May/June News from the Upper Hall
Tapping into Grades Second - Fifth @ CBA OAKS
Mrs. Strohecker's Second Grade:
The Third Grade Tribune
Our Ecosystem Unit is in full swing! We began the unit with a field trip to the Perkiomen Watershed for a field and stream study. Our trip was filled with adventure and knowledge as we discussed how plants and animals interact. We explored two different types of biomes and investigated the different animals within the biomes. Now we are examining the different world ecosystems, and discussing the different components of each ecosystem. On Friday, June 3 the Third Grade will hold its annual Natural Academy of Science display. All the different world ecosystems will be on display for the students and the parents to see.
Stream Study
Finding different animals in the stream!
Field Study
Fabulous Fourth Grade!
The Fourth Graders are continuing to work as mechanical engineers! In our latest STEM project the students used the engineering design process to make paper airplanes. We first learned about planes and their parts, and that mechanical engineers design planes to be aerodynamic and catch the force of air to help them travel a distance. In order for our class to make paper airplanes we investigated the different types of paper that could be used: copy, cardstock, and construction paper. With our investigation of materials and our research of planes, the students worked independently to design and create their first paper airplane. Once their airplane was complete, they tested it by launching it and measuring the distance flown. We discussed what worked well with the paper airplanes (design, paper type), and what did not. We then reflected on our designs and created a data table based on our flight results. Once the class analyzed this data, they all made a second plane based on the type of paper, shape, size, and design that made our first set of planes have a long flight distance. The students had a great time with this activity while working through the engineering design process!
Fifth Grade is Fantastic!
Welcome to Mrs. Vail's incredible voyage with fifth grade!
The Merry Month of May has seen the fifth graders working hard towards their Spring Play performance, Seussical. They are very excited to bring this fun and lively play to the stage for the Chesterbrook community. In the classroom, they have been focusing on learning about the literary elements of a biography through read aloud of picture biographies. We have learned about the lives of people such as Sonia Sotomayor, Bessie Coleman and Abraham Lincoln just to mention a few. Having explored the text features and types of information included in biographies, student are now researching and writing about a person of their choice. They are not allowed to use websites, but instead are using different reference sources found on the PowerPA website. There they are discovering magazine and newspaper articles, encyclopedia entries and other books to use as they gather information. This is a culminating activity which pulls together all that they have learned while here at Chesterbrook Academy and they are doing a fantastic job!