Peony the Papyrus
Ms. Lisa went literally all over Winchester, Newton, Belmont, Arlington, Cambridge, and Brighton on the hunt for a papyrus plant for us to study. Eventually, she found one, on Amazon! We held a naming ceremony where students put their name of choice on a piece of paper, and Ms. Jen randomly chose, with her eyes closed. The winning name was “Peony” who is captured in the beautiful light, to the left.
Observational Drawings
For the science portion of our exploration of paper, students observed and then drew Peony. They made very careful drawings using both pencils and colored pencils, capturing the fine details of the dwarf papyrus plant. There were scientific discussions about the different parts of the plant, the environment in which the larger variety grows, and how we can take care of Peony.
The Finished Results
Below are the finished observational drawings which can also be seen on the bulletin board outside our classroom. We think that students captured the different parts of the plant including the stems, blooms, and the pot which it is going to be transplanted into, really well.
Making Papyrus Paper
This week, we also started making our own papyrus paper. We took thin strips of papyrus, soaked them in water for several hours, then placed them into plastic bins. Using a brayer, students then had to use their muscles and roll and press the water out of the strips. When they were finished getting as much water out as they could, the strips of papyrus were placed back into the water. We will repeat this step four more times before we are ready to complete the paper making process.
A quick update, Acera will be celebrating Spirit Day on Tuesday, October 31st and NOT October 30th as previously noted. Please remember not to send any candy into school. Happy Weekend!
Jen and Lisa
Ms Jen's & Ms. Lisa's Classroom Blog 