Week of February 20th

Stem Challenge

This week students were challenged to use 4 cups and 4 popsicle sticks to hold 20 animals off the ground. Individually and in pairs, many students took on this challenge with great excitement! Students discovered that there were a lot of different ways to set up the cups and popsicle sticks, as well as different ways to arrange the plastic animals. 

Olympic Inquiry - Small World Play

This week in the building centre, students constructed different Olympic venues. Some venues included, a half-pipe, a speed skating track, a figure skating rink, athletes village and ski jumping. Many students created Olympic athletes using art materials such as popsicle sticks, cupcake liners, paper, markers, q-tips and tape. 

Athlete's Village

Speed Skating Track

Snowboarding Half-Pipe

Creating world flags

 Ski jumping

Figure skaters going to Athlete's Village

Under the Sea Art Project

Students worked hard to week to draw and paint different under the sea creatures they read about. They took their time to observe the creatures in books and represented the shapes, colours and textures. All of their creations will soon be added to our ocean mural. Stayed tuned for more pictures this week of the final product!

Week of February 5th

Materials Inquiry Culminating Task: Flotation Device for Morris the Cow

After reading Sink or Swim, students were challenged to use a variety of recycled materials to create a flotation device for Morris. First, students tested different materials in the water table to see which materials would work and which would not. We came up with the theory that some materials are "friends with water and some are not". 

Testing materials

Testing flotation devices

Olympics and Under the Sea Inquiries

We are currently focusing on 2 different inquiries. Students have shown interest in both the Olympics and Under the Sea. This week we started by discussing what we already know about these topics and came up with some wonderings and questions. Students have been encouraged to ask questions using, Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. Students have been enjoying a new app on the iPads called Epic Books, where we have found many books about the Olympics and Under the Sea to help us with our learning! 

Exploring with shadows

With some very sunny days this week, we had the chance to explore with our coloured blocks and shadows. This was a very exciting activity for many of our friends in the building centre!

Letter of the Week: Gg

To form the uppercase G:

- Start at the top

- Big curve

- Little line up

- Little line across

To form the lowercase g:

- Start at the top

- Magic C

- Up like a helicopter

- Back down

- Turn

Jolly Phonics Song:

The water gurgles down the drain,

The water gurgles down the drain,

The water gurgles down the drain,

With a /g/ /g/ /g/ /g/ gone.