Light Obstacle Courses
/This week we continued our exploration of light. Students worked in teams to create an obstacle course for light. The obstacle courses they designed had to involve light interacting with three different materials and then hitting a target at the end. For this engineering design challenge we used the following design model: plan, build, test, modify, retest. Students worked in their science teams to discuss their design ideas and draw plans before building their obstacle courses. During the testing phase, our engineers realized that some designs needed to be modified. They modified their obstacle courses and then retested. Teams were quite excited when they successfully completed this challenge! Yesterday during writer’s workshop students used newly acquired scientific vocabulary to write a science piece about how light traveled through their obstacle courses. They drew and labeled diagrams to show the path of light through the obstacle course.
Outside this week students were delighted to discover the cedar classroom covered with ice crystals! Students made snowballs and experimented with slipping and sliding across the ice. This week we learned new spelling patterns during our word work time. Students used white boards to practice these patterns with a partner. In math we practiced telling time and started learning about am and pm. Students created timelines of their days that included labeling each hour with am and pm. Students were surprised to see how many hours a day were spent sleeping. During writer’s workshop students were writing up a storm and 12 students published new stories with our parent volunteers! Wren started a DE&I (diversity, equity and inclusion) club this week and the club held their first meeting on Friday during project time. Students in the club began creating anti-bullying posters that they will hang around the school. This morning several students brought in interesting items to share with classmates.
