A passionate 4th grade writer speaks out in Life And How We Waste It:
“We all want the fancy new iPhone 4S. But we are wasting our time with these things. We are getting locked in a technological prison. We need to enjoy the beauty of life and quit wasting our time texting and playing Angry Birds. Seeing the beauty of nature and slowing down. Getting away from the hustle and bustle of life in the fast lane. Get out into a forest and smell fresh pine. The citizens of the world should stop worrying about the newest product by Apple and realize the beauty of life. We need to stop wasting life sitting around tap-tap tapping away. We need to turn off the TV, take a break from the Ipad, and feel the world. Watch the fish swim, rain fall, and deer run. We need to see the beauty of the world. We need to get outside. We, the citizens of the world, need to see the beauty of the Earth as it is. Getting a glimpse of the world without technology- fresh air, sunshine, deer, and plants. This is the beauty of nature. Come enjoy it with me!”
This week in 4/5 Science we saw how mirrors are commercially made, and we created our own periscopes. The students also attempted to take three mirrors, (one with “eye” stickers on it, one with a nose sticker on it, and one with a curve of mouth stickers), and line them up so they could see a complete face reflected in one of the mirrors. Next week we will be working with two mirrors that are connected with a hinge.
4/5 Math students continue to explore division, and we had the chance this week to discuss strategies for dividing three-digit numbers (ex. 231 ÷ 3 = ?). Some students are more comfortable than others with doing this on their own, but we all have begun to understand ways to solve this equation. We practiced some simpler multiplication and division skills with puzzles and mazes. Soon, each student will be able to take some time to work with and learn the Montessori math manipulatives that are used in both the Primary and Pre-primary, and then use them to illustrate their division.
