This week the grade three students worked for three days to complete the provincial EQAO standardized test. During the testing periods, the grade four students worked on stories and learned more about medieval times with Ms. Kam's grade 4 students in room J4.
Almost all of the caterpillars transformed into chrysalids (singular=chrysalis) over the course of the week. To mimic their natural habitat these were pinned to the top of a mesh butterfly house. About 9 painted lady butterflies emerged and they were fed orange gatorade (which is chemically close to the nectar found in flowers). The butterflies use their tongues to drink the liquid (their tongues are long, spiral tubes). Later in the week, we also put slices of orange in the butterfly house. Students also got a chance to pretend they were butterflies and tasted orange gatorade. The class learned that inside the chrysalis is a liquid like a "caterpillar soup" that breaks down the cells of the caterpillar and rebuilds them into the butterfly. When the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis there is some insect blood, called miconium, that comes out too. This is a waste product that is used to pump out the folded wings and then is pushed out because it is no longer needed. The children also learned about the study of animal poop "scatology" and the science name for caterpillar scat is "frass". On Thursday, we went outside to release the butterflies that had come out. There are about 7 chrysalids left in the butterfly house. One student had the experience of being in a chyrsalis by being wrapped in toilet paper! The class discussed how it difficult it must be for the caterpillar to transform itself in such a small, confined space. Such an amazing process!
After learning last week about what seeds need to grow into plants, the class this week planted bean seeds in soil, with water, at room temperature, lots of air and room to grow.
As part of our pioneer unit the students learning a bit about weaving. The class learned that there are basically two ways that humans make fabric, weaving and knitting. Each student created his/her own loom using cardboard and the wool we dyed with Kool-aid. The students also gathered materials for sewing sock creatures.
In math, the students finished up the unit on probability by reviewing how to calculate the probability of an event or outcome happening and how these predictions really only match up when one does hundreds or thousands of repeated experiments. That's why it's called calculating probability and not calculating certainty!
Books read aloud this week:
Butterflies - A First Discovery Book by Heliadore Galimarde
The Tree of Life: The Incredible Biodiversity of Life on Earth by Rochelle Strauss
Everything's Coming Up Sock Monkeys!- The Art, History and Business of the American Sock Monkey by Bonnie Kraus Connelly
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