News for January 27

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News for January 27

This week the students did the first interview for "The Room 204 Interview Show". On Wednesday, we interviewed Ms. Robertson, the vice principal at our school. You can view the video in a separate posting.

Each student wrote a survey question to learn more about the students in Room 204. Next the children went around the classroom and answered the questions. Then the children tallied their results, graphed the information and wrote about what they learned.

The class began a new math unit on linear measurement. They reviewed the use of non-standard and standard units to measure length and distance. We talked about the standard units centimetre, metre and kilometre and began to measure items using rulers.

The class continue to work on their glovetopus chapter books. They also started to create illustrations for their books. We learned more about real octopuses too, for students to use in their writing. Did you know that the octopus has 9 brains, a hard "beak" to crack open shellfish and blue-green blood?

Our class research projects on different countries around the world are almost finished. About half of the completed posters are now displayed in the hallway outside of our classroom.

The children created test sentences and made cue cards to practice the use of the trickiest homophones in the English language, "their, there, they're".  Here's a challenge: ______ with ______ friends over _______. Do you know the proper way to spell the words that go into the blanks?

In social studies, the class is talking more about traditions and celebrations. The students read and answered comprehension questions about the history of Groundhog Day (February 2) and how it is celebrated. Did you know that it is exactly halfway between the first day of winter and the first day of spring? It's not based on science, but the tradition is that if the groundhog comes our of its burrow and sees its shadow (that is, a sunny day), then it will go back into its home and winter will last another six weeks.

On Friday, the class celebrated Chinese New Year! It's the year 4715 according to their lunar calendar. The Chinese zodiac symbol makes the new year the year of the rooster. We read about the history of chopsticks ("quick sticks"). We cooked rice and stir-fried vegetables, ate oranges and introduced water chestnuts and baby corn to many of the students. Did you know that humans have been eating rice for over 5,000 years? The children helped to cook the food and wrote about this Chinese tradition in their journals. Did you know that oranges are a holiday food and oranges with leaves are considered to be good luck?

The children were challenged to work with a partner and find the best way to cover a sphere with paper. It's not easy to do! This activity was done to help the children make a connection between a globe and a flat map of the world. I drew a rough map of the world on an orange and peeled it in one piece to show what it would look like as a flat map.

The students attended an assembly in the gym on Thursday. Ms. Francesca organized a presentation from the people at "Right to Play". The children learned about how this organization works with children around the world and uses games to teach life skills and promote leadership. More information can be found at www.righttoplay.ca

Finally, the children learned the cursive letters "q, i, u, y" this week.

Books read aloud this week:

Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner (chapter book - finished)

Canada's Maple Leaf - The Story of Our Flag by Ann-Maureen Owens

Chopsticks- Amazing Chinese Inventions by Ying Chang Compestine