Kids worked in teams, for easier collaboration and problem solving. Along the way we enjoyed water play, the labrynth, swings and more. The final stop was the volleyball courts and play space where we let loose for 100% fun!
Unity and last chance bonding was the focus for our 6th grade outing at Smale Park and Serpentine Wall. Teacher Ms. Alexis developed a scavenger hunt with many historic and geographic features to learn from. Kids worked in teams, for easier collaboration and problem solving. Along the way we enjoyed water play, the labrynth, swings and more. The final stop was the volleyball courts and play space where we let loose for 100% fun!
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Field work in a stream gots EVERYONE involved and rather wet. The Ohio River Foundation provides opportunities for learning about macro-invertebrates, net fishing and water conservation. An added bonus was a month of river mussel observations and inquiry, right in our classroom! Check out the experiences through pictures! The big summer project was to research different designs in local, international and historic bridges. Fantastic job! It's my goal to ask a student to allow me to reprint their bridge essay in this column. Kids also had a math packet. Of course this was all optional, as many students proclaim their freedom to be sacred. In the end, the kids who completed the bridge and an essay, or the math packet (or both) enjoyed ice cream and game time outside on Friday. When asked if all the toil and sweat was worth the outcome they ALL answered YES!! Now that was SATISFYING !
Scientists and engineers work side by side to understand how to make a slide more slippery, or a rug more resistant. They measure the force needed to move across a surface. What real life situation would we design a surface with LESS resistance ? What real life situation would we design a surface with MORE resistance ?
The assignment was to deposit water from a dropper onto a penny. This was not a new investigation for many of the kids. They were learning about surface tension by experience, but that was not the main goal. We are using safety practices and turn taking, but that also was not the main goal. The main focus in this lesson addressed the excitement and sense of competition among the students. Individuals were proud when they recorded 50 or more drops on the penny (how could this happen? I only counted 26 drops when I did it). The reporting out sounded like a bragging session. One child used the word "best" when discussing the outcomes. A few children snickered when a child reported only 4 drops.
I asked the kids, "Did I suggest there was a goal when we started this investigation ? Did I say the more the better?" I questioned them about their feelings of excitement around competition. Is this what scientists do ? A child caught on and summarized that we shouldn't think one result was better than any other. I attempted to explain that scientists must be objective and not cheer on one set of data over another. Ms. Best, my neighboring science teacher, says we must not be attached to outcomes as scientists. We will explore this extremely important lesson throughout the year. It is a lesson not easily understood by a 9-12 year old kid, yet I am excited to guide them down the path ! One component of the summer homework was to curate at Time Capsule -- to be returned at the end of 6th grade. There were fun and creative projects presented at our gallery walk on Friday . What a great way to get to know the kids. Thank you Ms. Best for the great idea !
I generally have discouraged students from drawing and definately scribbling on their contracts. Doodling is a sure sign of work avoidance. So for two years I reminded Tenzin that he should not be drawing on the contract (with occasional exception when I provided a rectangle to draw in with specific directions). Tenzin seems to have a compulsion to draw, and talk and move.....but after all, he's a Montessori kid ! So I let go. And I started enjoying his doodles. I realized I should be saving them somehow. The smart phone comes in so handy for this reason. Every week I would look forward to his doodles. More pictures to document !! I knew I would one day share his artistry, sense of humor and imagination. Enjoy Tenzin's doodles : (click directly on each title) The Great Imagination of Tenzin Moore Sporty Tenzin Ninja Warriors Tenzin's Ancient History Note: Tenzin was a student of our Montessori school for 9 years ! We will miss you Tenzin !! Go class of 2022 !! art
Science Night is my very favorite PTO event at PWM. This scene with the splatter of orange is a demonstration of how liquid nitrogen instantly freezes the most delicate objects -- in this case an orange rose ! Thanks to Betty Humble (pictured here) we were entertained, entranced and educated about a variety of chemicals.
Here is a pyramid made of sugar cubes. Quite clever ! Also rather than hand written labels, I appreciate how this student word processed his descriptions with bold titles. As a companion work to this project, students wrote a speech as if they were a pharoah in one of the Ancient Egyptian Dynasties. Powerful ! Categories: pyramid
I have enjoyed mathematics inconsistently in my life. What does that mean ? I could really go on here with memories of elementary school, geometry in 8th grade, college "Topics in Math" , programming and then at NKU but I fear it would be a boring ramble, however meaningful to me. I will simply say that I USED to say I was useless with logic problems and puzzlers. Now the problem above is not so much logic or puzzling....but it is another I would stumble around with unless I remembered to work through procedures of multiplication.
My limited thinking about what I was "good at" (as if it's genetic) changed significantly after my training with Tong (I forgot her last name), sponsored by Mayerson Academy. Problem solving became visual. Visuals work for me. I LOVED it ! I especially loved algebra, which I will feature in a future post. It's problem solving with diagrams which show part to part relationships, or part to whole relationships. Collaborating teachers and paraprofessionals also have these "ah ha" moments when I walk them through the diagram drawing. I can't say enough about this method so that's all I will say for tonight. Stay tuned for future examples. NOTE - We also call this "tape diagrams" and "block diagrams" and "thinking blocks" . I like to call it "model drawing." |
Judy GananceWhat is important in my life? Health, family, community, teaching & learning, forest, lepidoptera, photography, knitting, cooking & technology. It is a great pleasure to explore science and sensible problem solving with our children of Parker Woods Montessori. Archives
August 2019
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