Sunday, January 26, 2014

We Are 100 Days Smarter!

 Where is this school year going? It is hard to believe we have already reached the 100th day of school, but we did! It was a day worthy of celebrating!
 One of our most fun activities was each student counted out 100 mini marshmallows and created geometric shapes. Students got very creative and many attempted to build a dodecahedron
We also counted out 100 Froot Loops and made a necklace! The entire classroom smelled delicious during this activity! It was very interesting to see the different patterns and designs on each necklace.
Another hands on project we did was taking the digits one, zero and zero and turning them into something else. Students got very creative and we had ladybugs, owls, airplanes, black holes and lots of other unique ideas!
Throughout the day we also wrote hundreds of words, solved 100 math problems, created math problems with the answer 100 and illustrated what we might look like when we are 100 years old. Happy 100th Day of School!

Monday, January 20, 2014

Sensational Snowflake Symmetry

We have been learning about symmetry in math class. We created paper snowflakes to demonstrate this concept.
So far we have discussed lines of symmetry, rotational symmetry, reflectional symmetry and asymmetry. 
Later this week students will take a post assessment to demonstrate their mastery of symmetry.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Mystery Science


With (seemingly) the rest of country buried in snow recently, I didn't want my class to feel left out. So for our "Mystery Science Experiment" this week, we created snow! 
First, students had to examine the white powder. We discussed the rules of scientific observation, like no tasting or inhaling any substances. Students then hypothesized what the powder might be and what might happen if we mixed it with water. 
Then we actually did add water to the powder and right before their very eyes, snow erupted from the bowl! 
This was a great science investigation to review observation, states of matter, chemical reactions and experience inquiry based learning. 


Thursday, January 9, 2014

Millionaires!

Congratulations to our first two members of Fireside Elementary School's "Millionaire's Club!" These students have read (more than) a million words this school year. They will be honored at a school assembly, invited to a special ice-cream social and will each receive a one-million-dollar-bill. Wow! All students are welcome to participate in this school wide challenge. Keep up the great reading! 

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

7-Up Sentences


You may notice your students referring to "7-Up Sentences."
A 7-Up Sentence is one that is seven words or more, but in class we discussed the importance of adding quality words and not just creating long, run-on sentences. We have done a variety of writing exercises both individually and also working with a small group. 
When we were finished learning about 7-Up Sentences, everyone got to enjoy a refreshing taste of 7-Up as they completed their work.