Our First Library Tour

We will have a visit to the 2-5 library every 6 days. Today was our first trip and our library volunteers showed us around and how to look up books on the computer. Today we explored, but next visit we will check out our first book! 

Writing About Our Designs

After the class designed a way to make Alexander's day better they shared their work in small groups. They were required to explain what they built, why, and how it worked. Next, they explained it in writing!

Prototyping!

The last stage of the design thinking process is to build a prototype of your design. We were designing a way to make Alexander's day better. The kiddos really knew what they wanted to create this time and spent a lot of time getting each detail just right. Check out their amazing work! Be sure to ask your child what they designed, WHY, and how it works!

Design Thinking Challenge #2

After reading Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day we decided to design a way to help him have a better day! We broke this design challenge up into 3 days, as the kiddos are still exploring how to do a design challenge. 

Stage 1: Empathy- what do we understand about Alexander? 

Stage 2: Define- what does Alexander need to have a better day? 

Their ideas were so creative! A robot to clean his room, headphones that can block out his brothers when they bother him, and an automatic shower to clean the mud off of him were a few ideas.

Stage 3: Ideate- draw 4 different designs to help Alexander. 

Stage 4: Feedback- meet with a partner to get more ideas of how to change, add to, and better our ideas.

Stage 5: Iterate- draw your final design! 

Check out the next post to see their prototypes! 

Teaching Others Math

Our math focus has been to work in groups to teach each other as many strategies as possible to solve the same problem. As the kids work in groups, Miss Franz and I walk around observing and asking questions to enhance their thinking. We also are looking for children to share their work who have used different strategies. Today Beau and Collin shared their math work!

Meet Miss Franz

Miss Franz is our student teacher from Ashland University. She worked with me last year and is great! She will be with us everyday through December. 

Problem Solving

Math Talk

Today in math we discussed how to use "math talk". After we work in our groups to problem solve we need to communicate how we used our math strategies. 

We then practiced solving a problem together and using the math talk above to discuss the many ways we could get to the answer. 

Next the children were placed in groups to solve the next problem and use their math talk to share their findings. 

We are just getting started with our journals but the children will be expected to do the following each day:

- show work using a picture or number model 

-write an equation

-explain their strategy using words

- find another way to get the answer