Testing Materials and Design

Science

Testable Question: Will one large pillar support more mass than four smaller pillars?

Fort Calgary Field Trip

Today was a success! We started out the morning with a lesson around sketching techniques. We looked at techniques such as drawing organic lines and shapes, hatching, stippling and gradation. We had a lot of fun doing gesture drawings of our classmates, followed by blind contour drawings.

During the lunch hour, we had a picnic with our friends and then headed outside for some much needed fresh air and a walk. The park at the East Village is even better with snow!

In the afternoon, we explored the concept of "Quality of Life." Acting like detectives, we investigated belongings from various Albertans from the past. Using the artifacts as clues, we were asked to make inferences about their quality of life. This is a concept that we will continue to revisit throughout the year, as we learn more about our own community and other communities around the world.

Fiction vs. Non-Fiction

Fiction Vs. Non-Fiction

Today we had a great discussion around fiction and non-fiction texts. Here are some of our findings:

Fiction       
- Made up                                                         
- Entertains the reader
- Has a beginning, middle and end
- Has characters and a setting
- Tells a story
- Must read in order

Non-Fiction
- Informational
- Has True facts
- Read in any order
- Teaches the reader
- Has text features ( table of contents, headings, index, glossary)

Fiction and Non-fiction
- Has true facts
- Teaches the reader
- Photographs
- Entertains the reader

Feelings

In order to develop a deeper understanding of ourselves, we dove into a conversation about our feelings. What are feelings? Where do feelings come from? What happens to our bodies when we experience different feelings? How do we control or manage our feelings? We had a great chat and students were able to think of and share many personal connections. We were able to identify a list of positive and negative feelings, as well as examples of different body language that may accompany that feeling.  Below are a few student quotes from the work students completed:

" I feel joyful when I am playing with my dad. When I feel joyful, I am smiling and my body is relaxed."

" I feel frustrated when my baby sister ruins a game I am playing with family members. When I feel frustrated, I feel uncomfortable, cranky and unfocused."

We will continue our work over the coming weeks, as we explore how to work through "feeling explosions."

Pattern Block Triangles

Challenge: How many blocks can you use to build a triangle from pattern blocks?
Can you build one with 2 blocks? With 3 blocks? With 4 blocks? How far can you go?

We had the chance to review some geometry vocabulary while problem-solving together with friends. We had a lot of fun finding solutions to this problem! Here are some snapshots from our work.

News from the Classroom

Today was a busy day! Here are some highlights:

- Helping our grade 1/2 friends log into the computers and Mathletics
- Gym outside on this beautiful day
- Looking at patterns in Math
- Learning about new countries
- Guided drawing of a chameleon

Just a reminder that tomorrow is our scheduled library day!

Tomorrow evening at 6pm, you are invited to attend the School Council Meeting. Babysitting will be provided and all are welcome.

Have a great evening!

Mathletics

Today, we practiced representing numbers using Mathletics.

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