Week 3

And we're off in using our Singapore Math textbooks and workbooks. Could it be that I heard a group of children express excitement about beginning math? And did I hear them express their enjoyment of the new format? Yes, indeed. Both groups began investigating decimals, practicing multiplication and division as well as learning about tenths.

Red Fox Clanners have devoted significant time to preparing for their Goal Setting Conferences coming up on Monday. Students continued to impress me with their ability to reflect and subsequently set goals for themselves in each discipline and the social learning/learning behaviors realms. They will continue to practice reflecting on and openly discussing their learning throughout the year.

In Language Arts land this week students wrote letters to our friend who moved to France, as well as looking at subjects and objects in sentences, to/too/two and your/you're. We continued to practice quotation marks and capitalizing proper nouns.

Just like last week, we ventured down to Darrow School and glazed the bowls we made last Wednesday. Pictures of the week will be up soon!

Week 2

Our kites took to the skies once again, this time with more attention on the tow point along the bridle. From their observations, students recorded what worked, what didn't work, and what needed to be changed in their Flight Logs. An additional cross spar was added to each kite, resulting in more air time. Also crafted this week were quick kite haikus.

Students began surveying the geography, climate and history of Ancient China and responded to questions while reading The Story of the World and Exploring our World. We recorded what we knew and what we want to learn about China, as well as listened to sections of the book If I were a Kid in Ancient China.

Red Fox Clanners finished up math assessments and are ready to review multiplication, division and fractions before delving into the Singapore Math curriculum.

Students completed a more difficult version of the Helium Stick challenge this week as well as beginning to learn the process of reaching consensus. Red Fox Clanners from last year recalled the various forms of decision-making and how certain situations call for the various methods. We went through the first 5 steps of the consensus process, which are as follows:

1. Presentation of proposal (Friday's proposal was to continue Work Block during the 30 minutes leading up to Big Circle).

2. The asking of clarifying questions

3. Discussion of proposal

4. Finger poll (to see how close consensus is and note those who have concerns so they may speak)

5. Further discussion, questioning and compromise

We ended at step 5 without consensus and will continue on to steps 6 through 9 next week on a different proposal. Students will begin to take on the roles of facilitator, list keeper and time keeper as their comfort level with the process grows.

First Week of School

Hello all returning and new Red Fox Clan parents!

I hope this update finds you all well and ready for more great learning this year. We have already touched upon many facets of air, our overall theme of the year, in many ways. Children have built and studied kites and today attempted our first flights. Some kites got into the air, and for all it's back to learning more about aerodynamics and adjusting their tow points.

We have taken on a number of challenges, including the Lava challenge (this is the first group I have witnessed succeeding in this challenge), the Blindfolded Caterpillar, and this morning the Helium Stick. We have toned with a drone, experiencing the effects of sound vibrations moving through air and into our ears. We have also begun paying attention to our breath, noticing how deep it is when we come to school and what it feels like after we sing. The more we breathe well, the more life and spirit we have found thus far!

Another practice we began this week was independent reading. For each independent reading session, students are expected to record the page numbers read, their thoughts on sticky notes, a question or 2, and then the answers to their questions in their reading log. The number of thoughts and questions assigned is dependent on the length of the reading session. We have also begun studying conventions through the means of Daily Oral Language. Students correctly write sentences full of errors into a notebook and then share their ideas.

As kites have their roots in Asia through various legends, we will soon begin an investigation of Ancient China. Our social studies curriculum can best be characterized as the history of flight. We will learn about many different regions of the world following the evolution of humankind's quest to fly.

Please check out this week's pictures by following the picasaweb link on the right side of this blog page.

Project Updates and More

So much blooming outside and inside the classroom... Second drafts of biographies have been handed in after students spent time on Thursday peer revising (focusing on sentence fluency) and editing. We will have an opportunity to share what we learned about these people who made change during the upcoming week.

Students have concluded interrupting their behavioral triggers and begun reflecting on the experience. The following are among the questions they are considering:

1. Explain what your trigger was, how you interrupted it and why you chose it. Was it hard/easy/ok to interrupt?

2. What feelings were present when you interrupted your trigger? What thoughts were present when you interrupted your trigger?

3. What did you learn about yourself? How are you going to use this information? What would you change about your project to make it better? What might be another behavior that you would benefit from interrupting?

The Geocity is finished and will soon be taped together and displayed in a place to be determined (it is very large and fabulous). We will continue having math lessons throughout the play intensive, exploring more geometry, decimals and statistics.

We will be able to get back to documenting rocks around the Abode on Wednesday. Until then be sure to check out the pictures from our walk last week!

Our investigation of United States history has brought us to the 1960's and early 70's. Skipping over the Vietnam War (except for various perspectives on why it was fought), we saw many groups of people uniting to bring about change and push for their "freedom". This is being highlighted by events in our current read aloud book, Esperanza Rising.

Rock Walk

Geologists call the area in which we live more exciting than the Grand Canyon (boring sandstone). We sit on mostly metamorphic rock that was pushed up and down by plate tectonics, constructed and deconstructed by glaciers, and whittled down by erosion (the Taconic Mountains were believed to be upwards of 15,000 - 20,000 feet tall at one time, towering above Lake Albany). Volcanoes, mastadons, bison... so much lived here before us. Ask your children for more interesting facts.

Here's the latest project we have underway:

Rock Walk

We’ll split up into small groups and then begin our search for the rocks of the Taconics before creating a big ole rock walk guide.

Procedure:

1. Find all the types of primary and secondary rock types in Columbia County using http://mrdata.usgs.gov/sgmc/ny.html, book resources and other internet resources. Create a list on a word document (copy and paste) all the rocks you find. You should find upwards of 15 or more rock types.

2. After you complete step 1, you will be assigned a few rocks on which to become experts. Using geology.com, book resources and other websites, find out as much information as you can about each of these rock types. Begin making powerpoint pages, including pictures of each rock (sometimes they can look a little different, so get more than 1 picture) and other juicy details.

3. There are more rock types here in our county than just those that make up the bedrock/top layer of lithosphere. Find 3 or more ways that rocks travel and gather as much information as you can about these processes.

4. With our rock identification powerpoint slides in hand, we will journey out in search of these rocks. Record the location, amount of rocks spotted and somehow we’ll get a picture.

5. Working together, we will make a guide to the rocks of the Abode. What will this look like? We will decide.

Geometric Math City

The group of students in the Red Fox Clan studying geometry have begun working on a city. Students planned, mapped, and worked out details on their own (with adults being flies on the wall). Each student, whether drawing an aquarium, train station, zoo or other part of the city, must include the following in their drawing:

- 1 set of similar figures

- 1 set of congruent figures

- a bisected angle

- labeled acute and obtuse angles

- at least 6 labeled 2-dimensional figures

- draw lines of symmetry for at least 3 figures

When put together, the city will measure about 32 square feet! Students have exhibited a great deal of creativity already.

Biography

Biography Project

Ha! It’s biography project season. I know you have all been waiting so long for this. You will have the opportunity to generate questions about someone who has made a splash in our country’s history. Who has unified people amidst great hardship? Who has taken on the dividing techniques of those in power? After you record some questions, we’ll work together to locate high quality resources about your person. You will be asked to record and organize information using a graphic organizer. From your detailed organizer, you will use your writing skills to craft a detailed biography and share it with the class.

The Procedure:

1. We will share our findings from our “People Who Made Change” lists. You will be asked to choose someone from these lists (or if another inspiring person is contacting you and asking you to write a biography on them, you just may be able to do so) and begin writing questions about this person. What interests you about this person? How did they inspire others?
2. Categories. Next is time to categorize your questions to see what kind of information you are looking for. Biographies usually have categories including childhood events, struggles, the person’s vision, and how they went about creating change in the world. You may choose to change or add new categories when you learn more about your person. Together we will look at a sample graphic organizer.
3. Time to find high quality resources. Try the American Library Association for Kids site, or bartleby.com, or biography.com. Adding “for kids” or “young readers” to your search will direct you to useful websites to begin learning about your person. More complicated websites are useful when you are searching for specific details.
4. Begin filling in/creating your graphic organizer as you learn about your inspiring person. You will conference with peers and teachers to get feedback about your findings. We’ll ask each other questions to help us direct our research.
5. Use your highly detailed graphic organizer to draft an essay with strong introductory, middle, and concluding paragraphs. You will have the opportunity to conference with peers/teachers prior to writing your final draft.

We may discover other things we want to add to/change to the project as we go along. Final drafts will be due during the last week of April.