I look forward to dragon habitat week all year…it is such a treat! It is messy, chaotic, creative fun. I love hearing students describe all aspects of their dragon homes…each element thoughtfully selected. This year’s class put top priority on protecting their baby dragons. I saw many ingenious ideas to keep the baby dragons safe.
We also began preparing for our show by learning about different simple machines. After Spring Break, students will be applying this knowledge creatively. Ask your child to point out any simple machines they can find in your home. You will be surprised how many you can find!
Monday
Simple Machines: Pulleys and Levers – We built a drawbridge for our block castle using a pulley system. We experimented with different lever combinations to find the best way to launch a rolled up sock over our castle wall. After many trials, we discovered the best plan is to start with the lever level so that it projects forward.
Math – BINGO – Using an Old Fashioned BINGO roller, we practiced reading and recognizing double digit numbers with a rousing game of BINGO.
Tuesday
Simple Machines – Inclined Planes – Marble Run – The most fun inclined plane of all…is definitely a marble run. The little engineers learned how marble runs will only work if connected the correct way “hole over no-hole” Once students mastered this skill, they were able to create very effective marble runs!
Math – Dragon Math Stories – Using dice and our dragon puppets, we created math stories and composed math sentences.
Wednesday
Dragon Habitats! – Using limitless craft supplies, students designed and created magnificent homes for their dragon family.
Thursday
Guided Reading – I read with students individually while rest of group used Epic! Books for Kids on iPads.
Math – Diving in Half – Students were introduced to the idea of 1/2. They then were tasked to divide many different groups of items into halves.
Friday
Leprechaun Traps – Using cardboard and classroom supplies, students made a trap to catch a leprechaun. The traps have been set out for St. Patricks Day….hopefully Monday we will have a leprechaun waiting for us…ready to lead us to a pot of gold!
St. Patrick’s Compassion – Mrs. Swanson taught children about the real life of Saint Patrick. They learned how his compassion inspired others. The Lemurs created a paper rainbow link chain and wrote down on the red link a way that Saint Patrick showed compassion.
