Developing Game Strategy - Nim

 In Maths this week we have been looking at the ancient game of Nim (it's known by a variety of names). We have been exploring strategy and the mathematical thinking behind the simple game. 

The way it works: There is a pile of 20 counters. The two players take turns in taking either 1, 2 or 3 counters. The winner is the person who takes the last counter(s).

Simple enough.

We explored different strategies to ensure that we could ALWAYS be the winner. 

We pondered some questions:

How does our knowledge of multiples of 4 help us?

Does the game change if the loser is the person who picks up the last counter(s)?

How can the game be over in 5 turns?

Does taking the first turn effect who wins?

Making Playdough

We have had a focus on measurement this term and to finish off we decided to have a fun session making playdough.

Our task was to write the recipe down, wash our hands, collect the necessary tools, follow the recipe and make our playdough in a group. We had an adult help us with the hot water, but everything else was up to us.

Finally, we had to take a phtoto of our recipe and our playdough we have made for Seesaw.

We had a lot of fun and everyone made fantastic playdough which they got to take home.

We were visited by a Real Cartoonist: Maddie Dai

 We were lucky enough to have a visit form Maddie Dai, a fantastic cartoonist who has her work published in a little known magazine called the New Yorker. She showed us how she works, putting strange elements together to spark creative thinking. An example of this is the clown on the moon.

A good joke by Freddie to go with the image. Hahahaha!

Maddie was really inspiring.  She has great energy and got us really thinking about how we can create our own cartoons.  She drew as we called out crazy ideas.  It's amazing to see the image unfolding right before your eyes!  

Maddie also told us that to get that good at drawing took many, many hours of practice.  We can see right there the results of hours of practice. 

Thanks for giving up your time for us Maddie; we really appreciate it!

Camp 2022

Poetry Inspired by Love That Dog

 We have just finished reading the wonderful, 'Love That Dog' by Sharon Creech.  It's a book in which the story about Jack's much loved dog unfolds via a series of poems he writes.  Over the course of a year, he learns about some of the classic poems used as models for writing - in much the same way as we use models of good writing and, he begins to open up and express himself.  He discovers the power of poetry! 

We have used some of the same poems as models for our Writing recently and the results have been wonderful.  We are trying to use 'the best words' and put then in 'the best order'.  This involves editing, going back to the work, thinking about it over a few days, or even weeks, reworking it until we are satisfied that we can't make any further improvements. Here's a couple of examples.

                                                    

We have discovered that poetry is NEVER boring! 

Diagrams of Our Thinking

We have been working in groups during Inquiry, helping each other thinking about important ideas to do with Social change.  It's important to get our heads together to do the thinking!

We have been exploring different ways to present our thinking with diagrams.  Here we have used a Problem, Response, Action, Effect chart to show how an historical figure in New Zealand history, Michael Jospeh Savage brought about change.

 By Luca and Oli

We found out that investigative journalist Nicky Hager was involved in protests to encourage New Zealand to be Nuclear Free.  Through their encouragement the Government adopted nuclear free policy.

This is a Ripple Effect Chart showing how every cause has many potential consequences of effects.  This one is imaging the effects if we had a whole lot of new students from the Ukraine or some other country.

It is a great way to synthesise thinking about complex issues and ideas.