Thursday, February 10, 2022

 Today we: discovered that Carter G. Woodson is the man who founded Black History Month. He is also the second African-American to get a doctorate from Harvard University. Students had this message written on the board with many errors and they did a wonderful job finding them all and correcting them. We added this fact to our Black History Month page in our visual journals. 

In math, we continued our practice of multiplication facts with an exercise in algebra. We explored how the equals symbol can represent a divider for two sides that equal the same thing, and then discussed Part-Part-Whole and how answers can be divided into two parts (or more). This helped to understand how algebra is about finding the missing variable in an equation and using the answer to find the part. For example, 3 x __ = 12 means that both sides will be 12 in total. So 3 groups of what amount will give us 12? We also saw that 12 divided into 3 groups shows that there would be 4 in each group. These fact families are very important for mental math, and these practices will help them to memorize these facts for future grades. 

Before lunch, we explored the makings of an electricity circuit through moving images provided by EPCOR with an online slideshow. It shows how the electricity moved through the circuit and how a light switch can open and close the flow. They had to draw a diagram and label the components, and then we watched a video testing the conductivity of water and why it is dangerous to have water around electricity. We also saw how a potato can be used to make a battery - while the power source is very small, the light still turned on! 

After lunch, we read chapter 3 of Rise of the Jumbies. We shared our predictions and recorded descriptive words to help build the imagery of the creatures in the book. 

Students got to switch their books today in the Learning Commons and we made a stop at the Lost & Found to see the items that have not been claimed yet. 

We ended the day with some chromebook time to work on our social projects. With 12 Minecraft points, the students will get an entire hour to play tomorrow afternoon. Looking forward to a fun Friday! 

Wednesday, February 9, 2022

 Happy Birthday to Liam!! 

Today we: learned about Rosa Parks and how her experience standing up for herself started a boycott that changed the world. She refused to be segregated on the bus and stood up for her rights as a human being which caused many people to join a protest against these rules. The students recorded their information on their Black History Month page in their visual journals, including terms like discrimination, boycott, and prejudice. 

We had a surprise fire drill today, and luckily the sun was warm enough! 5A did a spectacular job of exiting the building and lining up for attendance. Mr. Scout even came in to tell us how wonderful we did, setting a great example for the school. 

The drill pushed our snack and recess back, but afterwards we did some practice of our 7, 8, and 9 multiplication facts with some partner marking. We watched a video online of a song made to help remember the facts, and the students had a little dance party in their seats as the song was really catchy! Check it out for yourself below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGsrC6ZPVGM 

After lunch, the students had some more time to work on their social projects. They are practicing their research skills by looking for specifics on each Canadian Region. This assignment is progressing into a partner presentation - students will choose their favorite region and do a google slideshow to go further on facts about their region. These will be presented to the class at the end of the month. 

The day ended with P.E. and the kids are just loving their basketball games! Mr. Newton does such an amazing job organizing exciting activities to practice their skills and get their bodies moving. 

5A has also been earning points towards more Minecraft time on Friday - so far, they have 9 points! Each point is worth 5 minutes and we are all hoping to get the full hour. Points are earned by doing expected behavior, like raising hands to contribute to class discussions, not interrupting those who have the floor, and completing tasks in the time given. 

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

 Today we: learned about Martin Luther King Jr. and his famous speech about civil rights. Students corrected an excerpt on the board that had spelling and punctuation mistakes and then we watched a video explaining who he is and why he is so important to the world's history. 

After some more practice on multiplication of 2-digit numbers, we dove into a science lesson about conductors and insulators. Students got to predict and vote on whether certain objects were conductors or insulators, and then we watched an experiment online to test each object for its ability to pass electricity on a circuit. They recorded them in a chart in their visual journals. 

After lunch, we started our next Read Aloud book, The Rise of the Jumbies. We did a musical chairs exercise of text graffiti where the students got to share their predictions based on solo quotes taken randomly from the book. We read the first two chapters and then wrote a prediction for Chapter 3. 

The students were very wiggly by this time, so we had an intermittent fitness break to get some energy out. We did a 5 minute video of 40 second exercises with 20 second rests. Students were panting by the end! 

We ended the day with some Kahoot online quiz challenges for math and science. Students tested their multiplication facts and reviewed what we learned this morning about electricity conductors and insulators. 

Monday, February 7, 2022

 Happy Birthday to Eva, today! 

Today we: learned about Black History Month through a short introduction video and a Read Aloud story about Viola Desmond. Students started a visual journal page to record what they will be learning as we do some special activities throughout the month celebrating important African-American and black people in the world's history. For example, in 1946 Viola Desmond was arrested for sitting in the wrong seat in a movie theatre, and went to court to fight for her human rights. The students learned that there used to be segregation (separation) and that black and white people were given separate allowances, usually unfair towards back people. Viola went to court to fight it, but unfortunately the courtroom found her guilty. It was important to note that the judge and prosecutor would not admit it was based on racism, but still found many ridiculous reasons to pursue the charge. Some students were very unhappy to hear about this unfair and unjust moment of history. We were happy to hear that Viola was pardoned (long after her death in 1965) and her face was put on Canada's $10 bill in 2018. Her sister, Wanda, shares Viola's story with schools, universities and interviews around the world. 

In math, we practiced 2-digit multiplication using base 10 blocks to make grids that show our equations. We explored the problem of having 14 buses, and 52 students on each bus, and seeing how many students could fit on that bus. They worked in teams of 5 to estimate, build, and then check and compare their work. Afterward, they were challenged with the task of coming up with their own problem, and some were very creative! With the last few minutes before lunch, they paired off to quiz one another on their basic math facts using their multiplication tables. 

After lunch, the students had music where they explored instrument sounds and then learned a new song on the xylophone. Basketball lessons continued in P.E. and they practiced their passing and dribbling skills through some games and challenges. Our class managed to pass around the world in only 52 seconds! 

The day ended with our research project on Canada's regions. Most students have moved onto the 4th on the list - The Canadian Shield. 

Friday, February 4, 2022

 Today we: practiced our phonetic sounds with a lesson on 3-syllable words. Afterwards, we did our Word Work program, and then spent some time drawing new names for the end-of-day chores. 

On Fridays, we do Literacy Block. Students were organized in groups and given a specific category to work on - Word Work, Work on Writing, Response to Reading, Partner Reading, Read to Self and Literacy Games. These rotate every Friday so they each get a chance to do them all. 

In P.E., students continued their basketball lessons by learning how to shoot hoops! Some racing games to top it off and then back to class for snack. 

We had a special treat today, on top of Pajama Day, we got to go on an outdoor walk with the Gadbois Gang! We walked to Nose Creek Park and checked out the Dry Pond, which was a fantastic connection to the Wetlands unit and our Lorax Letters. 

We ended this fantastic Friday with our very first lesson on Minecraft Education! Students were taken through the steps of creating a student account and setting up their computers. They started creating their own worlds and next week, they will get to enter a world as a class and interact. This is a great way to learn both math and coding skills. They are thrilled about this learning task! 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! 

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

 Happy TWOs-day! We are in the second month, on the second day, of the year 2022. This fun fact was noticed and talked about by many students this morning. 

We started a new program on phonemic sounds during our morning literacy time. This is a daily 10-minute lesson that breaks down the phonetic sounds in words which will help with spelling and pronunciation. 

In math, we continued our learning of basic multiplication facts. Breaking down the equations through fact families and repeated addition is helping them to grasp the most basic concepts of algebra (finding the missing piece of the equation) for example; 2 x ? = 16 and they check their charts to see what 2 groups would make 16 total. As we move forward in patterns, the students are going to be learning basic formulas for pattern rules and having their multiplication facts somewhat memorized through daily practice will help make the rest of the patterns unit much more understandable. 

In the afternoon, we had a visit to the Learning Commons for some new books! We also spent some time discussing the difference between Peer Conflict and Bullying for some role playing exercises in Health. The goal was to understand what can be done when a situation may present itself, whether it is with themselves or someone around them. It is important for students to understand and recognize these issues so they can better prepare for resolution and build those skills for the future. 

The day ended with some Electricity discussions and videos to begin our new Science unit. We discussed safety hazards and protocols for dealing with electricity in many different situations. 

Attention Parents! Friday, we will be going out for a Winter Walk as the weather should be warmer by then. It is also Pajama Day, so please encourage your kiddos to dress appropriately for both events - bring snow pants, gloves, hats, boots. If students are concerned about being warm enough in pajamas, they are more than welcome to bring a change of clothes or layer up/down. We will be joining Ms. Gadbois's class for the walk and it will be a wonderful opportunity for socializing and fresh air. 

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

 Today we: corrected a message written on the board. After being away for a week, I left a greeting message for the students on the board that was full of mistakes. Many noticed immediately, but after our Word Work routine, students wrote the message into their journals and corrected it themselves. We checked all the mistakes as a class and they corrected their own work. 

In math, we went over the process for multiplying 2-digit numbers as a class and then they were given practice questions to try on their own. Everyone swapped books with another student and used a different color pencil to mark each other's work while I went through each question and each process on the board with the input of some volunteers. They finished off the morning with some Power of Nine Face-Off games in partners. 

In the afternoon, we continued our research on the Canadian Regions. Groups broke out in the Prairie space, the classroom and at the tables to make brochure pages in their visual journals. We finalized the Arctic Region and learned that the frozen tundra of Nunavut makes it hard to grow crops, but there are a lot of minerals in the ground that are mined, like diamonds and gold. 

We ended the day with P.E. and they started their Basketball unit. Students practiced their dribble and how to hold and handle the ball in fun and creative ways, like bouncing between the legs and catching with opposite hands. 

Stay warm out there!