This Week's Math Stations ... Money, Weight and Time!

Each week the kids have 4 different math stations they go to. On Mondays we discuss and practice the different stations they will spend the rest of the week going to as a whole group on the carpet. They spend the next four days going to one station a day and working on the skills that we went over Monday. This week's stations were ...

Using balance scales to compare the weights of different items and seeing how many grams different items weighed. 

At another math station, the kids review counting money by counting pennies and matching the number that went with how many pennies they counted. They had to count up to 15 pennies in this station.

At a third math station, students drew number cards and had to fill in five frames (up to 20) with pennies that matched the number drawn.

At their final math station, which is at my table, students practiced showing me times I gave them, then making their own times to show me. Once we went over seven different times on the clock, they got to pick their own time and glue down the hands, then write the time shown on their clock. We only worked on "o'clock" times this week since it was our first introduction. 

Thanksgiving Celebration and Dinner

 Today was our Thanksgiving Dinner. We spent last week painting pillow case dresses and vests and making our headdresses. This morning we watched a video about what Thanksgiving is and why we celebrate it, then read Clifford's Thanksgiving Visit by Norman Bridwell.

Our tribe of gatherers, fire keepers and a fisherman.

The Gatherers

The Fisherman

The Fire Keepers

 Family came to eat with the kids today for their Thanksgiving feast of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans and pumpkin cake!

They also spent the week making "Thankful For Turkeys". They had to sound the words out themselves and write what they were thankful for on their feathers.

 They did an awesome job creating their turkeys and writing their words! :)

This Week's Science ... WATER!

This week in science we are talking about water. The kids had different labs this week dealing with water. Their first lab dealt with buoyancy (buoyancy was our word of the week!) and seeing what types of objects will float and sink in water based on their density (another word we learned). Monday we made our predictions.

We went one row at a time talking about the pictures and what we thought would happen. The kids even wanted specifics as to what type of pen, if the rocks were from the playground or volcanoes and if the balloon was blown up or not!

Tuesday, we tested our predictions and recorded our results.

 Students noticing refraction (discussed during light energy).

We discussed the importance of going one object at a time, and recording the results as soon as they are found and not trying to go back after doing them all at once.

At pink group, they took turns testing objects and recording data then sharing with the group. Everyone tested and everyone recorded, not just one person and copying.

After all of the groups did their experiment, we went over the results as a class to make sure everyone had the same results of the lab. The reporter from each group told us their findings and we discussed which objects were more buoyant that others. 

Halloween Party

Our room for Halloween this year was decorated with butcher paper over the lights to make it look a little spooky. I stole the idea from our AMAZING music teacher, Mrs. Rogers! In the morning we had our school parade, painted faces, separated pumpkin seeds and did a few ELAR Halloween centers. 

Our grade level dressed up like minions for Halloween this year. Mrs. Nix sewed all of our yellow felt together for us, made eyes and let us paint and construct in her room.

Our class with the pumpkin Ms. Johnson brought for us to hollow out and carve. It was so big, Chuy could sit on it!

In the afternoon, we bobbed for apples, made caramel apples (using caramel candies and a crockpot ... the kids loved it!) and played musical chairs. Bobbing for apples was the most humorous activity of the day!

 

Ms. Estrada made this delicious cake for our party! It was sooooo good and looked really pretty.