Of course the BIG news was the visit of the important people to our classroom on Thursday! Photos can be found in a separate posting.
In math, the students learned about measuring capacity, or the amount (of solids or liquids) that a container can hold. Using standard and non-starndard units, the students did different activities to discover that the size and shape of a container can fool our eyes about the capacity of a container.
In writing, the students used their photos of the Picasso-style art they made to write stories using these photos as characters. Then they had another challenge. The students now have to introduce Picasso as a character in each of their stories. Will he be working at a store? A fireman? The pilot of a plane?
The students learned about the fifth (of six in total) device grouped as a simple machine. The bolt or screw is actually the simple machine called an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder. The students each had a chance to experiment with a toggle blot that actually is a lever type of nut matched with a long bolt screw.
The Painted Lady butterflies came out of their chrysalids this week. It was so exciting! The students spent a lot of time reflecting on just how the butterflies managed to get their butterfly shapes after being in the sort of cylinder shape of the chrysalis. They broke open the plastic bags containing the lego models they built last week to model what happens when the butterfly comes out of the chrysalis. The star student was wrapped in paper to know what it felt like to be inside a chrysalis and the students used large pieces of fabric to feel what its like to unfold the wings and fly away. Did you know that butterflies use insect blood called hemolymph to pump up and straighten out their wings when they come out of the chrysalis? After the wings are straightened out, the hemolymph squirts out (that explains the "blood" all over the table and butterfly cage).
The students found out that butterflies drink but don't eat (and caterpillars eat but don't drink). They use a straw-like tongue called a proboscis. The butterfly tongue is as long as its body so it curls it up in a spiral when its not using it. The students used measuring tapes to see and feel what it is like to have such a long tongue and what it takes to roll it up into a spiral to store it. Finally, the class went outside to release the butterflies so they could be free. Some flew up higher than the school!
The students folded small origami boxes and decorated them with colourful symmetrical paper butterflies. These boxes were made to hold an empty chrysalis as a memory of our class project. These boxes went home with the children on Friday.
Books read aloud this week:
Capacity by Henry Pluckrose
OOOOh, Picasso! by Mil Niepold
The Butterfly Alphabet by Kjell B. Sandved
Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly by Alan Madison
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