IPS/Butler University Laboratory School

Last week, we started working in partners during Math Workshop.  We work in partners in Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop, but this is new for Math.  It has been wonderful to watch the kids talk with each other and share their ideas.  In the past, we have had time to share during our group time, but partner work only adds to that communication.  Now the kids can exchange ideas and explain their thinking even more!

Dorothy and Tyler are working together on their math problem.

Wyatt and David are working together on their math problem.

This afternoon, we went out to our garden and picked some spinach.  The kids were so excited to actually use something that we have been growing for the last few weeks.

Messi, from Mrs. Argus' class showed us how to pick the spinach.

J'Nayla and Olivia are working together to pick the spinach.

After our picking, we went inside and made our salad.  Each friend had a salad full of spinach, mandarin oranges, apples, grapes, and strawberries.

We love our salad!

"Healthy food is so good!" ~Selah

To add on to our exploration of 3D shapes, today we went on a shape hunt.  The kids had 6 different shapes that they needed to find around the room.  They worked in partners to help one another find the shapes.  The kids recognized lights, books, tables, papers, and even more as different 3D shapes!

CJ and Dorothy were working together to find 3D shapes.

Raki and Olivia were working together to find 3D shapes.

Reid and Kristien we working together to create a 3D shape!

Today, during Math Workshop, the kids used marshmallows and toothpicks to create 3D shapes.  Over the past few weeks we have been talking about different kinds of shapes and this week we have moved into 3D.  It was great to see the kids discover the similarities and differences between 2D and 3D shapes.  Wyatt shared at the end, “I learned that 3D shapes almost always need a base.”  Max shared, “Most 3D shapes have faces where regular shapes just have sides!”

As I have shared in previous posts, our class has been exploring many different materials in the last few months.  Since about March, our friends have been using many different materials to tell stories.  The use of materials during Writer’s Workshop is something I actually observed when I was in Portland, Oregon, at the Opal School.  They integrate the arts into Writer’s Workshop and call it Story Workshop.  Kids are allowed to use paints, clay, blocks, and even more to help them tell their stories.  As a class, we have been doing this too for the last few months during Writer’s Workshop.  To show an example of the power of materials, I thought I would share the story of Maxwell and Olivia.

Last week, Maxwell and Olivia were working together to write a story about their first few days of school.  They were using the story people (smaller pictures of each of the students in the classroom) to tell their story.  They were using the story people almost like action figures moving them around and acting out the different parts.  On Thursday, Maxwell and Olivia shared their story.  The rest of the class gave suggestions and asked questions that would help guide Maxwell and Olivia.

Maxwell and Olivia were using the story people to create a story about the beginning of school.

Today, Maxwell and Olivia came back to this story…only this time with a different material.  Today the chose to start writing a book about the same story.  For the entire Writer’s Workshop, the two worked together to add details and different parts to their story.  While we have not had a chance to come back as a class and talk about it, I know that when we do, the story will have even more in it!  Check back later this week to find out about how their story developed with the second material of a blank book!

Maxwell and Olivia, today, working together on their story in a book.