Day: September 26, 2015

Outside of our main curriculum, I also like to support individual student passions and interests as time permits. For this reason, I try to build in one open choice time per week dedicated more to the student’s social-emotional development and independent projects. One group has really taken off with this idea! It started with our abstract art project, when two boys decided to turn the art into a marble maze (which really worked for the project, as they were supposed to produce something that represented their personalities and interests, and these mazes show some excellent builder abilities and creative thinking.) Now six different students have formed a mini marble maze club that originated in the classroom but also meets outside to play together. They have been using a variety of paper and building supplies I try to keep on hand.

We have many students in the class who are makers that enjoy building! If you have a maker at home, you may consider dropping by Urban Source, a shop on Main Street in Vancouver where I frequently pick up unique building supplies. The store is dedicated to crafting with reusable items that someone else thought were trash. For $5-20 you have free pick of items available and can fill bags of different sizes. See their website for more info.

Also, I found some new games for the program this weekend, including Maze Racers, that I hope the group will enjoy. Granville Island Toys is having their annual 25% off everything sale until EOD Sunday (lego excluded.) I find they have a great selection of critical thinking based games.

Enjoy the sunny fall weather!

Happy Friday! We started the day by talking about the Jar of Inquiry and used this technique to post questions about our unit on the WONDERINGS board in our classroom. The Jar of Inquiry is a metaphor I use for the inquiry process. At the beginning of your research, you have to build a foundation of basic information by asking simple questions that can usually be answered with a specific answer. Then, after the bottom of the jar is full, you continue building your information by asking deeper questions. Ask your child to explain the process. Everyone contributed questions, and it gave me a better sense of student interests and where to go next with the unit.

Afterwards, everyone signed up to be an expert on one of the body systems, doing more research on an area of interest to them. They will learn more about conditions related to their system, as well, so they can eventually do a project related to diagnosing a patient. They were asked to take notes, while also documenting the resource they were using with a title, author and copyright. This involved discussion about non-fiction features of a book that help you find the information you need.

Students finished up their probability and body stations packets to turn in to me. If they are not done, I asked them to take the packets home. They may need some supplies from me to finish, in which case they should see me at recess on Tuesday to finish up those small details.

We then did some more art related to line, symmetry and composition. Students folded watercolour paper in half, drew half of a butterfly using pictures provided, outlined it using black pastel, and then folded the picture so the pastel would transfer to the other side with rubbing. Afterwards, they filled the picture with background using black pastel again, then used watercolours to fill in the spaces of the picture. Some decided not to do a butterfly and chose to do a beetle, instead. Overall, they are looking great! If students didn’t finish today, they can have more time on Tuesday.

Professional Development day on Monday, so no school! Also, I signed agendas today, as I noted students need to take more care recording all homework. We will do this as a routine until students get used to writing down assignments.

We are looking for jars for next Friday in preparation for an art project. Jars should be larger, approximately spaghetti sauce size, cleaned, no labels, with the lid. Thank you in advance for helping us with this project.

If anyone has doctors or nurses they know who could come to visit us, please let us know! I am trying to create a panel of experts we could talk to. Thank you for your help!