Lower Elementary News
2/24/2008
Lower Elementary
Take a Tour Through Europe
Cathy, Jenn & Margaret's Lower El class share the wonders of Europe
Cathy, Jenn & Margaret's Lower El class recently completed an ongoing project on Europe which culminated in Europe Day 2008. Parents and other Lower El classes where taken on a tour of Europe and it's culture via presentations from student groups.
The presentations were the final product of a five-week long study of European culture, geography, history, art and architecture. Groups of parents where ushered through the class in shifts. The audience browsed visual aids and posters and then listened to oral presentations by each student group. Samples of European cuisine and examples of fashion were also a part of the day-long show.
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2/15/2008
Lower Elementary
Brrrr, Penguins Bring the Chill
Recent sightings of large penguins in Lower El!
Recently, the students of Kaki and Debra's classroom presented their classroom project on penguins. The students have been working on this project for the past 5 weeks and the exhibit consisted of an indoor and outdoor presentation.
Outside, there was a penguin blubber simulator. The simulator was made so the person could feel as if they had blubber on their hand. The students also displayed their global warming project, diorama and their mini-Antarctica posters. Also seen were maps of Antarctica made of tin foil and bubble wrap.
The students demonstrated the climate of Antarctica by showing different types of ice formations in Antarctica surrounded by paper maché penguins they had constructed.
Inside the classroom, the students made their own Rock Hopper penguin masks to wear during the exhibit. Also, to go along with the masks, one student dressed as a penguin by putting 5 large layers of jackets to simulate the penguin’s blubber.
Another "Antarctic Area" in the classroom was "Save the Egg" on the computer. This game shows how to keep a penguin's egg alive. Over all the exhibit was very well put together and it showed the students hard work and determination to their work.
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12/7/2007
Lower Elementary
Biomes of North Carolina
The students in Kaki and Debra's class just finished their study of Biomes of North Carolina. Small groups presented all of their research to the class and then went on a field trip to the Museum of Science in Raleigh.
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10/16/2007
Lower Elementary
Lower Elementary Planet Walk
Students in several of the Lower Elementary classes took a walk across the solar system. We did this on Drawbridge Pkwy., the street that runs alongside our playground. The purpose of our planet walk was to demonstrate the relative size and spacing of the sun and planets.
Our walk started at the corner of Horsepen Creek Rd. and Drawbridge, where we placed our 8” diameter replica of the Sun. The children measured a distance of thirty feet and placed our Mercury replica, a pinhead, on the sidewalk. The walk continued until the last planet, Neptune, had been placed. The total distance from the Sun to Neptune was 2,331 feet.
The children were amazed to see how tiny the planets were compared to the vast distances between them. Classroom models of the solar system simply can’t communicate this concept.
If you’d like to learn more about the lesson you can visit the website below.
www.noao.edu
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10/15/2007
Lower Elementary
Children Begin Their Own Collections
In the beginning of the year, Sylvester Taylor (Noah’s Dad) indicated to Debbie and Kristy that he would like to volunteer in the classroom every Friday morning. This fit in perfectly with the class’s new schedule. Debbie and Kristy had been giving some thought to changing Friday’s routine, Friday being Friday, after all, to keep everyone engaged in their learning. One thought was to reintroduce free choice math. Each child is required to do a math work but they choose which material or operation they would like to work on. In the past, many of the math based games were popular choices but difficult for the teacher’s to monitor. They approached Sylvester with the idea of him becoming Game Master. Sylvester quickly agreed. Math with Sylvester made it’s debut in early September. Currently, they are playing Pizza Fractions. This is a wonderful game that offers multiple levels of learning. First Level students are learning about how parts make up a whole. Second and Third Level students are learning about equivalency. It is a delight to watch Sylvester at work!
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10/15/2007
Lower Elementary
New Educator in Debbie & Kristy's Class
Sylvester Taylor Makes Debut as Game Master
In the beginning of the year, Sylvester Taylor (Noah’s Dad) indicated to Debbie and Kristy that he would like to volunteer in the classroom every Friday morning. This fit in perfectly with the class’s new schedule. Debbie and Kristy had been giving some thought to changing Friday’s routine, Friday being Friday, after all, to keep everyone engaged in their learning. One thought was to reintroduce free choice math. Each child is required to do a math work but they choose which material or operation they would like to work on. In the past, many of the math based games were popular choices but difficult for the teacher’s to monitor. They approached Sylvester with the idea of him becoming Game Master. Sylvester quickly agreed. Math with Sylvester made it’s debut in early September. Currently, they are playing Pizza Fractions. This is a wonderful game that offers multiple levels of learning. First Level students are learning about how parts make up a whole. Second and Third Level students are learning about equivalency. It is a delight to watch Sylvester at work!
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4/16/2007
Lower Elementary
Spanish in the Library
la Biblioteca
National Library Week 2007
Come together @ your library: celebrate National Library Week
Last week we celebrated National Library Week with "Spanish in the Library." Sandra and Lauri worked with Lower El classes on library vocabulary and conversation in Spanish. We shared many resources with the students that will enhance their study of the Spanish language.
A special thanks to Maribel Ramos for reading Spanish stories and to Dr. Joseph Aceves for sharing his Spanish Dictionary from 1899.
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2/19/2007
Lower Elementary
Dedication of our Peace Pole
special thanks to the Amend family
Our Valentines Celebration was marked with a special dedication of our new Peace Pole. we started this project at the beginning of the school year and quickly discovered the enormity of this project. We sent out a plea for help and Andrea Jung volunteered to come in and help place the word peace in thirteen different language around the pole. After this was done Eileen Wood , Ali’s mom, came to assist us in burning the words into the wood. We realized once again our expectations exceeded our capabilities and sent another plea for help. We were answered by a Knight in shinning armor Michael Amend and his apprentices Sir Matt and Sir Michael. We can not thank them enough for their gallant efforts. Come see our Peace Pole it is stunning!!!!! No less important in our efforts was our very handy handy-man Brian Talbert who was instrumental in the physical installation of the pole.
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1/31/2007
Lower Elementary
Middle School Students to the Rescue
Middle School Students to the Rescue
The Lower Elementary children think of our Middle School students as special friends and helpers. They rush to greet them on campus, love sitting with them in assemblies, and look forward to Study Buddy visits. Recently our Middle School students demonstrated again just what good friends they are.
One morning in early January, Lower Elementary teachers and students arrived to find water flooding the classrooms. Several of the teachers took the students outside for an unscheduled recess while the remaining teachers rushed to save valuable classroom materials from damage and to begin the cleanup. Within minutes, a group of Middle School students arrived in Lower El. They wanted to know how they could help. They gathered mops and buckets from across the campus and began mopping, moving furniture, and rescuing classroom materials. When one task was completed, they asked what else needed to be done. They gave up time they could have used for themselves to help their Lower El friends and former teachers. With their help, teachers were able to clean up, avoid damage to furniture and materials, and return students to their classrooms quickly and efficiently. If the older students hadn’t been there, we would have lost much more valuable learning time. Our younger students are lucky to have such loyal friends and great role models.
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1/5/2007
Lower Elementary
History
In Debra and Kaki's they are busy learning about time. How people marked time throughout history. They marked time with their bodies, creating the first human clock. We also made clocks with paper and stones.
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11/10/2006
Lower Elementary
Science Lessons in Lower Elementary
The Montessori Great Lessons Are Followed by Exciting Classroom Activities
The Montessori Great Lessons, which have recently been presented to the Lower Elementary students, generate many follow-up lessons, demonstrations, and research.
Cathy, Margaret, and Jennifer’s class just finished the study of sound. The children performed demonstrations to learn about sound and described the results on lab sheets. They listened to sound waves travel through water in a jar and from a metal rack through string. They also used sound to make pepper flakes bounce up and down.
Children in Kaki and Debra’s class are studying the properties of water. The children illustrated water tension by placing colored drops of water on wax paper and, using a straw dipped in liquid soap, learned to break the surface tension of the colored drops. They observed the water droplets suddenly break and spread across the paper.
Mary and Dave’s students have been studying the formation of The Earth. The children used sand and soil to create a large volcano. Its eruption was greeted with “oohs and aahs.”
Students in Debbie and Kristy’s class have been learning about the life and death of stars. They created timelines which included the nebula, red giant, white dwarf, black dwarf, and ended with black holes. They also studied the eight phases of the moon. The children created books showing the sequence of the phases.
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11/7/2006
Lower Elementary
Cider Making in the Garden
Cider Making in the Garden
Lower Elementary students recently discovered the joy of making and drinking fresh cider. Gardening classes took a break from tending to their gardening chores to participate in this traditional autumn activity. The cider was made in an antique cider mill as gardening instructors supervised.
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11/7/2006
Lower Elementary
Field Trip to Natural Science Center
After studying sound in the classroom, Cathy, Margaret, and Jennifer’s class visited the Natural Science Center to learn more about sound. While there, they also attended an exhibit on money.
In the sound lab an eyes-closed demonstration dramatically demonstrated the superiority of the children’s hearing to that of their teachers and chaperones. The children could easily hear sounds inaudible to the adults. The students also learned more about the speed of sound, sound waves, and witnessed proof that sound cannot exist in a vacuum.
A favorite spot in the money exhibit was the Kid’s Market, a simulated produce stand where children could take the role of shopper or cashier. The children also enjoyed designing and printing currency with their own faces on the bills. A simulated stock market game allowed students to experience buying and selling stocks. Finally, the value of a good education was demonstrated in an exhibit that allowed students to project their income as adults based on their level of education.
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11/7/2006
Lower Elementary
Authors Visit GMS
Bill and Mary Lavender, whose grandchildren attend GMS, recently visited the school to talk to students about the writing process. Bill is the author of a number of novels for young adults. Mary does the research for the books.
The students in Cathy, Margaret, and Jennifer’s classroom, where the Lavenders’ grandson is a student, were thrilled at the opportunity to meet and talk to a real author. They excitedly questioned the Lavenders about the life of a writer and convinced Bill to read passages from Aftershocks and Just Jane, two of his books that are being donated to the GMS library. At the close of the visit, the children were so inspired they could hardly wait to get back to their own writing!
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10/6/2006
Lower Elementary
Cherokee Field Trip A Success
Cathy/Jennifer/Margaret’s Lower El class is studying the cultural curriculum this year as it relates to indigenous people, mostly Native Americans. They began the year with a focus on the Cherokee people, researching the fundamental needs of people in a typical Cherokee village before the Trail of Tears and looking at the biology and geology of the region where the Eastern Band of the Cherokee still live today.
During the last week in September, the class participated in a 3-day/2-night field trip to Cherokee, NC where they stayed in a campground and visited several sites relevant to their study. They took an interpretive hike along the Oconoluftee River, visited the Oconoluftee Indian Village, viewed the Nikwasi Mound (a former Cherokee village site in what is now Franklin, NC), and learned about the legendary Cherokee Little People of Mingo Falls. In addition, the children visited a gem museum, mined for gems, waded in the river, and visited a virtual forest of river cane. The first, second, and third level students built community by sharing meals, tents, cabins, and songs around the campfire with the help of teachers and parent chaperones as well.
The students are continuing their research, incorporating first-hand experience into their understanding of Cherokee life and will expand their study of more native cultures throughout the year.
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9/21/2006
Lower Elementary
Preparations for Cherokee Trip
Students are integrating their study of animal groups and biome work to learn about the animals that live around Cherokee. We made posters of Invertebrates, Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals who are found in the Temperate Forest Biome.
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