MsOBrienLovesHomework

I'm delighted to be getting lots of emails with fabulous work attached.  I'll put a few links here, so you can see whenever some new pictures are uploaded, without having to go looking through all the folders.  Take a look at this amazing project done by Ava:  Minibeast Project Design a bridge is going well! Still some wonderful boats coming in: Design a Boat Project . I'm so impressed by the thought, imagination and hard work that has gone into these.  (Don't forget: you have a new challenge this week - Design a Bridge ) I hope you are all taking care of your plants. I think it might be time to divide them out and give them more space (Have a look at how GraceL did it here) Peas will need to be supported, so you'll have to put in a stick or something that they can climb. Instructions here It is great to hear that so many of you are becoming bookworms during this time. Keep note of what you're reading, write a book review or draw a

Pattern is all around us, in our homes and in the world of nature. Can you find some more of your own? Have a look at some suggestions for a Pattern Walk here Busy at Maths pattern work here: 2nd class 3rd class Note: Please don't worry if you cannot manage to get this work done - it is just a suggestion as I know how much some of you love to get stuck in to Busy at Maths work!

Word Challenge: How many words can you make by rearranging the letters of the following (topical) word? HOUSEBOUND Write or type out all the small words you can make by rearranging the letters. Winner is the person who can make the most words!  _______________________________________________________________________ Thank you to all of you who sent me lists of great words - I can't believe how many words you were all able to find.  But Grace has done it again! 62 words - just amazing! Well done Grace. 

Let's all learn this uplifting song. What instruments can you hear?  Don't you just love that banjo!  Sing along, learn it by heart.  We will sing it together when we are back in school. 

Just because school is closed doesn't mean we can't continue to read The BFG! You can listen to a chapter a day as normal and you might choose to do some of the activities too. Send on photos of any pictures or writing you do and I can share it with the rest of your class here:  Class Activity Work 1.  Can you remember what the chapter 'Frobscottle and Whizzpoppers' was about?  Draw a picture of how you imagined the scene after Sophie and the BFG drank the frobscottle.  2.  Listen to 'Journey to Dream Country' (from where we left it on Thursday) at the following link:  Journey to Dream Country 3.  Listen to 'Dream Catching' at the following link:  Dream Catching Use the template here, or draw your own:  Dream Jar templates to draw and/or write about a dream you make up.  Will it be a frightsome Trogglehumper or a golden Phizzwizard? 4. Listen to 'A Trogglehumper for the Fleshlumpeater' here:  A Trogglehumper for the Fl

Target Boards I will put up a daily challenge. Give it a go! Instructions: Use the numbers given to try to make the target number. See how many different ways you can make the target.  You can use +addition, -subtraction, x multiplication or /division and as many or few of the numbers as you need for each number sentence.  (You can only use each number once per number sentence) Examples: 3+2+5=10;   (3x2)+4=10;   5x2=10 Monday's Challenge: and a challenge for your parents if they want one! Email me your answers and I will put up all your solutions at the end of every day Whoops, forgot to put up a solution for Monday! Thanks to Charlie I just remembered. Well done Charlie on finding so many number sentences to make up the target!  Just be careful to only use each number once in each number sentence! Another solution in from GraceD. I'm very impressed with this - a 2nd class pupil using multiplication! ______________________

This week's last flower is probably the easiest to find, but also one of the prettiest and most cheerful - the Daisy. Daisy - Bellis perennis or Nóinín as Gaeilge flowers for a lot of the year and can be found in most gardens and lawns.  The word 'Daisy' comes from 'Day's Eye', because daisies close up their flowers in the evening and open them again when morning comes. Have a look this evening as it is getting dark - the white petals will have closed over the central yellow part.  The flowers are made up of the central disc florets (yellow) and the outer ray florets (white). The leaves are "spatulate"/look like a spoon. The below image shows an open individual disc floret (the central yellow part) of a daisy under the magnification of a microscope. Do look around and find a daisy, examine it, sketch it or photograph it.  Look at each other's pictures here

Today doesn't look like such a nice day. If you went outside this morning, I wonder would the celandine and daisies have their flowers closed over? I'm getting lovely photos and sketches of the flowers you're discovering in your gardens. View them here Today's flower is  Ivy-leaved Toadflax.  You will find it on old walls, growing through any little cracks.   It is extremely clever. What it does is this : while it is in bloom, it turns its face to the sunlight. As soon as it has finished flowering and it has made its seed, the flower stem turns away from the sun and towards a crack in the wall and pushes the seed into the crack. That's what I call clever! The second photo shows the seed being pushed.  It is not a native species but came to Ireland from the Mediterranean many moons ago and has settled in nicely. 

Check out these beautiful pictures inspired by Vivaldi's music  Listen to the music Antonio Vivaldi wrote about spring almost 300 years ago (1723). It is in three parts: 1st movement 2nd movement 3rd movement The first time you listen, try to imagine how spring looks all over the countryside. Imagine the weather, the flowers, the animals. The second time you listen, read this poem that Vivaldi wrote to accompany the music.  After listening for a third time, write down the answers to the following questions and draw a picture of what you hear in the music: What dynamics do you hear? Is it forte, piano, or a mixture of both? What is the tempo of the music – allegro (fast), andante (slow) or a mixture?  What do you think is the mood of the music? Happy or sad or a mixture of emotions? What instruments can you hear?   

Ok, today's flower is the Primrose - Primula vulgaris or Sabhaircín as Gaeilge It's easily identified by pale yellow flowers with a deeper yellow centre and large crinkled leaves. As always, I love to see your sketches and photos. I will display them here

AND..... ....We have a winner! Well done Grace in 2nd class, who found no less than 51  words! Amazing. UNBELIEVABLE! We have a late entry with 54 words - well done Charlie!

Did you manage to find a dandelion yesterday? Did you manage to persuade your parents to leave it grow to help the bees?  Well here's today's challenge:  Celandine Often called the harbinger of spring, Lesser Celandine / Ficaria verna is one to look out for around  now.  Mainly found carpeting dampish soil, hedgerows and riverbanks, this pretty, low-growing species has flowers with 8-12 shiny yellow petals and dark-green, fleshy, heart-shaped leaves.  The flowers open wide in sunshine, closing over at night-time or on overcast days.  If you find it, take a photo or even better, make a sketch and send it on. Careful to count the petals - there might be a different number on some flowers.  Pictures here

Can't wait to see what you are going to create for your leaf faces. Have a look here  for some inspiration.

How are your seeds coming on? I just got sent a beautiful photo of some peas and it reminded me to ask! Photo here

Every day this week I will set you a challenge to go outside and try to find a particular spring flower. Hopefully you'll be able to find these in your own garden. If you find it, you should carefully examine it, the shape of its leaves and number of petals, and sketch the flower as exactly as you can. Sketches can be seen here Monday's challenge is the  Dandelion.   Dandelion / Taraxacum is one of our most important species in terms of helping pollinators such as bees. Why is that .. I hear you ask! Well .. when you look at a Dandelion you don’t just see one flower – each bright yellow flowerhead can contain up to 100 little flowers – they are called ‘ray florets’. Each little yellow ray has a tiny dab of precious, nourishing nectar at its base and this is what feeds the pollinators. So please let the Dandelions grow – tell your parents how important they are to the bees!

Your new challenge (should you choose to accept it) can be found here I was really impressed by the standard of your boats. Send on your work as always and I will display it here.

Quick video showing fractions using Lego: 2nd Class Fractions  here 3rd Class Fractions  here 3rd Class Tables practice  here Tables games (suggestions) 2nd Class https://www.twinkl.ie/go/resource/T-GO-02-number-bonds-1-to-20 https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button 3rd Class https://www.twinkl.ie/resource//T-GO-07-space-explorers-times-tables https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button Some printable board games  here Skip counting: Counting in 3s: Counting in 6s: Counting in 9s:

Class Art Work

Dogman multiplication Dogman addition

While you are out and about, take a good, close look at the trees in your area. Do they know it's springtime? Have their buds burst into leaf yet?  Here are some trees I spotted today. Looking at trees 16th March 2020 Can you find the same type of trees in your area? Are their buds any further along than these? Take a notebook and pencil with you, study the trees closely and sketch what you see. As always, I would be delighted to see your sketches. Update! 18th March - The horse chestnut has just burst into leaf! The weather has been much milder in the past 2 days so maybe this is the reason. Here is a picture from yesterday  https://drive.google.com/open?id=11kL6thRh6Z6ZBXFSrB4zSezlRBXLJhWZ

Why not create a  Celtic Knot  to decorate your house for St. Patrick's Day? Once you get the hang of it you can change it any way you wish. Click here for instructions:  Celtic Knot

Have a go at building a birds’ nest – will it be strong and safe enough to hold pebble eggs? Birds’ nests need to be strong and sturdy enough to withstand wind, while still being cosy. Could you make a nest that’s up to the test? Experiment with different natural materials – what works best? Is your nest stronger with mud, or is it better without it? Check out this poster before you start.  Building a birds' nest poster Check out these photos of work in progress and finished products Photos

How are you all getting on with your boats? Do they float? Can they carry cargo? Do they look nice? Did you give yours  a name? Please send on photos and I will display them here. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13Pw_c29Ankcaj3tyGZwKTBi8aG4-AtLF?usp=sharing