Reflecting on Term 2 - What we have learned

Today we have been reflecting our our Term 2 learning. We brainstormed ideas of all the different topics we have learned about, and all the different things we learned in those topics. Then we went away and wrote about our favourite thing that we have learned this term. Here are the first half of Room 8 to share their learning, look out for the second half tomorrow!

Team Jack's Popcorn Procedure

This is our final Popcorn Procedure, by Jack, Maya, Inaise and Ernie. They chose to use a still camera to take photos of pictures they drew by hand.

First we drew the pictures and then decided on the order. We all took turns at taking photos of our drawings. Then we put the photos into imovie and did a voiceover to say what was happening. We decided that we didn't want any music so that our instructions would be the most important thing. Please comment on our movie!

A Dramatic Rendition of the Popcorn Procedure

Queenie, Toby, Charlotte and Isobel chose to use the flip video camera to film themselves reenacting the popcorn procedure.

First we chose our videographer, Isobel, and our narrator, Queenie. Then we decided what Toby and Charlotte, the actors, would do. Next we filmed it, and then Queenie did the voiceovers. For our music we chose Cotton Eyed Joe because we thought that it would match what was happening in our footage since it's a fast song. We hope you enjoy watching it.

Team James' Popcorn Procedure

When James, Syris, Juanita and Nathan were brainstorming ideas for their procedure, they decided to take photos of the materials needed to make popcorn, as well as photos of themselves following the steps of the procedure. Then we put the photos into imovie and used the Ken Burns effect to make the camera zoom to the part of the photo that we thought was most important. Then we did a search to find songs about popcorn and found a really funny song called "Hamster on a piano eating popcorn." We put it all together and that made our cool movie.

Team Zara's Popcorn Procedure

Zara, Kate and Oli used a still camera to take photos of the parts of a procedure and then put them together with a voiceover in imovie. Then we picked a song - Fireflies by Owl City. We thought that the song would be good music for the background of our movie. We hope you like it.

Kid Pix Animation: Making Popcorn

Here is the next popcorn procedure by Arlo, Matalena, Elijah and Nina. They used Kid Pix to make animations of the popcorn popping and imovie for voiceovers and music. See if you can identify all the parts of a procedure in their movie!

Procedural Writing: How to make popcorn

As part of our procedural writing, Room 8 made popcorn and then wrote instructions for others so that they would know how. Then we got into groups and we made movies using our instructions. We were allowed to use whatever media we wanted to create our movie, as long as we had all the parts of a procedure in our finished product.

When we were finished, we made popcorn again and voted using strict criteria to find a winning movie. Josie, Madeleine, Ben and Anetema's group won. We hope you like their movie, made in I Can Animate on our class whiteboard.

The rest of the movies will be put on the blog later this week, so keep an eye out!

Science: Baking Cookies

Today during science we continued to look at the changes that can happen when materials are mixed, heated and cooled. We baked cookies and observed them when the dry materials were mixed together, when the wet materials were mixed with the dry materials, when they were baking, and while they cooled. Then we conducted the final test - taste! They were very yummy.

Photos by Josie.

Maths: Volume and Capacity

This week we are looking at volume and capacity for maths, which we have decided means comparing sizes of different objects and how much they hold compared to each other. We did lots of experiments today using different containers, measuring cups, jugs, and counters and water to fill up the containers. We looked at ordering objects, estimating size and estimating the amount different objects could hold. Each group also got a turn to take photos of the fun. Have a look at their fantastic photography!

Procedural Writing: How to do the bird dance

Here is Room 8 and the rest of the Puriri Team doing the Bird Dance as part of folk dancing for fitness.  If you'd like to try it, check out Ernie's instructions!

The Bird Dance

This is how to do the Bird Dance.

You will need: a partner, folk music, a stereo.

1. When the music starts, put your hands up near your face and make birds beaks with them.  Clap the beaks four times in time with the music.

2. Put your hands in your armpits and flap like wings four times.

3. Wiggle down to the ground and back up once in time to the music.

4. Clap four times.

5. When the music changes, link arms with your partner and go around in circles.  When the music changes again, switch arms and go around the other way.

6. Repeat all the instructions from the beginning until the music stops.

By Ernie.

Science: How can we change eggs?

Yesterday during science, we looked at eggs and how they can be changed.  Syris cracked an egg open for us, and we looked at the shell, the egg yolk and the egg white.  We talked about whether the egg could be put back together again and decided that it couldn't.  We even remembered the old poem, "Humpty Dumpty!"

We also talked about what changes we could make to the parts of the egg.  First we crushed an egg, then we mixed an egg yolk and white together, and then we beat the egg yolk and egg white separately.  We worked out that each part of the egg changes differently depending on what you do to it.  

Next we looked at heating eggs and all the different ways an egg could change when it was heated - soft boiled, hard boiled, poached, scrambled and baked into cakes and muffins!  Once again, we realised that these changes couldn't be reversed - once the egg has been changed, it would be very hard to change it back again!

Photos by Toby and Isobel.

Arbor Day 2010: How to Plant a Tree

Yesterday we celebrated Arbor Day at GLS.  We had a special assembly to talk about the meaning of Arbor Day, and ASB donated some trees for us to plant.  At the assembly, Josie spoke on behalf of the Puriri Team and explained what Arbor Day meant to here.  Here is what she said:

Arbor Day makes me stop and think about nature.  It makes me appreciate the trees and plants surrounding me.  We are lucky because we have lots of trees and plants at Grey Lynn School so we should look after them.

Josie spoke so well that she was asked to help plant the Puriri Team's tree.  After it was planted, we went back to class and wrote instructions for planting a tree.  Here is Josie's!

How To Plant A Tree

You will need: a small tree, water, soil, a watering can and a spade.

1. Dig a hole.

2. Put the tree in the hole.

3. Put some soil in and around the hole until it is full.

4. Fill the watering can with water.

5. Pour some water onto the tree.

6. Watch it grow over time.

Grandparent's Day 2010

On Friday, it was Grandparent's Day.  We all invited our grandparents or other special friends to come to school and see how we are going with our learning.  As it was the end of book week, we also dressed up as our favourite character from a Margaret Mahy book.  We had a character parade and two winning costumes were picked.  Watch the clip to see who the Room 8 winners were!

Impromptu Speech: Lollies

Next week Room 8 will be starting speeches. Everyone has had 3 weeks to write their speeches and we are all looking forward to hearing each other's! To get us ready for speaking in front of everyone, Mrs Hamilton made us practice today by giving us a topic and 5 minutes to come up with an impromptu speech in pairs.

We came up with some success criteria as a class and after we had done our speech, the rest of the class showed us with their thumbs how they thought we had done with each success criteria. We thought we did pretty well.

By Madeleine and Zara

Group A Reads "At The End Of The Day"

"At the End of the Day" is a story all about a class who sometimes have a massage circle just before school finishes because it's fun and it makes them happy. 

This week, Group A are learning to retell stories in different ways.  Because we are doing procedural writing at the moment in Room 8, Group A's goal was to make a list of instructions from the story, "At the End of the Day."  Nina and Nathan wrote their procedure on a whiteboard and then they instructed the rest of Room 8 to see if we could be great listeners and recreate the story.

Watch the movie to see part of what happened!