Math
We started the year with adding on a ten-frame structure and then moved onto a concrete number line. Students have now progressed into adding on an open number line.
An open number line is a helpful tool used to explore and represent strategies for multiple-digit addition (and later subtraction, multiplication, division, time, money, fraction, etc.). An open number line is an empty line used to record children's strategies. For example, if adding 18 + 79, a strategy that can be modelled on the open number line is to keep the 79 whole and decompose the 18 into smaller numbers, moving to a landmark number of 80 (79 + 1 + 10 + 7), it would be recorded on the open number line like this:
The use of an open number line helps children move beyond strategies like counting on by ones to looking at numbers in creative and flexible ways such as splitting numbers, taking leaps of tens, decomposing, and using landmark numbers.
This week in math, we continued our unit with addition through the context of linear measurement. We also revisited and reinforced the concept of unitizing, place value, skip counting, and recognizing place value patterns when taking leaps (adding) of tens by counting pumpkin seeds to figure out how many seeds there were in each one.
The use of an open number line helps children move beyond strategies like counting on by ones to looking at numbers in creative and flexible ways such as splitting numbers, taking leaps of tens, decomposing, and using landmark numbers.
Afterwards, we added all the pumpkin seeds to determine how many seeds there were altogether.
Here are the modelled strategies of student's thinking during our math congress. Look at all the creative ways these young mathematicians worked through their thinking and all done through mental math!
Science
After scooping out all the pumpkin seeds for math, we wondered what would happen if we buried the pumpkin in the school garden. Would it decompose? Would it grow? If so, how? If it didn't grow, why not? What are some of the contributing factors? Students wondered how it could grow if it didn't have any seeds. How do seedless grapes and watermelons grow?
Students thought it would be a great idea to do an experiment by filing the pumpkin with different objects to see what would happen in the spring when we dig it up. Some students' wonderings were documented below.
A student wondered if a new species of plant would be created if we placed the seeds of a different plant inside the pumpkin. The class thought it was an ingenious idea so we decided to test out that theory by placing a small gourd, an apple core and a chestnut inside of the pumpkin.
We added our names onto a piece of paper like a time capsule and buried the pumpkin into the garden. We shall see what happens in the spring. Stay tuned...
Student-Led Conferences
It is important for families to register for Edsby as RHPS will be using this platform to schedule our Student-Led Conferences on November 14th (evening) and 15th (morning). Parents/guardians will need to accept the invitation sent to them from Edsby and create an account in Edsby in order to schedule a time for the student-led conferences.
Invitations to join Edsby were sent out yesterday for families. Please check your junk mail folder if you are unable to find this invitation. If you require another invitation to join, please contact the school office.
