force and motion (cont)

The kindergarteners have been exploring force and motion through the construction of ramps. They have used recycled and natural materials to build ramps with varying slopes and lengths - testing to see how far they can make a sphere travel, how to make a sphere change direction, and trying to create enough force to make a successful loop de loop. They have included outside forces in their ramps, such as friction, to change the speed of their spheres.



Throughout this interactive experience, the children have saved their structures, continuously changing and adding on to their developing ramps. The share has been an important part of their work, encouraging the children to share their collaborative thinking and explain how they built their structures. Following each share, their peers offer feedback and ask thoughtful questions.

In the below photographs, the children make final adjustments to the materials they hope to use for their science fair presentation on force and motion.

 

 

The children work on their science fair boards together - adding labels, drawings, and recording their findings. The scientists include questions to ask the visitors/audience at the fair;

Can you build a ramp?
Which ball will go the farthest? Why?
How can you make a ball go farther?

 

 

On Wednesday we had the opportunity to think about force and motion in relation to our bodies with the support and guidance of Anne. With a variety of materials and movements, the children explored the notions of force, friction, and resistance. Following their exploration, they practiced a body in rest. 

coming together - the 4th graders and kindergarteners celebrate literacy and community

Throughout the week before April break the kindergarteners - and 4th graders - prepared for an opportunity to come together. The 4th graders were planning to read a thoughtfully chosen picture book and engage the kindergarteners in conversation. Following their interactive read aloud, the kindergarteners would be the hosts of our classroom, sharing their how-to books with a 4th grade partner. Following the reading of their books, the 4th graders would be offered a piece of banana bread prepared by their younger peers. 

The 4th graders have been working hard on reading and reviewing a collection of picture books awarded the Caldecott Medal. Together they chose one book to read to their kindergarten peers, a book they felt the children would enjoy as well as invite meaningful reflections and conversations - would they make a connection to the deeper meaning within the book? Would it remind them of their own experiences of 'getting back up again'?

The kindergarteners have been working hard on preparing their how-to books for publication, using all that they know about informational writing and powerful writing and illustrating. Prior to the celebration with our special guests, they practiced reading their books to a peer, ensuring they could read their writing as well as read with expression. 

On Thursday morning we came together in the common area, the kindergarteners a respectful and excited audience as the 4th graders took turns reading the pages of their chosen book; 

After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)

 

We then invited the 4th graders into our classroom to share the children's how-to books, looking for positive feedback. Siblings and friends eagerly sat close, engaging in the reading of and conversation about how-to writing. 

Following their work as partnerships, AR and OM offered a piece of banana bread to each child at the snack tables. As they ate their snack and looked around the room, the kindergarteners and 4th graders talked about our classroom, writing, humpty dumpty, and their upcoming April break! Our time together was connected to learning in both classrooms and was authentic and meaningful to the children - it was a true celebration of literacy and community.

A warm thank you to Mrs. Goss and the 4th graders for making our Thursday morning extra special. After they left we had a little meeting about how it went and how we felt. OC quickly put his hand up and shared, "I feel so, so proud and happy!"

 

 

 


Earlier in the week the kindergarteners prepare for their upcoming publishing celebration with the 4th graders. They add the final details to their writing and read their writing to a peer. On Wednesday during rest, three children help to make banana bread to share with the 4th graders:

 

 

 

preparing and practicing

The children have been eagerly preparing their final How To Books for publication. We will be gathering with the 4th graders on Thursday, April 19th for a special read aloud. They have been researching and preparing for a read aloud specific to a young audience - the Kindergarteners! Following their read aloud, each Kindergartener will read their How To Book to a 4th grader. It will be a special morning rich with literature, community, and the sharing of knowledge. We have also discussed baking a special snack to share with our older peers, making it a true publishing party.

As part of the process for preparing their writing for publication, the children have been using a checklist to support their work, ensuring their step-by-step guides have diagrams, labels, and lots of information. Our ongoing shares provide opportunities for work partners and the community to give thoughtful feedback and celebrate the work of their peers.

In the below two photographs, KC and AR provide feedback for ML's How To Book. Both of them notice her detailed and carefully labeled diagrams.

 

Writers use a checklist to help guide their work - preparing one How To Book for publication.

 

 

Our Morning Message continues to provide opportunities for the children to practice reading various sentences connected to our literacy work - sometimes a repeating or patterned sentence from a favorite book, sometimes a poem, sometimes phonological work, and sometimes information about our day. At this time in the year, it is empowering for the students to take on more with our morning message. I have left more and more parts blank; vowels, digraphs, and blends for the students to fill in. For the choral reading of our message, I've recently been inviting one of the children to point and guide their peers. All of our morning meeting work is thoughtful and engaging. The children have been working hard on recognizing word endings, such as ed, ing, and s.

 

 

Readers practice introducing their books, retelling the parts in order, and reading to their partner. This work supports oral language development, speaking and listening skills, and text comprehension. Our book talk is often the most powerful part of our read alouds.

 

 

 

force and motion

In the previous blog post, How To Build a Ramp, I shared some of the children’s learning about force and motion. The Kindergarteners are a community of builders. From large to small building, there has been an ongoing interest in various kinds of structures and simple machines. The children often use hollow blocks and pieces of recycled wood to construct ramps. With the integration of various materials, such as pieces of sandpaper and marbles, they have been exploring force and motion.

The young scientists have been using an assortment of solid balls (spheres) to investigate the influence of weight and slope on the distance and speed a sphere will travel. Through our calendar work this month, we have been learning about different kinds of measurement and specific tools. We used a balance scale to compare the weight of the spheres. Using this information, the children predicted how far each sphere would travel. To ensure no other factors would influence our findings, we used a ramp with a consistent slope and kept the location on the rug the same - the friction caused by our oval rug did not change.

IM placed a small block on the rug for each prediction. The children then tested their ideas by rolling the spheres down the ramp. The slope of the ramp and the force of gravity ensured the spheres were pulled down the ramp. Using a yardstick, we measured the distance (in inches) traveled by each sphere. For some, the distance was so great, that we needed to add numbers together to get the total of inches traveled. 

Our science conversation was rich with number work; adding 36 and 16 to determine one distance and 88 and 5 for another! Some of the children used unifix cubes to count the total - grouping the ones into trains of ten and counting by tens before adding on their ones. CM had a different strategy; the 100's chart! She started at 88 and then counted on the additional 5 inches traveled by the heaviest sphere - a total of 93 inches. 

In the below photographs, OM compares the weight of each sphere while TW records his findings and thoughts from their peers. The heaviest sphere is the solid rubber bouncy ball, next is the golf ball, followed by the small bouncy ball, and finally the marbles. One marble - the green one - is surprisingly heavier than the other marbles.

 

The children predict the heaviest sphere will travel the farthest - because the weight of each sphere pulls it down the ramp. We measure, count, and record. Their predictions are correct!

 

 

 

 

But, what would happen if we tested two spheres of the same weight on two ramps with different slopes? Which sphere will travel farther?

The children predict that the ball rolling down the ramp with more of a slope - or one end of the ramp higher than the end of the other ramp - will travel faster and farther.

TW later explains - with his body and his ramp diagram - that if you want a ball to travel slowly you need less of a slope. He moves between showing different slopes with his outstretched arm to recording his thoughts on large chart paper. His peers actively listen to his ideas and construct the ramp next to him.