Thanksgiving Writing and Art

With this month having been the time that we celebrate how thankful we are for all that God has given us, the 5G class worked on two projects based on the theme of thankfulness.

The first project was an art project.  A still life with a fall theme was set up in the classroom.  It looked like this.

The students then were to draw and apply colour, shading and texture using chalk pastels.  These are a few of the student projects.

The second project that we worked on was a poetry assignment.  For this assignment, the students were given a number of verses on the theme of thanksgiving from throughout the Bible.  The students were then to write phrases inspired by the verses and come up with a phrase that would repeat throughout their own poems.  The repeated phrase became the title of the poem and the phrases were arranged into verses.  There were wonderful results from this assignment.  The following are a couple of poems written by students.

I Will give thanks to the LORD for He is AMAZING

Every time I think of my friends I thank you

I enter your house and it makes me feel good

I thank the LORD for he is good; his love goes on forever

Honour and praise is what the LORD deserves

Give thanks to the LORD for he is AMAZING

I don’t want to be quiet because I am thankful

I am strong because of the LORD; he protects, helps me and makes me happy

I will tell my friends and family to praise God

God you are so good and I thank you all the time

Give thanks to the LORD for he is AMAZING

When you go to church thank God, when you are in church praise him

Grow strong in the LORD, always be thankful

You can’t get in trouble for being thankful

In all things give glory, Give thanks to the one who lives forever.

Give thanks to the LORD for he is AMAZING

Always Give thanks

We should give thanks to God for he brought Jesus

We should always give thanks, even for food

God loves us so we should give thanks

Give thanks to the LORD for he is AMAZING!

Written by Preston

GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR HE IS GOOD!!

GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR HE IS GOOD.

He gives us all that we need for each day.

We give thanks before meals and for the food.

He never lets us down,

His goodness goes on forever.

GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR HE IS GOOD.

We should always be thankful,

God helps us when we are in need.

We need to tell everyone how He has helped us,

He leads us to victory over evil.

GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR HE IS GOOD.

We sing songs to God of thanks,

And praise Him in all circumstances.

He gives us strength,

And helps us in times of trouble.

GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR HE IS GOOD.

We thank God for each other,

For friends and the joy they bring us.

Tell people about all the things God has done.

Grow in the Lord and be thankful.

GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR HE IS GOOD.

We thank God for Jesus,

Because we will see him in heaven.

We worship God always because His kingdom will last forever.

Give thanks to God that we know Him.

GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR HE IS GOOD

All living things and people give glory to God,

He lives forever and ever.

All believers give thanks to God,

When we go to church we praise You.

GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR HE IS GOOD.

Give thanks to God when presenting requests.

Talk to God with thanksgiving.

Give thanks when having communion,

Praise Him that He is here with us.

GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR HE IS GOOD.

God is our God and we praise him,

Because of His righteousness.

We will tell of all the good things He does.

Give thanks for God’s love, it lasts forever.

GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR HE IS GOOD!!

Written by Micah

OVERFLOWING WITH THANKFULNESS

I thank God for the joy that His presence gives me

The peace of God is in my heart

I sing praises to His name

OVERFLOWING WITH THANKFULNESS

God is a consuming fire.

I worship Him with with awe in my heart

I will thank Him forever

OVERFLOWING WITH THANKFULNESS

I thank God for my friends

I thank Him among many people

I tell people of the wonderful things that He has done for me

OVERFLOWING WITH THANKFULNESS

Written by Ben

Moonsticks and Poems

The 5G class have been enjoying creating Moonstick Poems in the likeness of the book written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by John Sandford called Moonstick The Seasons of the Sioux.  The students were challenged to use words that help their readers see, hear, feel, taste and smell what they were describing.

http://www.amazon.com/Moonstick-The-Seasons-Sioux/dp/B00F7MJSHM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1381865516&sr=8-2&keywords=moonstick+the+seasons+of+the+sioux

The following are a few samples written by students in 5G.

Moonstick Poem

By Yulin

Moon of the Bright Sun

Under the light moon,

fireflies dance about,

Like stars in the night.

At daylight we check

and tend to our garden.

Vegetables planted in spring

are big and ripe now.

Dandelions, once yellow,

White now, seeds blowing.

As evening sets,

Soon fall will come.

Moon of the Plentiful Harvest

As the air grows crisp,

so will the leaves.

Ripe corn and fruit grow big

and juicy in the cool breeze.

Pumpkins grow from small and green

to big and orange.

We pick the vegetables

Before the seasons change again.

Moon of the Fresh Fallen Snow

As our house is covered in a blanket of white,

animals are occupied all winter.

Deer and rabbits scrounge for food,

sticking their noses in the soft, powdered snow.

While bears and skunks sleep all winter,

They've eaten a lot and can last until spring.

As the trees and garden stand bare,

soon they will be filled in the spring.

As the seasons shift, things will change once again,

back to spring and the cycle begins again.

Moonstick Poem

By Elim

Moon of the Bare Trees

I feel the crisp, cold wind blowing against my cheeks.

I see bare trees all around me.

Wind is blowing the leaves off.

And I see a flock of geese over my head.

When I walk across the grass,

It crackles under my feet.

I remember when it was green.

Now I see the leaves on the ground,

and wind is blowing on my face.

Moonstick Poem

By Nicole

Moon of the Bright Orange Pumpkins

The numerous crows caw like an earthquake

at the sight of ripening crops,

so we must pick them

before they are feasted on

by uninvited thieves.

During the night the straw man

guards the fields in the moonlight,

pitchfork tall and sharp in his hand.

The women work for many days

preparing a large feast for all to eat.

The animals are fat, and it is time to collect the turkey.

He runs fast, but not fast enough.

He will make a good meal.

The pumpkins and berries have been picked

and it is time to make the pies!

Cherry pie, raspberry pie, rhubarb pie,

so many, but the best is the pumpkin pie.

The feast is ready, the table is set.

It is time to eat.

But first, we give thanks

for all the great food 

and all the great things in life.

The students also crafted their own Moonsticks.  See them below!

Estimation Investigation

After reading the book Great Estimations by Bruce Goldstone, the class undertook an investigation to estimate the number of items in a given group.  Using strategies described in the book and adding some of their own ingenuity, the students worked in groups to determine a logical estimate.

Image from:  http://www.amazon.com/Great-Estimations-Bruce-Goldstone/dp/031260887X

The pictures show some of the strategies that the students used.

In the marshmallow example, this group counted how many marshmallows would fit into a 100ml beaker.  They then used the visual of that number to estimate the total number of marshmallows.

In the chocolate sprinkles example, this group counted out 10 chocolate sprinkles and then used the visual of what 10 looked like to estimate the total number of chocolate sprinkles.

In the popcorn example, this group used the bag to contain the popcorn in a single layer in a square.  They then counted how many popcorn kernels there were along the length and how many there were along the width and they multiplied to determine their estimate.

In the centimetre cubes example, this group counted out 10 cubes and used that visual to determine an estimated number of the total number of centimetre cubes.

In the rice example, this group determined what a thousand would look like.  They then cut a piece of paper the shape of the size of 1000 pieces of rice and proceeded to cover the paper over and over again while counting how many 1000's there were in total to determine their estimate.

In the Rice Krispies example, this group measured out rectangles of Rice Krispies, estimated the number of Rice Krispies in a rectangle and then counted the total number of rectangles to determine their estimate.

Home Reading

Each month, a home reading sheet will be shared with the students of 5G.  The first was shared today.  The expectation is that the students will read 400 minutes during the month of sustained silent reading.  The book they choose should be of an appropriate level for the student's reading ability and it should have sentences and paragraphs that tell a story or give information.  This could include novels, non-fiction books, magazine articles, website articles, e-books, journals, etc.  Comic books should be kept for casual reading times.

Here is a link to the Scholastic website that lists some suggestions for getting home reading started at home:

http://www.scholastic.com/bookfairs/family/downloads/fg_reading_habit.pdf

Our home reading program also coincides with the Boston Pizza Reading Rewards Program that the school participates in each year.  To be eligible each month for a gift certificate to Boston Pizza, the student must read at least 20 minutes 20 different times during the month.