NOT A BOX

At the Construction centre we decided to replace the traditional building blocks with boxes of all various shapes, and sizes to see how the children would engage with these materials.  The children and the teachers brought in boxes of all shapes, and sizes to add to our centre.

 

FIRST

The students explored with the boxes by dumping them on the ground

and then finding the "right" type of boxes for their creations.

The students then started to see what they could build with these boxes:

They started stacking...

 

 

 

 

but this structure fell down

They kept changing the size of the boxes they used...

 

 

and built a ROCKETSHIP!

 

 

 

THEN

We read a story to the class to provoke their thinking...

Using this book and others available to them, students began delving deeper into their design process.

 

 

NEXT

Here the students are building the tall building featured in the above book.

 

FINALLY

We are still exploring...

In Search of Silence

In both the morning and afternoon classes, a few of the children asked their classmates to "stop talking" "just wait for a second" and "listen." They were not requesting this so that their own voices could be heard, but instead they were searching for something else. When asked what they were listening to when no one was talking their answers ranged from "peace" to "I'm tired of hearing talk" to "quiet." 

The absence of sound, or silence, became a new path for us to follow. Many of the children had ideas about what silence was, such as, "Silence is when there is nothing, only you."

This led us on a search to find silence. 

When trying to find silence inside our classroom, we were interrupted by the noises in the classrooms and hallways surrounding us. Wondering if silence were to be found somewhere else in the school, we began our hunt. 

We could not find silence in the school. Instead we heard the sounds of people walking, talking and moving and the school's heating and ventilation systems. We also heard sounds we could not locate and this led us into the unexplored second floor of the school where the big kids are! Here, we were able to see construction and hear its sounds.

Unable to find silence inside of the school, one of the children said, "Maybe silence is outside?" While outside we again closed our eyes and opened our ears. We heard the wind moving, birds tweeting and cars beeping.

Some parts of the school yard had even less silence than others. Near the front of the school we were annoyed, and intrigued, by the amount of sound trucks were making as they backed into the parking lot! 

In the end, we were not able to find silence. Despite this, during our search, the children were so focused on listening to the environment around them that they were able to isolate many different sounds that regularly go unnoticed. This has led them now to think about sounds more intently and the ways in which they are created.

Bees in Winter

Science Exploration About Bees in Winter

In late November, we found part of a bee hive near the school.  The children became very interested in the bee hive.  It was noted by the children that there were no bees in the hive and that in fact they had not seen any bees outside since it had gotten cold out.  This made the children wonder :Where do the bees go or what do the bees do in the winter?

We had some ideas and made a chart of our hypotheses.

We discussed how scientists have hypotheses and then they test their hypotheses to see if they are correct.  One of the children had a plan to test our hypotheses.  He said that we should make bee traps and put honey in them.  Then we should hang them outside on the trees and bushes in the front yard of the school.  If the bees smell the honey they will come.  Then we will know if bees come out in the winter or if they go far away.

The children decided to make plans to build bee traps.

 

 

Then we built our traps using recyclable materials and a little help from our “Grade 6 Big Buddies”.  (Our buddies had such a great time!)

 

Then we added the honey and took the traps out to the garden.  Our buddies helped us hang them.

 

 

We have gone out once to check on our bee traps.  We observed that some of our traps are missing.  We wonder if the raccoons like honey too.  One of our traps that was hanging on a tree is now in a knot in the trunk of the same tree.  We wonder how it got there!  We also observed that the honey in the bee traps is frozen!  We wonder what else will freeze out in the garden in winter!

 

The possibilities are endless!!!

 

 

Icicles

One day a few weeks ago, we went outside the day after it had rained. The weather had turned very cold again and the students noticed the icicles that were hanging. We began to look more closely and saw icicles hanging from the roof, from the ledge and even under the cars!

 



 As usually happens when we are outside, students started to ask "I wonder" questions.  A common question that arose was, "I wonder how icicles are made?"

 

Students also started comparing icicles, "I wonder why this one is big and that one is small?" - F. A.

 

Students then began developing theories about how icicles are made:

 

"When the snowflake falls then it hang and then it freezes." - A. P.

 

"The icicle maker, he make the icicles and hang it." - G. F.

 

"I know how icicle is made.  I can see some snow inside.  When the snow gets over there then it freezes.  Then it makes an icicle.  With the snow we make icicle when it freezes." - F.A.

 

"Somebody take the ice, they put water and they hang it."- A. H.

 

"When snow and rain mixes together it makes icicle." - R. R.

  

As students develop their theories about how icicles are made, as an inquiry group we decided that we wanted to create our own icicles.

 



 

 





Growing Bulbs, Thorncliffe Park, Room 156

In the middle of January a variety of large and small bulbs were given to our classroom by our vice principal Mrs. Green-Brown. The students were excited to see what we had been given and were able to make a variety of observations about the bulbs. 

           

            Together as a class, each student sketched and painted their own representations of a bulb. Once the bulbs had been sketched and painted, the students decided that it was time to plant the bulbs.

            During our Knowledge Building Circle the children discussed that the bulbs would need in order to grow. Many students discussed the importance of soil, water and sunlight in order for the plant to get the food that it needed. 

When we plant it will grow into a plum or strawberry. - H. Z.

It's not a seed it's a plant. - H. A. 

We can put it in the ground and the bulbs go down and then the bulbs come back and it grows flowers. - Z. F. 

You will need to put soil and water and give it sun and it will grow into a flower. - I. M. 

It  might grow into a shiny flower because it is a lot golden. - B. A. M. 

It is going to turn into a flower. - A. Q. 

It is going to be bigger. The colour is going to change. This one will be white. - T. S. 

It turn into flower, then pumpkin. - Z. I. 

This going turn biggest one. This part going to turn real big. It will be food, we eat it. - A. M. 

If you put some dirt and a lot of water and then it will grow into a plant and we will plant it outside. It will grow into tasty foods.  - H. R. 

            In small groups, each student got the opportunity to plant a bulb and predict what it is going to grow into.

            The bulbs have been growing for two weeks and are beginning to take shape. The students are looking forward to seeing what the bulbs will grow into as well as are enjoying observing the bulbs grow. 

The Bird Watchers

“I have an idea!” Sabeeh says to Maaz as they retrieve their bird viewers.  “Let’s look out the window and watch for birds at the bird feeder.”

“And squirrels,” Maaz adds. “They better stay away!”

The boys patiently watch from the window with their bird viewers in hand.  A few minutes go by.  A brown coloured bird lands in a nearby tree.

“Look Sabeeh! A brown bird!”

“I wonder what kind of bird it is.” Sabeeh says.

“Maybe it’s a female cardinal?” Maaz suggests.

Sabeeh gets the book Feathers for Lunch.  Flipping the pages they point out the birds that resemble the one they saw.  They decide that the bird must have been a finch.

“I wonder what birds we will see tomorrow!” Maaz says as they close the book.

Capturing the Moment

I find it rewarding to take out a camera or ipad when I go outside with the children. Often because I will 'catch' a moment like this one below. In years past, I might have noticed the two students observing each others shadows. But knowing what I know about rich outdoor experiences and children's curiosity, I recognize that this is a starting point to ask questions that could lead to an inquiry - depending on the responses that I would get from children.

I always start off with lots of space to move around in my questions, like, "What do you notice?" or "What are you wondering?" or "What are you thinking when you look at this photograph?"

What are some questions you might ask these two students if you had the chance to be there with them in this experience?

Just a moment in time to wonder about.

Stephanie Hammond

Can't wait to see any other moments!