Simple Machines!

We have done it!  We have officially discussed each of the 6 simple machines in the classroom and have seen first hand how they help make work easier.   We tested levers (catapults), inclined planes, wedges, screws, pulleys and wheels and axles.  We built cars with wheels and axles, tested them by sending them down an inclined plane and tried to make improvements to our designs. All students have improved at drawing detailed, labeled diagrams and explaining their thinking orally and on paper..

Some of the Curriculum Expectations we were working on:
By the end of Grade 2, students will:
2.3  investigate the structure and function of simple machines (e.g., by building a wheel and axle for a toy car; by exploring the effects of changing the slope of a ramp

2.4  use technological problem-solving skills (see page 16), and knowledge and skills acquired from previous investigations, to design, build, and test a mechanism that includes one or more simple machines (e.g., a toy, a model ...What is the purpose of your mechanism? What simple machine(s) does it use? Explain how it does what it does. What kind of movement does it demonstrate? What were some of the challenges in designing and making your mechanism? Based on the tests you conducted, what might you change about your mechanism?

3.3 identify the six basic types of simple machines – lever; inclined plane; pulley; wheel and axle, including gear; screw; and wedge – and give examples of ways in which each is used in daily life to make tasks easier 

3.4 describe how each type of simple machine allows humans to move objects with less  force than otherwise would be needed
(e.g., an inclined plane allows a heavy object
to be moved upwards more easily than if it were lifted and carried up stairs; a wheel and axle allow an object to roll, which creates less friction than if it were dragged; 

Yoga Workshop

Today, our classroom had the opportunity to experience an "Element-Based" Yoga workshop with Shannon Rose Scott.  Shannon Rose Scott is a passionate yoga teacher who brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise into the room.  Her educational background in Theatre and the Expressive Arts bring an element of creative play to the yogic experience.  During the workshop, students learned to recognize 5 possible emotional needs based on the elements of nature.

We would like to thank the Foundation for Education for this amazing opportunity.

After our workshop, armed with our new knowledge of yoga, we worked with a partner on an EQAO reading test that was also about yoga. It was a great way to make connections between our personal experiences and thing that we read! Great job everyone!

Discovery Western

Today we had a fantastic time participating in the Maker Workshop With Discovery Western.  We learned that there are 9 different kinds of engineering and that Engineers problem solve, design and build things using their science knowledge. 
This workshop offered students in our classroom the opportunity to use Ozobots, littleBits and their imaginations to complete a variety of mini challenges. Students worked independently and collaboratively to plan, build and test their creations and then make changes to improve their design.  Please use the pictures below to inspire a conversation with your child about the things they did and learned today! 

Here are some of the things we had to say about our day:

It was awesome when we built the flashlight with the littleBits.  - Will

It was fun spending the day with Rachel and Amber.- Hannah

I liked when we used the littleBits to make the communication device. - Mac

I liked the cute, little Ozobots when they went zoom, zoom, zoom! - Jorja

Rachel and Amber did a great job of explaining how to use everything. - James

I liked when we got to experiment with all the different littleBits. - Tristan

I liked when we got to see the Ozobots move in different ways by following the colored codes!
          -Vaughn

I liked when we got to use the Ozobots to knock down the bowling balls. - Chloe

I would give this workshop a 10/10! -Owen

It was nice to give them our opinion of the workshop at the end! - Jordan

It was tricky to get the Ozobots to move the way we wanted ....and turn them on! - Daniel

It was tricky to get all the parts of the circuit working together.- Javi

It was nice that we got to experiment alone before we had to start working as part of a team. - Brody

It was tricky drawing the pathways for the Ozobots to follow. - Peyton

I think we have some future Engineers in this classroom based on the amazing thinking I saw today!
        -Mrs. Stacey

Mother's Day

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day! We had fun making our little gifts for you and enjoyed talking (and writing) about all the amazing things Mothers do for us and the reasons why we love our Mom.

Wednesday at Wildwood!

We had another fantastic day at Wildwood.  Last week's rain made for some muddy trails but since we were all wearing boots, it wasn't a problem for us!  We packed a lot of great learning into one day.   Please use the photos below to guide your discussion at home.  Ask your child to try to identify the wildflowers and weeds in the pictures and have them explain the activities that they participated in.
Special thanks to Chloe's Mom and Hannah's Opa for helping today.  We were so glad to have you with us!

Math in Early May!

We have been busy reviewing and expanding on our knowledge of some math conepts that we have touched on earlier in the school year.  We created and extended growing patterns and represented these in tables.  We learned that we could create growing patterns starting at bigger numbers but that building these patterns would take too long so the table was useful for showing these growing patterns.
We also had some 'fraction fun', drawing fractions and describing the fractions of a whole.  We have already noticed that the more pieces a whole is divided into..the smaller the pieces get.  We would rather have 1/4 than 1/8 of a pizza because we know 1/4 is a bigger slice.  Our 'fraction fun' will continue as we explore fractions of a set and look for equal fractions!
Problem solving (with partners and independently) has also been practiced.  We are getting much better at choosing tools to help us solve problems and explaining our thinking in words or numbers!

May has just begun and look at us go!

Piet Mondrain Art

We learned about another famous artist named Piet Mondrain and the features of his art!  Inspired by this style and use of primary colous, we set out to try to create similar artwork.  We discussed the importance of 'balance' when using colours so that your eye would not be drawn to one spot but would look at the art as a whole.  The end product was amazing!

Transformation Geometry!

We have enjoyed several 'hands-on' activities and partner games to provide experience identifying movements of shapes/objects.  Students have learned how to identify reflections (flips), translations (slides) and rotations (turns) using concrete materials.  We have used pentominos, geoboards and miras to help us show our thinking  of this concept.

Museum Learning!

During the month of April, our class had the opportunity to visit the St. Marys Museum three times to support the learning of expectations from our Social Studies curriculum.  While there, we learned how the community of St. Marys has grown and developed around its main resources (limestone, water, soil, wood).    We also learned how our community has changed as a result of improvements in technology .  Some businesses that existed in the past have had to re-locate from our downtown area to the 'outskirts' to make space for the cars that people drive today.  Some businesses no longer exist because of technology (we no longer have a blacksmith in our downtown) and new kinds of businesses/services are being offered in our community that did not exist in the past.  We have started to compare our community to other communities in Ontario (ie. London) and have recognized that larger/urban communities often have more job opportunities and even more goods and services than we do.
Thank you to Amy Cubberly from the museum for inspiring some amazing thinking in our students.
Ask your child if they can identify and explain some of the changes that have happened in our community by looking at the pictures in this post!  Enjoy!