Fun Happenings in Room 8

We had such a fun day the day before December break.  It was wonderful for the kids to just hang out with friends, play games, and enjoy one another!  Here are some pictures of them doing just that!

Magnetism

We are now focusing on magnetism in science.  This afternoon, students had so much fun using bar magnets to explore items around the room (and items from my junk drawer as well).  Prior to this activity, the N and S ends of the bar magnet were a bit of a mystery.  During this hands-on exploration, students discovered that when the same ends were near one another, they repelled.  This was fascinating and fun for students to see!  Students were able to recall what they learned about positive and negative electrons to further their understanding of this concept.

In reading, we are learning to use a new strategy called, RACES, to help us formulate more in-depth written responses for open-ended questions.  During reading this morning, we used this step-by-step strategy to create a response for a story recently read in class.  Tomorrow, students will practice another question in pairs before attempting this independently.  The system also gives students sophisticated sentence starters for citing their evidence, explaining/elaborating their ideas, and summarizing their thinking.  This will make a big impact on students' ability to respond to reading in writing.  Look for this type of work to come home in future Friday Folders.