This week the children focused on geometry, snowflakes and magnets.
In math, the class continued to learn about and explore geometric shapes. By folding a square of paper in half into a rectangle, then in half again to make a square and in half once more into a triangle, the students were set to cut out chunks of the folded triangle and then unfold it to make a paper snowflake. This was also great practise for using their scissor skills.
The children learned how the basic geometric shapes are different from each other (number of corners, number of sides, side length). They identified plastic shapes and used them to sing and do the "Shapey Pokey" (a version of Hokey Pokey). The students learned the American Sign Language signs for circle, triangle, square and rectangle and used these signs when learning the poem "Shapes". A copy of this poem was sent home with the children on Friday.
The students had several opportunities to explore pattern blocks (wood and plastic shapes). Students used these to create pictures (for example, a house or flower) as well as tile-type patterns where several of the same shapes are put together without any space between them. The class also started to "train their brains" to see geometric shapes in the real world. For example, the clock is a circle and the side of a Kleenex box is a rectangle.
We talked about magnets and how they can be used to stick things together without glue or tape. The children explore the "feeling" of the push and pull of magnets and used a variety of magnetic pieces for building.
The class learned the shape, sound, action and song for the letters Y and Z. They experimented with letter stamps to create words and patterns and matching the stamps to the proper place when putting the stamps away.
As we continue to learn about snow, the class learned about a real man nicknamed "Snowflake Bentley" who was the first person to photograph snowflakes over 100 years ago. We even looked at a book of his snowflake photographs! (Luckily it snowed several times this week and the students had a new appreciation for the delicate six-sided snowflake patterns.) His story reflects basic scientific thinking (questioning, solving problems) and how persistence pays off in the long run. This week I often referred to Snowflake Bentley with the children in situations where they were frustrated doing something, that is "Keep trying! Remember Snowflake Bentley? He never gave up!)
More information on the read aloud books for this week can be found at our sister blog at:
The children also had some messy fun playing with fake "snow" paint (a mixture of glue and shaving cream!).
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