Hi everyone!

This week in Room 2 we’ve been focusing most of our attention on math.

We started off our week with a measuring challenge: can you find something in our classroom that is half your height? The students helped each other measure themselves in inches, then they divided that number by two. Once they knew how many inches made up half their height, they measured objects all around the room. We also did a big fraction challenge, trying to place fractions in order on a number line. The class had to use their problem solving skills to see how big the fractions were relative to each other and which ones were equivalent. We used multiple types of fraction manipulatives to decide which fractions were biggest and which ones were smallest. This challenge was a tough one for our students, but they showed determination throughout. In the end, they were so proud of themselves for solving the problem and not giving up.

For Dynamath, we focused on triangles. We learned how to classify them by side length (equilateral, isosceles, and scalene) and by angle size (acute, obtuse, and right). We also determined that all triangles are made up of 180 degrees. We were able to use this information to figure out the size of an angle when the other two angle measures were given to us. We learned that we can add up the two angles that we know, then subtract that number from 180 to get the size of the missing angle.

For our exploration, we discussed ethical clothing making. We focused on clothing made in the United States, environmentally sustainable clothing, and fair trade. To determine what fair trade means, we had to do some research. We discovered that items are fair trade when the companies pay all workers fair wages and provide them with safe working conditions. We analyzed the pros and cons of these three categories, applying knowledge we’ve acquired since the beginning of the year.

This week we also spent a lot of time preparing for the holiday program. On Wednesday we went to the Bridge Community Church for our rehearsal with the rest of the school. We also spent time working on our routine in our classroom. We took turns performing for each other in groups while giving each other constructive feedback and practicing being a respectful audience. In the end, the class’s hard work and dedication paid off. At the end of the week the students gave an amazing performance. I was absolutely blown away with how well they did on stage.

Looking ahead: Next week we will have our regular library visit on Monday and bank visit on Friday. Friday will also be an early release to kick off winter break.

Have a wonderful weekend!