Good Morning Division 11!
I hope you all had a great long weekend. I have read all your letters and am going to spend today responding to them and all of your questions on Fresh Grade. They were so thoughtful and a great activity to begin working on your writing.
Today we are going to focus on loose parts creativity and reading to start off our second week. Today I would like you to…
- Loose Part Hunt
Three mornings a week in our class we would start our day by using loose parts or what we call “STEM bins” to create something that the students are interested in, enjoy creating, or is curious about. STEM stands for “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.” This activity allows the students to settle in, get engaged, creative and be hands on when we start our days. We will do this once or twice a week from our homes depending on the weekly activities.
For today’s activity I would like students to go around the house, in the backyard or neighbourhood and look for loose parts that they can use to create something. Loose parts can be almost anything and there are almost no limitations except for respecting others belongings or nature. For example, LEGO, bottle caps, beads, rocks, buttons, popsicle sticks, leaves, twigs etc. The students know what loose parts are and are familiar creating with them outside, during stem activities and story workshop. If it is okay with your parents you can talk about finding a special place to store these items at home for when you want to play with them and when we need them for more activities. When we are finished with the loose parts collection remember to return the objects where we found them like we do in Outdoor Classroom.
For more loose part ideas check out How We Learn
Here are some examples from our learning this year to help get some ideas:
2. Loose Part Creation
Create something using the loose parts you collected. When you are finished making your creation or image, please take a picture and upload it to Fresh Grade. I look forward to seeing everyone’s creativity!
- Reading Stamina for 15-20 minutes
Every day we will continue reading for 15-20 minutes even though we are not altogether. Get into your cozy spot and read to self for 15-20 minutes. Remember if one book is not enough during that time grab a couple to sit with. If you are using Epic! or Raz-Kids pick out your books in advance, so you are able to read the entire time during stamina, instead of searching for a book. Similar to what we do in class, book exchange or search prior to our reading time is important for stamina.