"How to" Books

We started a new unit during our writing workshop this week - we will be learning how to write "How to..." books!  To write a "how to" book, the author must first figure out what they are an expert at doing or making.  So our first step was to brainstorm a list of ideas together as a class (to get our thinking juices going!) and then each student brainstormed their own individual list.  We sure do have a lot of expertise in our class!!  We also read How to Make a Birdfeeder to help get us familiar with this genre.



                                                        

How Many of Each?

During our math workshop today first graders worked on a problem called 9 Peas and Carrots.  If you had a magic spoon that would only scoop out 9 vegetables (peas and carrots) at a time, how many of each could you possibly have?  We discovered that there are many possible solutions to a problem like this!

After working for a while, we shared our solutions.  Then we learned about a strategy that would help us do this in an organized way, and find all of the possible solutions - a T-Chart!

Word Detectives!!

We have started a new unit of study during our Reading Workshop!  It began when our class received a letter from the S.S.D.A., or the Super Secret Detective Agency.   Along with the letter, we received 5 missions to complete in order to become certified Word Detectives!  We unanimously decided to take on the challenge and have already completed the first two missions! 
Mission #1 was "Word detectives are always on the lookout.  They notice when there's a problem and stop to solve it right away."  We practiced doing that as a group, and the students are all trying their best to continue to do it when they are doing read-to-self. 
Mission #2 was "Word detectives look CLOSELY to get clues.  Word detectives make sure to look across the WHOLE word from start to end!  AND... the students were given detective lenses to help them do this!!

Place Value with the Teens Numbers

First graders have been working very hard learning about place value concepts with the teens numbers.  They enjoyed playing a Bingo game with tens g=frames cards which represented the numerals 11-20.  They brought this game home - hopefully, you can have some fun playing it with them!  But watch out!  They're very good at it!!

Cougar Cub Inventor's Workshop

On Thursday, November 15th RES will be hosting the annual Cougar Cub Inventor's Workshop. It is going to be a great evening event with rockets and building and maker art and circuits and coding and 3 D printing and building (oh did I say building already!) and so much more!

Richmond Elementary School, in conjunction with

the Society of Women Engineers, ECHO Science Museum, Radiate Art Space, CardBoardTek and  MMUSD Educators is proud to present the fourth annual:

COUGAR CUB INVENTOR’S WORKSHOP

Thursday, November 15th, 2018

5:30 – 7:30pm*

RES Gym and Library

Cost: 2$ per project (to cover cost of disposable resources, scholarships available)

What is an Inventor’s Workshop?

This workshop is a family-friendly event to MAKE, create, learn, invent, craft, recycle, think, play and be inspired by celebrating arts, crafts, engineering, science and technology.  Students will work with their families to create! Activities will be facilitated by engineers and teachers, but tasks will be open ended and creative. Families will have an opportunity to learn together as they experience the fun of making / building / constructing / designing and more! A variety of activities will be available to challenge students from Grades preK – 8.

*RES PTO will be hosting a bake sale so bring some $$ to buy a treat (or 2!)

Activities planned for our workshop include:

PinBox3000!  Check out some awesome Cardboard pinball machines and learn about how we will create these games in fourth grade at RES this year.  

Lego Race Cars!  Join ECHO to design and then race an awesome Lego car that you build!(on a large indoor track)

Marble Maze Challenge:  Create a marble maze from ceiling to floor--the possibilities are endless!

Making a keyboard with bananas!  MaKey MaKey Boards are electronic devices that convert many regular objects into keys on your computer to control programs like Scratch or videos games.  Objects that are conductive, even slightly, like fruit or people, can be used with the MaKey.

Build and Launch a Rocket!  Using makerspaces materials we will build rockets that reach for the stars as they travel several stories into the night sky.

Creating interactive circuits with littleBits!  littleBits are electronic modules that snap together with magnets to make circuits.  Each bit has a specific function (light, sound, sensors, buttons, motors, etc), and modules snap together to make larger circuits.

Checking out a 3D printer in action!  CHMS and RES students have been using a 3D printer during technology/enrichment classes. Come and watch a 3D printer in action and explore the Tinkercad software we use to make our designs.

Make it Fly!: Create objects to fly in the wind tunnel

Creating abstract art with a digital microscope!  DinoXcope Art is artwork created using a digital microscope to photograph intentional arrangements of materials.  

Programming interactive games with Scratch!  Scratch is a visual programming language.  Use colorful interlocking building blocks of code like legos to build interactive games and programs.

Green Screen! Green screen technology is used to create background scenes for pictures in films and photographs.  Come and create your own background.

JitterBots!  Back due to popularity, you can create your very own jittery robot!

      SNAP Circuits, Art Creation with Radiate Art Space, ECHO Engineering Challenges, Keva Planks, Robots…and more!!!!

Please contact Darcie Rankin, RES Enrichment Teacher at darcie.rankin@cesuvt.org with questions.

We hope to see you there!

No Trouble Leaning our Doubles!

First graders worked on learning our doubles facts today!  We started out by learning and singing a song about doubles facts, and kept on singing the catchy tune while we worked!  Then we made a cool "lift the flap" booklet to help us practice our facts at home.  We also made a chart to list all of the doubles facts to 10 and looked for patterns.  We noticed that the answers count by twos!

Forest Time

Today our class had the privilege of joining Mrs. Poor's class on their "Woodsy Wednesday" adventure!  We spent part of our afternoon outside learning in the woods!  First, we gathered around the log benches and took some time to just notice what was around us.  We then did a math challenge by using things in nature to represent a number on 2 big tens frames.  We ended with some forest exploration and fort building.  What a fun time!  We hope to make outdoor learning a regular part of our routine!