IPS/Butler University Laboratory School

Today Mr. Nored started his full time teaching and what a way to start!  He did such a great job today really engaging the children and facilitating great conversations with the children.

We began a study of sensory images today.  We talked about how in great books there is often really good descriptions that make us feel that we are there (whether it is by the descriptions of the smells, tastes, feel, seeing, or sound).  This afternoon for Writer’s Workshop Mr. Nored led a wonderful lesson on how if you look at a white and black banana you only see a little bit of the banana.  If you look at a yellow banana printed on a paper, you see a bit more, but if you look and smell and touch and taste a real banana then you are that much more engaged and interested.  We then talked about how with books the more descriptive we are the more interested the reader is because you are making them feel like they are a part of whatever the description is.  It was such a great experience that made all of the children want a banana!  Selam after Mr. Nored was finished with his lesson said, “I am going to eat a banana after school!”

Mr. Nored also led a discussion today on what we knew about rockets and then any questions we have about rockets.  There were some good ideas like Sydney’s idea of “you have to count 5, 4, 3, 2, 1” and Jonah’s idea of “one goes in space and in space the other part detaches.”  Some questions that the children were wondering about were Emily’s question of “Can they bring food in rockets?”

Tomorrow we are going to do quite a bit surrounding the idea of rockets so we are excited to show you some pictures of tomorrow’s events!

Today we learned how to listen to the words in our books and make pictures with our brains.

During Readers Workshop, friends drew pictures of barns. Then, Miss Estridge read a excerpt from Charlotte's Web about a barn, and students got to redraw their picture with their new brain picture.

Just a reminder!  On Wednesday, our class will be having a pajama party!  We earned it because we filled up our marble jar!  The kids are getting very excited!  I am sure it is the talk of the town at home 🙂

Sascha brings in red wiggler worms from home. Her and Miss Schmidt add them to our bin!

Harper has a new mailbox! It is filled with mail.

Journey reads a beautiful writing about plants and herself.

Sascha draws what she sees inside the compost.

Da’Sean does an observational drawing of our compost bin. He is looking for any changes that have happened over the week.

Tags: creativity, curious, garden

While I read this book at the end of the day, I feel like GOING GREEN was our conversation of the entire day! From recycling to planting trees there was so much to talk about!!

It all started this morning during Free Exploration.  The first 20 minutes of the day the kids come into our room and make a choice.  There are multiple things out including puzzles, books, and the materials in the message center.  Today, a few students made “Going Green” messages.  At the end of free exploration, they decided some would stay in our class and some could go to other friends via the message center.  They also said they should write messages to everyone in our school about going green.

Reid is busy making his Going Green message for the class!

The next moment came when we were getting ready for our weekly recycling trip around the building.  I rang the chimes to clean up and get coats.  When I reminded the kids about recycling, they all started to cheer!!    During our recycling rounds, Raki asked, “Why do we recycle?”  Max answered her almost instantly, “Because we want to save the earth!”  About 30 seconds later, David chimed in, “Because we are superheros!”

Some of our friends are taking out the recycling!

I must say I am so proud of what the kids have accomplished!  At the end of the day today, Sophia summed it up by saying, “Mrs. Clark, the entire school should go green!”  I couldn’t have said it better myself 🙂