Using Dictionaries to Expand our Vocabulary, Artist in Residence, and Centres

Reminders: We will be going to the wetlands tomorrow and listening to an expert speak about the importance of the wetlands and of the water it protects and cleans. The expert will visit up from 9:30-10:30. We will need two parent volunteers for this time. If you are able to volunteer please email me at imlagrana@cbe.ab.ca to let me know.

Literacy

Today during reading groups we looked at using dictionaries, glossaries and Thesauruses as tools for Expanding our Vocabulary. If there is a word that I don't know and none of my friends knows or I am reading alone I can use a dictionary book or online dictionary to look up the meaning of the word. We practiced using the online dictionary and a book dictionary as a class. This skill takes time but once students build some independence around it they are very excited to be able to figure out tricky vocabulary on their own, from their just right reading level books. 

We watched a video about the importance of alphabetical order and how to use a dictionary. Practise at home!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYTdJcA4_vk&t=128s

We can also look online for a meaning of a word:
https://kids.wordsmyth.net/we/?ent=radiant

We also looked at wordhippo to help us learn new words that mean the same thing: Synonyms

https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/another-word-for/dive.html


Artist in Residence

Today was day two of our Artist in Residence. 

First...

We looked at the viscosity (thickness) of different paints (liquids) We watched how the different liquids moved on the page. We talked about how if we were in an airplane looking down at our wetlands (birdseye view) how would it look if the water was getting polluted dirty due to bulldozing and pushing dirt, rocks and plants into the water. 


Next...
We used really viscous paint and then added in dirt, sand and cat tail remnants to make a very textured, bumpy, grainy, lumpy paint. 

Then...

We used a popsicle stick to spread this paint in the white parts of the board to make a three-dimensional, textured layer.


After...

We sprinkled dirt and sand on top of our painting. This will be to represent the dirt, mud, pebbles, rocks and grasses that might be getting pushed into the wetlands as humans build and construct homes and shopping centres and communities close to the wetlands. 

Finally...
In our classroom afterwards we talked about how we know that water is clean....clean for who? Humans, Animals, Insects??? Ask me what I know about clean water? What would I still like to learn about it? Why do we do water testing?

Is clean water for animals the same as clean water for humans? 


Charlotte's Web

Today we finished reading chapter 13: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ebu7Onf9I48

We used our classroom dictionary and wordhippo to figure out the meaning of RADIANT. Ask me what it means. 

Calgary Community Centres:


Today was our fourth day of grouping with Mrs. McDonald's and Mr. Sandberg's classes to do our Social Studies Calgary Community Centres. Ask me which centre I went to today. Ask me what I learned about. 

We talked about the Natural Resources of Alberta

Natural Resource: 
A natural resource is something that is found in nature and can be used by people. Earth’s natural resources include light, air, water, plants, animals, soil, stone, minerals, and fossil fuels. People need some natural resources to stay alive. They use others to make their lives better.