Holiday Creations

As a teacher, I’m always on the lookout for lessons that combine creativity, critical thinking, and math skills. This holiday season, we brought a little festive cheer to our classroom with a hands-on math activity using pattern blocks to create holiday-themed designs.

The challenge was simple yet engaging: students were tasked with creating holiday-themed designs using pattern blocks. They crafted snowflakes, sweaters, gingerbread houses, amonth other other holiday creations. Each task card had specific mathematical criteria to follow, which varied depending on the design. For example, a design might require at least 10 pattern blocks with a total value of at least 2 wholes. Another challenge could require using exactly 18 pattern blocks, with the total value falling between 5 and 8 wholes. The studetns had to use their understanding of fractions to make sure they were following the criteria for each task. 

This lesson was a hit in my classroom. It was fun to blend the holiday spirit with meaningful math practice!

 

4th Grade Mathematicians

In 4th grade, students have been working hard at mastering the important skill of multi-digit multiplication and division. These operations are important for students to eventually build off of in order to tackle advanced problem-solving and other concepts. 

Not only are students working to master this skill, they are approaching problems through multiple strategies. Providing students with various methods to solve problems helps build a deeper understanding, versatility, and confidence. After being taught a strategy, students are given opportunities to practice each one. They are using this skill to work through story problems requiring multiplication and division. 

       

 

Gingerbread Week

This week, the students learned the classic story of the Gingerbread Man and where the saying "Run run as fast as you can! You can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man" came from. After reading this story, we continued reading various versions of this tale, with some including pirates, cowboys, boys, girls, and ninjas. The kids have really been enjoying all of the different stories we have been able to read so far this week and the activities that were associated with them. We were able to tie in our curriculum and standards to fit this theme, and the kids were so happy to learn from this story. The kids had little instructions for tasks each day from the gingerbread, including those for sight word hunts, reading maps, finding clues, and, later this week, searching for gingerbread around the school. What a wonderful way to end school for the break! 

December Learning Fun ⛄

In Kindergarten, we are powering through our verb unit.   Students have been learning through pictures, words, videos and acting out words.  Students made picture books and the next step will be to make books with simple sentences.  Students will incorporate pronouns into their sentences; we have been practicing with the pronouns she, he and they.  Through this unit we have incorporated the following WIDA domains:  listening, speaking and reading.

 

Students working in the pre-writing stage.

       
Students acting out vocabulary - can you guess some of our vocabulary words? 

whispering, cheering, daydreaming, holding, cutting

In Fourth Grade we had such engaging, rich conversation while playing a game of This or That? - AI edition.  We utilized our district EdTech specialist's resources from the very cool 12 Days of AI series.  Students had to choose which image was AI and which was Human and be ready to defend their answer before each reveal.  Students were able to build off of each other's thoughts and reflect on their initial responses.  This fun activity incorporated the following WIDA domains: listening and speaking.

              

Answers: Human images were A, B, A

Lastly, as part of Goodrich's winter fun, classrooms were invited to participate in a door decorating contest.  Every student in my groups made a hand cut out and decorated it.  This hand cut out was made to create our international tree.  We incorporated math skills by calculating how many hand "hand branches" we would place in each row of the tree - along with how many rows would we need to make?  The students did an amazing job and two fifth grade ❄❄❄❄❄students showed amazing leadership by putting together our international tree!

             

 

Exploring Theme with Brown Girl Dreaming

In our fifth-grade classroom, we’ve been diving into the concept of theme using Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. Understanding theme can be a challenging skill for young readers, as it requires them to think beyond the surface of a story and consider what the author wants us to learn. This week, our class has been working together to uncover the deeper messages in Woodson’s work by analyzing how the main character responds to key events in her life.

We started by identifying major events in the plot of Brown Girl Dreaming. The students brainstormed independently using Jot Thoughts. Each student had the chance to write down their ideas about the major events in the story: moments that shaped the character, showcased struggles, or highlighted triumphs. Once everyone had contributed, we shared these ideas in small groups and then created a comprehensive class poster with all of our ideas. 

Students identified events such as the character’s move to the South during the Civil Rights Movement, her struggle to find her voice as a writer, and the impact of family. One of the key lessons we’ve learned is that themes are often not explicitly stated. Woodson doesn’t tell us outright what we’re supposed to learn from her story; instead, she weaves her messages through the characters' events, dialogue, and reflections. 

Through our discussions, students began identifying themes such as perseverance, the importance of identity, and the power of family and community. We talked about how each of these themes can apply to our own lives and the world around us. By reflecting on how characters respond to adversity, we’ve learned that literature can teach us valuable lessons.

My 5th graders have truly blown me away with their engagement in these conversations and their ability to think critically about these complex themes! They have demonstrated curiosity, critical thinking, and teamwork as they worked together to uncover the hidden layers of meaning in the text. Learning about theme through Brown Girl Dreaming has not only deepened their understanding of the book but also encouraged them to think about how stories can inspire and guide us.

College & Career Fridays

 At Goodrich we focus on College and Career education every other Friday. In first grade we like to participate by learning about different careers. In the beginning of the year we brainstorm a list of careers we want to learn more and more about. Every other week, we choose a career and read a book, or watch an informational video to learn more about that career. Sometimes we are lucky enough to have a connection with a parent or community member, and we invite them into the classroom to teach us more. When we have this opportunity, we are so grateful to learn right from the expert! This year, we have had two college and career presentations so far, and they have both been beyond phenomenal. 

Our first visit was to teach us more about nurses. We were able to use a stethoscope, pretend to give a stuffed animal a shot, and learn about what nurses do to keep us healthy and safe. We were also able to ask questions about why people choose to become a nurse, where they can work, what different kinds of nurses there are and even more!

Our next visit was from a radiologist. We were able to learn about so many different medical  specialties. We were also able to see x-ray examples and talk about CT scans as well. We named different bones and even were able to see what it looks like to have a broken bone on an x-ray.

These experiences are so beneficial for our students because they are able to tap into their natural curiosity and experience something that doesn’t fall into the box of math, reading, writing, etc, but yet can connect to so many of these curricula areas at the same time.

We look forward to inviting more community members into our classrooms this year as we have the opportunity to learn about many different careers in our community.

Holidays Around the World

This week, we are traveling the world. That's right, we packed our suitcases, created our passports and mapped our trip around the world! We didn't even have to leave our classroom. Each day this week, we travel to three locations to learn about the holidays celebrated around this time of year. Our first step is to find the country on the map of the world. Then, we watch a quick video clip of the plane taking off and landing in the country. We also get to view the journey on Google Earth which is super cool to see! When we 'arrive' we add the newest stamp to our passport and begin learning about the culture and traditions. 

When arriving in a country the first thing we learn is how to say hello in the language spoken in that country. We read about the traditions revolving around the holiday celebrated and discuss if that is similar to our own holiday traditions. We view many beautiful images of the country and decide on a souvenir to bring home with us. We created the souvenir, put it in our suitcases, and return prepare for our next step on the journey.

Suitcase

Passport

Map

Dreidel with 6th Grade Buddies

Christmas Tree from Christmas

St. Lucia's candle crown from Sweden

Art with Ms. Huber

 

Happy December!

I'm excited to share that our 5th and 6th graders have art on display at the Woodridge Public Library. 

They have been hard at work these past couple weeks making mixed media collages. 

Students started with practicing drawing from observation (what you are looking at). 

After we gained confidence through practice, we began selecting and working on our animals for the project. 

Students were allowed to choose how they created their animals, giving them the freedom to choose what materials they felt most confident in.

Students were also guided through different options on how to paint their backgrounds with watercolors. 

Their animals were cut out and glued onto their painted backgrounds, creating a mixed media collage.

Our Fifth graders were focusing on Endangered animals. While our Sixth graders were creating brand new animals (fantasy animals) by combining two animals into one. 

This display is found on the second floor and will be up for the rest of the month of December!

A Big Week in First Grade

Last week, first grade had an action packed week! Not only was it the first week in December and frightfully cold, but it was also the busiest week of the year for our first graders. The week included the book fair, their musical with second grade, the fifth and sixth grade chorus concert, and a FIELD TRIP! 

After months of practice, last Wednesday was the first and second grade musical, A Beary Merry Holiday! Students performed their show THREE times in just one day! They had a morning dress rehearsal, an afternoon performance, and an evening performance. The show was absolutely amazing! I am always amazed at what Ms. Clark can get students to do at such a young age! It is truly unbelievable! 

The end of the week brought even more excitement when it was time for our field trip to Lewis University to see Elephant and Piggie’s We’re in a Play. First graders love to read and listen to stories from the Elephant and Piggie series, so this field trip was a no brainer. After having a performance of their own earlier in the week, students knew exactly what it feels like to put on a show for an audience and how to be a good audience member. Seeing the students’ faces light up with pure joy seeing some of their favorite stories come to life was incredible! The smiles and giggles were non stop throughout the show. It was the perfect way to cap off a big week in first grade!

Making Waves: Exploring Sound, Energy, and Communication in Science

    In 4th grade, our first science unit is on waves, energy, and information. In this unit, 4th graders have "transformed" into young marine scientists investigating how bottlenose dolphins communicate. Bottlenose dolphins use unique "signature whistles" to identify and connect with one another, providing us with our first focus question.

    We began our investigation with this focus question: How does a mother dolphin communicate with her calf across a distance? Through physical models, like spring toys and ropes, and the Sound Waves Simulation, students visualized how sound energy travels in waves. They created and revised sound diagrams, representing how sound moves through water. These tools helped them understand that sound travels as energy passed between particles—a concept not easily observed without modeling.

    Next, we looked deeper into sound waves and energy transfer. The students explored how dolphins' calls reach their calves across distances, discovering that sound travels through water as a series of particle collisions. With each lesson, students revised their understanding, adding new insights to their diagrams. By the end of this chapter, they were able to construct detailed scientific explanations of how sound energy travels.

Demonstrating energy transfer in waves

Demonstrating particle collisions and energy transfer

    This last week, we began chapter 3, which brought a new layer of intrigue: How does a dolphin calf recognize its mother’s call? Through simulations and real dolphin calls, students learned how pitch and volume are represented as wavelength and amplitude. They analyzed unique patterns in sound waveforms and discovered how dolphins use these to distinguish one another. Students connected this to humans’ use of sound patterns, exploring how professionals visualize sound to solve real-world problems.

    Why focus on sound and communication? Understanding waves and energy helps students grasp how sound underpins everyday life, from dolphin calls to digital messages. These investigations also build a foundation for future exploration of technologies like the internet and mobile devices. The engaging context of dolphin communication ignites curiosity, making abstract concepts like waves and energy tangible and memorable.

    As 4th graders investigate, they gain not just scientific knowledge but also skills in modeling, reasoning, and communication. Our classroom is full of the excitement of discovery every day, as they uncover the hidden mechanics of sound and see the world in a new way.