Dashing through December

Dashing Through December

This month has flown by and as we approach the end of the semester we have been busy in the library learning how to utilize our resources, how to follow the Engineer Design Process, how to use computational thinking, and how to code various ways. Take a look at all that we have accomplished this month!

PreK 

Our PreK students practiced decorating their gingerbread boys and girls with the shapes they have been learning in class. 

This past week they learned that coding is a series of instructions that computers and robots follow. They practiced following code like a robot or computer would in preparations for learning how to code our mouse bots. 

Kinder

Kinder listened to the story of the Gingerbread Man and worked to disguise their own gingerbread man so that no one would recognize him/her.

Next, kinder learned how to use our new mouse bots we acquired with a grant from the Education Foundation. These bots are coding directly from the top of the robot; however, students must think completely through the sequence when programming them. This aids the students in problem solving, sequential order, directions, and visualization of a solution. 

First Grade

Right after coming back from Thanksgiving break our first graders began their first STEM project using the Engineering Design Process to plan out their elf trap designs. They were inspired to create some clever designs after listening to How to Catch an Elf by Ada Wallace and Andy Elkerton. We finished this past week with the construction of our elf traps and determining if they would work as well as we hoped. I guess we will find out Christmas morning! 

                                                                      


Second Grade 

Two weeks ago we learned what call numbers were and how they are used in the library. We learned to identify the different call numbers that could be in found our library, then worked to be good library helpers by alphabetizing call numbers in the everybody section. 

This past week we participated in Hour of Code Week by learning how to code using the unplugged method of Ozobots, another piece of our Commanders in Coding grant. 

Third Grade

After returning from the break our third graders also participated in a STEM challenge inspired by the book Olive the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh. The students had to create a flying device to help Olive get back home for Christmas. They were given limited supplies and limited creation time. I was impressed by some of the results! The boys and girls were able to use part of our library as a flight testing area.

 
                    
 


This past week for Hour of Code our third graders got to meet Dash, one of the three coding robots acquired with our Education Foundation Grant. They used a block coding program to make Dash complete various activities. 

Fourth Grade

Fourth grade students go to participate in an Author Skype with Rebecca Gomez, the author of Ninja Chicks, a Hanzel and Gretel fractured fairy tale. The students listened to Mrs. Gomez read the story and then led the discussion by asking questions pertaining to writing and the life of an author. I was very proud of their questions and Mrs. Gomez later wrote me with praise of our students' questions for her. We look forward to hosting another author Skype in the future! 

During hour of code week our fourth graders learned how to code with Ozobots through the blockly program and with the use of marker coding. 

                            

Fifth Grade

After the break fifth grade continued to learn more about our catalog system and how to locate resources through various search methods.


During Hour of Code week fifth grade worked with our Ozobots and learned how to create sequences of code to command their Evo bots in block code format. 

The Rewards of Book Fair

This past week our order from use of Scholastic Dollars made from our Fall book fair came in! I am so excited to put more up to date and newer books into the hands of our students! Our students ask and I listen to fill the shelves of what they are interested in! We also were able to purchase a binding machine that will allow us to better repair our overly loved books! 

   

Holiday Book Return Challenge

This January I will be raffling off two very large candy bars! One for K-2nd and the other for 3-5. Return all of your books after the Christmas break for a chance to win!