We worked with 3 different units of measure...baby steps, basketball shoes and lolly sticks. We used these to measure three different lengths of lines. As we worked we realised that 5 baby steps equalled 1 basketball shoe. This made it easier as we could then line up the basketball shoes and count in 5’s to calculate the number of baby steps. We worked together to measure each other’s height in cubes to find out who the tallest person in the class was and how much taller they were than the rest of the class. We used cubes laying down on the floor as well as stacked up against the glass door to compare our accuracy.
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For our Grade One class assembly we wrote our own version of ‘The Enormous Turnip’ called ‘The Enormous Watermelon’. We based the story in a Singapore setting and used characters for the story from Singapore. After writing the script we made all the characters as stick puppets. To draw them we used youtube tutorials to help us. We tried using them as shadow puppets first, but decided we liked having the puppets be seen from the top of the puppet theatre. We had worked so hard on on the details and colour we thought it looked nicer. We practiced saying our part from the script, holding the puppet and doing actions - it took some work to coordinate all these things! Then we took a look at the puppet theatre and decided it needed to extra scenery, we wanted a sky and grass. Then we added details as well as a title. We used good teamwork in preparing for our assembly. Enjoy the video of our puppet show below! We started a new unit in Maths this week - measuring. We did a class mindmap of all the things we already know about measurement and then came up with some measurement inquiry questions. Next we got to work with our personal measurement inquiry’s. The next day we discussed the different units of measurement that are appropriate for measuring different lengths of things. We also learned to estimate before we measure.
This week we started our new unit of inquiry ‘How We Organise Ourselves’ with the central idea ‘exchange systems help our community’. In order to explore the idea of systems, we arrived to school and found many of our school systems were ‘broken’. Our name tags were not on the wall, the lights were off, the chairs were not in the correct place, there was no schedule for the day, no date and all the levelled reading books were jumbled up! After a few minutes of experiencing this confusion we gathered with Grade Two to discuss the cause and effect of systems. We then brainstormed different systems that we knew of and what the purpose of them is/how they help us. The next day, to tune into exchange and helping a community, we were given a task of building a tall decorate structure. We were divided into groups and each group had one resource except one group which had no resources. We had to work out how to exchange resources in order to get all the things we needed. Some of us decided to donate to the group that did not have any resources. During this activity we practiced the learner profile ‘caring’ and developed our social skills. It also helped us focus on SDG 10 ‘Reduced inequalities’. To explore SDG 5 ‘Gender Equality’ and exchange we were given a task of clearing up the blue blocks and stickle bricks from the quad. Afterwards we were given a reward...but the boys were given a much larger amount than the girls. This caused some confusion. We had a discussion about what was wrong, why it was wrong and what could be done to make it more equal. We also watched video about gender equality and answered some questions.
This week we brought an artifact to school which we thought would provide clues about life in 2021 if it was discovered by someone in the future. We focused on the concepts form, function and perspective to answer questions about the artifacts. We then used these to write clues describing each artifact. The next day we laid out our objects on a grid and everyone took turns to read the clues. We had to listen carefully work out which item was being described and note down the coordinates of where the artifacts were located on the grid. At the end we discussed two items of rubbish which were on the grid, a banana peel and a coffee pod. We discussed the fact that archaeologists find rubbish interesting to find as it also gives clues about the past. We made some predictions about what might happen to the peel and coffee capsule if they were buried for a long time and then covered them with soil. We will check on them every couple of weeks to see what changes are occurring and find out if any of our predictions were correct.
For one of our STEAM week challenges we had to make a map of the classroom or the school. First we had a look at some books about maps. We noticed how they are laid out, that they have a key and that they use symbols. We also discussed that maps are a ‘birds eye view’. Next we made a list of materials we would need and planned the steps we would take to make our map. We decided we would need to look carefully at the area and carefully count windows and doors. Then we got to work drawing our maps. When we were finished we shared our maps with the rest of the class and had some discussions about ways to improve them even further. The next day we made some lego models of rooms that we would like to draw maps of. Looking down on the model helped us further understand the idea of a birds eye view and we drew maps of the Lego models we had built.
Our last line of inquiry ‘preserving the past’ required us to use our thinking skills as well as focus on the concept of causation. After watching a video about UNESCO world heritage sites we brainstormed how the past is preserved in many different ways. We then sorted them on a continuum of what we considered to be the least to most effective where we used comparing and contrasting. We then discussed our decisions with a partner where we had to justify and analyse our choices. These thinking routines helped us share our understanding of the causation concept in relation to preserving the past.
To continue our work on planning an new sustainable community for a part of reclaimed land in Singapore we different loose parts to build models of some of our ideas. Some tree houses as well as a large condo with all open windows at the front featured in the model. We then added play parks and some farms for animals and growing vegetables to eat.
As part of our work on addition with two digit numbers we learned a new strategy this week called partition addition. We used our knowledge of how numbers are composed of tens and ones to add the one, the tens and then combine these two totals together. First we practiced by using the base then manipulatives and then moved on to recorded our work with equations.
Our Sustainable Development Goal focus for this unit is SDG 11 ‘Sustainable cities and communities’. Grade One were presented with a challenge...plan what could be included in a new community space in Singapore. We brainstormed some ideas together before getting to work on a large piece of paper. Some of the children were so enthusiastic they took action and decided to do some planning of their own at home!
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May 2021
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