STRING INSTRUMENTS

What a busy Monday.  I am sure most of you are aware of the interest in string instruments today, as you will have seen the completed products brought home.   

We listened to the difference of an instrument we made with a hole in it and one without.  The class agreed we needed to make a hole in the instrument.  Livio played his guitar telling me it was the sound of scrubbing.  Connecting to the visit by Ms Lukkasson last Friday and the instruments the 5th graders use for sound affects. 

We watched short video clips of children playing different string instruments.    Giving the students a chance to hear the sounds that they made and decide which one they preferred.

Guitars ukulele, violin, cello, bass.  Which one to choose?

The musicians took to the stage to perform.  Farrah decided she wanted to be the conductor.  Writing the music and finding a stick to use as a baton.

Lucy decided to draw a plan of the stage.  

Most of the musicians came together at the end to perform but Ren was concerned that they needed more time to practice but the rest of the group felt they were ready.  

Music wasn't the only thing happening today.  We filled the sensory tables with snow.  Letting the class explore how snow feels without gloves on and watching what happens to the snow in a warm classroom.

 Friends had fun taking the frozen numbers and letters out of the ice cube trays.  Jenna exclaimed Ouch! as she carried one of the ice cubes.  Noticing how cold they were.  

Grace showed me her empty hands telling me the ice cube disappeared.  She shared how she put it under the running water and it melted.  

We read the Watcher and another chapter of the Jack Stalwart adventure book.  

We had an interesting conversation after reading Watchers. Jane Goodall helped save the chimpanzees.  She wanted to save them from becoming extinct.

I asked if anyone knew what extinct meant.

Charlotte: It means they are dying

Brooklyn: I was thinking that extinction is dying.

Annie: They'll never come back

Kaia: We don't want the animals to die.  When they die, they never come back.

Ren: Did the gorillas get extinct?  I know why dinosaurs died, because there was a meteor.

Charlotte: Are there still more chimps?

TUESDAY

During work choice time I called the last few friends that didn't get chance to start their play doh faces.  I worked with those friends while Ms Castillo supported our budding musicians in the Invention center.

More fun in the snow.  We removed the frozen number ice cubes from the freezer adding them to the snow.  A lot easier to spot when they are green.

Jenna and Nora added a red food coloring to the numbers before we froze them again.

Livio added animals to the snow which created a discussion about lions living in snowy areas or savannahs.

Before P.E. Romina and Mike Waugh (Maxi's mom and dad) read.  

This book ties in nicely with the discussions we have had regarding Martin Luther King Jr. and his ideas and dreams.

After P.E. both classes came together and we said our Goodbyes, or as Ms Castillo put it, "See you soons."  She had a little gift for all the students.  We told her we would  send letters and the class was unanimous in their decision to send lots of treats to her for her Birthday and Valentines day.

QUESTIONS

How did Jane Goodall help the chimpanzees?

What part of your brain deals with ideas?

What sound does W make?

What gift did you get from Ms. Castillo?

If you have any recyclables (boxes, containers) please send them to school we are running low due to the interest in instruments.

I had a peak at February's calendar and noticed we have about 5 students in our class celebrated a full or half birthday.  I will send information out to those families on Friday.