Design and Engineering Introduction

We have begun our unit on all things construction, Design and Engineering. In this unit we have and will talk about buildings, constructing, tools, materials, famous structures, stability, and many other facets of design and engineering.

We wanted to begin with a fun activity to get them used to handling tools. We gave our students real tools. With Valentines Day just passing, we decided to have fun with some left over conversation hearts.

Beginning with safety, we talked about each tool and how they're used. Then we gave them minimal instruction about how to break the candies. We wanted to see what the students did with the tools, how they used them, if they used multiple strategies to solve the problem of breaking the hearts into smaller pieces, the vocabulary they would use and what they would predict.

The hearts were in between two pieces of paper towel so that broken bits didn't fly everywhere.

We used hammers.

We used screwdrivers.

We tried different ways to use the screwdriver.

We even tried breaking them with our hands.

After spending some time with conversation hearts, we tried breaking different types of food; we added M&Ms and chips to our trays.

Measuring

A fun way to introduce measuring for children is to measure with nonstandard units. Children have a hard time understanding inches and feet, so instead we begin measuring with "units."

In this activity we paired students up and asked them to measure each other with anything they found in the room. For example, someone might be 14 blocks or 20 magnets.

Students tried everything from books, to cars, to blocks and instruments.
One students asked, "What would happen if I pulled my legs up?" We predicted and tested his theory that "It would be smaller."
We made other predictions about how many units it would take, what would happen if we changed the units or which students would be more units.
We documented our measurements with drawings, numbers and words.
We compared the size of students.

Measuring with rulers and measuring tapes came later. Instead of calling them inches, we just called them units. After teaching how to start at the zero on the clear rulers, students would measure any item in the classroom. We would compare and sort items (which are more/less than 5 units?) We used rulers to measure sticks, baskets, chairs, tables, arms, rocks,books and anything they could get their hands on. They measured in pairs and worked together with both rulers.

Students were all given their own rulers (the template can be found here) and measured by "units."
Vocabulary words like bigger, larger, smaller, smallest, etc were defined and used regularly.

Soil and Rock Exploration

This exploration of soil and rocks spanned over several weeks. Beginning December 1st, students have been exploring, observing, washing, classifying, measuring and moving rocks and soil.

To begin, teacher’s set up a provocation with soil. Students were able to explore the soil with spoons and cups, magnifying glasses and their hands. Students were particularly interested in the rocks they found in the soil. They asked, “Where did the rocks come from?” This led to our exploration of rocks.

Students began to wash the rocks. Teachers set out water in a pan with plates of rocks, teacher’s added toothbrushes for scrubbing and pipettes for rinsing. The students explored the rocks and observed what happened as they scrubbed and rinsed.

After reading Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor, students each brought in their own rocks from home. Students shared their rocks with the class. The teacher provoked thinking by questioning students. Where did you find your rock? What made you choose your rock? What can you tell me about your rock?

Teachers set out a variety of coloring utensils for students to explore. Students drew their individual rocks to represent how they view their own rocks. Teachers posed questions in the beginning of the activity such as, “What colors do you see on your rock?” and “What shapes does your rock make?”

 

Students began classifying the rocks. They started classifying them by their physical properties; first by the color or shine then by texture, shape and weight. Students compared and contrasted rocks to one another and rocks to other objects in the classroom. Students used sorting trays to facilitate the sorting process. 

  

Teachers set out rulers to measure the rocks. Students chose their units to measure and compared the sizes of rocks. Next, the students will measure the weights of the rocks with a balance. Students learned how to tell if something is heavier, lighter or the same. Students chose what to compare the rocks to; other rocks, corks, unifix cubes, or other classroom materials.

To see all of the photos from our exploration, please visit our Google+ page.

How to work through anger

At this age, many kids have a hard time working through their anger, frustration or many other emotions. We've heard from a few families recently about this problem at home and we'd like to share with you what we do in the classroom so you can try it out.

1. Use Kimochis. At the beginning of the school year, we sent home a notice about using Kimochis in the classroom. The goal of Kimochis is provide helpful information and communication tools for families, teachers and children to enable them to learn how to be better communicators, and express their feelings. Using Kimochi characters, kids can get in touch with their own emotions in a fun and comfortable way. You can find a copy of the Kimochis letter here. 

2. Create a quiet space in your home. Our classroom has the quiet center; a quiet, comfortable place where a single student can go if they are feeling sad, angry or just wants some along time. This space should be comfortable with pillow or a soft chair, secluded from noisy or busy areas, and include materials for a child to use to calm down or relax. Our quiet center has books about feelings, a calm down bottle, squishy bags to squeeze, a mirror, writing materials, family pictures, make-a-face, Kimochis and a stuffed animal. (Click the links for directions).

3. Create techniques to calm down. Our classroom uses several different techniques developed by the kids and reinforced by the teachers. We hang pictures of these techniques in our quiet center. You can find a copy of that document to hang in your home here.
     - Pretzel: Twist your arms and legs around like a pretzel and squeeze, let go and do it again. Many times the feeling of releasing tension in the body will help children relax. It also forces children to breathe.
     - A cold drink of water: Many times a cool drink will help redice anger and cool you off.
     - Blow up a balloon: Out your hands on the top of your head and take individual deep breaths while "inflating" your hands. Once the balloon is big, pop it. Breathing through anger is a big help.
     - Turn on the water: Hands out in front of you and twist and squueze (like the knobs on the shower) then release.
     - Smell the flower, blow out the candle: Just like it says, breathe in through your nose like you're smelling a flower then out through your mouth like you're blowing out a candle.
     - Count to 5: We have a melody for this, "One, two, three, four, five. Five, four, three, two, one, shhhh"


We tell our kids, "It's ok to be angry, it's not ok to be mean." 
Kids need to say why they're angry, "I'm mad!" is a wonderful first step, but we coach kids to say the reason; "I'm mad because you won't listen to my words!" Now how do we deal with that anger when their peer walks away? The techniques help them calm down until they can sort out their feelings on their own or get an adult to help them.

November Food Drive

Today we had a representative from the Salvation Army, Captain Charles Adams, come to pick up the food we have collected for our community. Our class set a goal of 81 food items which we met and exceeded with 149 items! We are so happy to help the expected 200 families that will be looking to the Salvation Army for help this holiday.

For more information about the Salvation Army or how you can help, visit http://www.salvationarmy.org/

For all of the pictures from our food drive, click here.

Thank you to everyone who donated food to help the hungry of Bristol. We appreciate your support and we know those 200 families will, too. The students have learned compassion and kindness for others through these experiences.

Fall Exploration

We have been exploring fall recently; leaves, gourds and pumpkins.

We compared gourds color, patterns, weights, sounds and size. We measured them with rulers and balances and observed them with microscopes. We rakes leaves into piles then jumped and slid into them, ran through them and throw them in the air. We made observations about how they float and fly, and twist and turn in the air.

See all of our fall exploration pictures here.

With only TWO full school days to go until we donate our food items, we are proud to say that we are almost at our goal! Our students decided that our goal was 81 food items as a whole class and as of this morning we have 59! We are so close, there's still time so bring in your food items soon! This is a wonderful experience for children to have right before the holiday, to help the hungry people in our community.

Socktober and what's next for 5A?

      We are so happy to share with you the overwhelming success we had for Socktober. THANK YOU to each and every family who donated for those less fortunate than ourselves. I wish I could describe how happy and proud the students were when they delivered the socks, gloves, shirts and personal care items to the Mission Shelter. 

Click here for all of the pictures from today!

     The students were feeling so happy and proud to do something so kind for others. They couldn’t be more excited to help our community again. We live in the world's wealthiest nation. Yet 14.5 percent of U.S. households—nearly 49 million Americans, including 15.9 million children—struggle to put food on the table.

     Throughout the month of November we will be doing a food drive to collect non-perishable food items for the hungry in our community. We will be donating these items to the Bristol Salvation Army Food Bank just in time for the Thanksgiving Holiday. According to Feeding America, the most needed items are Canned Soup, Peanut Butter, Canned Meats, Cereal, Canned Fruit, Dried Fruit, Macaroni & Cheese, and Canned Vegetables. Many items can be purchased at the Dollar Store for just $1.00!

On Wednesday, November 26^th we will be donating our collection to the Bristol Salvation Army Food Bank on 19 Stearns St.

For more information or other ways to help, visit these websites:

Bread For the World – www.bread.com

Feeding America – www.FeedingAmerica.org

Create the Good – www.CreateTheGood.org

Move for Hunger – www.MoveForHunger.org 

The Salvation Army – ctri.salvationarmy.org

Thank you in advance for your help!