Happy New Year
Welcome back!
It is winter on the west coast despite the rain. So in our class we are starting a unit on snow. It includes; science, writing, math and art. The goals for the students in this unit are to be able to tell 3 facts about snow to others, make a symmetrical snowflake and to read or retell the booket that they write about snow.
This week we started by brainstorming what we know about snow. I was pleasantly surprised by all that they know. Their list included things that they do in snow such as make snow angels, as well as the fact that snow is made of water. Other facts that the students mentioned include: snow sticks together, it is cold, it falls and it piles up.
“It is not a box”
We are participating in the school wide project “It is not a box.” For this project the students are asked to bring a box from home. Today the children looked at their box and thought about what it could become. They also made a list of other things that they may need to fulfill their plan. So you may find that they come home tonight and ask for help in assembling other supplies for their project.
In class, they must add at least 2 things to their box (decorations do not count), they are to try and persevere when they encounter difficulties, they are to try a different way when something does not work and they are to use the available tools such as tape, markers scissors etc. We are encouraging the children not to make elaborate plans that involve a lot of cutting as cardboard boxes are very difficult for grade 1's to cut. These criteria are all a part of the new curriculum.
Things to do at home:
Talk about the box project. Ask your child about their plan, what they may need to make it work, and how their finished project is something new and not a box.
