Last Friday we walked to the VG for creemees with our reading buddies as part of our whole school celebration of 1000 We Rock! cards. It was a perfect way to end a hot spring day!

 For the month of April, our calendar has focused on different ways of measuring objects. Each of the calendar markers features a measuring tool and an object being measured: an eraser next to a ruler, grapes on a scale, rice in a measuring cup, a penguin on ice beside a thermometer that shows the temperature is 24 F. The tools and objects illustrate different measurable attributes and provide opportunities for students to make comparisons using words such as longer, shorter, heavier, lighter, etc.

We have also explored some of these attributes during math. Students have enjoyed measuring the length of various objects around the room using cubes. They have also had an opportunity to use pan balances to compare pairs of objects, and to weigh objects by balancing them with sets of counting bears. For example, scissors weigh the same as 6 counting bears. We also compared the capacity of various containers by filling them with cubes and counting the number of cubes each container held. All of this has provided students with a strong introduction to the idea that objects can be measured in different ways and we use different tools depending on the attribute we are measuring.

For the last couple of weeks, as we wait for the forest to dry out a bit, we have eased back into our ECO routines with shortened sessions at school. The first week, while the field was covered with many inches of snow, we focused on great horned owls, perhaps the only birds that nest and lay eggs in late winter. Children worked in pairs to build nests (we imagined they were in trees, but actually made them on the ground) that would keep their eggs  (colored ice cubes) warm and safe. While one partner went out to gather food, the other partner was responsible for watching over the nest so no eggs would be lost to sneaky predators. 

This week, after all of the snow had rapidly melted, we focused on amphibians and their spring move to vernal pools, where they lay their eggs. We talked about some of the dangers they face trying to get to these spring pools, including predators and cars, as their routes often take them across roads. Working in teams, children were challenged to build a bridge for a salamander to safely cross. Students had many creative ideas for constructing thier bridges and did a fantastic job of working in teams  to build some pretty awesome bridges!