Commenting Thread

Today, I decided to start a comment thread on Ariana's water safety blogpost about their first session. She explained what the students did and the skills they practiced.

A comment thread is a long conversation using the comment function. Comment threads include a greeting, something the reader liked and question.

Ariana's swimming blogpost can be found at this link.

LI: to create a comment thread.

Maths | Basic Facts Boxes

Basic Facts Boxes is an activity that challenges others with how quickly they can do basic maths equations that use all four operations. I completed my basic facts boxes up to 10 in multiplication and division in 2 minutes and 22 seconds.

LI: to remember basic maths facts.

Reading | SSR Selfie

Today I completed my SSR Selfie task for this week. SSR Selfie is a task that helps people improve their summarising skills and how quickly people can summarise using their general idea of a text. I did my SSR Selfie about a non-fiction book about Energy, which is a building block of science.

LI: to summarise and retell a text.

Maths | Solving Strategies

Our 2 week session was based around using multiple strategies to solve different equations. My group was able to complete 10 questions.

Problems 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 were solved using Simple Addition, Written Algorithm, Counting Forward, Number line, Place Value, Skip Counting, Subtraction, Groups and Multiplication.

For the number line on problem 6, we added 10 to 10 to make 20, then 5 to make 25. We were also able to use tally lines to find the answer.

 For problem 7, we knew 30 divided by 5 could be solved using place value. We did 3+2= 5, 10x3= 30 and 30 divided by 5= 6.

For problem 8, we solved 8x?= 88 by using place value as well as other strategies. We did 8x10= 80, 8x1= 8, 8+80= 88. Then we added 10+1 to make 11.

For problem 9, we used groups because this is a division equation. We created 8 groups and split 72 into all of the groups equally. There was 9 in each group.

For problem 10, on the number line, we added 36 six times to find the answer. For place value, we did 6x6= 36. Then, we multiplied 30x6= 180 and added 180+30= 210. Finally, we added 6 to make 216.

LI: to practice a range of strategies to solve equations using all four operations.

Writing | Punctuation

I learnt how to use and understand different punctuation marks.

First, we completed a task which helped me understand what the different punctuation marks are and their function.

Next, we worked on a punctuation mark challenge which was to create as few sentences as we could using all 11 listed punctuation marks.

I was able to make two sentences and use all listed punctuation marks. This challenge was made to have people understand the use of different punctuation marks.

I enjoyed this task and making the sentences using the different punctuation marks. I found this task easy, however I struggled with making as few sentences as I could.

LI: to identify the correct use of punctuation.

Swimming Session

Today, we focused on recapping basic swimming strokes.

First, we talked about how to enter a pool safely. We put our hands to the side and put them on the pool edge, then we turned ourself around and lowered ourself into the pool safely.

Next, we practiced freestyle. We swam using any swimming method we wanted, but our head needed to face the bottom of the pool. We then practiced streamline.

After that, we learned how to do a side stroke. We lay on our side in the water with one hand holding the board. We had to kick to the other side of the pool.

Finally, we did a dolphin dive. We dove into the water and lifted our bottom. We then repeated this process to complete the dolphin dive.

I enjoyed practising and recapping the basic swimming skills. I found the dolphin dive difficult to complete, however I enjoyed the overall activity.

LI: to establish water safety and basic swimming methods.

Freestyle/Streamline:

Side Stroke:

Dolphin Dive:

Reading | Idioms

In this session about idioms, we learnt that idioms are phrases or words that aren't made to be taken literally. Idioms indicate general ideas or phrases that have been reworded. The activity my group completed was based around using and understanding idioms.

My group chose 3 idioms then created a script to act out the chosen idioms. The purpose of this was to understand how different idioms can be used. The idioms we chose were: 'Have mixed feelings', 'Mumbo Jumbo' and 'Hot potato'.

We then acted out our script, which needed to include an example of how to use the chosen idioms. We enjoyed acting out the script. My group found creating the videos easy to do, however we found the idiom scripts funny to say.

I enjoyed this activity because I was able to act out a script. I also found this task easy.

LI: to practice using idioms.

Tangrams

Today, LS1 had a session with Mrs Anderson to learn about how to make tangrams.

First, we used an A4 piece of paper and cut it to make a square (because tangrams are made from squares). We then folding it to create creases in the paper. Next we cut out the creases to create shapes such as triangles, squares, rectangles and rombuses. 

Lastly, we made squares and animal shapes using the pieces of paper.

I found this activity enjoyable and easy. I enjoyed rearranging the pieces of paper to make different tangrams.

Basic Facts Boxes

Basic Facts Boxes is an activity that helps others improve how quick they can do simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems.

I did my Basic Facts Boxes in addition up to 100 and multiplication up to 20. For addition, I did 5 rows and for multipliction, I did 3 boxes in 2 minutes and 39 seconds.

LI: to learn basic maths facts.

SSR Selfie

SSR Selfie is an activity that helps people improve on their summarising skills and retelling a text by using their general understanding of a story.

I did my SSR Selfie about a book called Richard III which was written by Shakespeare. Richard III is a man who's life revolves around villainy and murder. He murders for the purpose of getting what he wants.

LI: to summarise and retell a text.

Maths | Solving Strategies | Work in Progress

 I used different strategies to solve 5 maths problems.

84-7 was solved using a number line, written algorithm, split subtraction and counting backwards.

On the number line, we added 3 to 77 to make 80. Then we added 4 to make 84. For the split subtraction, we split 7 into 4 and 3. 4 was subtracted from 84 to make 80, then 3 was subtracted to make 77.

476-?=123 was solved using place value, written algorithm and a number line.

On the number line, we added 300 to 123 to make 423. Next we added 50 to make 473. Then we added 3 to make 476. 300+50+3=353. For place value, we subtracted 300 to make 176. Then, we subtraced 50 from 176 to make 126 and lastly, we subtracted 3 from 126 to make 123.

82-44 was solved using split subtraction, written algorithm and a number line.

On the number line, we added 6 to 44 to make 50. Then we added 30 to make 80. Then we added 2 to make 82. 6+30+2=38. For split subtraction, we split 4 into 2 and 2, then subtracted 2 from 82. Next, we subtracted 40 from 80 to make 40. Finally we subtracted 2 to make 38.

I enjoyed this activity because I was able to use multiple strategies to solve maths problems. 

LI: to practice a range of strategies to solve questions using all 4 operations.

Reading | Food Storage and Preservation

I learnt that food storage and preservation means to store and keep food at its original or current state so that it is still edible over a period of time.

The activity that we did was to skim and scan through 14 texts that talked about food storage and preservation. We identified whether the text was a recount, information report, explanation, narrative, procedure or persuasive.

We then focused on the Author's purpose. The Author's purpose determines what the author of the text is trying to do or tell. For example: The function of a narrative is to tell a story. The purpose of telling a story is to entertain a reader, therefore the Author's purpose of a narrative is to entertain a reader.

After that, we wrote the UTE (Usefulness and Trustworthyness Evaluation). The UTE determines how useful a text is to the reader. By skimming and scanning through a text, the reader can find key information and evaluate if the text is useful and from a trustworthy source. We filled in the UTE by using a scale of 1-5 (1 being not useful at all and 5 being very useful for information, from a trustworthy source and being current information).

Next we wrote a summary about each of the 14 texts.

I enjoyed this activity because I was able to skim and scan through a text to find key information.

LI: to evaluate texts.

Writing | Procedural Text

I learnt about procedural writing. First we identified that procedural writing is a text that tells how to do or make something.

We looked at the different types of procedural texts which are: recipes, instructions and more. We then looked at the structure of a procedure and the language features used in procedures. The structure of a procedure is TEMPS (Title, End Result, Materials, Pictures and Steps). The language features of procedures are 3rd person, present simple tense, specific verbs and verbs at the beginning of each step.

We then focused on making our own procedure including the language features and structure. The three topics we were able to choose from were: How to make a sandwhich, how to get to Pt. England School from PBS and how to play octopus. I chose to make a procedure on how to play octopus.

First I made sure to break up the overall task into steps. Then, I looked for specific verbs to start each of the steps with. After that, I researched for images to give a visual representation of each step. Next, I created a list of requirements needed in the procedure. Finally, I completed my procedure by writing the steps in full sentences.

I enjoyed this activity because I learnt about important requirements to writing procedures and was able to create my own procedure.

LI: to write a set of instructions.

Writing | Adverbs

Adverbs are words used to describe verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.

The different kinds of adverbs answer questions such as, 'when?', 'how?', 'where?' and 'to what extent?'.

'How' adverbs explain how an action happened. For example: (slept) peacefully. (ran) quickly. (spoke) loudly. What these adverbs have in common, is that they all end in 'ly'. Peaceful, quick and loud are also adjectives.

'When' adverbs explain when or how often something happens. Now, always, tomorrow are words used to describe adjectives or verbs such as: walking and happy. For example: walking now and always happy.

'Where' adverbs explain where an action happened. Inside, there and up are all words used to describe where something happened. For example: Come inside and look up.

'To what extent' adverbs give more detail to verbs and adverbs. Words such as barely, almost and extremely all explain the extent of an action. For example: Extremely hot and very quickly.

Using adverbs well can make boring sentences more interesting and detailed.

LI: to learn about adverbs.