Exploring Saskatchewan Art

Hello Everyone,

The students had a great discussion today about art.  We looked at art from Saskatchewan artists and talked about a lot of things, including appreciating art, finding different meaning in abstract art, how art can reflect where a person is from or where they make the art, different media used in art, and more.  

 

 I am attaching links to the Saskatchewan Arts Board website, which has an online exhibition showing the work of Saskatchewan artists.  

http://www.artsboard.sk.ca/showcase

 

I wanted to show you this piece in particular -- entitled Rainbow Sentinels and Jerry Didur -- because Dayton noticed that this artist used an increasing pattern.  

Great observation Dayton and way to connect to what we have been learning.

 

 

 

Speaking of patterns, I also wanted to share what we worked on today in Math today (Math is such an easy subject to share with you because of all of the hands on things we get to do).  

The students coloured shapes then began assembling them into patterns.  For their assessment (assessment is how I make sure they understand what we have discussed) they needed to identify the core.  

 

This picture was created by Hanna.  She not only identified the core of her patterns but also labeled them using the ABC system we talked about in earlier blogs. 

Great work Hannah and thanks for sharing. 

 

Our next assignment will be for the students to create patterns that change more than one attribute (we will be aiming for 3 or more).  We learned this week that an attribute is how we describe something.   Hannah's patterns have two main attributes that are changing: colour and shape.  For example, the core of her first pattern can be described as:

 

yellow, orange 

or

hexagon, square

 

 

Thank you so much for reading our blog.  I absolutely love reading your comments.  If there is anything specifically that you would like to see on the blog please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate you. 



Just a reminder

Scholastic book orders are due this Friday (not Saturday, as the forms said... opps).  

Hayley's Post for Wednesday, September 18

It was picture day.  A couple of people had purple, blue, green, gray and red backgrounds.  Lots of people had blue.   We had to take two serious pictures then we got to take one goofy one. 

What We Have Been Up To in Math

Hello Everyone,


Here are some of the students' repeating pattern bracelets

Here are the photos I promised of what we have been up to in math.   The students have been learning about patterns.   They created patterns using blocks, beads, pompoms, and by coloring pictures.  

We started with repeating patterns.  The students learned that repeating patterns have a core that repeats over and over.  

The core of the first bracelet's pattern is blue, purple, red, red (ABCC)

 The student's also learned that they can explain what the core looks like using letters. 










For example, here is an AB pattern that Jace made.  The pattern's core is Big Pompom, Little Pompom.  








Here is another example.  This is an  ABB pattern.  The core of Xyrel' pattern is white, orange, orange.  

We have also been learning about Increasing Patterns.   These patterns have rules instead of cores.   The rule for the pattern to the right is "Start at 3, Add 1".  We were practicing more increasing patterns today.   Here are some pictures of our patterns.   See if you can figure out the rule.  

Welcome to Grade 2 (2013-2014)

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to a brand new year here at Columbia School.   I am really looking forward to it and I hope you are too. 

This blog will show some of the things that the kids are doing in the classroom as well as help remind you of important upcoming dates.


Tomorrow (Thursday, September 12) is our first Early Dismissal Day. 
Early Dismissal will begin at 2:30 this year rather than 12:00. 

Picture Day will be Wednesday next week (Wednesday, September 18).  

Tomorrow I will add some pictures to the blog to show you what the kids have been up to in their first few days of class.