Thinking Outside of the BOX

Hi everyone,

Today we started off with Chair Aerobics for our Daily Physical Activity. None of us realized that it was actually possible to break a sweat while sitting in a chair! My students were definitely wide awake and ready to learn after this workout.

I presented my own box to the class, in order to model the proper oral communication skills they should use when presenting to the rest of the class. The students then got into pairs and practiced presenting to that one person, and gave tips on how they could improve toward a Level 4 quality of presentation. As students presented their boxes, the rest of the class used outstanding audience skills, actively listening and asking questions. At the end of each presentation I have been asking the audience to raise their hand if they have something in common with the person who just presented their box. This has been a great way for my students to get to know more about each other, and start building new friendships based on their common interests.

During Math, the Grade 5 students worked on creating different sizes of letters using graph paper and square pattern blocks, in order to find patterns in the number of new blocks added each time the size of their letter increased. The Math Workbooks were handed out, and homework was assigned (see bottom of this blog entry). The Grade 6 students took up their Patterning review sheet and last night's homework with me, received their Math Workbooks, and homework was assigned (see bottom of this blog entry).

Thursdays end with Art class. Today we painted Colour Wheel influenced patterns, and I encouraged the students to take my assignment and make it their own by adding their own creativity. Grade 5 students worked with primary colours (blue, red, yellow) to mix secondary colours (purple, orange, green), and made patterns using complimentary colours - colours that are on opposite sides of the Colour Wheel (blue & orange, red & green, yellow & purple). Grade 6 students also used primary colours to mix secondary colours, but went one step further and mixed a primary colour with a secondary colour to make a tertiary colour (blue-purple, blue-green, red-purple, red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green). Students will have a few minutes to finish-up their art work, if they complete tomorrow's assigned work during class time.

Homework Assigned Thursday September 6, 2007:
-Read 20 minutes and have parents/guardians sign your agenda as proof
-Those students who did not present their Box today, should be ready to present tomorrow morning (make some additions tonight if you need to bump your presentation up to a Level 4)
-Grade 5: Math Workbook page 1, # 1-5
-Grade 6: Math Workbook page 1, # 1, 2
-Arrow Book Orders are due next Thursday September 13, 2007
-Return signed forms and communication envelopes as soon as possible
-$5 Agenda fee + $10 Math Workbook fee as soon as possible