Artworks Inspired by Malevich

These last two weeks we have focused on works done by Kazimir Malevich, a well known Russin artist. Here are some of the students' finished pieces. There are more to come. Parents are quite welcome in the classroom any time they please, to browse, watch a lesson or to assist.

Works in progress, using acrylic paints and cartridge. Students prepare a plan/design before commencing.Wooden models scattered around the desks also assisted some artists with the proportion of limbs.

Not sure why Leeuwenhook found his way amongst Malevich's in progress...but the colours fit.

Finally, getting some student-driven displays up

UPDATE 6/03/14

Students shared these in the whole school assembly today.

Anton van Leeuwenhoek

This week students will be doing a factual recount about Anton van Leeuwenhoek, the father of microbiology. A factual recount describes and reconstructs past experiences. Students will be taught the skill of note taking by identifying the keywords in texts, and how to write using the past tense. Students will read a short text and also watch the above video clip. They will synthesize the main ideas in the two text types to create their own recount. This work will be completed in their Marvellous Microorganisms workbook. We will  also be focusing on the word microscope and microorganism discussing the parts of each word and their meanings. Homework this Monday will be to complete the recount. It can be handed in on Tuesday or Wednesday.

This film clip is pretty interesting as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D5Gu_9hEus

Mass and Maths Online

In mathematics we have spent the last two weeks focusing on mass, looking specifically at milligrams, grams, kilograms and tonnes and the relationship between each of these. We have looked at gross mass, net mass and tare. Students estimated and weighed items from their lunch boxes. Students have had the opportunity to work in pairs in a small group and also by themselves. They all now have a login name and a passwords for the mathematics site below:

http://www.mathsonline.com.au/

Students can log on from home. I have just added a few tasks based on what they have been learning about mass and they have until next Wednesday to complete the set tasks. The next major topic will be on place value.

Bread Making and the Breadfest

Today in class we made some bread without the use of a machine and it turned out pretty well. We followed the recipe that one of the grade 5 boys brought to school. Tonight instead of homework students have been asked to make some kind of bread, but only if it is convenient for the family. Tomorrow we will share our breads and baking techniques. I will be bringing the butter and some homemade apricot jam freshly made in January after a bumper crop of apricots. Our main focus for the lesson  was on the role of the yeast in the bread and the way it feeds off sugar and flour. 

Proving

Bubbles

Into the tin

Nice and crusty

Great texture

On Thursday I asked the students if they would rather make some bread or do some written homework. The was an overwhelming "We'd like to make some bread."  And they did. Here are some of the budding chefs with their wares.

I brought some homemade apricot jam from our bumper crop we got in January this year and some butter. And so we were set for a feast. Well done everyone on your excellent manner too. Students all gave a talk on the ingredients and the method they used. Below are some of the styles of bread students made.

Beautifully plaited bread

These buns were a BIG hit

Toby's recipe

Poppy seed bread

Made with a honey and beer recipe

Unleavened bread

A damper

Braided bread

Multigrain loaf

A beautifully white and very fine textured bread

Tasty white loaf

Beautiful crusty bread

The Madagascan chef used vanilla in her bread

Made with gluten free flour, so fine

Storm Boy Book and Film Unit

We are currently reading the Australian book Storm Boy by Colin Thiele. I have several different editions of the book in the classroom and each day some students read along with me.

This book is inspiring the water colour pictures we are doing

We have these four editions in the classroom

There is also a display in the room which students will refer to when doing their group activities based on the book. They will be focusing on characters, settings and plot.

Display of stills from the film Storm Boy

Students have just finished their water colour pictures inspired by the Coorong area which is the setting for the story. I was lucky enough to find another book by Colin Thiele  on the Coorong. The water colours were each accompanied by a descriptive narrative from the book and are on currently display in the classroom.

UPDATE: Today (February 23th) we finished the novel and will commence the group activities soon