Spring Growth Scavenger Hunt

Today room 4 headed outside to put our plant knowledge to the test. Students were tasked with searching around the playground for evidence of the beginning of the plant life cycle, as well as any other observations they could make connected to our study of growth and changes in plants. They rose to the challenge and headed off to discover, among other things: fibrous roots, leaf buds, dandelion buds, birch bark, rough bark, oak tree seeds (acorns), sap, moss, pine cones (seed containers) and "helicopter" (maple) seeds. It was a great experience looking at our playground with a different perspective.

Thanks to Rowan's "eagle eyes", we discovered this well-camouflaged moth!

The Room 4 Array Tournament Champions

In math we have been learning how to read "arrays" in multiplication (2x3 or 3X2). Each year, we have an "array tournament" in which students play one of our multiplication games. We use a "bracket" similar to March Madness and hockey playoffs, and we even have a wildcard round. The students have lots of opportunity to practice using arrays, and there is much excitement focused around the tournament!

Congratulations to all of the students, each of whom played with excellent sportsmanship throughout the tournament. Our tournament finalists were: 

Imogen - "B" side winner

Maddox - "A" side winner

Ben - Grand Champion!

                    

  

           

We're All Thumbs in Room 4 - Green Thumbs That Is!!

Some of our seeds have become actual bean plants this week! It is so exciting to see the growth and changes each day. Our plan is to have everyone's seed planted in soil by Friday.

Interesting Fact: The bean seeds belonging to the students who sit closest to our classroom door have all grown into plants. There is only one other student in the classroom at a different table whose seed has grown into a plant. We are wondering what the science is behind this interesting occurrence!!

Plants and Soils

We have begun our study of Plants and Soils, despite the slow arrival of spring! This week, we soaked bean seeds and on Tuesday we created our own mini "greenhouses" to watch our seeds sprout. It was very exciting to see changes begin to happen each day. Almost all of our seeds have sprouted! We have placed them in the sun to see how much they will grow over the weekend. We are keeping track of the changes in our planting journals.

         

     Spraying the paper towels to put our seeds on.

 Our mini "greenhouses".

          Our seeds have sprouted!