It is hard to believe that it is already May! Only 5 more weeks with this Temescalian crew until summer break!
We started this week with a review of addition and subtraction with 2 and 3 digit numbers that involved regrouping. To clarify, regrouping is the same thing as “carrying” or “borrowing”. One Temescalian finished her addition work easily, and we praised her on her solid regrouping work and she said, “Oh, is that what it is called? I’m actually really good at that!” We want to approach the end of the year with this type of success and momentum, especially as we revisit concepts we introduced at the beginning of the year.
To aid in this endeavor, we introduced some new tools in the ēno board. With the stylus, we can manipulate images and write on it like a large computer screen. There are many other applications for the ēno board, but for the purposes of addition and subtractions, it is great to illustrate regrouping. Temescalians had the option of drawing out their problem solving process, using base ten cubes, or applying the algorithm to solve the problems.
We progressed in our family story writing and used the ēno board to practice putting punctuation in the correct places for dialogue. Temescalians were excited to put quotation marks around what was said, and include a comma inside of those quotation marks.
We also used some writing time this week to write poems and cards for our Mothers. We brainstormed and came up with our own ways of expressing how our moms show us love. The results were so sweet. We hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day!
Our partnership with organizations in the community continues with another learning experience led by the Ohlone Herbal Center’s Mariah. Last time, she taught us to respect the plants around us and remember that they are living things too, not just there for us to use. This time, we continued our ideas about what it means to be a “weed”. While all living things are to be respected, when you have a specific purpose, plants that encroach on the space will take the nutrients out and need to be taken out. So we took to our garden beds by our classroom and got our hands dirty! We found some interesting plants such as a type of onion, but we wanted to keep the oregano, sage, mint, and strawberries because of their usefulness to the Ohlone long ago that we could explore in the future. Mariah also showed us how to make cordage after we finished weeding the garden beds.
We got to take part in a vote for school colors. We were deciding between the combinations of Mission Orange and Bay Blue, Bay Blue and Seashell White, or Mission Orange and Seashell White. We are so excited to hear the results on Monday! These colors will be incorporated into this year’s Walkathon shirts and all future TBS gear! It’s exciting to take part in a lasting school decision!
Learning about abstract ideas like the atmosphere can be a challenge to make real to a 3rd grader.
To further explore the different layers of the atmosphere, we looked at the greenhouse effect in a jar. The atmosphere traps heat from the sun that then warms our planet so we can live here. Using a jar, we explored the greenhouse effect and how temperature is affected by it. We also talked about how pollution and too many greenhouse gases makes the planet too warm.
We put a thermometer in a jar in the sun and had a control thermometer outside. We made predictions and recorded the results every 10 minutes for 30 minutes. It was interesting as we continued to check in on the results. Our first finding was the same at 31 degrees C, but we also noticed that the jar had ended up in the shade. “Maybe the air inside the jar hasn’t warmed up so they’re the same?” With that in mind, we put the jar in the sun for the second reading. “Hey! My prediction was almost right! It’s now 35 degrees C and I wrote 36 degrees C!” The third reading resulted in 37 degrees and some kids conjectured that it could be because the sun had finally warmed up the air in the jar that it couldn’t get much hotter?
We also explored the properties of gravity through Julianne’s help. What better way to really experience gravity than trying to find balance? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGvddCPD-J0
Our record of stacked rocks was 6! Talk about feeling the true weight of gravity and finding balance!
We also used the tried and true combination of vinegar and baking powder to illustrate the creation of gases at one station while another group used their bodies to reenact atoms in solid, liquid, and gas states.
This week was full of celebrations! We celebrated Gabby’s birthday and Julianne’s birthday. It was lovely to show them our appreciations through words and actions!
