Hour of Code Photos

Engineering

After investigating the different properties of sand, humus and clay, we put our knowledge to work to answer this question:  What material should the town of Shelburne use to build a sea wall to protect the playground area from the water below.  We built models out of sand, humus and clay, put our models outside overnight to expose the walls to the natural conditions, and then simulated the lake water hitting against each wall.  We had hypothesized that the clay would hold up and were surprised to find out that the humus held up well too.  The sand wall collapsed.

As groups of children constructed the walls, other budding engineers were tackling another building problem.  What is the tallest structure you can build with marshmallows and toothpicks?  This challenge was harder than we expected.  We learned a lot from our experience which we would like to apply to more building projects.  Many children wanted to try this at home (dry spaghetti pasta works too).  Perhaps there will also be time during the upcoming vacation for more engineering.

Non-Fiction Text Features Scavenger Hunt

During reading and writing we are noticing the unique text features that are found in non-fiction texts. Captions, labels, glossaries and indexes each serve a special purpose in helping readers understand and navigate informational books and magazines. 

Last week, students searched for examples of over 10 different non-fiction text features in books and magazines. Once located, they cut them out and glued them into their Non-Fiction Features booklet. 

This week, we will begin writing Expert Books; teaching books about a specific topic that you know a lot about. While writing their books, students will incorporate many of these features into their own books.

Hands On Nature: Rotting Logs

A mad scientist joined our classroom last week armed with a time machine! In a matter of minutes, we observed the stages a log goes through while decomposing over 30 years.

Next we learned the role insects play in decomposition. We examined closely the unique markings left by beatles and their young.

Then we headed outside to get our hands in the dirt! We broke apart some rotting logs and discovered 

that creatures had made their homes there. The logs were so soft, they almost turned to soil in our hands....the end result of decomposition!

Caring About Others

We got together with our 5th grade buddies to discuss what it means to "walk in someone else's shoes."  The 5th grade students were leading this culminating activity for "Red Ribbon Week."  We brainstormed ways to be kind and colored pictures of shoes to show our unique ideas.  Our work will be hanging up in the hallways with other shoes designed by children throughout the school.

Making Sense

What is a half?  Are halves always the same shape?  How do you find half of a shape?  These were questions that the children asked.  They had "conjectures," ideas that they thought were true but not yet proven.  They worked hard to answer these questions and to prove their ideas.

More Soil Experiments

What happens when sand, humus and clay are shaken in water?  We predicted which soil sample would settle quickly, and which would stay suspended in the water.  Then we left our samples alone for several hours to find out if they changed.  We sketched the results.

Rocks and Soil Investigations

How do rocks change?  What is weathering?  What happens to rocks from weathering?
We have been investigating these questions with an experiment.  We have 3 jars with water and rocks.  Our variables are: a jar with 1 rock that we are shaking, a jar with 2 rocks that we are shaking.  Our constant is: a jar with 1 rock that we are not shaking.    So far we are finding little bits of rocks on the bottom of the jars that we are shaking.  One child called the bits, "rock crumbs."  We have learned that the scientific name is: sediment.  In the jar that is the constant, there are no pieces of sediment.  Now there is a new question:  What happens to the sediment?  We learned about how sedimentary rock is formed from the teachers who came from Shelburne farms.  We also learned that soil has bits of rock in it. Our new investigation: What are the different types of soil?  We have examined dry and wet samples of sand, humus and clay.  What are their properties?  We are observing samples to find out.