Engineering Task Using Light

Today students performed their last investigation using light.  The task was an engineering task where students were asked to solve a real life problem.  They had to work together with a partner to design a solution, sketch their solution, build their solution, then test and revise their solution.  The task was this: You're on the way to the bus at the end of the day and make a quick trip into the bathroom.  You don't see the "wet floor" sign and as you round the corner you slip.  Now you've fallen in the school bathroom and can't get up to get help.  The hallway is very noisy at bus time and no one can hear your cries for help. The big wall blocks those outside from seeing you, either.  You just happen to have one of those little flashlights that clip onto your backpack and using a diagram of the bathroom I provide, can you design a way to signal someone in the hall that you need help?

Children quickly realized that the bathroom has a wall of mirrors and designed a plan that lets them shine light into the mirror which reflect into the hallway and shines in someone's eyes.  After sketching their solutions, each child was given materials to test and revise their solutions. 

The cardboard simulates the wall and the little sticks have paper faces to model the person who fell and a person in the hall.

Students moved their sticks and flashlights until the beam of light hit the 

face of the person in the "hall".

Some groups decided to try other ways of moving the 

light using two or more mirrors. 

All of them were excited to give it a try!

Future engineers!

Grandma Suzie Visits

Today we had a very special visitor all the way from the Pacific Northwest.  Grandma Suzie came to tell us Native American stories and share her artwork!  Behind her you can see the beautiful mural she brought with her.

Grandma Suzie is the grandmother of a first grader in another classroom who wanted to share her knowledge and love of art.  When she was done storytelling, the children had the opportunity to paint pictures like those she had done!

Martin Luther King, Jr

Our class spent some time last week learning all about Martin Luther King, Jr.  We read a biography about his life and his teachings.  First grade children can be so very fair about things and they were outraged to learn that once upon a time there were laws that said you could or could not do things because of the color of your skin!  I have an interesting activity where I ask them to decide if a particular situation is "just" or "unjust".  It was fun to discuss each situation.  There were a few that they just couldn't come to agreement on...such as "kids who do not complete homework stay in for recess."  Some thinking shared was that "if I took the time to do it at home and my friend didn't, then he/she should have to use recess to finish".  I had to tell them that I wasn't going to be the teacher that kept a child in at recess over homework!  But I can understand the reasoning!  Others were more clear to them: People with blue eyes get to make more money.  

They were very interested in seeing MLK's entire "I Have a Dream" speech.  I'd shown the short clip where he talks about his children being judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin.  But they wanted to see the entire speech so we watched during snack on Friday.  They cheered at parts and were more attentive than I'd anticipated because he's very wordy and uses sophisticated vocabulary for first graders.  They decided afterward that if they'd been alive then, they'd all have wanted to be there!

Each child then made their own "I Have a Dream" project.  We used differing skin colors to create the cover and then each wrote what their very own dream for the world might be...

It was a good time to read to them about Rosa Parks and Ruby Bridges.  We read all about Rosa Parks on Friday and Ruby Bridges today.  Both were very brave to stand up for themselves and the rights to which they were entitled.  I think they were especially interested in the story of Ruby Bridges because she was just about their age.  A very brave girl indeed!

Today we talked about how all colors are beautiful and we have what color we have.  We made a Peace Dove which truly had ALL sorts of different colors!  And it IS beautiful!

Lastly, we talked about how skin is so many different colors and we put our arms together to see that no two arms are the same color!

Happy New Year!

It was really nice to see the kids after such a long time away!  They were excited to tell all about what they'd been doing since we'd seen each other last!

We began our science unit about sound almost as soon as we returned!  I was so excited to be teaching this new unit that I didn't even take any pictures this week!  Our supervisory union's science coach was here to co-teach and Ms. Konowitz and I taught the unit together.

Our unit began with a video of a glass breaking!  A man was making his voice very loud and the glass broke!  He starts to hoot and holler right after the glass breaks so I hit "pause"!

I asked the children to see if they could explain why that happened.  Lots of interesting and thoughtful (but wrong) answers.  They explained that his voice put so much air into the glass that it broke-like a balloon.  They explained that his voice was pushing on the glass and that broke it.  They explained that it was just so loud and loud noises break glasses.  We explained that we'd be performing some investigations over the next few days and after learning more, they WOULD be able to explain why the glass broke.  It was a great way to start the unit!

Then they used various items to make sound and learn that sound makes vibrations.  We then provided them with things that vibrate to determine if they also make sound.  They tried tuning forks...

...and drums and cymbals...

 ...they had lots of time to experiment, but also they spent time collecting data so they could make scientific claims.  It was a fun unit and hopefully if you ask your child about it, they can tell you all about sound and vibrations!