the weight of 9 books

Integrated curriculum at its best:

Children using math and science...while weighing a hefty stack of literacy.

"How much do 9 books weigh...?" Great question!

This photo was taken during Choice Time in our 4s/5s class. We had been engaged in a long term project of the science of cooking. This table was filled with tools for weighing and sorting, cookbooks and items for writing your own recipe. These 2 students decided themselves to collect all the books nearby and give them a weigh, as well! (Check out the link to the wondrous Pretend Soup, a child-friendly cookbook by Mollie Katzen )

OVERHEARD:

"Press them down more to make a bigger number..."

"I think they are number 10 near the bottom..."

"The red line went so far! These books must be so heavy!" 

"I wonder if we should get MORE books?
Let's make the red line go far far far!" 

It is fantastic when there is new language and new partnerships around an investigation. These 2 students did not usually play together yet were both interested in finding out what would happen with books on a scale. They collaborated for quite a while, tried more books, and tried other objects to get the "red line to go far far far!"

Skills used in this open-ended episode:

• inquiry & hypothesizing
• collaboration, teamwork & dialogue
• using tools & materials in new ways to gain knowledge
• number exploration of weight and quantity of books
• self-direction and engagement in an experiment

The Incredible Science of Food Project.
This school year, we had been working on a long term project of Cooking and Family Recipes. Families would come in with a chosen 'family favorite' recipe - arms loaded with all the tools and ingredients required - and cooked and baked and blended it together with our class of 16 students! Incredible experience.

Family guardians were integral in creating a very special community while cooking and feasting with young children. We created our own cookbook, documented with photos and comments, and had the children invent their own recipes as well. It is one of my favorite long-term projects ever. Ever.