October 3, 2013
MUON MAGIC The Muons were given a challenge to analyze photos of a popular global landmark, plan its reconstruction with hand drawn diagrams, and construct a scale model of the landmark using cardboard and packaging tape, in one hour. We settled on the Eiffel Tower and the Muons began to sketch out diagrams of the various panels they would need to construct it. Once the panels were complete, they successfully assembled a 4 foot tower as we discussed several fun facts about its historic construction. They added a puffy cotton cloud at the top for added realism, then happily paraded the completed project through the halls of Co-op for display. The Co-op cardboard rendition of the Eiffel Tower was assembled as a team effort in exactly one hour. Victory!
ELECTRON/MUON ART This week in Electron/Muon Art we learned about Georgia O’Keeffe.We used watered down acrylic paints with watercolor paper and tried out her technique of painting a section of a flower.
ELECTRON/MUON WRITERS WORKSHOP This week in Electron/Muon Writers Workshop we finished up our handmade books about ourselves. We answered question like “What is one little pleasure that you would not want to live without?” and “Make up a perfect friend for yourself .What is this person like?”
ELECTRON MATH For electron math we played what’s your word worth. On the board we wrote out the alphabet and gave each letter a monetary value. They were all 1c, 5c, or 10c. The kids used their full names and figured out what each name was worth. Then they totalled their full names up. We then changed the a and e to 25c and the kids figured out how much the sentence whales are awesome was worth. We talked a little bit about fractions, and multiplication in relation to to money. Decimals too. The kids seemed to really like it. We also played musical chairs because that has to do with math, right?
NEUTRON MATH For neutron math games we had a hundred number chart up with some numbers blanked out. The missing numbers were on pieces of paper within balloons. We watched a funny YouTube video on creative ways to pop a balloon and then had each neutron take a turn popping. Before they could pop though, they had to answer a word problem. All of the word problems had to do with balloons and we used the names of the neutrons and leads in each problem. We also discussed different tools that can be used to help solve the word problems (Fingers, tally marks, abacus, number line.). Once they solved the problem they popped their balloon, and then put the number in its place on the hundred number chart.
NEUTRON ART In art this week, neutrons learned about color mixing and color theory. Using acrylic paints, neutrons mixed primary colors to create secondary colors and then add white to create tints of color. Each neutron had their own palette which they then used to paint on a canvas. A display of fall foliage and pumpkins were set on the table for color inspiration.