Future Rock Stars!

Students had a blast creating and performing music!

Students have learned to: create simple compositions, apply the elements of music, match melody maps, and sing and play in unison to familiar songs.

Literacy Link: As we continue to delve deeper into the art of music, students are asked to reflect and respond to why people create and compose music. We have read the big book, "Antonio's Music" by Joanna Emery. It is an engaging story about the life of Antonio Vivaldi. The biography explains how Vivaldi was inspired to compose "The Four Seasons". The children thoroughly enjoyed this shared reading, so we extended the story to create an art piece while listening to the music.

 

 

Let's Take Another Look Through the Recycle Box

As part of our Science unit on the properties of liquids and solids, we will be making rafts in class on Tuesday, December 4th.
When the students were introduced to this stem project, I described it in 3 main sections: 1.Brainstorming, 2.Designing and 3.Building/Testing/Evaluating. Students will make a plan to design their raft.  This project will be done in class.  However, your child may require some materials from home in order to make their raft.  Please allow your child to choose materials independently, since they will be getting participation and creativity marks for this assignment. It does not matter whether your child’s raft sinks or floats since this is a learning experience for the whole class.  If the raft floats, then the student will get the chance to examine the raft, learn and teach others why it floats.  If the raft sinks, then students will learn how the materials used and the shape of the raft play an important role with buoyancy.

Here is a list of materials your child may wish to bring:
-milk carton
-egg carton
-plastic food cartons (eg. mushroom cartons)
-corks
-toothpicks
-straws
-sticks
-aluminum tins (pie plates)
-aluminum foil
-paper bag
-plastic bag (ziploc bag)
-glue
-string
-Styrofoam
-tape

Milk and Frozen Yogurt Sales Begin

Milk and Frozen Yogurt sales have begun. All cash sales will be during lunch. $1 for milk and $2.50 for frozen yogurt.

Scientists at Work

During our states of matter unit, students were engaged in many experiments:
Here's a look at the "mixing" or "unmixing" of liquids and solids

food colouring and water

milk and syrup

 

oil and vinegar

sand and salt

  and of course the most fun of all...the mixing of solids with liquids...

instant coffee and water

glue and water

soap and water

food colouring and glue

  

 

All this and what do we get ?!

It's wet! It's pliable! It's slime!

And it's fun!!

Let's Make a Rainbow!

After searching Pinterest for some fun ideas I came across, "The Walking Rainbow", and thought "How cool that would be??!!" This idea compliments our science unit (states of matter) and art (primary colours mixing to create secondary colours). There are so many other cool things students learned in this S.T.E.M. activity.
First, we filled 3 jars with water and a few drops of food colouring. Each jar was one of the primary colours. Next, we put an empty jar in-between the filled jars.

Then, paper towels were rolled and draped from one jar into the other. We watched and waited. By the end of day 1 the colours were absorbed into the paper towels and water began to fill the empty jars.

When the students came back the next day, we removed the paper towels and this is what they found...

Once the paper towels pull colour from the red, blue, and yellow primary colour jars, they created the secondary colours of green, purple, and orange, completing the rainbow.

Let's make some Music!

Objective: Design and construct a functioning musical instrument.

Invent a new musical instrument that can make a sound by striking, plucking, shaking or blowing.

Procedures:

1. This week we will learn about various types of musical instruments.

2. Students will decide on an instrument that they would like to construct.

On a cue card (that students will be given this week), they will sketch a picture of their instrument, being sure to label what materials they will be using for each part.

3. They will construct their instrument using everyday items. It must be entirely made from ”scratch.”

4. Decorate their instrument (students can use paint, glitter or other items).

5. Name their instrument.

6. Demonstrate their instrument to the class and explain how it was made and how it produces sound.

Students will “play” their instrument in class to demonstrate beat, rhythm and pitch.
There are many ideas online. Here are some:     

Lest we Forget

The St. William School grade 8 students held an honour guard from 8 am until 3:30pm on a cold and rainy Friday. We took a few moments to stand with them and say a prayer in honour of those who died for our freedom.