Wonder of the Week and Answer

Congratulations to Dylan in Mrs. McLean's class for being the Wonder of the Week winner for the week of March 9-13! The wonder was "Why do microwaves heat food so quickly?" You can read all about this wonder by viewing the picture below.

The Wonder of the Week for this week is "Why are school buses yellow?" Make sure to get your answer in by Thursday afternoon. The winner will be announced on Friday morning!

Kindergarten Addition

The kindergarten students at C-FG are fantastic mathematicians! They have learned how to add numbers together and create addition equations! The students have even learned about the commutative property of addition! WOW! A few weeks ago, Ms. Whitaker and Mrs. Burcham's kindergarten students were learning how to make 7 using marshmallows and saltine crackers. Check out the pictures below to see the learning that was taking place! Thank you Mrs. Whitaker and Mrs. Burcham for inviting me to see this awesome whole group lesson!

Winter Break Wonder and Winner

Why do animals hibernate? 

Congratulations to Brooklyn Moua in Mrs. Cooksey's kindergarten class! She is our winner for the winter break wonder. She said animals hibernate because it is cold and there is not enough food. You can click on the link below to learn more about why animals hibernate.

http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/who-takes-the-longest-nap/

Wonder of the Week: January 6-8

Why do fish have gills? 

Thank you Kaiden Price in Mrs. Hansman's 4th grade class for your wonder! Make sure to get your answer in by Thursday afternoon. The winner will be announced on Friday morning!

Wonder of the Week: December 15-19

Does salt water freeze? 

Explain your answer.

Congratulations to Andrew Combs in Mrs. Watson's class for getting the answer correct to the wonder "How do birds survive the coldest winter?" Click on the link below to find out the answer.

http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-do-birds-survive-the-coldest-winters/

STEM in the Discovery Lab

STEM...Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

The first grade students here at C-FG were busy learning about force and motion through various STEM activities. All of the STEM activities were done in our Discovery Lab. The students rotated through 5 different stations, where they learned about force and motion. Below are pictures that show each station and capture the learning. 

Station 1: Rolling Balls

1. Use a balance and cubes to compare the weight of the balls

2. Test different balls (glass, wood, plastic, and foam) on a bare ramp to see which one goes the furthest. How many tiled did each ball go? How was it different from the others?

3. Did the difference in the weight of the balls change the results?

4. Is there anything you could do to the ramp to change the results?

Station 2: Gears Station

1. Line up several gears and apply force to the first gear. How does the energy transfer?

2. Do all the gears in a row move in the same direction? Do you see a pattern?

Station 3: Rolling on a Ramp

1. Release a toy car from the top of the ramp and mark where it stops. 

2. Measure the distance it traveled on the floor.

3. Repeat and record your best distance.

4. Choose a new material to cover the ramp.

5. Test and record your best distance for each surface. 

6. Which material worked best? Is there anything else we could do to improve our results?

Station 4: Dominoes Station

1. Line up dominoes and apply force to the first domino. Watch the energy transfer!

2. Line up dominoes to form the letter S.

3. Line up dominoes to form the letter Z.

4. Can you know them all down with just one push?

Station 5: Marble Run

1. Combine several pieces to create a tower, then test marbles to complete the run.

2. In what direction does the marble need to move?

3. Is there anything else we could do to improve our results?

Wonder of the Week December 1-5

How do birds survive the coldest winter?

Don't forget to get your answer in by Thursday afternoon! The winner will be announced on Monday, December 8. Happy Wondering!

Parent Resources!!!!

I am very excited to let all of you know that I have added a parent resource tab to our math resource website- www.cfgmath.weebly.com. You can also find the link to the website at the top of the blog. Make sure to check out the awesome resources that have been added. Some of the resources include videos of 4th grade multiplication strategies, numbers 1-20 flashcards, multiplication flashcards, videos of 2nd grade subtraction strategies, and much more!

I hope you enjoy, and please let me know if there are certain resources you would like added! You can comment on the bottom of this post.

I hope you all have wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday! We will start back with our Wonder of the Week when we return.

South Carolina Math Standards

A draft of the new math and ELA standards have been posted on the state department of education website. Anyone (teachers, parents, business people, all stakeholders) can view the standards and provide feedback. The deadline for providing feedback is November 30. I have provided a link below.

http://ed.sc.gov/scde-grant-opportunities/NewSCStandards.cfm

Wonder of the Week Winners

I have two Wonder of the Week winners to announce! Cara Linkous was the winner of the wonder "Why do the leaves change color in the fall?" Zane Hansman was the winner of the wonder "Why do the seasons (winter, spring, summer, fall) change?" Congratulations to Zane and Cara! Both students were able to announce their answers over the school intercom. You can find the links to the answers below. Also, don't forget to get your answer in for this week's wonder "Why do we eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?" We will not have a wonder next week, due to Thanksgiving holidays.

Wonder of the Week Winner and Answer

We had a lot of students answer the wonder of the week "Why do you get hiccups?"We could, however, only have one winner. The winner is Marianna Bishop in Ms. Plumley's class. Congratulations, Marianna! Click on the link below to learn why we get hiccups.

http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-do-you-get-rid-of-hiccups/

Wonder of the Week: November 3-7

Why do leaves change color in autumn/fall?

Remember to put your answer in the wonder box by Thursday afternoon! The winner will be announced on Friday, November 7.

4th Grade Math Talk Video

Check out this 4th grade example of "good" math talk.

Wonder of the Week October 20-23

Why do bats sleep upside down?

Make sure to get your answer in by Thursday morning! The winner will be announced Thursday afternoon over the school intercom.

Math Talk

At our October professional development, the teachers rotated through stations learning about inquiry, math talk, and formative assessment. Prior to the professional development, the teachers watched "good" and "bad" math talk videos on a blendspace. During the PD, the teachers had to create their own math talk videos. The math talk videos mirror what math talk should and should not look like for their specific grade level. Below are some AWESOME math talk videos from kindergarten and 1st grade teachers.

GOOD Math Talk Video for Grades K-1

BAD Math Talk Video for Grades K-1

GOOD Math Talk Video for Grades K-1

Math in Mrs. Marlowe's Room!

Mrs. Marlowe's students are learning all about math through math workstations and small groups. Check out the pictures below!

The students are learning all about doubles!

The students are practicing subtraction and addition fast facts using flashcards.

All of Mrs. Marlowe's students have a math tool kit. In their math tool kits you will find counters, connecting cubs, a number line, and a ten frame. Every time Mrs. Marlowe introduces a tool and the students have a chance to use the tool, it is added to their tool kit. During one of the math stations, the students chose to use a number line to figure out an addition number sentence. You could definitely tell that Mrs. Marlowe taught the students how to use the number line because they did not have any trouble using the tool. Check out the picture below of one of the math tool kits.

Week of the Week: October 13-17

Do pumpkins float or sink? Explain your answer.

Don't forget to put your answer in the wonder box by Thursday afternoon! The winner will be announced on Friday morning!

Wonder of the Week Winner!

There were so many people that got the wonder of the week "Can you grow candy corn?" correct, so I had to draw one name out of a box. The winner is.... Kennedy in Mrs. McDowell's kindergarten class!  Congratulations, Kennedy!

Kennedy's answer: "You can't grow candy corn because you can't grow candy. Candy corn is a candy."

Click on the link below to find out exactly how candy corn is made.

http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/can-you-grow-candy-corn/

Wonder of the Week Winner

Congratulations to Albina in Mrs. McDowell's kindergarten class! She was the winner of the wonder of the week "Why do oceans have waves?" Albina shared her answer with the school over the loud speaker this past Friday. Check out the answer below.

Why do oceans have waves?

Answer:  Most waves are caused by the wind blowing on the water's surface. Also, the gravity of the moon and sun act like magnets that push and pull the water. When this happens, it's called a tide.

Don't forget about the wonder of the week this week "Can you grow candy corn?" You will need to explain your answer. The winner will be announced on Friday! Happy Wondering!

Wonder of the Week October 6- 10

Can you grown candy corn? 

Please explain your answer.

The answer and winner will be announced on Friday! Happy Wondering!!!