Finding Shapes in the Environment

We went on a shape hunt around our school. Working in pairs and using clipboards, the children recorded their observations. We encouraged them to look for a variety of shapes and share what they found with others. 

There was much interest in this activity and great math talk amongst the children so we took pictures of the places that interested them the most. 

The next day we printed large photos of these places and put them at a table with large overhead transparencies and permanent markers. The children were invited to put the overhead on top of the photos and outline the different shapes they found. 

The children found shapes in the most interesting places!

Once finished many brought their overhead to the light table to see their shape drawing. 

QR Code App Tutorial

There has been much interest lately in how to use QR codes with young children. These are a very versatile tool in the classroom to help children find materials online and can also be used at home for parents who would like to create a digital 'library' for their children. They make artifacts in the classroom (e.g., photos, artwork, writing samples) come alive when they are included as part of the documentation. They are also an easy way to create a digital listening centre for children when access to smart devices is provided. In the following video I've demonstrated how to use a free app called QR Code Creator. Enjoy!

Ant Tunnels

The children noticed some very busy ants in our play yard. They were fascinated by how the ants went from tunnel to tunnel following each other.

We encouraged them to use clipboards and record their observations, just like researchers in the field would. 

Afterwards Mr. Lumley introduced us to an amazing video showing how researchers create casts of old ant tunnels using ten tonnes of concrete! It was amazing! Another great way of using the internet to help support and inform our inquiries! Check it out!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFg21x2sj-M

Nest Inquiry

Technology Buddies

Today we partnered up with the grade eight class in order to do some work on the iPads. We were hoping to train our children on how to use the app Pic Collage and thought buddying them up with an older student would be effective because it would give them scaffolded support with hands-on practice. It was a huge success!  Our children loved working with an older buddy. 

We hoped to make an environmental print alphabet book so we assigned each pair an alphabet letter.  The pairs went on a letter hunt around the school and collected and organized photos of objects using the app. 

Once we had created our collages we came back together as a group to share our work. 

Here are some of their amazing pages!

Painting Butterflies on the Light Table

We placed an acetate material and paint/glue mixture on the light table and encouraged the children to paint their own butterflies. The glue in the paint ensures it doesn't peel off the acetate when it dries. The light from beneath illuminated the paint and made our butterflies glow. 

One is here!

A butterfly emerged two days early!  The children are beyond excited!