Another "How To" Write

We have been working on developing our procedural writing skills.  On Wednesday we watched an experiment. Our job was to watch closely, use our observational skills and see if we could remember all the materials that were used and the steps that Mrs. Betts took to complete the experiment.  We worked in partners to see how accurate we were with our directions.

 The experiment looked like this:

Can you see the materials that were used?  (tray, bottle, vinegar, dish soap, food coloring, baking soda, a tissue and a spoon)  If you look closely, you can see blue, bubbling foam coming out of the bottle! What do you think they made? It was very exciting to watch what happened when they mixed different matter together and created a chemical change!  

We worked in partners to write out the materials that were used and the directions on how to make a volcano.  Check back soon to see how accurate we were with our directions!  Hopefully you will be able to follow them and make your own volcano!

Shape riddles!

We are learning about 3-D shapes in math!  Check out our individual blogs for some riddles.  Can you solve them?

Procedural Writing . . . Does it make sense to you?

Have you ever tried to write directions for something?  It's a lot harder than you think!  On Monday  Mrs. Metz demonstrated how to brush her teeth!  After she was done we had to write down all the steps she took to do the job.  We didn't have much trouble writing down everything . . .  It was getting them in the right order that was a bit harder.

Here are the steps we came up with but as you can see they are not in the right order!

 

After we had listed the steps on the board we worked with a partner to put them in the right order. We found out that some steps could be done before others but some had to be done in a certain order!  For example, some people like to get their toothbrush wet before they put on the toothpaste and some people like to put the toothpaste on first then get their brush wet.  We decided that it didn't really matter which order you did these steps BUT some things you had to do in a certain order!  Your couldn't rinse your mouth before you had brushed your teeth! 

 Some people put their toothpaste on first . . . . and

 some people like to get their toothbrush wet first. . .

What do you like to do first. . .get your toothbrush wet or put on your toothpaste?

Our finished instructions!  Can you follow them?  Are they clear and in the correct order?  Is that how you brush your teeth?






I wonder what we' tell you how to do next?

Architects and Engineers at Work!

One of the activities the Grade 3s did to wind up our unit on structures was to take the 10 paper challenge.  They were given 10 pieces of paper and their challenge was to build a structure that was at least 10 cm. high and 25 cm. long and would hold a small milk carton with at least three dominoes in it.  Here we are in the planning and building stage!  We were reminded to use our previous knowledge about what makes a strong, stable structure.

We were amazed to see how strong our structures actually were.  Every group did something a little bit different and it was wonderful to see their learning put into action! 

Using layers and cylinders to make a structure stronger!

We know that triangles make structures stronger.  Can you see the triangles in this structure?

A foundation, four strong cylinders (pillars) and a top to hold the milk carton and dominoes!  Have you seen this design in other structures in your environment?

 Meanwhile, the grade 2s showcased what they had learned about the 3 states of matter.  This was done ALL BY THEMSELVES!!  Aren't they a smart group of thinkers?  I was very impressed with their knowledge!

Sharing Our Learning

Before our March reports cards went out we invited our parents in to see all the amazing things we had been learning about.  It was wonderful to see how excited the students were to share their learning and to see how interested the parents were to view their work.  You can tell by the intent looks on their faces that they truly cared about what their child was learning and loved hearing them talk about it.  Thank you parents for taking the time to share in your child's successes.  They truly benefit from your input.

How do you share your students' learning? 

Treasure Island. . . The Musical!

The week before spring break was a magical time at Chantrell Creek.  Our whole school was involved in putting on the musical "Treasure Island."  It was a lot of work but it was also  SO much fun.
 Decorations were made and the stage was set. . . . .

 The actors were ready. . . .

Each class did a number on stage.   Our class performed to the song "Somewhere."  We were exotic birds.  We made masks in class and some of our parents made our costumes!

There were two casts - the Jolly Rogers and the Admirals.  We had 4 performances . . .  2 matinees and 2 evenings!    It was fun coming to school at night and performing in front of big audiences. 

The lady behind it all. . . . the best music teacher ever!  Thank you Mrs. Davis!

Thank you to all the parents, teachers and students for making this a wonderful memory for all of us!

Treasure to be Found!

During the week of our musical we made treasure maps!  Before we started we learned some facts about maps.  We learned that maps have a legend and a compass rose and that they give us information.  After looking  at many samples of maps we decided to make our very own treasure maps!   Here are some of our creations!  

Have you ever made a map?