Learning about senses!

Today we have music at the end of the day. On Friday we don't have school. -Peyton
Today I brought my huge amethyst in and I showed it to the class with my friend Tristan. It has lots of crystals on it and it has a fossil on it too. -Tyson
Today we did some senses stuff. My sense was touch. You can feel things and touch them. -Kaspir
Texture can be rough or smooth or like sandpaper which is both. You can feel almost all textures. -Jonathon
Today we did senses. My sense was taste. I learned that when you eat salty stuff you get thirsty. -Jolene
We were reading books about eyes. Your eyes see pictures. Inside your eye when you see things they are upside down. -Sam
Today we were learning about senses. We got to go in groups of 4 or 5 and we had to read a book about our sense that we were doing. The sense that I was doing was sight. We had to write down what we learned about it and then we could tell the class. There were 4 people in my group. We read a book called "What is Sight?" Mrs. Malkoske gave us a diagram. When you see stuff, at the back of your eye it's upside down and then your brain flips it over and tells you what it is. For hearing there were little bones and one looked like a horseshoe. The sound goes in your ear and if a person is talking to you, the brain helps you understand what the person is trying to say to you. -Madeline
We had to go to a table or the floor and get a book. One or two people had to read it. Then you had to write something about what you learned. You had to come back to the carpet when all the groups were done and you had to tell everybody what yours was. Mine was smell. I learned that some smells smell weird and you might not know what they are and they might be danger. -Rhianna
In the afternoon, Madeline read us a story called "Little Bunny Foo Foo". The bunny was running through the forest and picking up the mice and bopping them on the head. Then a fairy came and told the bunny not to do that and she gave him two more chances to behave, or she would turn him into a monster. When she turned him into a monster, he ate the fairy. -Sydney R
My favourite part was the name. Foo foo is kind of funny. -Rylee
Today me, Olivia, Sydney and Taylor had a meeting and we were supposed to read a book and Mrs. Malkoske records us. Then we're going to put them on the CD player for listen to reading. -Lindsay
My book was Fancy Nancy. I was recording it for listen to reading. We got to choose our books. -Olivia
Today we were doing a project where we record the person that's reading the book. I'm reading Chester. Lindsay is reading No David. -Sydney H

The OK Day

Yesterday we read The OK Book. -Sam
Today we did a very fun art project. It was the OK picture. -Rylee
We did these pictures and it was an O and then a K and it made a stick person. -Kaspir
(*When you turn your head, the O makes a head and the K makes arms and legs.)
We had to think about what we're OK at. Then we had to draw it. Then you had to go over it with pastel and then you had to paint it. -Cole

We used a pencil, paint brush, some paint and black pastels. We did some rough copies yesterday and then on the back we drew it really big. Then we got another piece of paper and then we drew an OK with pencil and then we drew over it with black pastel. Then we had to show it to Mrs. Malkoske to see if we needed to go over it again. Then we painted with water paint. I was OK at blogging. -Madeline

We had to make our pictures simple because if we didn't then it would be too much on the paper and you wouldn't be able to see what was actually happening in the picture. Another reason is because if you put your hand on the pastels, the pastels will smear and it will look like the people are blowing away. My picture was I'm an OK at working and cutting and stuff. -Tristan

More New Books!

This morning Mrs. Malkoske got a whole bunch of books from Scholastic. This afternoon we got even more books from Scholastic. Mrs. Malkoske let us pick some books to read. Some series are The Babysitters Club, Rainbow Magic, Geronimo Stilton, Nancy Drew, Ready Freddy, A to Z Mysteries, Ramona and Beezus, 39 Clues, Chester, Junie B Jones, Splat the Cat, Judy Moody, Little House on the Prairie, Slap Shot, Wimpy Kid, Flat Stanley, Star Wars, Most Dangerous, Titanic, and some others. We're getting even more tomorrow.
-Room9

The Greatest Day... Testing Boats!

Today we were testing boats in the morning. Some people had plastic tubs, Kleenex boxes, lace, balloons, tin foil, popsicle sticks, saran wrap, plasticine, and toilet paper rolls. When we put weights in them some of them tipped, some of them sunk a little, and some floated and held all of them. When we lifted the boats out of the tub, the floor was like a swimming pool because it was all wet.
-The Kids of Room 9

Boat Building!

Today we made boats and we had to decorate with clay. We're trying to make the water not go in the boat. Tomorrow we are going to put them in the water and see if they don't get water in them or tip. -Sam

Today we were building boats. My partner is Tyson. We built our boat with a Kleenex box, plasticine and tin foil. Tomorrow we are going to test them at the water table and put stuff in them to see which one holds the longest. -Peyton

We were building boats today. I worked by myself. I used clay, tin foil and a balloon and tape. -Sydney H

All of us were building boats. Yesterday we made some ideas and then Mrs. Malkoske got some stuff for us to build our boats. I worked all by myself. The stuff that I used was two silver cardboard boxes, two cardboard tubes, and one Kleenex box. Then tomorrow we're going to put our boats in the water table to see if they float. Mrs. Malkoske's going to put little weights in them to see how many they hold. -Madeline

Yesterday we were writing on a piece of paper what we were going to plan out to build our boats. The next day we were building our boats. My partner was Cole. Our boat was made out of tin foil, a plastic tub, saran wrap, cardboard and some popsicle sticks, clay and tape. Then we are going to put little weights in the tub. We have to make it strong enough so it won't tip over or sink. Me and Cole put something good on so it will balance. With clay we put bumpers on the side so if it hits a wall it will bounce back. On the bottom we put clay so it would balance more. Our boat is awesome! -Tristan

Today Mrs. Malkoske took us to the library and we made boats. I did it with a teacher. I put tin foil around the box, then I put clay on the inside. -Kaspir

When we went to the library we were building boats and I put lots of stuff on mine. I took forever. -Sydney R

Today we went to the library and we got to build our boats. I took a really long time because I put details on it. Tomorrow we're going to put it in the water table to see if it sinks or floats. -Ashley

Today in the afternoon we went to the library and we got to work on our boats and we choosed our materials and we started to build our boats but me and Jolene took a long time and we were kind of the last ones because we tried to make it look like a real pirate ship. We covered it with lots of tin foil and we scratched the clay. -Taylor

All About Today

Today a group of kids started a PIP. PIP stands for Personal Inquiry Project. I'm researching horses. I'm wondering how horses see on the sides of their head. -Jadyn
Today was our second day doing our PIP. Mrs. Malkoske got us notebooks, coloured pens, dividers, and binders. We got to choose the colour of our pens. My colour was pink. We got to pick our colour of our notebooks. The colour of my notebook is green. I'm learning about butterflies. After I'm done learning about butterflies, I'm going to be learning about flowers and other plants. We got to write in our notebooks with our pens. -Madeline
At Daily 5 we did Listen to Reading and we got to choose our books. -Sam
Today some of the grade 2s were working with Mrs. Malkoske. We were doing PIP. We picked things that we could write about. I picked fossils. -Jonathon
Today I did Daily 5 and I did work on writing on the computer. I'm star of the week this week. In the start of the week bag there's a book called All About Me. That gave me an idea that I should write about me. I"m not finished it but I"m going to finish it next time I do work on writing. I am also very excited to finish my book because my Mommy is going to look at it and she might say it's very good. -Rhianna
Today we did PIP. I started doing some writing in my notebook that Mrs. Malkoske bought. I am doing research on crystals. I am wondering if when they get over a hundred years old they start to change colours. Tyson is also doing research on crystals. We are going to have fun doing it. -Tristan
Today after lunch we were doing a plan for a boat. I finished doing all the steps. One of my things on my boat is a balloon. -Sydney R
Today we did some planning for our boats. We got to pick if we got a partner or work by ourselves. My partner was Jolene. We designed a boat. I think tomorrow we get to build them. Mrs. Malkoske will get our materials. We got a little booklet that had some stuff we had to work on. -Taylor

Today we got to get our folders for PIP. I'm focussing on planets and I'm going to learn so much about them. I already know lots of things. -Ashley

Today we did another PIP. I picked to research on crystals and rocks. I like rocks because sometimes they have crystals in them and sometimes they are flat and sometimes they are bumpy. Something I learned today is that sometimes rocks have crystals in them. -Tyson

Today during Daily 5 I did a PIP. I am researching about earth and space. -Cole

Today Mrs. Malkoske gave us boat planning books and I made a boat and Andy said it was a nice boat. -Kaspir

Today Mrs. Malkoske gave us a booklet and we had to write down the materials we were going to use to make it. I"m using clay, a glue gun and tin foil. -Sydney H

Today was an exciting day for the children who are beginning their first P.I.P., or Personal Inquiry Project, (and for me too!). On Friday I spoke with a group of my grade 2s about "learning to read" versus "reading to learn". They all agreed that they have definitely learned to read :) They also agreed that they can't read every book that they see, but that they can read and understand most of the books in our classroom. They use strategies to decode text, they can retell the books they read, and they self-monitor for understanding. They are ready for a new challenge. During Daily 5 time, these children will continue to develop their independence as readers and writers as they conduct their own inquiry into a topoic of their choice. In other words, they will read to learn. Each child has selected a topic (a few have their next topic chosen as well), and started today by looking for some books, writing down what they know already, using our computer to find more information and images, and of course, they set up their new binders! It was very exciting for me to see them so engaged in their learning. Quite a few of them chose to take their notebooks home so that they could work on their PIP tonight... they've actually given themselves some homework. :)

As you know, I believe in the "fun theory". For this project the 'fun' is in the stuff... the kids were buzzing about their new binders, notebooks, pens, and dividers (which they were kind of confused but excited about at first). They couldn't wait to put pen to paper and get started. I think the new supplies also make them feel important and in turn, make them see that the work they are doing is important too. I think (hope) it also sends a message about how I value all of their efforts, big and small. A couple of the kids (who had obviously seen my weekend blog post) came in to the classroom in the morning and said "I saw all the stuff you got us for PIP! Thanks! When can we have it?" There were lots of thank you's during our meeting too.

A few small things had them so excited and eager to get started.

I think the choice the kids have for this project is a big part of why they are so excited about it. So much of their time in school is spent learning about the content in our curriculum for each grade level. The truth is that not all kids in grade 2 will be interested in learning about lifecycles, but during our Science time, that's what I need to teach. PIP allows these kids some time for their own learning. During this time they will be learning other life long learning skills that will (hopefully) be valuable to them no matter what they are trying to learn. Skills like finding information, asking good questions, using different types of resources, and organizing and  presenting information... Life long learning skills. I can't wait to see what they find out!

-Mrs. Malkoske

A Little Weekend Shopping

Today I went out shopping to pick up a few things for school and ended up finding a whole bunch of great books at Costco. Each classroom at Dr. Hamilton has been given some money to buy new books for their classroom library. I've ordered a bunch of books from Scholastic and plan to visit McNally Robinson this weekend too. Here's a preview of our new books!

On Friday I talked with a group of our grade 2s about a new project that they will be starting on Monday during Daily 5. Each of the children in the group will begin a PIP (Personal Inquiry Project)... and they are excited! As I explained to them that a PIP is a project where they get to choose what they learn, they very quickly made some decisions about what their topics will be, how they will share their learning with others, and what they will need. There was lots of discussion, and LOTS of questions. One of which was "Will we get new notebooks or something for this?" After a bit of discussion it was decided that they would need notebooks for writing down information, a binder so they can collect printed information, and dividers to stay organized. :) So back to Costco I went... I can hardly wait to see their projects unfold.

The Shadow Movie

Since it's I Love to Read Month, we've been learning a song called "I Love a B-O-O-K!". Mrs. Malkoske's friend, Miss Krochak, wrote the song and the music. We had a Skype call to learn the song. We had to make shadow puppets out of black pieces of paper. We had the projector on and we used it to make the shadows. Mrs. Malkoske used the iPad and iPhone to make the video and put it all together. When we used the iPad, the background looked rainbow. Enjoy our show!
-The Kids of Room 9

The 100th Day & a Day Away

Today the kids of Room 9 celebrated their 100th Day of School with Ms. Koehn. At the end of the day Madeling and Jonathon created a KidBlog post about the day. Here it is:

Today is the 100th day of school. Madeline read a book called Fancy Nancy The 100th Day of School and she brought cookies. We all got four. Madeline  Today we had fun. We flipped a coin 100 times. I got mostly heads. Rhianna  Today we did 100 day activities.  We read 100 books. We counted the tally marks. Ashley and Jolene   I had fun on the 100th day of school. Kaspir  We flipped a penny. I got mostly tails. Nicholas  We played Snakes and Ladders. I played with  Aliegha. She won.  Rylee We had a guest teacher her name is Ms. Koehn. Sydney H  100 times 1 is 100   50 times 2 is 100 Peyton. 20 plus 80 is 100 Cameron. 50 plus 50 is 100 Sydney R. 97 plus 3 is 100 Ashley. 4 quarters is 1 dollar Jonathon. 100 pennies is a dollar Cole.  100 dollar bill is 100 we have a new one Sydney H.

I was very happy to see that the kids of Room 9 were able to blog independently with a substitute. I'm sure they taught Ms. Koehn a little bit about blogging too! 

Today I was away at a conference hosted by Manitoba ASCD. The guest speaker was Heidi Hayes Jacobs, an internationally renowned author and education leader specializing in developing 21st century approaches to teaching and learning. The topic today was 'Curriculum 21: Upgrading Curriculum and Assessment'. She asked many great questions about education, technology and children. The day was full of great examples of classroom and teachers and tools to engage students and make learning more meaningful to them.
At the end of the day she showed the video embedded below... and I loved it! I am a big believer in "The Fun Theory" as some of you may have noticed :) As an early years teacher I believe that if I can keep things fun and interesting for kids, they will be more likely to want to try new things. Enjoy!
-Mrs. Malkoske

The 99th Day of School!

Today we had family groups and we had to colour a box and cut it out. Then we had to colour some food and cut it out. Then we put the food in. Now every night after supper you have to take out one piece of food and put some money in its place. We are doing this for the people that don't have homes or clean water or food or mom and dads. -Ashley
Today we had hot lunch and it was Subway. Some kids had Subway and some didn't. When we were eating we put on Tumblebooks to keep us quiet. My mom forgot it was hot lunch today. -Taylor
Today we had snacks from our party after first recess. -Nick
After recess we had leftovers from the party. The popcorn twists were gone really fast just like yesterday. -Sydney R
Today we had early dismissal. I got Subway today. -Sydney H

Today was the 99th day of school. Tomorrow the children of Room 9 will celebrate 100 days. Unfortunately I will be away at a professional development session all day and will miss the celebration. However, they will spend the 100th day with a 100th Day expert.... Ms. Koehn!
-Mrs. Malkoske