December 2015

First Week:

116 went for a walk on Friday, December 4th. We have been having an unusually warm season thus far this year in Buffalo. In fact, we have broken the record for going the longest into the season without snow! This provides us with the chance to take the students to the Valley Nature Trail to see the changes that came about since our last visit in the fall. We were looking for the changes and to see what rules or laws apply in the community, at the trail and in nature.

The students noticed different paths and paid closer attention
to the factories and buildings, as the trees weren't blocking the view.

These red buds were one of the few colorful sights we saw.

We walked by the old bridges. The students are always quick to guess
that the bridges are from "a long time ago."

They found sand this time.

I took a similar shot in the Autumn, so it will be neat to compare these when
we get some Spring and Summer photos in, too.

We had a great view of the pond at this time of year.

This was exciting! The students found a few pieces of wood like this and quickly
predicted that a beaver lived on the nature trail now! 

Checking out the chewed up logs.

12/4 walk 

Shaytara- there's no leaves. Only sticks and sticks and sticks. 

Orfrelis- Can you ask them to be quiet? I have to say something. I heard something. I heard an animal like “raaaaaa” like a deer.

We hear the squeal of the train. 

Yarelis- it's a train!  It's like the horror movie music. Like Jason. 

Orfrelis- We found an empty factory. 

What do you think it used to be? 

Orfrelis- maybe a chocolate factory?!

With less growth, the kids are noticing more trails than they usually see. They are noticing the industrial buildings now, too. 

We walk by the old bridges. 

Shaytara- I think people lived here a long time ago.
Nairovy- like the 1980s. 
Aixa- a long time ago, like when our parents were two years old. 

Shaytara- it would be cool if there was a whale in the water. 

Shaytara- I see garbage in the water. 

Ericsson and Shaytara- it looks like pizza in the water.
Ericsson- like a metal pizza 

We see a train and Yarilys said its the polar express. 

Yarilys- our toys are on that train!
Kiarelys- Santa Claus! It's Santa Claus!

Kiarelys, Nariam and Shaytara never saw a train before. Kiarelys predicts it will never end. Shaytara says it has twenty cars. We wait for the train to pass and it took a long time but it did eventually come to an end. Then we went back to school. 




Second Week: 
Grade One:

I expect the students will be finishing up with their friendship mural next week. They are going to start brainstorming words and phrases that answer the question, "What does friendship look like?" and the middle part will feature their words, in their handwriting, in English and Spanish.

Melangell learned to outline the boxes using a ruler.

Almost there!

103 Mandalas to Math:

We are almost finished with our pattern and shape exploration. I find it interesting that when I asked them to tell me what they would say to someone else learning to create a mandala like this, most of the students went to the part about working with other kids. They were more concerned with working as a team than the procedure of how they created the mandala. 

Here is a snippet of the dialogue:

D- I see blue triangles.

K- I see purple circles and orange rectangles.
D- I see black circles.
Y- I see red.

What shape is the mandala? 
D- Circle.
What color is it? 
Green.

How many purple circles are on it? 
D- Three.
How many black circles? 
K- Three.
If there are three purple circles and three black circles, how many circles are there together?
D- Five?
Let's look again.
They count the circles.
D- Six! 

What do you think of your mandala? 
D- It's all of the colors. It's like a rainbow. 
Y- It’s cute.
K- It's looks pretty and shiny.

What advice do you have about making mandalas?
K- If you be nice together, you be friendship and you have something nice.

First grade completed the friendship mural and it will be shown in the Peace Project art show at Impact Artists' Gallery at Casa De Arte on Elmwood Avenue during the month of February.