Khan Academy & Parable Retelling

We have been drawing from the Khan Academy.  This webpage has many videos of multiple subjects (a lot of math) that explain different topics the students are learning.
A while ago, Ruby brought in a way to multiply called lattice multiplication.  It is very neat.
Here is a video from Khan Academy showing how lattice multiplication works.

Also today, I gave the students different parables and they read the parables, storyboarded the parables for playmobil and photographed the story.  See if you can guess the parable prior to looking up the reference.

Luke 15:8-10

Luke 6:48-49

Luke 8:4-15

Luke 8:9-14

Matt 13:44 - 45

  

Luke 10:30-35

Telling A Story in 7 Sentences

Today, the class wrote a story together.  I am teaching the children how to use the writing system to form creative stories.  The form is to write a complete story in 7 sentences.  This story is inspired by a photo.  Here is today's class story.

          When the shadows began to fall over the sand dunes of the Sahara Desert, Herbie the    Ant and Horace the Helicopter went for an evening stroll.  Chatting amiably with each other, they suddenly spied sparkles in a cup in the sand.  Thinking it was gold, Horace shrieked, "Mine! Mine!"  Battle ensued.  Herbie's antennae shook with indignation as he spitefully spit poison.  As Horace was hit by the poison, he knocked the cup of gold into quicksand.  Despairingly the two opponents watched as the contents of the cup disappeared.  Realizing that friendship is more important than wealth, the two were soon friends again.  

What story can be written about this picture?

Springtime!

During camera class, we went on an expedition.  We discovered flowers in bloom and many other interesting plants.  The mission was to take pictures with foreground, middleground, and background.  As usual, there were so many, I had to only pick a few.  Please comment on your favorite photos (click the picture for larger viewing).  Thank you.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

What Causes a Boy to Want to Write?

I had a very exciting experience today.  Some of the boys in class could not stop writing.  They wrote through snack break!  I know this is a rare occurrence, so I asked myself, "What makes boys (in particular) want to do more schoolwork?"  Inspiration.  For writing class each of the students was given a unique picture.  They were able to imagine a story about the picture.  Today was only oral retelling, but the joy of creating had the boys writing when class was over.  When some of the stories are finished, I will post them.

Joe's working progress

Tim's writing

One of the inspirational pictures