Last week we began our first Project Lead the Way science unit:  Structure and Function-Exploring Design.  We began by talking about the function of various objects and how this connects to their design and structure.  Students were then prompted to draw several objects including something that holds water, something that can be used to write, and something that can move people from one place to another.  We compared the different things that each child drew and noted similarities in their design or structure, which were connected to their function.  For example the different things that could hold water all had sides while the objects for writing tended to have a long shape with a point at one end.

Later in the week we read a version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" and talked about the function of the beanstalk in the story (it was used as a ladder) and how its structure supported this.  On Friday students were presented with their first design challenge, to use 10 pipe cleaners (and nothing else) to build the tallest bean stalk they could.  This can be quite challenging and consequently frustrating so we began by reading the book "The Most Magnificent Thing" by Ashley Spires.  This is a story about a girl with an idea for a magnificent construction.  She has a very clear picture of her design and even draws it on paper so building it should be "easy peasy".  But of course it is not and she must try, and try again, walk away, work slowly and carefully, and be flexible.  In the end she creates something magnificent that isn't quite what she envisioned, but it is still fabulous.  We followed the book with a discussion of what children could do if they felt frustrated while building their bean stalks, including starting over, walking around the room to get new ideas from classmates, and adjusting their expectations.

Each child drew a bean stalk design in their science notebooks and finally they were given a chance to build their bean stalks.  Most students failed in their first attempts and had to make significant adjustments or completely start over, but in the end everyone was able to create a finished bean stalk.  In our follow up discussion children noted that making a sturdy base was the most challenging thing and if they had an opportunity to do this task again they would probably modify their designs to have a strong base. This was a great opportunity for everyone to work through frustration with problem solving and perseverance, something real scientists must do all the time!

Last week we read the book "A Color of His Own" by Leo Lionni.  We used this story as a springboard for a discussion about the importance of being yourself and accepting yourself and others just as they are, noting without colors of our own the world would be pretty boring.  After reading the story children created their own colorful chameleon using oil pastels and water color paint.  These unique and colorful chameleons are hanging on the bulletin board outside our classroom.

We have been busy in the forest the last few weeks.  Some of the things we have done during ECO include building "beds" that now serve as sit spots at the end of each ECO session, learning about the needs of living things, learning about and searching for different decomposers in the forest, and having our first mini-fire to make tea.

After reading the book The Very Best Bed, by Rebekah Raye, children chose a spot to make a just right bed for themselves.  This represented a suitable space for each of them, something all living things need.  We then had a cooperative group hunt helping each other find color coded rocks that represented water, food, air, and light.  While our forest space doesn't really have many rocks, the ones we have blend in well with the other forest elements and it was truly a group effort to make sure each child had one rock of each color.

Last week our focus was on decomposers, the waste removers of the world, and the important role they play in the cycle of the forest.  What if all of the leaves that fell every year just remained on the forest floor, piling up year after year?  Yikes! Thank goodness for decomposers.  We read the book A Log's Life by Wendy Pfeffer, which portrays the life cycle of an oak tree from seedling to tree to a fallen log.  Over the course of many years the log decomposes, turning back into rich soil for future oak trees to take root.  An important part of the story is the vast amount of life supported by this one log as it slowly decomposes.  After reading the book we searched the forest for different decomposers.  Some of the things we found included beetles, spiders, slugs, moss, and myriad fungi in all different colors.

After our guided exploration we typically have forest choice time, with a variety of options.  Many children choose to build during this time.  Whittling sticks with potato peelers has also been a very popular choice, and last week several students were inspired to create a giant leaf pile.

Now that sit spots are established we end our ECO session each week by sitting quietly, listening to the forest, and writing in their journals. It is pretty amazing when everyone is truly quiet and the only sounds are the sounds of the woods. 

After our morning recess each day we move into math.  We typically begin our math time by working in stations.  Each day students rotate through two stations in small groups.  During this time we have mostly focused on working with numbers to 10:  counting, ordering, and comparing numbers and matching numerals to quantities.  As we count we have worked on one-to-one correspondence, the idea that each object must be counted once and only once.  We have practiced moving objects as we count them or lining them up and touching each one as we count to make sure they are all counted, but only counted once.

 Children have also been introduced to  five- and ten-frames, which are models we will use throughout the year for composing numbers.   Both of these models appear in many of our stations and we also use them for whole class work, using cubes to build numbers and talk about what we notice.  For example, when we make 5 on a ten-frame, there are 5 empty spaces, or if we make 9, there is just 1 empty space.  As students gain familiarity with these structures they will begin to recognize quantities without counting, an important process referred to as subitizing.

Many of our stations involve partner games, which provide a fun way for children to develop and practice math skills.  Perhaps more importantly these give us practice being good sports:  playing the games the way they are meant to be played, not gloating if we win, going with the flow when we lose, and always shaking hands and saying good game when we are done.