Plant and Butterfly Exploration

Hello,
Now that it is beginning to feel more like Spring we have started some Spring-like science activities! The Gr. 1's have been learning all about plants. Everyday it seems we have a new sprout! I'm so glad the kids have green thumbs! In the Plant Journals the Gr. 1's wrote down their observations of their own tomato plant. Get ready for some juicy tomatoes this Summer everyone (fingers crossed we don't lose any plants). 

 



 

 

Our Gr. 2's have been learning about the life cycle of a butterfly. The kids seem to be experts. They were very excited about our discussion today on caterpillar frass. Ask them what that is...just not around the dinner table. Here are a few pictures I snapped of the Gr. 2's today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Monarch caterpillars seem to be scarce this year, I searched and searched all Fall for them! Let's hope I find one in June for the kids! The kids want to believe all of the bugs they find on the playground could possible be the very early larvae stage of a Monarch which look like this... However, what I was passed on the playground today looked more like this... Here's hoping I don't get anymore of those presents on duty tomorrow!

 

Mrs. Ashley Daley-Creamer



Tomato Plants

Our Gr.1's have been learning about plants. I was able to obtain some tomato seeds that are a part of the tomatosphere project through the Canadian Space Agency. I've allowed the Gr.2's to grow a tomato plant as well. I couldn't let them miss out on something so cool.

Teachers receive two sets of seeds (both Heinz H9478) - a control group and a set of seeds that have been “primed” – a process which brings seeds close to the germination point before the process is stopped. The project wishes to determine if priming is a viable process to use on seeds travelling long distances (as in the trip to Mars).

For more information please click on the link below

http://www.tomatosphere.org/

So far so good-we have some growth. I'm not touching the plants. I simply do not have a green thumb. I've added plant technicians to our classroom job chart and it has gone over very well with the kids.

 

Mrs. Ashley Daley-Creamer

Grade 2 Graphing

Our Gr. 2's have been busy learning about graphs. They know that graphs tell a story. They can create their own graph by collecting data about themselves and others to answer questions. The kids have also learned to interpret concrete and pictographs. Below are a few pictures of the kids collecing data.

Mrs. Ashley Daley-Creamer

Grade 1 Measurement

We are continuing our work in measurement. The kids love measuring items found around the classroom! I'm so happy that one of our final units is so engaging (our kiddos have Spring fever so it takes something very interesting to get such focus)! Today we talked a little bit about area. I had the kids use playing cards (non-standard like Mr. Measurement) and asked them the question: Which has the greater surface-your desk or your chair? They had a blast. The kids measured their desks, chairs, my stool and a few big books. They wanted to measure our large mat but I didn't have enough cards! Oh well there is always tomorrow!

Mrs. Ashley Daley-Creamer

Measurement and Graphing

If your house is anything like mine was growing up, it is like pulling hen's teeth to get your family to talk about their day! Here are three pictures from our math class to get the conversation going around the dinner table tonight!

Mr. and Mrs. Measurement came for a visit and brought a bunch of the items they like to use to measure. Ask your child what each of them like to use and why.

The Gr. 1 kids had a race today while we were learning about measurement. Ask them what we did with these materials and how we measured!

The Gr.2's were graphing and they learnt that graphs tell a story. Ask them about the story they are telling with this graph.


I hope this helps!

Mrs. Ashley Daley-Creamer

How we play our two digit addition game

The Gr. 2's have been working on 2 digit addition. Here is a game we play in order to help with this concept.

http://youtu.be/wVurSpBoD38