Canteen Roster...SRC, Naplan, Physical Education, 3D Shapes and Art

The second day of Naplan testing passed fairly quietly. The grade 6 students completed a reading test whilst the grade 5's did the Naplan reading component. After that students scored a Physical Education lesson much to their delight. 

After recess it was onto the final in class session on their 3D shapes boards. Students can now make their additional shapes at home and stick them on as they complete them.  Twelve students now have produced their A3 Explanatory posters focusing on their chosen two 3D shapes.

In the afternoon, some students had art (the ones who didn't have it  last week, half the class) and music options went ahead as usual. I also went through the persuasive texts with individual grade 6 students and dicussed their assessments and the  progress they have made individually. Some students really took on boardwhat they needed to do to achieve a higher result. This is a really important skill/realizaton to have, to  recognise what needs improving and to actively work on it.  Those students who didn't have art continued with their shapes boards and their Explanatory texts. I am really over the moon with the standard on this and students are achieving good results with a small amount of teacher guidance.

Most students have now handed in their Storm Boy covers or story boards and next Tuesday we will write up the information on the camera angles and filming techniques used in the film.

Canteen roster, I will put this up in the room on Tuesday when I return. I have only just managed to access my email as my connection at school is dodgy.  This Friday KF is on at recess and NS is on at lunch. I was pleased to see how responsibly these grade 5 students were doing their jobs today, as I have canteen duty on Wednesdays at lunch time. Their manners were impeccable. Well done girls.

SRC update, today at recess during our fortnightly SRC meeting, the students voted overwhelmingly in favour of Cystic Fibrosis for the local charity, and a team of five representing grade 2 to grade 6 students has been organised to paint over the graffiti on the climbing wall under the supervision of our wonderful groundsman Norm Hopwood.

Get well VL, because we miss you!

Naplan, Persuasive Texts; Photos and Library

Grade 5's sat the spelling and writing part of the Naplan testing today whilst the grade 6 classes all sat down to read  an article, an advertisment, and watched three short clips about energy drinks. They could argue for or against them and were asked to support their opinions with evidence. The morning was dedicated to reading the articles and some discussion time amongst all the grade 6's was given. 

After recess students wrote up their persuasive texts in a fifty minute block. They then did their ISL cards and listened to a poem about the Coorong. Mr Macarthy, who will be taking my class on Thursday and Friday came in to see the students in action. I will be out for a small operation on the Thursday and be back next Tuesday.  The spelling is organised for the Monday next week and will focus on ful words and sce words for those students who have no issues with the ful  words in the two standardised tests administered at the beginning of the year.  I also showed and quickly talked about some of the new books to our little library.

After lunch we went straight to have individual and class photos done and then it was Library which I swapped from the morning block to the afternoon block so my students wouldn't miss this lesson, and also  so  I could visit around the all classes 2-6 who have representatives on the Students Council  which I run, in order to give them their books and agendas. The meeting will be tomorrow for the duration of recess in my classroom. We will be deciding which local charity we will raise money for, and organising teams of students to paint over and freshen areas in the school which are affected by graffiti or just need to be a bit brighter and more exciting.

Tonight's homework was minimal given the Naplan testing. Students were asked to focus on a table they are having trouble with eg. 7 times table or 8...also to ensure their Storm Boy cover is complete.

I was very impressed with the work of a couple of students whop took their nets home to make the 3D shapes. The boards are coming along nicely. We will have a final session of class time tomorrow.

An outstanding effort by OFW and AK

Some new additions to the classroom library...and "our "is the focus for spelling

Here are a lovely mix of "new" rescued books to our classroom bookshelves. I can recommend Ten True Animal Rescues as I only just finished this one on Mothers' Day. Rotten Romans is pretty informative too and delivered in a humorous way.

This week's spelling focus is our words and these will be tested on Friday. Tonight's homework is to complete the unit which has these words as the focus.  Here are the words:

odour, labour,armour, behaviour, harbour, neighbour,

colour, parlour, flavour, humour, rumour, clamour, favourite, endeavour,courteous, scourge,journal,  journey

glamour, honour

These are also the focus for the daily Spelling Bingo games.

Exit Mould and Camera Angles

Today we shipped out the mould as it was starting to smell pretty bad and could become a safety issue.   I took a photo of the class behind the mould and later they will receive a photo each as a memento of the time mould invaded our classroom. Students have collected enough data to write up their reports. We looked at some possible ways of graphing the data and also at the online program Create A Graph which students might like to try to master.

http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx 

Installation made by two of the girls: EXIT mould

Shapes boards are shaping up

Shapes Board

Shapes Board

After recess we continued on with Shapes Boards and naming the shapes and recording information about their faces, edges and vertices.  I gave out a few more interesting nets on card. Student might also look for a few of their own. Three more students completed their Explanatory texts using ICT.

After lunch we had Silent Reading and then looked at they way camera angles can be used in film. On Tuesday we will be looking in detail at the way they have been used in the film Storm Boy.

3D Shape Boards and the artistic side of the common old cube...

Today we spent the majority of the day on our 3D shape boards. Music options went on as usual. This morning only half the class headed off next door for their art lesson whilst I worked with the remaining twelve students on their 3D shapes and explanatory posters.  Next Wednesday they will swap over. This allows Mel to spend more time helping a smaller group with their string prints.  All students are drawing birds and then using string to give definition to the pictures which will be printed at a later date.

String print

The shapes boards will be pinned to the display boards when not in use so to keep them safe. Students should now have four shapes made from scratch using their own hand-drawn nets (cube, rectangular prism, tetrahedron and a square-based pyramid. They are receiving nets daily to construct and add to their boards.

3D shape boards

Working on their shapes

An outstanding effort by AK, very impressive!

A new improved rectangular prism, well done.

I also brought some of my son's award winning bunnies into the room which he made completely from scratch adapting nets to make bunnies. He made these in his first year at Hobart College. Here are three out of a series of fifteen. We discussed cardboard models, skeleton models and hybrids models in relation to these artworks. I really want students to see the connection of learning about 3D shapes to the real world and also the artistic world.

Model bunnies

Below is an example of an Explanatory poster produced using ICT skills by a capable grade 5 boy. 

Here is another outstanding effort

I found this by accident on the internet on Sunday. I made these artistic picture cubes with some Blackmans Bay students some nine years ago. Here is one I designed using Graeme Base illustrations as an inspiration. This is an exceedingly challenging activity and you have to think outside the square BUT it is on offer for those students ho feel they have the design and perseverance skills. This one is obviously produced with a printing aid. The ones below are hand-drawn.

The Lorax assignments came off the display wall today and are now in students' portfolios along with their individual assessments. Tomorrow, those students who finished their persuasive posters promoting picture books which have war as a theme, will be sharing them in the afternoon book buddy assembly. Here are three examples:

I might also add, I am currently marking this week's spelling which focused on "tion" words and the standard is very high. Three students have promised me they will have theirs in by tomorrow. Tonight's homework is to start a cover or storyboard panel (which I showed them how to do) on Storm Boy.

3D Maths Moderation Assessment

Today was a full on mathematic's day with a short library interlude. Here are some of the materials students have to make their 3D models with, apart from the cardboard nets they have either drawn up themselves or been given.  They will receive three more nets tomorrow.

Possible 3D shape construction materials

Students have the choice of using the A3 Black line proforma I made up for the assessment task (which is already A3 size) or they can save the digital version on to a USB stick so they can use ICT skills to make their poster. I showed them how to obtain and  use images off the net or import their own photos of  the 3D shapes they have made into the document. The A4 posters they make digitally can be easily photocopied and converted to A3 colour if students have them saved on a USB device.  Below are the proformas. I shared one I was making. They have been asked to choose a simple 3D shape and a more complicated one to investigate. Below is the blank  basic proforma.

3D Shapes	Squared-based Pyramid	Hexagonal Prism
Real-life example
Shape of base
Number of faces
Number of vertices
Number of edges
Number of curved surfaces
Skeleton Model OR Cardboard Model OR a  hybrid
Example of 2D Net
Sketches from different angles

  

Extra Information and Interesting Facts

Here are two examples of explanatory posters on 3D shapes which I made from scratch. I have focused on a hexagonal prism which we haven't looked at yet in class. Students can use the above digital template to design their own OR they can be really adventurous and design their own template.

Example 1... to show the possibilities

Example 2 with views and skeleton model

Hexagonal prism made from Plasticine and toothpicks.
The photograph was then inserted into the poster.

Skeleton cube made from peas and toothpicks

I made the cube from toothpicks and frozen peas. We only had baby peas in our freezer which made the job a bit fiddly. When the peas dry and shrink, the structure becomes more rigid. This usually takes a couple of days. Students may like to experiment at home where the peas can be kept frozen before use.

All students chose and made their own skeleton model for a simple 3D shape today and photographed the finished product for insertion into their Explanatory posters. These are on the student drive where students can access them.  Students need to ensure that their Extra Information and Interesting Facts section at the bottom of their posters is in their own words.

Have packed some skewers for G to use tomorrow for her

rectangular prism.  Top efforts with what we had though.

Skeleton cube made by JS

Some snap shots from today:

Making a truncated pyramid skeleton model

Referring to a maths dictionary

The three nets given out on Friday made up. This student 

scored his shapes very carefully.

Step pyramid

AD's square-based pyramid skeleton model

Students also viewed a PhotoStory all about finished shapes boards completed by students from a like age group to give them something to aim for. They will all receive their card tomorrow to mount their finished shapes on and on which to write a summary of the attributes of each shape.

Below is a photo of the finished Japanese flowering cherry blossom trees. They look very effective. Well done Blackman's Bay students. Sensei Townsend must be very proud of you all.  I have one of these trees in my front garden and love it when it flowers in our spring.

Cherry Blossom Viewing

Hanami

I also hope my beautiful-inside-and out grade 6 girl with the severe neck is feeling better. xx