Dear Parents
The rest of the year is a roller coaster ride. We are seated. We’re belted in. Hold on!
Are you ready? Here we go!
In this folder are the following:
· Spelling Test Today
· ‘Wake Up Brain’
· Officer Buckle and Gloria Test
· Fact Assessment # 9
· Perfect Puzzles
· Animal Report
· Science Helper Sign Up Form
Our week looked like this:
1. Animal Reports Require Parent Help!
Our research is done. Our reports are written. Now we need mom and dad’s practical help, please.
The next step is to present our information to the class. The aim is to grab the attention of our audience and hook them in, just like a fisherman reels in his slippery catch. We want the others to be excited about our particular animal.
How? When? Can parents watch their child present? Look for more information in today’s Friday Folder.
2. Not One But Two!
This week we’ve had TWO different science experiments! How good is that?
The first one was all about Chemistry with Drs Paul and Sarah Herrmann. Our attention was captured when Johnny’s dad demonstrated the water cycle. Then he clarified the states of matter (liquids, solids and gases) using ‘molecule’ models.
Illustrating the term, ‘density’ using marbles and steel balls, then again using air and dry ice were interesting. We learned about sublimation or skipping one state of matter. Watching dry ice, we could see it turning from a solid directly into a gas, totally missing the liquid state. Naphthalene mothballs also sublime from solid to gas. Fascinating!
But when the Herrmanns made us lemon soda with a long trail of dry ice gas spilling out of the pitcher, everyone added ‘Chemist’ to their Want-to-be List.
Our second science treat this week was ‘The Eyes Have It!’ Opthalmologists, Jennifer Baldwin and Meaghan Balli brought in models, instruments, and genuine cow’s eyes to help us learn. By watching, doing, testing and comparing everyone was fully engaged.
At the dissecting station, I observed kids initially off put by the cow’s eye looking back at them! First they covered their eyes with their hands. Then they spread their fingers apart to peek between. Soon they were learning forward for an up close and personal encounter, asking questions and listening to explanations.
At another station kids pulled apart large models of eyes as technical names and terms were introduced. By using the testing and measuring instruments to correct for better vision, they certainly had a good idea of eyesight. After the hour, some were using new words they heard, correctly, in conversation. How fortunate are we to have Daniel and Jack in our classroom and for their moms to squeeze in time for us!
If I had closed my eyes this week, I would have imagined myself in a High School Science Lab. But I didn’t dare in case I’d miss something!
This is what I heard the kids say:
Having fun (doing real stuff), waiting (sooo exciting), anticipating (scary mixed with happy), being involved (pick me!) and finally seeing the results (wow!) makes science the best (can we do it again … please?)
3. New and Different Math Challenges!
You’ll notice each week, different kinds of mathematical challenges. Those who don’t quite get time to try this in the classroom can bring it home and ‘give it a go’. Return the completed papers by Friday so we can compare notes, ideas and solutions with class members. This week we all tried the Perfect Puzzle, which is a triangle shaped addition review that goes beyond computation towards mathematical reasoning.