Kindergarteners Create Symmetrical Pumpkins

Inspired by the story, Spookley the Square Pumpkin, students were challenged to create their own pumpkin on the computer. Now I must tell you, these were no ordinary pumpkins. Not only were the pumpkins square, they were symmetrical. Using a template in the drawing program Early Learning Toolkit, students used a variety of drawing tools (marker, circle, square, line, spray can, paint bucket) to create their own Spookleys while exploring the mathematical concept of vertical symmetry. The kindergarten teachers will continue exploring this concept in their classrooms with their students.

Here are a few sites if your child would like to continue exploring symmetry at home:

Symmetry Artist 
Line of Symmetry
Symmetry Patterns
Reflective Symmetry

Nugget Reaches the Czech Republic

A bit of a departure from my regular posts - I had to share this adorable picture of the latest carrier of one of the 2nd grade travel bugs, Nugget. Nugget was released on January 16, 2009 and has logged 23,400 miles. He has visited three different continents (N. America, S. America, Europe), nine countries, and ten states. Wish I had as many stamps in my passport! Right now, Nugget is traveling across the Czech Republic.

Nugget is one of 16 travel bugs released by second graders over the last four years. The Class of 2023 will be releasing their own in the next few weeks.

Visual Maps Help Organize Information

Two key software programs embedded into the Lower Division curriculum are Kidspiration and Inspiration. Both programs allows students to visually connect concepts and ideas by combining pictures, texts, numbers and spoken words. 

Kidspiration is used in K-2nd grade. It has a simple interface built specifically for young children. In addition to students being able to create their own webs, there are many math, science, and social studies templates that allow the classroom teachers to extend technology into these units. This week, for example, first graders worked with partners to create webs sharing facts about the bone and skeleton. It was a great way for students to showcase what they have learned and also serves as an assessment tool for the teachers before moving on to a new unit.

Inspiration is built for older students. It utilizes a similar interface as Kidspiration but includes many more advanced tools. This week, fourth graders also built webs, but focused on organizing their weekly vocabulary words based on their Greek and Latin roots. Information represented spatially allows students to organize and group similar ideas which makes better use of their visual memory. Visual learning is also reported across educational literature as an effective way to improve critical thinking, comprehension, and retention. The use of color and shape also help enhance with the experience.

Keeping Things 'Simple' in Third Grade

Throughout the third grade year, students will be engaged in a variety of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) activities including robotics and programming. To help prepare them for these future projects, they are engaged in a thorough study of simple machines. After researching the six types of simple machines, students gathered together as a class to create an information web.  Students then practiced identifying simple machines through a variety activities including sorting images on the SmartBoard, visiting online simulations, and exploring a simple machines app on the iPad.

This week, students will go on a photo safari to search for simple machines throughout campus. The digital images captured from the photo safari, once edited, will be used to create posters using the program ComicLife.

Here are few of the fun links students used this week.

Museum of Science and Industry Chicago

EdHeads - Simple Machines

Simple Machines Mind Quiz

K12 Simple Machines

Starting the Year Off with a Bang!

The computer lab was buzzing with excitement last week as students in kindergarten and second grade were the first to use the new iPad Rolling Lab cart. The cart contains 30 iPads and will be available for checkout by classroom teachers to individualize instruction for students, support the current curriculum with educational applications, and provide more opportunities for students to engage in 21st century skills such as research, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration.

Each lesson began with the development of iPad rules generated by the students followed by a brief introduction on basic functions of the iPad such as turning it on, navigating screens, and selecting apps. The majority of the students were quite familiar with the basics and were quick to point out other features for the class such as adjusting volume and changing the orientation of the screen. Anyone watching the scene of children as they worked and talked would be hard-pressed to deny that technology has become ubiquitous in the lives of our children.

2nd Graders Play Rush Hour from Anna Baralt on Vimeo.

3rd Annual Third Grade Explorer Movies

I know it is the end of the school year when I'm posting the videos created by my third grade students about European explorers. The first year I facilitated this project, students created their movies utilizing clay animation. Last year, the students exercised their 'acting chops'. This year, students created puppet shows. Puppets and sets were painted in art with Mrs. Rowe while planning the storyboard, filming the puppet show, and editing the movies in iMovie took place in the computer lab. Script writing took place in the individual classrooms.

The puppet shows were really adorable but filming presented some interesting challenges. Learning how to keep hands and heads out of the frames along with figuring out how to position the puppets so that they were always facing forward was hard. I think making larger puppets might help solve some of these issues. I'll also have to figure out a different way to make the sets so that the puppets are closer to the scenes and a bit more sturdy. The tri-folds boards weren't as stable as I had hoped.

Mrs. Hensler's Class
Hernan Cortes by Carson, Jay, and Shaherzad

Lewis & Clark by Kirsten, Samuel, and Ella

Marco Polo by Brenna, Shannon, Lucas

Leif Erikson by Ava, Alexander, and Zachary

Ferdinand Magellan by Hailey, Lily, Luke

Francisco Pizarro by Hannah, Kendall, Zoe, and Aiden

Mr. Wolfrath's Class

Sieur de La Salle by Lilianna, Lucy, and Julia L.

Vasco da Gama by Anthony, Russ, and Channing

Hernan Cortes by Sebastian, Aidan, and Mac

Francisco Pizarro by Connor, Nico, and Ryker

Christopher Columbus by Lauren, Sofia, Dylan, and Abby

Lief Erikson by Clara, Julia, Olivia, and Zaynab

 

Ms. LaDuke's Class

Hernan Cortes by Sheppard, McIntosh, and Mario

Francisco Pizarro by Louise, Ivy, and Abby

Juan Ponce de Leon by Nkechi, Ella, and Maggie

Christopher Columbus by Jett, Leddon, and Zach

Marco Polo by Faith, Leah, and Julia B.

Leif Erikson by Lia, Makenna, and Hailey

Vasco de Gama by Jonathan, Oliver, and Noah

    

Mrs. Mitchell's Class

Marco Polo by Destiny, Molly, and Rachel

Leif Erikson by Eric, Kyle, and Nico

Christopher Columbus by Rachel, Sole, and Caitlyn

Hernan Cortes by Dorothy and Gage

Juan Ponce de Leon by Jordan, Blake, and Rylan

Lewis and Clark by Kelly, Emma, and Lauren

Ferdinand Magellan by Sarah, Jonah, Haydn