Week Twenty Nine: A Sock Walk
At this point in the year, the girls are the experts when it comes to their learning. They are comfortable in the classroom environment, familiar with the materials and learning experiences that they can independently access, willing to step out of their comfort zones and take risks, and use their voices with confidence. This week was a blend of returning to previous provocations, mixed with exciting new activities. To end off our week, we set out on a “sock walk” with the grade 5 class to the ravine to conduct a science experiment. Take a look!
S claps out the syllables in a number of different picture-words and sorts them into piles. Recently we have been talking about syllables, and clapping the syllables in as many words as we can.
Look at the girls’ beautiful, painted and planted clay pots. No signs of growth yet, but we will keep our fingers crossed (and keep them watered).
Z and G collaborate at the Light Table. They are designing an Easter egg with many colourful materials. They continue to check in with each other to make sure that their ideas for the designs are good.
M builds a barrier at the end of the long marble tunnel. She and G have figured out this new way for marbles to travel, but find that the marbles go much farther if they “escape” the barrier.
G and K, inspired by M, create their own version of a barrier to keep the marbles from spraying all over the classroom when they come out of the tube. This plan is only somewhat successful.
K adds a few jenga blocks to the end of the tunnel to keep the marbles in control.
After a discussion about bees and butterflies, and their importance in our environment, M writes down her wonders to be shared with the group.
M experiments with using the program Paint during computers. She has figured out how to use different drawing tools to make wavy lines, and how to change the colour up to create a design. She is very pleased with her work and asks for it to be documented.
S watches as G splatter paints during “abstract art week” in Art class with Brie. The paint splatters are intended to look like rain splashing down on the page.
G is proud to share her work on the geoboard. She tells me that she has made a lot of shapes, including a diamond, square, and rectangle.
G and S share their sorting strategy after our plants concept sort. The categories are: where plants grow, what plants need to grow, parts of a plant, and types of plants.
M and G have used the same categories as above, but have sorted some of their plant cards into different groups. They mention that plants need soil to grow, but it is also a place where plants grow. A big part of concept sorts is the discussion around the cards that comes up, and the rationale behind certain sorting rules.
S stamps spring colours onto her egg template to create a unique design. She is using pompoms and clothespins instead of a paintbrush.
These new-to-Linden blue scarves were a big hit this week in the Drama Centre. The girls used them as skirts, dresses, scarves, picnic blankets, and baby slings. It’s always fun to observe how the girls choose to use a new material.
Socks up before we head out for our Friday ravine walk with the grade 5 class. Most girls are wearing one (or two) socks on the outside of their shoes for the walk. We are conducting an experiment. We are hoping that the socks will collect seeds on the floor of the park/ravine, and then maybe some plants will grow from them.
It’s fun for the girls to walk with their grade 5 buddies. Because we go every week, they are ravine experts, and are comfortable telling the older girls about the route, their observations, and some of their places to visit.
S has zipped her dirty (seed filled) sock into a bag, which will be hung on the window in the classroom. We’re excited to see if anything happens with the socks.