This week the focus of our writing and science time was on our caterpillars! The students checked their caterpillars everyday. Each time they measured the caterpillar, drew a picture and wrote down how it has changed. They also wrote down their questions and hypotheses about what they saw. These questions helped to guide our research. For example, did you know that caterpillar poop is called "frass"? The class also learned a song about caterpillars and butterflies with American Sign Language signs.
In math, the children worked on their understanding of symmetry by applying what they know to new types of pictures and drawing lines of symmetry. Later in the week, the students used their knowledge of direction words and spatial orientation to help them understand how to draw their own maps.
In writing, the children learned how to use quotation marks in their writing to properly show how characters speak. By putting a set of quotation marks at the beginning and ending of the words that a character says, it shows the reader what was actually said.
Our librarian, Ms. Mantello, asked our class to draw pictures of the character Gabby from Joyce Grant's books that she has read to the students during our library time. So, not only have the children drawn pictures, but also they wrote stories about the pictures they created. The children will give these pictures and stories to the author when she visits our school on June 3rd.
In guided reading, the students read about simple machines. This week we read about inclined planes, pulleys and wheels and axles. The students also had a chance to create their own set of two wheels attached with an axle to learn first why wheels are round (and not rectangular!) and how wheels make moving things easier and faster.
The students integrated math and art by creating shapes from cardboard squares that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Then they outlined the shape they made many times as they slide the shape along the paper to create a pattern with no spaces in between the shapes. Then they used 3 different watercolour pencils to put colour on the shapes in a repeating pattern. This art is now on display in our classroom.
The students continued to practice Speed Stacking and they recorded their times to show that they are getting better as they practice!
Books read aloud this week:
Zoom! (short chapter book) by Tim Wynne-Jones
Weasels by Elys Dolan
Spork by Kyo Maclear
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