Forest and Pond Exploration at Shelburne Farms

We walked for 30 minutes to Shelburne Farms.  We were proud of that accomplishment!  We gathered to discuss the connections between the habitats of the pond and the forest.

We learned about stinging nettles, how to recognize them so as not to get stung, and how to eat them!

We ventured further into the forest to explore.

We saw several beautiful forest wildflowers.  Here we are learning how to tell the difference between a Jack in the Pulpit and a Jill in the Pulpit.

We found a large yellow spotted salamander.

Then it was time to explore frogs and insects from the pond.

Finally, we released the creatures and then walked back to school.  We felt proud again, especially because we walked back in the rain.

Line Plots

We had some visitors in math class yesterday!

Our class collected data on the heights of kindergarteners, 2nd graders and 5th graders.

We measured each other with a tape measure and plotted the data on a line plot.

Check out our results!

Fraction Challenge

Challenge:  How can you equally divide 2 snack bars between 3 kids?  What do you call these pieces? We experimented with paper models and then enjoyed practicing on real treats.  We found out that there are many ways to solve this problem.  At home, ask your child to divide servings of food into equal parts.  Ask them to name the parts.  We have learned about halves, thirds and fourths.  We have noticed that as you divide wholes into more parts, these pieces get smaller.

Mega Marble Rolls!

As a culmination to our unit on balls and ramps, teams of students used all they had learned about how to get marbles to move faster and farther to complete a marble roll challenge. Each team was given a different challenge. Some challenges included making their marble go up hill, around a corner, make a jump or knock over a target at the end!  Here are some photos of their finished products.

Flynn Theater Workshop

Last week we had a teacher from the Flynn Theater come to our classroom. We did some cool dramatic exercises to get us prepared for the show, Stuart Little.

She taught us how actors use their voices, faces and bodies to make choices about how they portray a character. Then we were given a part of the actual script to act out. It was a scene between Stuart Little and Snowbell, the family cat! 

On Wednesday, they will see how the real actors chose to present that same scene, and compare it to their own interpretation.

Tree Ceremony

We were invited to a tree planting ceremony to honor Arbor Day.  To mark this ceremony we wrote a poem about what we love about trees.  We had an 8th grade student, Lydia Maitland, teach us techniques for drawing trees.  (Yes, that is Mrs. Maitland's daughter who has loved drawing trees since she was 8.)  We brought our poems, which were decorated by our tree drawings, to the ceremony and we read our poem aloud together.  Joplin, a kindergarten teacher and organizer of the event, led us in a song.  We now have a beautiful oak tree in the back field of our school. The children can watch this oak grow to be a strong tree for the many years that they will be learning and growing at SCS, until they are an 8th grade student about to graduate.

We Plant Hope

by Mrs. Hansen's & Mrs. Maitland's Class
(read aloud by our class at the tree planting ceremony)

When we plant a tree

We plant hope

We hope for

Life

Love

Peacefulness

Relaxation

Shelter

Shade

Beauty

Oxygen

Food

A family of trees

We plant hope

When we plant a tree

Hands on Nature

How do animals use disguise as an adaptation for survival?  We tested this question in the breeze way garden by searching for pretend insects in the grass, actually bits of colored yarn.  We found out that the bright colors were easy to find.  We found the least amount of brown yarn.  We were thankful for our fun outdoor activity and the chance to enjoy some of the first warm temperatures of spring.