Skip to main content

Change, Change, Change...

And with all that change, we learn to be flexible. To adapt. We had a wonky week full of schedule and routine changes that didn't end until Friday!

Fourth grade showed their stamina and effort with Benchmarks on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday, we rehearsed for our visit from administration to present our findings and suggestions on how the SBLC suggests we redesign the playground near the portables.

On Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Crissey, Ms. Chapa-Moore, and Ms. Samon were an attentive audience for our presenters and researchers. They gave us great feedback, and set us on to our next steps. If any of you know architects/landscape designers, we could use your expertise in the next few weeks. We will also be working within a budget, so we will be flexing our financial literacy muscles.

In our Humanities class, we continue our pursuit of poetry as we enter our new unit, "Understanding Differences." We've begun by exploring ourselves -- the outer traits, which we let/know others see, and the inner traits and feelings we have that others may or may not know about us. Students created a self portrait that expressed both outer characteristics as well as something by way of expression or body movement that revealed something about them inside as well. They drafted "Outside/Inside" poems to be published in our class anthology.

We explored perspective through books, as well as a visual: https://www.buzzfeed.com/nathanwpyle/this-is-why-i-pause-before-i-speak
We see how we each have a filter -- our beliefs, values, and experiences -- that shapes everything we see. Knowing that all of us have these filters are important in how we communicate with others. Taking the time to respond, rather than react to people is crucial. Also taking the time to get to know people and/or gather information is key to being able to respond well -- in a way that insures respect, while also protecting the relationship.

In math, we have been learning about ways to represent data. We've identified and compared frequency tables, dot plots, and stem-and-leaf plots. All have unique characteristics and best fit certain types of data. We'll continue to learn about other graph types and then will use our knowledge to collect and represent data about our playground remodel designs. We also reviewed how to tell time on analog clocks and used open number lines to represent elapsed time. 3rd graders created a dream day timeline, considering how much time would pass between their events.

SBLC scientists started a soil inquiry and we're hoping warmer spring weather will bring the opportunity to do some planting in our keyhole garden soon. So we've been collecting and comparing soil samples from around Kiker, learning about how soil forms, and considering particle size of different soil components. We'll continue with this big work next week!









On Friday, we enjoyed Breakfast and the Paper!






Check your email for news on the Valentine's Day event. It was sent out Thursday morning from the teachers, and room moms have sent a few as well.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Texas Regions

*Parents, this is an in-class assignment. Hello, SBLC Super Stars! Today, you are explorers of the four Texas regions. If you get finished--AND your have double checked your work--please make a comment that includes your name and something you enjoyed learning today! Directions : Carefully read below and use the links to investigate the characteristics and history of each region. Remember to write neatly and double check spelling...everything you do deserves your best effort! :) 1. A  sub-region  is a smaller part of a region or area. What are the sub-regions within each Texas region? Look at the picture below to see how to record your findings in your notebook. Now, click here to find your answers:  http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view_print.php?book=41216 2. On the next two pages in your notebook, create a half-page "fact sheet" for each region. Set your pages up first! Use a ruler to make straight lines and create a half page for each region. ...

Making Change -- Online Games

http://www.mathplayground.com/making_change.html   Math Game - Making Change www.mathplayground.com Making Change Click and drag the correct change to the counter. More Math Games Money and Time : Making Change supports Grade 2 Common Core Math Standards in ... http://www.funbrain.com/cashreg/     Money Games for Kids | FunBrain www.funbrain.com Calculate the change required from purchases and fill your piggy bank! The more you get right, the more you have. Play FunBrain's Money games for Kids now! http://mrnussbaum.com/cashd/   Cash Out – A Money Game mrnussbaum.com Age Appropriateness: Cash Out is appropriate for kids ages 7 – 12. There are three skill levels and various options to customize the game for the aforementioned ages. http://www.abcya.com/counting_money.htm   Learn to Count Money | ABCya! www.abcya.com Learn to Count Money | Children practice counting money by clicking and dragging bills and...

Reaching Out, Learning about Each Other and the World

This week our focus has challenged us to "be the world to one," rather than just "one in the world." Discussions have run deep with how our actions and words truly have an impact on everyone around us. We also talked about how all of us: humanity and nature make the music of this world, and without our unique voice, that music is missing something. Discover what you want to add to the music. Speak up. Say something. We wrestled with big history this week. We celebrated  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and The Little Rock 5, Ruby Bridges, and the thousands of others who took a stand during the Civil Rights Era. To understand this better, we looked at primary source pictures -- these leaders, their actions, their speeches, their marches -- which brought them to life. We examined timelines and asked powerful questions. Again, another opportunity to look at the world -- right now -- and ask, "How can I be the world to one? What do I want to say that makes...