Muisc - recorders

The students are doing such a great job of learning how to play the recorder and they are really enjoying their success!

A quick overview

A quick overview of various happenings!

Measurement activities.
Representing the molecules in solids, liquids and gases.
Using Logo-paths software for measurement and angle.
Writing a song about MATTER!
Graffiti the wall about matter.
Using good mathematical communication skills to describe a shape to a partner.
Using cubes to explore area in mathematics.

Homework?

Is homework a benefit or a curse?

Does homework improve student learning or turn students away from learning?

Is homework the secret of academic success or does it diminish the quality of life for students?

I invite all ISD parents to attend a talk on the subject of

"Rethinking Homework"

in the Dahms Theater at 19.00 on Wednesday, October 27th.
Michael Coffey

So how many conkers did we collect?

We had an incredible response to the collection of conkers!!!!! It was nuts! :-)

How on earth were we going to count them all..............3.3 mathematical minds were at work!

 Working in teams with shared responsibility for counting in 10s, 100s, 200s and even 300s the whole class reached a final total:

Well done to Fanni, Claire, Hugo and James who estimated the closest at 5,000 conkers!

1,000 conkers?

After the class vote that ended in our chosen item for collection being 'conkers' (horse chessnuts) it would appear that some students turned this mathematical task into a creative one! :-)

Coke and Mentos experiments!

Ummm, what will happen if we combine coke with mentos sweets?

Can anyone come to any conclusions as to what they think happened? If you were to try a similar experiment again what would you change?

Check out how the professionals do it on the video at the bottom of the blog!

FISH BOWL discussion

Offering opportunities to allow different types of learners to 'show what they know' is really important. Whilst it's important that we all learn how to express ourselves verbally, through art and in writing. We also know that many of us prefer to do it one way more than another, or that we are just better at doing it one way rather than another.

The FISH BOWL technique is a way to allow everyone to express their understandings within the forum of a discussion. Only the students sat in the small circle can take part in the discussion. Everyone on the outside listens. If you are on the outside and you feel that you have an important comment that you can bring to the discussion you may politely tap someone sitting down on the shoulder and switch places.

The technique builds on active listening skills, communication skills, debating skills, and also increases participant’s awareness of their own role within a discussion. The third graders discussed the following questions as part of finishing our thoughts on the previous unit of inquiry:

1. What changes/experiences have you had in your life?
2. Why am I unique?
3. How have my experiences and the changes in my life shaped the way I think and act?

The discussion was truly academic! Mr. Driver and Mrs. Godsmark were very impressed with the high level of thinking.

Some quotes:

"Just like Bruce the Moose says...you are made into you somehow"
"Nobody on this planet, even if they have the same name as you, has had the same experiences as you, so no one can be the same at all"
"All of us have different educations from our parents and our different schools so this makes all of us think differently"
"Even twins are different; everyone has different bodies and different problems"
"No one is exactly the same; no one is an exact copy of anyone else"
"There maybe one thousand Orlando's but my mum, my dad, my sister and my life, my school and my experiences make me who I am. Like on the X-Factor, you have to be who YOU are, not anyone else"

A wonderful discussion to observe!

How The World Works

We have started our new unit of inquiry. Already we have conducted some experiements and taken a look at what 'Scientific principles' means!

Does anyone know what actually happens to corn kernels when you heat them? We observed that they change a lot but we don't really know why? Any ideas?

Here's the video: