Salute!

The children have been enjoying a fun new math game called Salute! This one can be played at home with a regular deck of cards.  (See directions below- click on each photo to see it larger.)

Ann Arbor Map Exploration

Last week we explored maps of downtown Ann Arbor. We partnered up to find the grid locations of several locations in our home town, including a building we traveled to on a field trip! We also used the key (legend) to find parking structures and learn about the different districts of the downtown area. Learning about our own community is a very meaningful experience, and the children were extremely enthusiastic about locating spots they are familiar with. 
 (The maps that came home are for the children to keep.)

Brain Development

Today in science with Mrs. Brennan we learned about brain development and "intellectual growth".  This is part of our Life Cycle Unit.  

The students have been thinking about how humans change and grow.  Today, they looked specifically at how brain intellect grows.  They looked at some PET scans to see how different parts of the brain are active depending on our activity.  These PET scans are what scientists use to observe brain activity.  

Then, students tried four interesting foods (fennel bulb, roasted seaweed, coconut chips, and gherkins).  After students tasted them, they discussed how our brains were making connections.  They made a list of descriptive words for these connections (taste, smell, emotions, etc.).  It was a very interesting day, some students even discovered a new food they liked! 

Non-fiction Writing : Bats

Over the past few weeks, the students have been working very hard on researching bats. We have discussed the difference between fact and opinion, with a whole group sort as well as independent reading / highlighting.  We have learned about several different types of bats as well as the bat life cycle.  The students each chose a topic about bats to explore further, took notes on their topics, and wrote final reports.  On Friday we had a fun time using our "night vision" to read with a buddy during D.E.A.R. time.

Creating Maps

In Social Studies we have started learning about maps. Last week the children applied what they learned about map keys and created their own maps of either their classroom, bedroom, or a floor of their house and created a key with symbols for their map.

Jiffy Mix Factory

The children had a great time at the Jiffy Mix Factory on Tuesday morning.  They had an opportunity to learn about the history of the company, the process of milling the grains, as well as the various roles of factory workers.  The highlight of course, was touring the factory and seeing all of the machinery in action!  This was also a great connection to our exploration of different types of communities, as Chelsea is an example of a local rural community.  We will also be learning more about factories in Social Studies later this year.

Huge thanks to Michelle Rober, Marie Camacho, Kendra Dodds and Tyler's grandmother for joining us on this trip.

Halloween Fun

Thank you to Kendra Dodds for organizing a fantastic Halloween party, and to the many parents who donated items and came to help out!  The children had a great time celebrating together.