Leaf Inquiry

Nothing says 'science' like an experiment. The young botanists were pumped. We did some preliminary reading about photosynthesis, but I've got to say, these kids impressed me with their background knowledge. 

We established the following:

- plants and trees make oxygen that we need to breathe

- humans and nature are dependent on one another 

- we have to use natural resources responsibly and sustainably (not cut down all the trees)

- plants make their own food using water, sunlight and carbon dioxide 

- plants contain chlorophyll which enables photosynthesis 

- it's colder in the fall and winter

- days are shorter in the fall and winter

We gathered all of the supplies needed for the experiment. 

Each table group was responsible for tearing up one variety of leaf into a plastic cup. Then I covered the leaves with a small amount of hydrogen peroxide and mashed them up with a spoon. We placed a coffee filter in each cup and anxiously awaited to see what would happen. Students recorded their predictions. 

In the afternoon we examined the filters and made observations. We recorded our findings in drawings and notes and revisited our predictions. We decided to leave the filters in over night to see if that changed the results. 

Leaf Prints

With our beautiful collection of leaves, it was time to create something beautiful. Before jumping into our marker rubbings I wanted the children to appreciate all the different parts of a leaf and their important functions. 

We read about the parts of a leaf and like true botanists learned the scientific names for each. I think we all learned something new! 

Did you know the edge of a leaf is called the margin? Or that the main vein running through the middle is the midrib? The 'stem' is actually called a petiole and the broad, flat, smooth part of the leaf is the blade. Who knew!

After our science lesson it was time to get printing. Instead of the traditional crayon or pencil rubbings we put our washable markers to the test. Verdict - impressive! A must try at home. The trick was working quickly, before the ink was absorbed by the leaf. 

After completing our prints we revisited the process and through shared writing composed the following description. 

Here are some photos of the process and the finished prints. Love all the different colours. 

Fall Walk

To celebrate Fall's arrival last week we've carved out some time to observe, reflect and question the changes in nature that this new season brings. 

In particular, we've been intrigued by the colours of fall and the changing leaves. 

We read the beautiful book, Fall Walk, by Virginia Brimhall Snow which tells a lyrical tale of a child and grandmother on a leisurely stroll in autumn. 

We headed out for a fall walk of our own with ours eyes open for fallen leaves in lovely shades of red, yellow and green. We returned to class with our collections to share with each other. Some were soft while other were rough. Some were big and some were small. Some had smooth edges, other had rough, jagged edges. 

The children came up with some great inquiry questions about leaves and fall which we recorded on a chart and will revisit through our fall investigations, readings and experiments. 

Welcome to the BLOG

Yay! You found me. Please go ahead and bookmark this address (right now) and check back regularly for new posts. My goal is to post weekly. There is always something exciting to share with you at home and the children will love seeing their work published. That's pretty cool, right? Some families in past years have shared the blog with grandparents or other family members to keep them connected which is wonderful. 

The purpose of the blog is to provide you with a unique lens into our classroom. It's a wonderful way to build a strong sense of community for the children and serves as a vehicle for meaningful conversations about your child's learning and happenings at school. 

As a mom of two myself, I know all too well the familiar responses we get when we ask our littles how their school day was and what they did! Recess is usually the epic highlight and what so and so said or did. I'm hoping the blog will help ignite some chatter from your children while developing their confidence and sense of self. 

I generally post photos of artwork, writing, collaborative projects and inquiry, writing, special events and occasions as they occur. Again, my hope is that the students will take pride in their learning and be eager to showcase their work in this forum.

I'm looking forward to an exciting year of learning and fun. First grade is such a magical year. The children are full of wonder, curiosity and lots of energy. I consider it a true privilege to work with your children each and every day. I'm forever learning from them and always doing my very best to keep up with their energy and passion!  

Here's a peek at a few things we've been busy with over the last couple of weeks. 

We spent a few days working on our All About Me pages. We interspersed this activity with our math lessons, as we collected information (data) about each other such as our birthdays and siblings. They hunted for the letters in their names in magazines and on letter tiles. I photographed them outside on the playground and attaches their portraits to their work! You can see them hanging in our classroom. 

We've read lots of back to school books and talked about our school motto, be kind, be safe, be great. Together we brainstormed what we want our classroom to look like, sound like and feel like. Students recorded their thinking on post notes which we shared at the carpet. A lot of our ideas were similar! We composed, through shared writing, a Classroom Promise we felt proud to hang in our classroom. Here are the beginning ideas that emerged. 

We have drawn a few portraits of ourselves already and boy, we're getting better at it every time. Our attention to detail is quite something. We had the iPads out and used the camera (on selfie mode) as a mirror. We looked closely at our faces and added our facial features carefully and thoughtfully to our drawings. We think they look a lot like us! The finished portraits are on the hall bulletin with the results of our Interest Interviews. 

Lastly, we are looking forward to the Terry Fox Run coming up next week and have been collecting donations for the cause. A huge thank you for your support. Hope to see you out next Thursday for the run!