Paper Chain Challenge

Today's afternoon challenge:

Make the longest paper chain using only 1 piece of paper.

Tools that can be used:

scissors

hands

a partner ( if children choose)

a glue stick

What are the important things to think about?

What is your strategy?

This partner team decided to cut the piece of paper in thin, short pieces

This team cut the pink paper on the long side of the paper and in very thin strips.

"You have to hold the ends together and count to 10 so the links stay in a circle."

" Whoa, that was a lot of hard work cutting all those paper strips."

Observations of the finished products:

"It was awesome working with my partner"

'Me and Cindy tried our best.  Our chain was small the smallest."

"When you use skinnier links they can stretch out and the chain gets longer"

"I worked independently, it was fun"

"I see lots of circles"

"Only one chain is green"

"None of them are the same"

"I see a loop that is on the side of one"

"We all cut them differently"

"They are all different lengths"

"Some are different colors"

"The longest one is at the top and the links are from skinny pieces of paper"

"The links are in a pattern up down up down"

"Some links are fat and some are skinny"

Feeling the love in 218

We made valentines for our 4th grade STARR buddies.  This was a "beary" good way to start our Valentine's Day.

Counting hearts, recording data, and laughing with special friends.

 

A special morning snack.

Which one doesn't belong?

The idea for this activity is to hear children express their thoughts and make arguments for their choices.  

Sharing a little love with the children....

It was easy to find something(s) to say about each child!

Decorating Valentine bags and delivering special cards to our friends.

 

Hand made valentines from Mrs. Erling

Afternoon snack and fun activities

 A little science with the candy hearts

Making our own puzzles of things we "love to pieces".

Until next time.... 

The Dot

Using literature to inspire children to become confident learners, an art lesson, and a math activity.

In Peter Reynolds' story the young girl Vashti believes she cannot draw, but when her teacher gently tells her to "just make a mark," she jabs a dot on a blank sheet of paper and the art teacher asks her to sign her name.  When Vashti goes to her art class the next week she see's that her teacher has framed the dot and hung it up for all to see. Vashti discovers a new confidence in herself and passes it along to another child she notices feeling the same way she did.  

Beautiful art work was created for the classroom using "DOTS" - 100 to be exact.  

10 colors.  10 dots of each color.