Feast Time!

Coming up on Friday is the Medieval Feast! Students should dress or bring clothes that are suitable for someone during this time period. Also, many have offered to bring in an item of food to be shared with everyone. Notes have gone home with students regarding their choices, but this may change when parents have an input as well. Don't worry if you are unable to contribute, there will be lots of food to go around. I will be bringing in chicken wings, almond milk, non-alcoholic wine, cups, and music. We hope to create a great memory for students with this activity. Friday is also sub day, so those of you who ordered, save room! Also, make sure you pack something to eat incase your taste is different from the lords and ladies of the Middle ages. We don't want anyone going hungry!
Below are some links to costume ideas and recipes from the middle ages if you'd like to explore this further.

costume ideas:
no sew knight:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5464826_make-sew-knight-costume-child.html
pillow case Knight costume
http://www.ziggityzoom.com/activity/make-knight-outfit
really cool crown:
http://www.firstpalette.com/Craft_themes/World/medievalcrown/medievalcrown.html
printable crown templates:
http://www.firstpalette.com/tool_box/printables/princesscrown.html
Medieval clothing:
http://medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/clothing.html

food ideas:
information and links
http://medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/feasts.html

ideas of what they ate in the middle ages
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/middleages/medievalfeast.htm

easy Medieval recipes (maybe try at home sometime!)
http://www.medievalcookery.com/recipes/indexesy.html
for the adventerous:
http://cookit.e2bn.org/historycookbook/27-315-normans-medieval-Food-facts.html

Medieval Recipes (lemon salad found here)
http://www.bitwise.net/~ken-bill/med-p1.htm

In reading we are looking at poetry features as well as practicing reading and listening to poetry. This goes well with writing with Mrs. Hill where we are writing poems.
Below are some great poetry links for kids. Pick a poem you really like (or a few) and perform a poetry reading for people at home!

funny poems
http://www.poetry4kids.com/

kids classic poems
http://www.storyit.com/Classics/JustPoems/index.htm

poems for kids
http://www.angelfire.com/md/byme/pocket/poetry1.html

poetry forms
http://www.kathimitchell.com/poemtypes.html

Tomorrow we are having a guest speaker from the Health Unit come and talk to our class about dental hygiene. Everyone loves a nice smile!

We are collecting castle building materials for next week.

No spelling this week.

We started working more on division in math as our Geometry unit is complete, many did very well. Good job everyone.

Next, we will be looking at measuring volume.

Our Medieval Tournament in gym continues. 

Free the Chrildren

Our last block of the day today was for an assembly where we presented the money raised for the Brick by Brick Campaign to Free the Children. There was a wonderful presentation about the organization and what our money is going to help build in Kenya. Over $9 500 was raised that will provide a school, supplies, a clean water system, health care for students and alternative income oportunities to parents in a village in Kenya.

If you want to find out more, you can visit the Me to We website at:
http://www.weday.com/ and don't forget to "Like" them on Facebook to raise money!

Additionally, we had a pretty great week.
In math, students demonstrated their ability to build 3D shapes out of interlocking cubes, polydrons, paper using nets and today they made 3D skeletons of shapes using clay and straws. Some review homework has been sent home and is due on Monday as the test for this unit is on Tuesday next week.

In art today we made pictures of our favourite outdoor place using pastels and thought about what it would be like if this place was in danger of being polluted. These pictures and write-ups (to be finished Monday) will be part of a school wide contest in the spirit of Earth Week. Also, we now have a compost in our classroom as we are still trying hard to reduce our garbage.

Our medieval times unit is still going and we learned about the Magna Carta this week and its importance.
Below are some sites that we looked at and some clips of which we watched some parts.

Back history of some of the kings at this time and the signing of the Magna Carta
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUVnpe8uffs&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

clip of the current display of the document
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IedSB1vokEM&feature=fvst&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

translation of the Magna Carta
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/magna_carta/translation.html

close up image of the original piece
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/magna_carta/images/after-restoration-xl.jpg

We have continued with our Medieval Tournament in Gym, which will be ending next week with a knighting ceremony and Feast! Stay tuned in for the details early next week.


Have a great weekend everyone!
Remember Sunday April 22 is Earth Day!

It's like we've entered another dimension!

In math that is!

We are starting to look at 3-D shapes

Here are some great websites to check out over the weekend!

count the cubes:
http://www.interactivestuff.org/sums4fun/3dboxes.html

what is a 3D shape?
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/3d/index.htm

the site we worked with in math to fulfill the math learning goal:
"Construct a three dimentional figure from a picture or model of the figure, using connecting cubes"
http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=125

matching game to learn the names of 3-D shapes:
http://www.interactivestuff.org/match/maker.phtml?featured=1&id=15

Attributes of 3-D shapes involving a castle!!!
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/castle_shapes/eng/Introduction/Plenary.htm

We have started a Medieval Tournament in Gym class, and will continue next week, ending with the final prizes and a knighting ceremony.

In language we are looking at poetry and point of view still.
Next week we hope to start up our Literature Circles

Illunination art projects all due on Monday
Year book preoreder due April 20th
Open House: May 8th

Happy Friday the 13th  . .. have a great weekend!

Hope everyone had an EGGcellent long weekend!

We have finished up our Algebra and Multiplication Strategies in Math. Test have been sent home to be signed and brought back. A re-test is available on Friday for those who need it. Overall, the class did a great job! EVERYONE needs to be practicing the multiplication tables at home! Your facts should be memorized up to 9 x 9!
Here is the math trainer site where you can practice! Just doing a couple of minutes a night will really help!

http://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/math-trainer-multiply.html

Now we are working on division strategies and geometry. Look around your house for our benchmark angles of 90, 45 and 180 degrees.

Check out the following vertual online protractor to practice measuring angles!

http://www.mathplayground.com/measuringangles.html

Also try this fun game!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/maths/activities/angles.swf

Medieval Times is a fan unit. We have big plans for this including a Tournament in gym, a Medieval Feast and building our own model castles. In art, we have made some beautiful coat of arms and illuminations as well. We will schedule the medieval feast near the end of the month, and students will be asked to bring in different food for everyone to share at lunch, as well as dress up in costume.
Here is a link to an article that has some ideas about constumes if you want to start thinking ahead!

http://apps.buckscc.gov.uk/eforms/medieval_life/Costume.doc


In language, we are looking at different points of view in our reading, and investigating first, second and third person writing. We continue to work on inferences, making connections and communication.  Our learning goal is to be able to identify features or characteristics of a variety of text, We are now looking at the features in poetry.