Week 19

In Math, we learned a new addition strategy called the "Open Number Line". The steps include first drawing a number line and then drawing your first number on the number line. Your first hop will be to add the ones from your second number, then add the tens, hundreds and thousands. At the bottom of each hop you write the sum on your number line. The last hop is the total sum. 

Students found several ways to get to a sum of 350.

In Science, we looked at how the position of a light source effects the size of an objects shadow. If the light source is closer to an object, the objects shadow will be bigger. If the light source is farther away from an object, the objects shadow be smaller. We also looked at how the position of the sun during the day affects shadow of objects. The angle of the sun will also be the same angle of the objects shadow.

We also watched a Bill Nye video and started looking at concepts of reflection and how light reflects off a mirror. We looked at concave and convex lenses. A concave lens curves inward and it makes objects look smaller. A convex lens curves outward and it makes objects look bigger. 

Today we worked with Cathy Beveridge and learned that perspectives in history are all different because people focus on different moments in history. Each person looks at an event in history differently. This is a video we watched about selective attention proving that we even though we are looking at one event, we all see different things.

Next week, our next spelling pattern is:

Adjectives ending in er compare two things. Adjectives ending in est compare three or more things. To add er or est to an adjective that ends in y, change the y to an i first. 

Example:

est

happy + er = happier

er 

happy + est = happiest

Practice Words

angrier

angriest

happier

happiest

easier

easiest

earlier

earliest

funnier

funniest

prettier

prettiest

lonelier

loneliest

heavier

heaviest

fancier

fanciest

juicier

juiciest

Reminders:

Non-Instructional Day - No school tomorrow, Feb. 1st

Report Card Envelopes - Please return your report card envelopes (and thanks if you already have!)

Record Fees - Recorder fees are due on Monday, Feb. 4th 

Winter Weather Clothes - Please remember to have children bring snow pants and boots during the colder, wet season. The field can get very wet as snow melts. Extra socks in their backpack would be great as well.

Week 18

We had a fantastic, magnificent and exciting week.

In Social Studies, we are researching about different First Nation peoples. We are learning more about: their culture, traditional food, traditional clothing, celebrations, their jobs and roles, beliefs and customs, music, art and dance, forms of transportation, languages, legends and stories, how they live/lived and their way of life and other facts. 

 In Science, we have been learning how light reacts to different objects. We have been using mirrors and different objects to see if they reflect or don't reflect light. Most objects that are shiny and smooth reflect light such as a cd or a spoon. Objects that are dull and rough usually don't reflect light.

In Math, we learned a new strategy called "chunking". This strategy involves taking chunks aways from the smaller number. We start by taking away the biggest place value in the smaller number - starting with the thousands, hundreds, tens and ones. We have been continuing to working on becoming more efficient at using this strategy by racing against our classmates.

For Health, we are continuing to learn about the Growth Mindset. We watched and discussed the videos on ClassDojo about the Growth Mindset. Here is a link to the videos: https://ideas.classdojo.com/b/growth-mindset

Passion Projects!

This week, Japneet presented her Passion Project on Narwhals. Her guiding questions were "What do Narwhals use their tusks for?" and "How long are Narwhals tusks?" . We learned that males tusks can grow between 8.8-9.0 feet, but the females tusks grow much smaller (the size is undetermined). 

This week, Sophie presented her Passion Project on Halloween. Her guiding question was "When was Halloween made?" and "Who came up with it?". We learned that a group called Celts, an ancient group, thought that the spirits/ghosts from the graveyards came out to haunt so they would put on costumes to ward them off and give them treats to make them happy. The Scottish and Irish immigrants came to Canada and they started the Halloween celebration, which was one of their traditions from their homeland. 

Morning Prompts!

Today we watched and discussed Planet Three. Here is the video link: https://vimeo.com/channels/theplanets/62799909

Next week, our next spelling pattern is:

Words ending in Y: When a word ends in y preceded by a consonant, change the y to i before adding an ending, unless adding the ending ing.  

Example:

worry + es = worries 

dry + ing = drying 

copy + ed = copied 

try + ing = trying

Practice Words

•  tries​
• carried​
• worries​
• buying​
• satisfied​
• relying​
• denies​
• copied​
• emptied​
• hurrying
• cries​
• buries​
• multiplied​
• replies​
• supplied​
• drying​
• petrified​
• frying​
• applied​
• scurrying

Reminders:

Winter Weather Clothes - Please remember to have children bring snow pants and boots during the colder, wet season. The field can get very wet as snow melts. Extra socks in their backpack would be great as well.

Week 17

This week we had a very exciting field trip to the Glenbow Museum. Read about some of our key learnings below.

William Van Horned built the Canadian Pacific Railway from Canada's West coast to the East coast. This was to encourage more newcomers to come and live in Alberta. The railway was built in only 5 years. Many people died while constructing the railway because they were exposed to harsh working conditions. When taking the train to Alberta, the train cart conditions for immigrants and people who did not have a lot of money were not the best. For example, the restrooms did not have running sinks or toilets. People got very uncomfortable. This was not the case for rich people, who stayed in the upper class train carts, which were very luxurious and comfortable. Our Glenbow expert is showing us the overhead compartment where people in the lower class train cart could pay more to sleep in these beds. Typically the only people who could afford them were single working men.

We learned about a Canadian historical figure named Deerfoot who was able to run faster than horses without taking a break for water. He would run from Calgary to Edmonton in order to send messages to different people. The road Deerfoot Trail is named after Deerfoot because of how fast he could run. 

In Social Studies, we have been exploring artifacts. We have been sketching and labelling what we see and making inferences about the artifacts in our reflections. 

In Math, we learned a new strategy called "Breaking it Down". This strategy involves expanding the numbers in our number equation and then adding the numbers by their place value. At the very end we add our totals in order find the solution for original number equation. We have been working on becoming efficient at using this strategy by racing against our classmates.

In Science, we have been learning about our new unit "Lights and Shadows". We watched a Bill Nye video about Lights and Colours and created a Concept Map to learn and understand what the different concepts from the video meant. For example, we learned that in the summer if you are wearing blacking clothing, sunlight is absorbed and heat is produced. If you are wearing white clothing then all of the sunlight will be reflected off of it. 

As a Friday Morning prompt, we have been making predictions about creatures from The 12 Planets. In our morning journals, we have been making predictions about what we think is happening on the planet and describing what we see by using at least three adjectives. Below are links to the videos.

Planet One - Video Link: https://vimeo.com/channels/theplanets/58524531

Planet Two - Video Link: https://vimeo.com/channels/theplanets/60471103


Next week, our next spelling pattern is:

When a short-vowel word ends in a single consonant, the consonant is usually doubled before adding an ending that begins with a vowel. In words with 2 or more syllables, the final consonant is usually doubled if the last syllable has a short vowel followed by a single consonant. 

Ex: begin + ing = beginning
      drop + ed = dropped

Practice Words

beginning 

humming 

dropped 

sitting 

slipping 

joggers 

grabbing 

bobbing 

tripped 

padded 

skimming 

scrubbing 

winners 

outfitted 

wrapped 

clapping 

dragging 

chatting 

quitter 

trimmer

Reminders:

Winter Weather Clothes - Please remember to have children bring snow pants and boots during the colder, wet season. The field can get very wet as snow melts. Extra socks in their backpack would be great as well.