News for May 24

News for May 24

Another four-day week but the children were busy learning about how to measure area, working on their fiction butterfly stories and finishing up our class butterfly project.

In math, the class learn about area or the measurement of a surface inside a defined perimeter. To calculate area, units are used that are tiled edge-to-edge with no gaps or overlaps. Traditionally, area is measured in square units but other shapes, like equilateral triangles or rectangles, can be used as well. Students spotted ways in which area can be calculated easily around them by looking at square tiles on the floor or rectangle ceiling tiles. The children had several opportunities to estimate and calculate the area of objects around the classroom, like desks. They also learned that for a particular area, the smaller the unit of measure the more that are needed to calculate the area. At the end of the week, the students were experimenting with creating different shapes with the same area.

In writing, to compliment their caterpillar fiction stories, the children are now writing fiction stories about butterflies. These two stories sets, when finished, will be presented together as a single book.

In guided reading, the groups applied their knowledge of reading non-fiction texts to read and learn about the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly. The Monarch butterfly is similar to the Painted Lady butterfly but it is also quite different in that they migrate to a warmer climate (Mexico). (More information in the separate butterfly goodbye posting.)

In science, the children finished up our class butterfly project. (Please see photos and facts in a separate posting.

In art, the class learned an art technique with paint that creates symmetrical designs. By folding paper in half, adding paint and refolding and "squishing" the paint, the result is a beautiful abstract design. The children were so engaged by this activity, that they kept asking to make more and each child made five paintings. (Later, the class calculated how many paintings were made by skip counting by 5's, seventeen times to equal 85 paintings!)

The students later cut their paintings into symmetrical wing shapes, added a paper body to make their paintings into butterflies. These butterflies are now on display in the hallway outside of our classroom.

Books read aloud this week:

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (chapter book - continued)
The Butterfly House by Sarah Smith
Monarch Butterflies by Myrl Shireman