The highlight of our week was by far our STEM Challenge! We decided to call this activity "Apple Jenga!" The students just LOVED this and I know that we will bring this challenge back again! Apple Jenga is a block-building challenge with an apple theme and some measurement. The students worked with their math partner and were given a bag filled with 12 keva planks and 30 wooden cubes. Each pair of students were instructed to build the tallest tower they could that would support an apple. I didn't show any examples because I wanted the children to figure out how to build the best tower without me telling them how. They were immediately excited! As the children kept building and the towers kept tumbling down, there were screams of laughter and delight and lots of whooping! They built and measured, and built and measured, and built and measured. This activity went straight into pickup time and even then the kids didn't want to stop! Beyond the level of engagement, the best part was that the kids kept working on improving their designs and kept making their towers taller and taller through trial and error. Throughout the activity, the "record" for the tallest tower kept changing and all the kids rushed over to see the latest design to see how they could improve their own tower. As tempting as it was to show the children how to build a taller, strong tower, during STEM challenges learning happens when they figure things out on their own and through working with their partners. I did give hints such as:
“Think about how you can make this taller.
Are you using every block you have to make this as tall as it can be?”
“Maybe someone who is building a taller tower has a different idea. You might want to go take a peek at some of the ways the other children are building their towers to see what they are doing.”
“Your tower is very wide, but it needs to be tall and high. What can you do differently?”
“The tower you are building looks very thin and skinny to me. Before you spend more time making it taller, do you want to see if it will hold your apple up?”
Fundations: Spelling Rule K vs. C
The kids worked hard this week learning their first spelling rule. When we are talking about beginning sounds, C is used when the first vowel in the word is an A, O, or U. We use K when the first vowel in the word is an I or E. The kids learned - "K takes I and E, C takes the other 3" (referring to the other 3 vowels - A, O, U).
Fundations: Writing CVC Words
Math: Flat Shapes All Around Us
This week we started a new math unit. The unit goals include students identifying, describing, analyzing, comparing, and composing 2D shapes. Throughout the unit, the students will also recognize and describe shapes in the environment and use informal language to describe and compare shapes and their attributes. The students will also explore shapes by putting shapes together to form larger shapes.
Math: Which One Doesn't Belong
The students were introduced to a new routine called Which One Doesn't Belong. This routine is used as a math warm-up. The students compare four different images or shapes and analyze the characteristics of the items in comparison to one another. The shapes are designed so that students may compare the color of the shapes as well as geometric attributes. The students were taught there is no right answer but it is important to explain their choice. It was interesting to hear the students create an argument and use or revise their language to make their argument clear to others.
Math: Which One, Shapes
During this new math center, the students took turns with their math partners choosing a mystery shape and asking yes or no questions to determine the shape. Does your shape have more than 3 sides? Is your shape colored in? After each question, the students shared which shapes they can rule out based on the question. When the students felt ready to guess their partner's shape they did, and then explained why they thought it was the mystery shape.
Math: Build Shapes from Straws
In this lesson, students worked with their math partners to compare the length of straws and then use the straws to build shapes. The students took turns telling their partner what they knew about the shapes.
Math: Describe and Draw Shapes
During this activity, the students worked in pairs to describe and draw a mystery shape. Students learned that they needed to be precise in describing the shape in order for their partner to draw the shape accurately.
Art: Fruit Wreaths
PE: Basketball Unit
Music:
During music class, the kids went on a Bear Hunt and practiced playing a steady beat.
French: Numbers & Counting
Eraser Club:
The eraser club is a student engagement activity that is designed to motivate students to pay attention and work hard! Here's how it works: Each student has an eraser club card on their table spot. As I teach a lesson I watch for kids who are working hard and are on task - I put a mini eraser on their card. If students start to slack or become off task I remove the eraser. Anyone that has an eraser at the end of the lesson gets to keep the eraser and put it into their eraser club collection container.
Recess:
Comments