In science, the students experimented with cardboard strips and paper fasteners to try and figure out which geometric shape is the strongest. (They discovered it's the mighty triangle!) We looked at the structure of domes and how they are strong structures. We looked at geodesic domes that use triangle shapes in their construction (like the sphere at Ontario Place) and tried to create a large one, but we hit some trouble and will have to rethink our approach next week.
In language, the class reviewed verbs and adverbs and how to recognize them in sentences. The students played a few "word ladder" games, where the children have to use their letter-sound knowledge to change one word into another. The students reviewed how to write a letter, and then practiced by writing a letter of "thanks" to a family member to give to them this Thanksgiving holiday.
Further to our author study of the Canadian author, Dayal Kaur Khalsa, the students wrote facts about her life, and these will become part of a class book. The children also began creating artwork using oil pastels of their favourite part of one of her books. During our Thanksgiving feast, the class watched the National Film Board's adaptation of her book, The Snow Cat. Here is the link:
http://www.nfb.ca/film/snow_cat/
In math, the class focused on the proper way to answer a math word problem. The steps to remember are: draw a picture, write a number sentence, write a word sentence and consider if the answer makes sense. The children worked in groups and partners to experience how different students approach solving a problem. Then each student tried using the learned strategies to solve problems alone. The students were also introduced to the concept of codes and how one-to-one object mapping help them crack a code. The class also looked at the concept of 1000, in terms of place value and how relatively big the number is (ten groups of 100).
We visited with our Reading Buddies in Room 101. This time each student chose a book from our class library to share with their buddy.
Finally, on Friday, the students worked together to make butter, bread and soup for our Thanksgiving feast. For the butter, the children each shook a mixture of 35% cream and a touch of salt in a jar until the butterfat separated from the liquid (whey) to make butter. The class learned about the organism yeast and how it makes bread dough rise. Each student stirred the batter to make the bread dough. The children brought in vegetables, which they each washed and cut and put into the soup. All through this time, the class practiced thinking like scientists and looking at the changes that occurred and what remained the same and what was different. Finally, the students ate together, being thankful for all the good food. We even had a visit from the principal, Mrs. Farrelly!
Books Read Aloud This Week:
How Pizza Came to Our Town by Dayal Kaur Khalsa
Family Vacation by Dayal Kaur Khalsa
Six Dinner Sid by Inga Moore
Thanksgiving - A Canadian Holiday by Julies Markes
Stone Soup by Jon J. Muth
Snow Cat by Dayal Kaur Khalsa
Learning American Sign Language With Room 5 - episode 4
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