In math this week we continued our geometry unit with an exploration of 3-D shapes.  Children had an opportunity to compare spheres, cylinders, cubes, and cones, noticing each shapes defining features and how the shapes are similar and different.  They tested the shapes to see if they could roll, slide, or stack and sorted them accordingly.  They also tried to create their own models of each shape using play dough- a task that is much easier for some shapes than others!

Continuing our exploration of 2-D shapes, we read the book Grandfather Tang's Story, by Ann Tompert.  This is a tale told with tangrams about two fox fairies who shift their shapes to become new animals.  We followed this by making our own tangram animals.

During math on Fridays we have been moving away from our regular routine and working on problem solving.  For children at all grade levelsAn important math skill to have is making sense of problems and persevering in solving them.  We have had discussions about perseverance and what it means, connected to both math and life.  We have also revisited the idea that some of our best learning comes from mistakes, so it is better to take a risk and make a mistake than not take the risk.  I try to find problems that have more than one solution,  allowing students to demonstrate understanding in a variety of ways and lending themselves to rich discussion both while we are solving the problems and when we share solutions.  Last week our problem involved seating all of the students and adults in our class using different shaped tables.  This week's problem involved building towers using 10 blocks, with no two towers having the same height.  As a class we were able to find all of the solutions.

Our class seated around tables!