Author Studies

As you have read from my emails and school newsletters, we have been taking some time studying six different authors.  We have read their books, discussed characters, illustrations, purpose, and patterns.  This has opened our eyes to the work and detail and driving forces behind authors and illustrators.  With this new knowledge, we thought it would be important to share with an audience.  What better way than making a blog post!  

In small groups, the children have taken one author and discussed it.  Then they have decided what information they would like to share.  Our first drafts have been written!  We wrote down one or more sentences we thought was important.  We then read it to our group and changed words if it didn't sound right.  Currently we are in the typing phase.  I am having the children do the typing for me.  From there we will start making blog pages.  Here is a bit of what we have done so far.  This will take us some time, so be patient!

Dr. Seuss writes rhyming words.

Group Experiment #6

Our last group went out with a "bang."  These scientists worked on an almost identical experiment to another team.  Group #4 did a really great job of keeping the "exploding" secret to themselves.  I wanted things to be a surprise for this last set of children.  

Materials needed:  

• baking soda and vinegar (the vinegar is dyed blue)
• funnel
• test tube
• straw

Procedure:

1. Put the funnel in the test tube.
2. Pour baking soda in halfway.
3. Pour vinegar to the top of the tube (the lip).
4. Mix everything with a straw.

Predictions:  

• The baking soda will get wet and blue.
• They will both turn to a solid.
• The vinegar will get powder in it.

Some quotes form this round of experiments:

"I didn't know it would do that!"

"It's boiling!"

"I didn't see that coming."

"What's it doing?"

"I didn't even know it was gonna spill."

"Please don't blow up on my hands."

If you notice, this group followed their procedure by using a straw to mix.  This was another surprise (as you can see in the pictures) as it started again!

It exploded.  It spilled to the top.
It got the towel all wet.
The powder spilled too.

It exploded.  It was bubbly and it was cool and strong.

Group Experiment #5

Materials needed:  

• corn starch and vinegar
• funnel
• test tube
• straw

Procedure:

1. Use the funnel.
2. Pour in vinegar 1/3 of the way.
3. Pour powder another 1/3.
4. Mix it with a straw.

Predictions:  

• It will make a tiny explosion.
• The powder will turn blue.
• It will look beautiful.

Unfortunately with how busy this group was, pictures weren't able to be taken.  I do have their results they recored in their journals. 

It was glumpy.

Blue glue

It was glumpy.

Blue glue