numbers that are most frequently suggested by the group. Being in the accurate range or zone is more important than arriving at the one right answer. If children wish to change their guesses, we always accept modifications. Our final estimate then becomes a group rather than individual answer. When no name is attached to a prediction, there is no shame in being incorrect. Risk-taking and problem-solving skills are enhanced when children don’t feel pressured to be perfect. We are already seeing the children’s proficiency at estimation improve with practice. “What if I had put coloured bears in the jar instead of Teddy Grahams?” The children realized that since the coloured bears are larger than the Teddy Grahams, fewer bears would fit inside the jar. Excellent! Monday, September 28
In Math, we often use manipulatives (concrete materials) to make sense of abstract ideas. The children in the photos sorted their bears by two attributes, colour and size. They went on to create and extend their own patterns. Bravo! |
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