Groovy Geometry
We have recently completed our math investigation into geometry. After learning about the work of Greek mathematicians during our Ancient Civilizations Unit, it was our turn to make discoveries! Using compasses, rulers and protractors, we were challenged to construct 2D shapes, tessellations and patterns. We discovered the properties of circles, strategies for folding right-angled triangles and the mysteries of pentagons. The diagonals of pentagons hold many secrets! In these hands-on inquiries, we developed problem-solving skills and a deeper understanding of geometry. Here are some of our cool tessellations. Ask us about rotation, reflection and translation! Ask us about lines, angles and polygons!...
Read MoreGreek Mythology made us better readers.
While studying ancient history, we loved reading Greeks myths. We became friends with every god on Mt Olympus and met blood-thirsty creatures, such as a gorgon, cyclop, harpie, cerberus and chimera. We enjoyed reading these myths through historical fictional novels, such as “It’s all Greek to Me”. We made connections to many of the modern stories, movies and comics that still use characters and themes from Greek mythology. We also enjoyed Greek myths through Readers’ Theatre. We practiced reading fluently, with vocal expression, facial expression, gesture and pacing. Each group performed a different myth, including Theseus & the Minotaur, King Midas and Medusa. As a class, we also explored the vocabulary and themes of Pandora’s Box. We each played a part and shared our video at assembly. Grade 4 presents Pandora’s Box! Add comments about any modern books, movies or comics you know that contain characters or themes from Greek...
Read MoreCongratulations to our Creative Classmates!
Congratulations to Hyun Seo and Sang Won! They have received Honorable Mentions in an Art & Writing Competition (judged by City Weekend Kids & Parents Magazine). Their writing and drawings will be displayed at a hotel. They will also be invited to receive their awards at a public ceremony. Congratulations on your creative success! We are very proud of you! Have another look at their beautiful images of the future below: See this previous post for more great writing & artwork from our class: http://blogs.biss.com.cn/sodwyer/2012/10/23/describe-the-future-in-100-words/#more-446...
Read MoreArcheologists Abound!
Today we held our Archeology Exhibition! We were very excited to share our understanding of ancient history with the school community. Over the last 5 weeks, we completed a great inquiry which involved selecting a civilisation, posing research questions, judging sources, finding and sorting out facts, making connections, writing paragraphs and producing a formal report. We’ve read millions of books, been on field trips and spoken to experts. Finally, we designed artefacts to represent each of our research questions. We thought about where they could be found, how they would have aged and what they would tell an archeologist upon discovery. We had a wonderful time with clay, paint and a variety of found and smashed objects to create our “ancient” artefacts. We also thought about how to explain our knowledge to an audience. We decided to make palm cards to help our memory and practiced using eye contact to communicate. We are very thankful to the students, parents and teachers who visited our exhibition today. We all took on the role of archeologists and used our best communication skills. It was great fun showing off our knowledge to the older and younger students. We are very proud of ourselves today. Archeology Exhibition on PhotoPeach What did you enjoy about the Archeology Exhibition? What are you proud of? What would you do differently next time? What was your most interesting research question? What was the hardest part about research? How are the legacies from your civilisation seen in the world today?...
Read MoreWhat can you do with 5000 years & 1 piece of paper?
This week we had a challenge: to create large-scale timelines to represent each ancient civilisation. Our timelines needed to include: an appropriate, accurate scale dates from 3000 B.C.E. to 2000 A.C.E 10 significant historical events We were given a blank piece of paper and access to all information sources and measurement tools in our classroom. We needed all our Math and research skills to complete the task. Here we are, hard at work: Here are some of our finished timelines: We were marked on understanding of scale, measurement skills, quality of information, presentation and cooperation. We assessed ourselves before Ms O’Dwyer added her comments. What did you enjoy ? What was the hardest part? What did you learn from this task? Now we can compare our timelines to better understand the order, span and key legacies of each...
Read MoreCan you name the 4 great inventions of ancient China?
Today, we went on a fascinating field trip to the Beijing Science and Technology Museum. We visited the Chinese Legacies Exhibit. We were looking for the 4 great inventions of ancient China: paper gunpowder compass printing We learned so much more! There were wonderful models, moving machines and hands-on activities. We all practiced an ancient printing technique. We also learned about how the stars were observed, how time was kept, ancient medicines, water power, trade routes, weaving machines, farming tools and iron casting. Wow! The ancient Chinese people were very advanced! Take a look at our learning experiences: Ancient Chinese Legacies on PhotoPeach What did you find most interesting? Why? What did you learn about Ancient China that you didn’t know? Choose one legacy. Explain why it was important to ancient people. Now explain why it is still important...
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