Week of October 11-15
/Our photography explorations are in full swing. Through experimentation and collaboration students discovered how to use some of the specific features of our iPad Pro cameras. Students learned how to zoom in and out, how to take photo bursts and panoramic photos, and how to capture videos. They were thrilled to discover how to take slow motion videos too. We took nature walks around campus to admire and document the beauty of fall. In writer's workshop this week we've been working to increase excitement and momentum around our stories. Students reflected on some of the "best ever" writing pieces they've created and made goals to create even better stories this month. We've increased our writing block from 25 minutes to 40 minutes so that we have time to capture all our awesome story ideas. We've been ending writing time by sharing some of our individual writing successes from the day. It's great fun when we can celebrate each other's accomplishments. In math we learned how to play "How Many Are Hidden?" with snap cubes. First graders have been working on creating number bonds and adding single digit numbers. Second graders are working on building large numbers and using mental math strategies (like "make ten") to quickly add numbers together. We are greatly enjoying our Upside Down Magic read aloud and it has led to several interesting discussions about inclusion and about celebrating diversity. On Monday we talked about Indigenous People's Day and learned that Pacific University sits on the land of the Atfalati, also known as the Tualatin Kalapuyas. We explored a digital museum exhibit called This IS Kalapuyan Land by Five Oaks Museum. This week we also got to celebrate Alexander's birthday and read current event articles about turtle hatchlings at the Oregon Zoo.
