Moments in Learning

Structures Project Take Home Activity in PDF format

We are studying architecture as a part of our “Structures Project” at school. We would like to know more about what children do when they are not at school as a part of this project.
On the activity page (see the link to the PDF document above), please paste a photo of or draw where you live OR your favorite structure/building in the community. For example, Ms. Laura would put a photo here of the Oceanside Pier because she loves to visit it and take photos. Please ask your child what he or she would like to say about the photo/drawing and write a sentence or two below (e.g., “That’s the play structure by my house.”).
If you could bring this back by the end of the week or early next week, it would be great! We would like to make a book of these pages! Thank you! Questions? Please ask.

Here is the web we have been working on. We will definitely keep adding to it!

Create your own mind maps at MindMeister

Thank you for checking it out.

Today was a fun day.  Not only did the children explore the rubber ramps again, but they also got to do some baking and hear a guest reader read us a book.  He donated the book to us, too!

THREE-INGREDIENT BANANA BARS: Here’s some information about the three-ingredient banana bars we made.  This is a very simple recipe.  I have personally done this with a two-year-old and it went great!  The measurements are approximate.  We used steel-cut oats, but they were the quick cook kind.  I heard all kinds of oats work, but they just make a different consistency of bar.  You can add in anything.  In fact, as long as you start with bananas and oats, you can pretty much add in anything you want as your third, fourth, fifth, etc… ingredients.  If you try out a variation, let us know how it turns out!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.588400681219746.1073741881.213823248677493&type=1

GUEST READER: Here is a photo of our guest reader, Dick Robertson (Vice President of Student Services on campus).  It was so nice of him to read to us and donate the book!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=588402531219561&set=a.220915221301629.55462.213823248677493&type=1&theater

PROJECT WEB AND STEM/STEAM: We did our web today and hope to have it posted for you soon (once we edit it a bit).  The Structures Project is so much fun and involves a tremendous amount of learning in many areas.  One area that is particularly highlighted is STEM or STEAM.  This stands for science, technology, engineering, (art), and mathematics.  “Art” is a new addition to this area of learning and we will certainly be learning a lot about these subjects while we study structures in Room 4!

To continue our exploration of structures, the children were provided a rubber ramp kit for the grass area outdoors today.  Here are some photos of the children using the rubber ramp: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.587901947936286.1073741880.213823248677493&type=1

The children had to work together to build with this rubber ramp.  It was neat to see them figure out that the track had to lay flat to get the balls to roll all the way down.  They also figured out how to put the coffee can at the end so that it made a “plink” sound when the balls hit the end of the track.

We also added some foam colored unit blocks today.  They were used almost exclusively in the block area.  We are wondering the following:

1. Are the children using the foam blocks more simply because they are new?
2. Are the children using the foam blocks more because they are colorful?
3. Are the children using the foam blocks more because they are light and topple over more, offering the children a new challenge?
4. If they were pink and purple, instead of blue, green and red, would the children use them as much?

Here are some photos of one child using the new colorful unit blocks (but there were other children using them!):

MESSING ABOUT

We also wanted to let you know that we have some new materials in the observation booth for you to enjoy and manipulate.  There’s a display about “messing about” with materials in the observation booth and we put out some items in baskets for you.  Please take a moment to read the documentation display, if interested, and ask if you have questions.  It may give you insight as to why we have the children “mess about” with materials in the classroom (and why adults should also do so!).

For more on “messing about with materials,” visit the Hawkins Centers of Learning website. (URL: http://hawkinscenters.org/exhibitmu/messing-about/)