Some highlights of our learning!

As we come to the end of the 2nd trimester, time really seems to be flying by! 

Here are a few photos of the children at work last week:

 The class took their DOG (Geography) quiz using an app called Socrative. The questions were on the iPads, and the children used maps to help them answer them. I LOVED having the children take their quiz this way because it gave the children (and me) instant results! I was able to view which questions the children did a great job on, and which questions were more challenging. It was also great to print the report to send home right away! I'm already thinking of other ways we can use immediate feedback like this...

 The children practiced sorting and analyzing data during math last week. We used the data from measuring our arm span and our long jump from previous lessons to: 1) determine the minimum and maximum, 2) subtract the minimum from the maximum to determine the range 3) sort the data in order by size and find the median, or middle number. 4) graph the data using post-it notes to identify the mode (most popular number). The children did a great job manipulating these numbers that they gathered themselves-  it was true authentic learning!

 It was time to move each chrysalis (carefully) into their new home- the butterfly house! I only screamed a few times when they surprised me with some wiggles letting me know that I was bothering them and to make it snappy! It's only a matter of time until this butterfly house is full of butterflies!

 The children really enjoy taking notes in their science notebooks each day. These notes include drawings, measurements, as well as observations they see. It is such fun to watch them wonder, watch, and discuss what they see with their classmates.

 I was SO PROUD of David's neat work this week, that I had to take a picture of it! Way to go, David! The children also took their 2nd Schoolwide reading test on our unit on nonfiction. We are excited to begin our new unit on Poetry!

We reviewed before taking our unit 7 math test. The children complete sample/review problems on white boards covering the skills of the unit to give them the opportunity to review and refine their understanding, or to ask questions if they remain unsure about something. I was so impressed with their strategies for solving multiplication story problems in particular- you can see from these pictures that the children used a variety of methods,  including arrays, pictures, and number models- choosing the way they felt most comfortable with to come up with the correct answer. Awesome!

 Mrs. Stevenson came by to complete an art appreciation lesson with the class. The children enjoyed her visit and thinking critically about interesting and beautiful pieces of art!

 Joana's grandmother in Bulgaria sent our class good luck bracelets known as "Martenitsa" that are to be worn during the month of March when a stork, swallow, or budding tree have been spotted. The children and I felt so lucky to receive them! We were happy to make thank you notes for Joana's grandmother and sent them in the mail. Here we are, showing off our new lucky charms!

We were so happy to welcome Kelsey's dad, Mr. Schmidt, to our classroom on Friday afternoon. He read the kids a hilarious story about a little bear who found a child to keep as a pet. The bear named the child "Squeaker" and asked him mom if he could keep him. It was such a funny change in perspective, and the kids enjoyed "squeaking" their way through the story!

 Kelsey and her dad demonstrated how liquids have different densities, as they poured oil and water in the same bottle. We watched as the oil settled on top of the water because water is more dense than oil. Then, they added some carbon dioxide to create bubbles- and the bubbles looked like a lava lamp as they floated through both liquids. What a cool experiment!

Kelsey's dad shared some background stories about the pictures Kelsey showed the class earlier in the week.  He made us laugh!

Finally, Kelsey's dad pulled up a chair to write Kelsey a star letter with her classmates. 

We thought it would be a blast to have him in our class!

What a cute picture of Kelsey and her dad!  We are so fortunate to have such a sweet, hardworking, and caring friend in our class this year. You had a terrific week, Kelsey!