What we are learning...

Monday Maths Day with Dr. Collins (from week 7)

This week I introduced the students to Maths-fu: the noble art of mastery in mental computation. The students in the maths-fu dojo can work their way up through 8 coloured belts, from yellow belt to black belt, indicating mastery of increasingly sophisticated arithmetic. Students created their own mathling puppet, which will wear the ceremonial belts the students earn. At the initial grading in the Yr3-6 class, all students achieved both yellow and orange belts, indicating proficient reasoning with any addition or subtraction in the range to 10—which sounds small, but is critical, and a good sign. Sonic and Charlie also gave a demonstration of respectful maths fu sparring, at blue belt level. Most students are ready to grade for higher belts: all in good time.

We also began a new maths investigation, about designing rectangular handball courts. A court for 4 players seems to have two possible rectangular designs: a single row of 4 squares, or two rows of 2 squares each. A 5-player court has only one design—a single row of 5; while a 6-player court has three designs—a row of 6, two rows of 3, or three rows of 2. What about courts for larger numbers of players? Do bigger courts have more possible designs? Which numbers have the most possible shapes? ... We will dig into this investigation next week.

Writing for fun

Last week we revisited a book written and illustrated by the students of Milikapiti School in the Tiwi Islands. No Way Yirrikipayi! was produced with the support of Tiwi Elders, assistant teachers and Indigenous Literacy Foundation ambassador Alison Lester. The book is about a hungry crocodile and contains many rhyming couplets (two lines that rhyme) made up by the Tiwi Island children. We thought we would have a go writing our own. Here are some examples (with a few made up words to help us rhyme!)

No way, Yirrikipayi! 

You’re not eating me today!

I’m made of devon,

I’ll send you to heaven! (Charlie)

I’m really too prickly,

I’ll make you feel sickly! (Freja)

I’m too cross,

I’ll make you floss! (Marshall)

I look really dishy,

I’ll make your bum squishy! (Akasha)

I’m too flabby,

I’ll make you feel crabby! (Coby)

My hair is curly,

I’ll turn you into a girly! (Astella)

I’m too funky,

You will turn into a monkey! (Jed)

If you would like a copy of the book or others produced by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, please visit https://www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au/ . 

Thanks for supporting our Book Swap Day. We reached our target of $50 and that money has gone off to support the wonderful work the Foundation does.

Octopus Stories

Last Monday the Dragonflies wrote some stories after watching a video about an octopus. Here are some great samples:

Octopus are fascinating because they have 8 tentacles and they have different breeds. The octopus can lay 9000 eggs. By Brax

My favourite is a coconut octopus and he hides in coconuts and also hides in other objects like a bottle. By Talan

Some octopus hide in coconut shells to get away from their enemies. He explored the ocean. He seen a hammer head and swam and hid in the coconut. By Oliver

The Coconut Octopus. They hide in coconut shells from predators. I think they eat the bits of the coconut and definitely the fish. I don't know what they drink. By Akasha