PJ Party

The 1-2 kids enjoyed a well earned day of fun and relaxation in their pjs after our big Dragon Showcase yesterday. We started with an author's share of the nonfiction books the kids have been writing. Listeners told the writer a new fact they learned from their books and complimented a nonfiction craft element or text feature. 

Next they all snuggled on their blankets with their stuffed pals to enjoy watching the Netflix movie version of Dragonrider with a popcorn snack! Though not as rich and detailed as the book version, the kids liked the humorous bits and seeing some of their favorite characters on the big screen. 

Then we had some rousing rounds of dreidel using hershey kisses as gelt. Lots of cheering and bemoaning the fateful spins could be heard as the gelt changed hands. Chants of "Gimel! Gimel! Gimel!" went round the table. But at the close of the gaming, all kids left with an equal share.  

Enjoy the pictures of our fun day below.

Have a happy and restful break! See you again in 2023!

Water Works

The pouring rain today kept us from our walk to the Town Forest, but did not deter our spirit for being in the outdoors. We geared up in boots, coats and hoods to head out and find out what was happening with all this water. The prediction was for a rainfall of 2 inches. What would happen with all that water? (And if only it were a few degrees colder...)

So, as part of our ongoing efforts to track the movement of our local water, we had an ideal opportunity to trace the route of run-off water to Morse Pond from one of its sources. We discovered a storm drain in Sargent Field. After all the rain of last night and today, we could hear the rushing water under the ground. Where did it come out? 

We listened for a more clear roar of water nearby and observed a small but powerful waterfall gushing out of the culvert beyond the fence. The water we saw was a swollen stream teeming its way to find a downward path. It wound around until it reached Morse Pond - its final deposit destination.

We thought about what that traveling water brought with it in its windy course: salt washed from the roads, sand, soil, sticks, leaves, litter, toxins - all draining into Morse Pond where people like to fish and swim and where many animals make their homes.  

Check out the pictures below of our investigation as well as our joyful appreciation of some truly wet weather!

How Many of Each?

Both the first and second graders are exploring "How Many of Each?" problems in math. At the first grade level, this looks at a number of objects from 5-12 that may come in two types. For example, I have 9 peas and carrots - how many of each could I have?. The students need to deconstruct and rebuild the target number using a different combination of peas and carrots (1+8, 2+7, 3+6, 4+5). It is tricky to generate all solutions as 1 pea and 8 carrots is not the same spoonful of vegetables as 8 peas and 1 carrot. This brings some algebraic thinking into the mix - x+y=9. What could the values of x and y be? We give the kids the context of peas and carrots or apples and bananas instead of the abstract entities of "x" and "y" but the thinking work is the same. They have many tools to use in their strategy work including orange and green cubes, ten frames (or, 9 frames in this case) and kids have the opportunity to work on their own, with a buddy or with a teacher led group. 

On the second grade level, this work focuses around place value using a sticker context. These stickers come in strips of 10 and singles, representing the 10s and 1s in two digit numbers. Looking at a target 2 digit number as the quantity of stickers, such as 35, how many strips and how many singles could I have? (3 strips and 5 singles, 2 strips and 15 singles, 1 strip and 25 singles, or 35 singles) Here again, kids are tasked with this algebraic thinking that pushes them beyond simple addition or subtraction as there are multiple possibilities and how do you know if you've found them all? The tools available to help make this abstract thinking more concrete include base 10 blocks and snap cubes. 

Wrap up shares, posters and discussions help to grow everyone's thinking as we look at multiple approaches to the same problem. These big questions will continue to be explored in both grade levels in the weeks to come. Check out the pictures below of our young mathematicians!