Wednesday 26 November 2014

What We're Up To This Week - November 24th-28th, 2014

Language 
-we filled in our How Do You Feel Today? surveys at the beginning of the day
-we filled in our What Stuck With You Today? surveys at the end of the day
-we discussed Stars (I liked it when...) and Planets (Next time...) from our Skype call
-we set up more bookmarks on our Chromebooks so that we can easily access documents and sites we'll need every day
-we are practicing keyboarding skills on TypingWeb
-we are independently reading books from our ECLIPSE bins or on the website "We Give Books" which donates a book to schools in need for every book you read online!
-we read to our Reading Buddies from Shelley E's grade 1 class. Many of us chose to read to them on "We Give Books". So far, our class has read more than 550 books, and therefore, donated the same amount to other schools! (this includes the reading that was done from April-June last year as well!)

Drama
-we surprised the Mighty Minions with Minion masks and acted like Minions!
-we watched the play "101 Dalmatians" performed by students at Nepean High School

Math
-we practiced our knowledge about fractions using a new online game called Kahoot!
-we are reviewing several Math concepts in small groups and individually in our blue duotangs. Students are working at different levels based on their self-assessments and progress thus far.
-In Number Sense and Numeration, we are colouring in diagrams of fractions, creating diagrams of fractions, recognizing equivalent fractions.
-In Measurement, we are selecting the best unit to measure specific objects; converting millimetres to centimetres, metres and kilometres; comparing areas of objects and calculating the perimeter of squares and rectangles
-We are reading time tables and extrapolating information from them, as well as solving problems using time
-we are practicing double digit subtraction with regrouping (borrowing)

Science 
-we had a Skype call with Sofika from Copernicus Education and learned about how Imagineers use the Design Process (Research; Idea; Market Research; Planning; Prototype; Iterations; Test with Users; Make Adjustments; Finalize Design; Production)
-we read a story from Teach Kids News about an animatronic penguin being used by researchers to learn about penguins. We guessed what the robot would look like and then compared our prediction drawings to an actual photograph.

Social Studies
-we had a Class Meeting and discussed roles and responsibilities and came up with a new list of class jobs through brainstorming orally and on our Chromebooks (making comments on a Google Doc)

Phys Ed
-we are practicing our traditional Scottish folk dances to prepare for the Ceilidh with Gillian's Mighty Minions next Monday!
-we are continuing to level up "Weevil Labeevil" on GoNoodle - our body break website by dancing to hilarious songs
-we went ice skating with Tiiu's class at Dulude arena. We talked about the importance of wearing hand coverings and a helmet when skating

Health
-we are practicing Mindful Eating with our buddies in Gillian's class who eat with us twice a week
-we are continuing to discuss kindness and how to avoid bullying, we talked about calling people names and including people in games that they would like to play

Learning Skills
-our Class Rules continue to be developed through a collaborative Class Meeting process.
-we spent some time independently organizing our Work Apartments - putting papers in the proper notebooks and duo-tangs
-we are setting goals as a class in terms of time management, so that we use self-regulate and use our time better
-we talked a lot about how to make sure we are being respectful and responsible when working with classroom volunteers and created a new system for volunteers in our classroom. The students will be happy to share with you when you come in next!

Tree Families
-our theme this month is acceptance. Our big idea is to respect and celebrate others' preferences and ideas.
-we talked about what all families need (love!) and different kinds of families while we read the book "And Tango Makes Three"

What Stuck With You Today? November 26th, 2014

What's your name?What stuck with you today?Anything else you'd like your class to know?
OysterWhat stuck with me was Tom was always sitting beside me singingI am awesome and Gladiator Snails are awesome!
robertwhat stuck with me today is : i am very happyyes by!!
LiamToday I was really learning well because I LOVE learning. No Thanks

B-) Sunglasses dude look at it side ways.
RaphieA very annoying song called all abut the bass.i dont think so
KatieOf course the skype call and how pretty Ava cat is.
Just today i noticed that she is very very pretty.
no not really
isaacwhat stuck with me today was the skype call it was very interesting and i learned a lot things no
hudsoni liked the skype call alote. and i liked the time on chromebooks.no
ToniI think when I did math with Kelly because the math was hard.No I don't think so Shauna.
Sammyi'm stuck with what i'm writing right nowno
sophiei am owes hugreno thaknyou
Owen.Dtoday i realy liked the class clene up because we got to get the classroom tidy. i also did not like how we lost so much time.well, um, no.
jamesI dont no!yum!
RowanIn my tree family I enjoyed reading a book called and tango makes three.Not today.
shaneI like our new class jobs.
Ava catI will remember the skype call.
and the 3D printer.
NOPE! NEVER! NOPE
lilahthat crismis is coming. my sist wining.no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
indi.how to change the wallpaper on the chrome books for people like katie. nope
Ava BunnyI am going to see my dad.
And chrismas is cuming.
I cant wate to see my presents.
no
tomi am tired and happy because i woke up and i was so tired but i also have hocky.no
timi am stuck on thinking about a game i am going to play after school today and the game is named skipbobno
MarikoI dont know!I dont want my class to know.

Wednesday 19 November 2014

What We're Up To in Room 209 - Monday, November 17th-Thursday, November 20th

Language 
-students are continuing to work on their 40 book challenge and are encouraged to select books from different genres
-we received emails from our friends Genevieve and Alison and wrote collaborative replies to them
-we wrote about a time when we were brave and how it felt to be worried or nervous and how it felt to do something that we knew was right
-students are practicing creating and working on collaborative documents on the Google Drive
-we are learning about the details that are important to include in a news story: the 5Ws and 1 H and thinking about our audience
-we can't tell you much about it, but "The Book with No Pictures" may make its way to your home soon!
-students are looking through their work to find words that they have used "temporary spelling" for and are creating their own, individual spelling lists to practice
-we are learning about end punctuation: periods, question marks and exclamation marks
-we are building up our stamina in the Read to Self portion of our ECLIPSE language program
-we are learning about how to use homonyms to understand and create puns and punny jokes

Art 
-we are practicing drawing "Brave Bots"

Math
-we are talking about measurement, and focusing on length
-we are practicing using both standard and non-standard units of measurement
-students are relying on estimation skills and using tools to check their thinking
-we are learning about how mm cm and m are related
-we are continuing to practice telling time
-we are collecting non-perishable food items to measure their mass
-we did the Francis Fractions slideshow and talked about how fractions are meaningless if you don't know the size of the whole and that a fraction is about comparing the numerator and denominator

Science 
-Hitchbot Jr is heading to Toronto for a Mini Maker Faire with our friend Alison from Maker Junior! We have built and dressed him and created prototypes for his instructions and notebook. He will meet Hitchbot and be tested in Toronto so we can make new iterations.
-we learned about a boy who has no eyes but can "see" with echolocation, like a bat!
-Scientists in the Schools came in and worked with the grade 4s on sound and the grade 3s on forces acting on structures and mechanisms
-Skype wasn't working, but we were planning to have a call with our friend Sofika from Copernicus Education about being an Imagineer. We'll do that next week.

Social Studies
-we are continuing to discuss the Learning Skills (Responsibility, Organization, Independent Work, Collaboration, Initiative and Self Regulation) and how we can demonstrate them in school

Phys Ed
-along with Gillian's grade 2s, we are learning traditional Scottish folk dances

Health
-we are modelling for our friends in the Mighty Minions how to eat mindfully (silent, still, hats off, stay in seat, enjoy your food using your senses)
-we are discussing

Tree Families
-our theme this month is empathy and our big idea is to walk a mile in someone else's shoes.
-we shared the book "The English Roses" and discussed the message and big idea, and how we can connect to the story in our own lives, in the world around us and in other texts