Forces and Motion
2/15/2020
We are excited about our new PBL unit that we recently began! After watching Caine’s Arcade, students were instantly excited about the idea of building their own arcade by the end of the unit. Our driving question is “How can we as engineers create an arcade while learning about forces?” The first step to any project is to make a list of questions that we would need to figure out in order to make this happen. They sorted these questions into groups to find duplicate questions. We have a lot to find out! One of the goals throughout this science unit is to learn about forces and motion. This week, students explored how changing the height, mass, and distance of objects affects their motion. They conducted experiments and collected data in a variety of learning stations that answered these questions:
These stations challenged students to talk through the entire process. It was great to hear them discussing surprising findings, correcting each other to make sure the experiment was set up right, and troubleshooting together. What I love about PBL is the opportunity for students to grow socially and practice communication skills as they learn key science standards.
100th Day
2/8/2020
Friday was the 100th day of school! We use 100th Day to not only celebrate that we are 100 days smarter, but also to tie in math in a variety of ways. This day is also a great opportunity for children to work alongside others in different grade levels. PNA has a strong student body community. Lower School students celebrated by engaging in stations related to the number 100. The activities had students counting, creating art, collecting data, adding, and building. These types of activities help build students' number sense because they provide opportunities for students to visualize 100 in different contexts. They had a lot of fun! Beanstalks
2/1/2020
This week in math, we used Jack and the Beanstalk to practice a variety of math concepts. The goal for this mini project was to practice measuring, data collecting, collaborating, and interpreting graphs.
After listening to Jack and the Beanstalk, groups of students created tall paper beanstalks with their own creative spin on them. They worked together to measure the height of their beanstalk to the nearest ½ inch and all of the leaves to the nearest ¼ inch. They practiced using the marks on a ruler to be precise with their measurements and learned how to round to the nearest half and quarter. Good mathematicians are able to organize their data. They practiced making line plots with all of their measurements and interpreting the results by answering questions. Kids improve in math as they practice concepts in different contexts and scenarios. It is also important that kids have opportunities to talk about their math. It was great listening to pairs of students double checking each other’s work and explaining why their answers to their partner throughout this process! |
Jessica GrahamMs. Graham graduated from the University of Alabama with a BS in Early Childhood/Elementary Education, and is currently working on her master's in reading. She enjoys hiking, traveling, arts & crafts, and playing the ukulele. Archives
April 2021
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