We squeezed three quick units into June:

• Probability - We used lessons 7 and 8 from this unit. 

• Area (Grade 3s only) - We used lessons 2, 3, and 5 from this unit. 

• Growing and shrinking patterns: We did four lessons on this:

1. I introduced the concept and gave students time to create growing patterns using math materials: Lego; links; snap cubes; and pattern blocks. 

2. Students used these free worksheets to practice creating increasing and decreasing number patterns. These worksheets connected well to concepts we have worked on throughout the year: skip counting and, for the Grade 3s, multiplication. 

3. We did a combo math/art lesson! I printed off an outline of the first letter of each student's name and had them divide it into sections. Then, they decorated each section with a growing pattern design! (E.g., red dot blue dot; red dot red dot blue dot blue dot; red dot red dot red dot blue dot blue dot blue dot; etc.)

4. Finally, we did these free worksheets. 

We worked on three main writing projects this month:

1. A night in the life of an owl! I encouraged students to incorporate information they learned in our owl unit about owls' diet ("I spot a snake. I catch it. It is a delicious meal"), threats to owls ("We fought an eagle"), owls' adaptations ("I fly to the tree and camouflage"), their habitats ("I woke up in my warm burrow"), and their physical characteristics ("Then my big eyes saw a snake"). 

2. Report card reflections - Students reflected on the Critical and Reflective Thinking competency "I can reflect on my work and experiences and tell others about something I learned." They reflected specifically on their work, experiences, and learning during our owl inquiry. I gave students the sentence starters "I learned that", "I'm proud that", "A challenge I experienced was", and "My favourite activity was". My favourite reflection: "I'm proud that I did not rage quit my art"!

3. We worked through this free (owl-themed!) memory book. We did one page each day for the last couple weeks. We didn't do every single page - I chose the ones that I thought were best for my students.

We did a mini-unit on making connections with stories by indigenous authors. Specifically, we connected to the books:

Wild Berries by Julie Flett. To make their connections, I gave the students the sentence frame "With my _____, I like to _____" (e.g., "With my grandfather, I like to go fishing"). They wrote their connections on an outline of a berry that I photocopied on blue paper and drew a picture to go with it.

The Moccasins by Earl Einarson. Students made connections to their own special items and recorded them on an Adrienne Gear connections template.

Birdsong, also by Julie Flett. Students recorded their connections on an outline of a bird. 

We also read the book Metis Like Me by Tasha Hilderman and, inspired by the illustrations, tried out some dot painting art using q-tips! 

We had a class meeting and brainstormed some ideas for projects the students wanted to do during the last couple weeks of the year! As a result of this meeting, I planned three activities:

1. Lego marble mazes! This is a fun activity that can easily connect to force and motion if that's one of your science topics.

2. Cardboard box castles! I put the students in small groups to work on this. They brought boxes from home and I also let them go wild with all of the remaining craft supplies! I'm always amazed by how much fun kids can have with just simple cardboard boxes!

3. Students requested "tower building" as an activity. Luckily, I found a Mystery Science lesson that ties in! Even if you don't have a Mystery Science subscription, you can do this lesson. Give students paper clips and index cards and challenge them first to build a tower that is tall (at least 30 cm), then a tower that is strong (at least 15 cm and able to hold a hardcover book). Then they can discuss the different strategies they used to make the towers tall and/or strong.