Wetlands Week, Hats On for Mental Health and Magnetic Inventions!

REMINDER:

Monday May 1st-Friday May 5 is WETLANDS WEEK!
We will be having a celebration assembly and wetlands clean up on Wednesday May 3 from 10:30-11:30. You are welcome to attend. We still need volunteers for this even from 9:45-11:30. If you are able and have not signed up already please email me at imlagrana@cbe.ab.ca

Hats On! For Mental Health Day!

On Wednesday May 3, we will be recognizing “Hats on for Mental Health” at our school. We will be asking students to wear a special hat on this day to help raise awareness of the importance of good mental health. Each May, Albertans are invited to wear a hat to raise awareness of the importance of good mental health. Participating schools will relax their hat rules and encourage students and teachers to build understanding by wearing hats to school. Whether its a sombrero, a fedora or a favorite sports hat, all favorite hats are encouraged. For those students who choose to do so, we will have a collection jar at the front office for donations to the Alberta Mental Health Division of the Canadian Mental Health Association. More information is on the website:

www.canwetalk.ca

Magnetic Inventions:

Today we continued to create an invention that would use the magnetic force of repulsion or attraction. We had to think about our inventions:
-purpose
-magnetic force it would use
-what materials we would use to make it work

We looked at some different uses for magnets:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/i-didnt-know-that/idkt-magnets

https://magnetsrfun.wikispaces.com/How+We+Use+Magnets+In+Our+Every+Day+Life

We also shared our inventions to the class. 
Ask me what my invention was?

Charlotte's Web: Chapter 12: The Meeting
We continued reading Charlottes web. A new vocabulary word that we talked about was Terrific. We came up with as many synonyms as we could for Terrific. We also started to make our own Webs using popsicle sticks and glue. Next week we will use yarn to make our own web and we will put special vocabulary words into our web.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMrIGPqP2j8

We also continued working on our second copy of our Persuasive Letter to Mr. Zuckerman. We wrote one together as a class first and then used our OREO graphic organizer to help us in organizing our writing. We tried to add as many examples or evidence that we could think of to extend our writing and really make Mr. Zuckerman CONVINCED in our OPINION.

Sentence Starters to help us when trying to PERSUADE someone:

Music Monday, Wetland Week and Nova Scotia!

On Monday May 1st we are celebrating Music Monday. We will have an assembly and be celebrating music all day. For more information please visit Ms. Mann's Blog and talk to your child about what they will be doing for Music Monday.

http://royaloakmusic.blogspot.ca/2017/04/music-monday.html

Wetland Week

On Wednesday we have a Wetlands Assembly outside in the cul-de-sac area in front of our Wetlands. We are going to have a city of Calgary guest speaker and a ribbon cutting ceremony. We will also be cleaning up our wetlands and the park surrounding our school. May 1-May 5 will be a week of celebrating and learning about our Wetlands. 

We NEED volunteers from 10:00-11:30 for assembly and the clean up afterwards. If you are able to volunteer and have not been signed up or contacted about it already please email me to let me know that you are interested: imlagrana@cbe.ab.ca

Nova Scotia

We looked at 25 Tourist Attractions and continued to look at the land and resources of Nova Scotia. We filled out a Graphic Organizer titled "Nova Scotia 10 Things". We will use this later to make a travel brochure for Nova Scotia! 

25 Top Tourist Destinations in Nova Scotia
http://www.novascotia.com/explore/top-25#


We also watched a time-lapse video of the Barrington, Nova Scotia Lobster Christmas tree! 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/lobster-trap-tree-1.3376829

Resources, Square Challenge and Magnetic Inventions!

Nova Scotia
Resources

We looked at the definition of Natural Resources and talked about what resources Nova Scotia has. We learned about Fish and Seafood, especially LOBSTER! We looked at why seafood and fish are an important Natural Resource for Nova Scotia and how they bring in alot of money to Nova Scotia.

We talked about how natural resources provide jobs for the people and we watched a video from an Acadian Lobster Fisherman explaining his job and how it has changed over time. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jfhLWAXsdw

We also looked at a video of an Acadian family making their own lobster traps. In the past lobster traps were made with wood and some people still make them this way:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uthliNUDwxk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coVWAQosA6Q


Math

Today in math we had a challenge to build 2 squares using 16 units. Our units were popsicle sticks, q-tips or toothpicks. We had to remember to follow our steps to make sure that we included all of our math thinking. Tomorrow we are going to do it again but with a trickier problem:

Magnets

Today we reviewed what the terms Magnetic Field and Magnetic Force mean. We looked at a variety of materials and discussed how some materials the magnetic force/field can go through the materials. For example yesterday we tested:
water
wood
plastic
glass
paper
Today we were challenged to come up with an Invention using many different materials that would use Repulsion or Attraction and magnetic force to do something. Ask me what my invention will do? 

Invention:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkXrxR2HssY

Jump Rope For Heart!

Tomorrow is the Jump Rope for Heart Assembly. Please refer to Ms. Hennick's Blog for more information!


http://hennickpe.blogspot.ca/

Today we read chapter 11 of Charlotte's Web: SOME PIG
Ask me what happened?

You can listen to Chapter 11 again here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cme9CRf20fY

Persuasive Pete, People of Nova Scotia and Triangles!!

Charlottes Web: Chapter 10: The Explosion
Readers Response-Novel Study
Today we finished reading Chapter 10. Ask me about the explosion??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udxjrf8rPcI

We finished our persuasive letters to Mr. Zuckerman.

New Vocabulary Word: Guillable:easily deceived or tricked, and too willing to believe everything that other people say

We reviewed PERSUASIVE PETE and using an OREO graphic organizer to improve our writing and make it more CONVINCING!

We used this OREO graphic to help us organize our persuasive letter. We had to remember to state our opinion and then give a reason followed by some evidence or examples from the book before we started on the next reason. We had to have 3 reasons with 3 examples or evidence from the story. Lastly we repeated our Opinion. We also had to remember our letter Openers and Letter Closing plus the Date! Ask me how my second copy of my letter will be improved from my first copy? 

Nova Scotia: The PEOPLE

We looked at some of the people that have settled and made Nova Scotia the place that it is today. We looked at some of the Culture that they bring to Nova Scotia and a bit about how they came to the island. 

The Acadian People

We looked at Flags/Traditions/Language/and Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av4JZMEUI4g


http://www.cbc.ca/acadian/acadian_facts.html

The Mi'kmaq People: First Nations people  Nova Scotia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2zdW6HJrwM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvjsi4A4aDg


The Scottish People: Looked at The Tartan Days and Kilts

http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=590260

We read parts of the book Nova Scotia by Carrie Gleason to learn about the different settlers and people in Nova Scotia:

Math

In math we reviewed RULES for a TRIANGLE. We looked at three different kinds of triangles. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUNxLGhFCqM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4rySgvfDQU

 EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE

ISOSCELES TRIANGLES

Scalene Triangles (Particularly the Right Angled Scalene Triangle)

-No equal sides
-No equal angles
-Must have 1 right angle

PERIMETER

We were then challenged to figure out the perimeter of our Equilateral Triangle and then the perimeter of the Isosceles Triangle. 

SKETCHING and MAGNETIC RACES!!

******Reminder: Today a form is coming home for our upcoming Wetlands Walk on Thursday April 27th. If you can volunteer please email myself or Mrs. McDonald. Please visit: http://tucanada.org/yellow-fish-road/ if you would like some more information about why we will be stenciling a yellow fish on our storm drains surrounding Royal Oak School.

Ask me why we need to protect our storm drain water? 


MUSICA form is coming home with Lyrics for the upcoming May 2nd Music Monday Assembly. Please practice at home so I can MASTER my lyrics. 


Social Studies
We are learning about Nova Scotia and Peggy's Cove. These songs help us to remember the Provinces and Capitals of CANADA. 


We also looked at some beautiful landforms and landscapes of Canada. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjgOQDUOGAg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHO8xAe-FKs


Science/Art

Today we explored Magnets. We investigated whether we could make a car move using magnets and if so why? or if not why? We explored the scientific vocabulary of:

REPULSION
MAGNETIC FIELD
MAGNETIC FORCE


We also reviewed which metals are magnetic:

We came up with a hypothesis about how to make our cars move forward and why some cars moved faster then others. Ask me what I had to do to make my car PUSH forward and what happened when I turned my magnet the other way. How do I know if my car and magnet were exhibiting  

Big Ideas:
Magnets won't move until they enter the magnetic field. 

https://www.youtube.co

CELEBRATION OF LEARNING TONIGHT!!!

DON"T FORGET OUR CELEBRATION OF LEARNING IS TONIGHT AND IT STARTS AT 6 PM. WE CAN"T WAIT TO SEE YOU THERE!
Student's soapstone carvings will be available to take home by donation. All of the money raised will be going to Polar Bears International to help secure a future for the Polar Bear. Please donate what you can. If you are unable to make our celebration of learning please feel free to send a donation with your child tomorrow and they can participate and bring their soapstone carving home.  


BREAKING NEWS:

AN ARCTIC HIGHWAY!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/multimedia/driving-to-the-top-of-the-world-exploring-canada-s-new-arctic-highway-1.4073615

CHARLOTTES WEB: CHAPTER 9: WILBUR'S BOAST

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czClxe_SzPk

This chapter was very funny! We also brainstormed all the feeling words that we thought could be used to describe the relationship between Wilbur and Charlotte:

Friendly
Caring
Helpful
Loving
Generous
Guiding
Protecting
Gentle

Peaceful

****ONLY ONE MORE SLEEP UNTIL OUR CELEBRATION OF LEARNING
When: Tomorrow Thursday April 20th 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.


Today we finished our Nova Scotia centers. Some of the centres that we explored are:

• Beaches/Hiking
• Whale Watching
• Lighthouse 
• Large Maps of Canada
• Smaller maps with Provincial Flags
• Kayaking 
• Lobster
• Blue Nose Boat
• Books about Nova Scotia
• Bay of Fundy

After looking at the pictures and reading the material we had to draw a picture (I see) and then write an I think and an I wonder for each. Ask me what I learned and what I would like to know more about?

Charlottes Web: Reader Response Novel Study

Chapter 8: A Talk at Home Page 52
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNqz4t057ls

New Vocabulary from Chapter 8
Queerly
Boast

Science
Today we learned more about magnets. We watched a video about magnets:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I1WqXHkVgs

We learned some scientific words about Magnets: Repel and Attract

We also learned that the Earth is a BIG magnet

.

We also learned that when you put Magnets together there is a Magnetic Field around them.



Magnetic force can go through water and even through solids.


Some Magnets are stronger than others. There are different sizes and strengths of magnets.

We learned that a compass is used to help us find direction but it also uses magnetic force to work and the magnetic field of the earth to help us tell direction.

Explain Everything, Persuasive Writing and Perimeter!

Reminder: This Thursday April 20th is our GRADE 2 CELEBRATION OF LEARNING from 6pm-7pm. We are so excited to share our learning with you!

Today we practiced telling our story orally and using the Explain Everything Application so that we can be experts and share our story both orally around the fire and on Explain Everything

Charlotte's Web: Chapter 7: Bad News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhiBT2MHpwA

We learned 3 Synonyms for Hated:

Loathed...Disliked...Detested...

Sometimes when we want to make our writing more exciting we can find a different word that means the same thing but is much "juicier"!!

Thesaurus.com will help you do this! 

http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/

We also learned about PERSUASIVE WRITING. We had to write a letter to Mr. Zuckerman to persuade him not to kill Wilbur. Ask me what my reasons were. 

We also talked about what Persuasive Writing is and what it is used for:

Math

Today in math we came up with rules for a triangle. We also practiced drawing a triangle using rulers. We also learned a new measurement vocabulary word called PERIMETER. Ask me how I can figure out the perimeter of a square or a triangle? 

Charlotte, Rectangles and Magnets!

Reminder: NO School Tomorrow: Friday April 14th or Monday April 17th. Enjoy your Easter Weekend! 

Charlottes Web: Chapter 5
Reader Response/Novel Study

Today we wrote a response to Charlottes Web, Chapter 5: CHARLOTTE
After yesterday coming up with 5 Adjectives to describe Charlotte, today we had to answer these questions:

How do you feel about Charlotte? Why?

I think Charlotte is _______________ because ___________.

I also feel that Charlotte can be _________________

because _______________.

If you missed reading Chapter 5 or want to hear it again please listen to it over Easter Weekend!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXAeYmpqd_c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnS6qVV3HAQ

Math

In math we had a challenge to build a rectangle that was 40 long and 20 short. We used rods to build them and this was a continuation from yesterday when students built a rectangle that was 30 units long and 10 short. If we finished this we were also challenged to DOUBLE IT. Ask me what I did to build and double my rectangle. We also had to prove how we knew it was a rectangle. Ask me how I knew? 

RULES FOR A RECTANGLE:

Science: Magnets

New Vocabulary

Repel: Push away from each other (not like each other!)

Attract: Pull together (like each other!)

We practiced using magnets and putting together North-North   North-South   South-South    South-North to see what would happen with the magnets and what it would feel like?  We observed magnetic forces of attraction and magnetic forces of repulsion.