More Wood, Paper, & Fabric

On Thursday and Friday we learned even more about wood, paper, and fabric.  We have continued switching each day with Mrs. Showalter's class.

 

In our classroom on Thursday students had a chance to make paper.  Students mixed toilet paper with water to form paper pulp.  After extracting excess water with a sponge students rolled out the pulp to make a piece of recycled paper.



 

While students rotated through our classroom making paper the rest of the group built paper boxes with 6th grade volunteers.



 

On Friday in our classroom students learned about changing materials.  Students had a chance to try sanding a piece of wood and to draw on fabric with special fabric markers.

 

 

In Mrs. Showalter's classroom on Friday afternoon students stained and washed fabric.  First they stained fabric with ketchup and mustard.  Then they rinsed their fabric in just water before cleaning it soap.  Students found out that ketchup washed out but mustard did not.

 

Wood, Paper, & Fabric

All week long we have been exploring wood, paper, and fabric and science.  Students have been learning about wood and paper in our classroom and about fabric in Mrs. Showalter's classroom.  We have been working very hard!

On Monday we started by looking at and examining different kinds of wood, paper, and fabric. 

On Tuesday, we took materials apart.  In our classroom we took apart cardboard boxes.  In Mrs. Showalter's classroom students used magnifying glasses to look at the threads in small pieces of fabric before taking them apart.  

Yesterday students had a chance to build materials.  In our classroom we put together pieces of plywood and then sorted objects that were made of wood/not made of wood.  In Mrs. Showalter's classroom students wove pieces of thread to make a fabric.

This morning we had a chance to attend the 6th Grade music concert.  We enjoyed watching our 6th grade friends sing, dance, and play instruments.

Polar Bears & Penguins

During our polar animal unit we learned more specifically about polar bears and penguins. 

 

Students practiced their non-fiction writing skills while creating these polar bear projects.

 

Students followed step by step directions to draw a penguin and then labeled them.

 

 

Students then each wrote one penguin fact and made the penguins below.



 

We have started learning all about addition.  On Friday students used mini-erasers to tell a partner addition stories.

 

What We've Been Up to Lately...

At the end of last week we read the book Agate by Joy Morgan Dey.  Throughout the story Agate compares himself to his friends without realizing how special he is.  In the end Agate's friends help him to see that he is unique and special too!  The last line in the book reads:

 "Be glad they're them and you are you -- each a gem in life's marvelous zoo!"

 

After reading the book we spent a little time discussing how special each one of us are -- and then painted self-portraits with watercolors -- just like in the book!

 

The self portraits turned out GREAT!!

In library, on Tuesday students had a chance with our librian Ms. Zbacnik to do some basic computer coding.  Information came home in yesterday's Wednesday folder about how to do some more coding at home!  I've included a link below for a video all about coding from BrainPop.  You can also read more about coding at Brimhall on Ms. Zbacnik's blog using the link below:

BrainPop Computer Programming Video

 

Ms. Zbacnik's Library Blog 

This week we've been learning all about polar animals.  We started the week by researching animals that live in the North Pole (Arctic) and South Pole (Antarctic).  Here are students sorting animals that live in each area.

Johnny Appleseed & Ten Apples Up On Top!

Yesterday we learned what a tall tale is and read a book about Johnny Appleseed.  We then sorted facts and fictions about him.  Here's the whole class in their Johnny Appleseed hats.

This morning we read the book Ten Apples Up On Top! by Dr. Seuss.  Students had a lot of fun using pictures of their classmates to make their own version of the book!

 

Here's everyone having fun at choice time yesterday! :-)

 

Vowels & the End of Our Apple Unit

On Monday we started learning about vowels.  We now know that vowels include a, e, i, o, and u and that they each have a short and a long sound.  Yesterday students practiced sorting short and long A words with a partner.

We finished up our two week unit on apples yesterday afternoon.  On Monday we learned about the life cycle of an apple and the seasons of an apple tree.  Yesterday we took notes about how apples taste, what apples have, and what apples are.  Students did a great job writing independently!  We then made the apple projects below.  Everyone brought home their apple books yesterday -- hopefully they were able to share them with you!

 

Yesterday two of the kids in our class showed up in matching shirts!  How fun! :-)