Opening Our Time Capsules

Back in September we  created first grade time capsules (see post titled Time Capsules). Students measured their height with string, drew self portraits and wrote down a few of their favourite things.  We wrapped them up with instructions...do NOT to open until June 2013!  The class was super excited to open their time capsules this week, but first they had to redo the same activities for comparison.  They had fun comparing string lengths to see how much they had grown and looking at their portraits side by side.  What a terrific year we had, full of BIG learning and growth!  Congratulations Division 17!  Wishing you and your families a wonderful summer.

Days at School - Graphing Monthly Tallies

During calendar time we record one tally mark for each day we've been at school on a monthly tally.  At the end of each month we add up the tally marks and record the total number of days we were at school.  We also have a tooth chart.  When someone loses a tooth, they print their name on sticky note and put it on our tooth chart.  At the end of the month we save the names as a record of how many teeth were lost that particular month.  This week, we pulled out the monthly tallies from the year and recorded the data on a graph.

Cates Park - Year End Field Trip

On Monday we spent the day exploring Cates Park in North Vancouver.  The ancestral name for this land in Deep Cove is Whey-Ah-Whichen, which means 'faces the wind'.  The kids spotted the playground and quickly worked up an appetite for snack.  We took the Malcolm Lowery forest trail through the towering firs to another playground and the site of the historic Dollar Mill.  The remnants of the lumber mill still stand fortress like, complete with stone tunnels covered in moss and foliage.  It's magical.  Imaginative play just happens.  Who wouldn't want to be king of that castle?  From here, we ventured down to the beach for some seaside exploring, which included looking for crabs, shell gathering, gooey ducks and rock skipping.  We ended up back on the grassy hillside overlooking Burrard Inlet where we enjoyed a delicious picnic lunch.  The perfect end to an amazing year in first grade.

 

Wayne Thiebaud Ice Cream Cones

Wayne Thiebaud is well known for his paintings of production line objects found in diners and cafeterias, such as pies, cakes, pastries, doughnuts and ice cream.  The kids painted their own 'mile high' ice cream cones.  Can you tell what flavours they are?

Frog and Toad Together - COOKIES

After reading Cookies, from Frog and Toad Together, we baked some tasty chocolate chip cookies!  In the story, Frog and Toad couldn't stop eating the yummy cookies that Frog made. They tried everything they could think of to stop but didn't have enough will power.  Finally, Frog had a solution.  He gave all of the cookies to the birds.  Toad was less than impressed and headed home to bake a cake.  Ha.  Luckily, we didn't have the same problem as Frog and Toad.  There were only enough cookies to have one each!  Mmmm...they sure were delicious.  The children illustrated their own recipes to take home.  Happy baking!

Overlapping Circles

We dipped plastic cups (the rims) in black paint and created overlapping circles on white paper. Then we painted them all in with watercolours.

Biodomes: One Week Later

Look how quickly our grass seeds sprouted and how much they grew in just one week!  The kids took their biodomes home today.  I think they might need a 'haircut' soon!

  

GEERing Up - UBC Engineering and Science for Kids

On Monday we had a GEERing Up workshop called Ecosystems Everywhere.  Our UBC instructors, Anthony and Jill, led interactive demonstrations and activities with the class.  The students got to build their own ecosystems.  They were immersed in exploration for two hours, building on their knowledge of living and non-living things.  I think they wowed Anthony and Jill with their science smarts!  They learned about how living things interact with their environment, about food chains and energy production and transfer.  They made their very own self-sustaining biodomes!  Best part?  We don't have to water them (like our bean plants) because of the built in wicking system which carries water up the string to the soil as needed.  Brilliant!

How to make a self-sustaining biodome:

1.  Put a long piece of string and a cotton ball through the neck of a cut bottle.

2.  Next, scoop some dirt into the bottle over the cotton ball.

3.  Then, sprinkle the soil with grass seeds and cover with more soil.

4.  Finally, fill the bottom half of the bottle with water and place top half
inside with the string hanging in the water.

Facebook Link:  GEERing Up 

"how to" with Julie Morstad

We were SO excited to have Henry's mom, award winning children's book illustrator Julie Morstad, visit our classroom to share her brand new book How To with us and do art!  Her imaginative 'how to' book explores whimsical ways of doing everyday things like, 'how to go fast', 'how to be brave', 'how to see the wind' and 'how to wash your face'.  Her delicate and detailed illustrations depict children experiencing the simplest of things in the most beautiful of ways.  Have you ever looked up at falling rain to wash your face or flown a kite to see the wind?

The book provides lots of opportunities for discussion and sharing of connections.  The children had a chance to ask Julie questions afterwards.  We learned that Julie's ideas are often inspired by her family, especially her children and that some of her illustrations even look like Henry and his siblings.  Julie brought kite making supplies for us to create and design our own kite frames out of popsicle sticks.  We decorated our kites with tissue paper, ribbon, string and markers.  The children drew a picture of themselves, which was added to the colourful display Julie created outside our classroom.  Thank you for a wonderful afternoon Julie!

Visit Julie's website to see more of her beautiful books and illustrations!  http://www.juliemorstad.com

How to see the wind...