Studycast - Social Studies Chapter 7

Click here to listen to the studycast for our upcoming test on Chapter 7 - The Fight for a Continent. You can also download the studycast by right clicking on the link and choosing "Save Target As." The test is this Friday, December 18th, and the study guide came home on Monday, December 14th. If you have any questions, just leave me a comment below or send me an email. Thanks!

Magic Penny

This is one of my favorite science experiments. Place a penny right in the middle of a clean coffee mug. Put it in front of you at your kitchen table, and then place the mug in a place where you can see the penny. Keeping your head still, slowly push the mug away from you to where you can no longer see the penny. Make sure it is just out of your sight line - the penny is now being blocked by the side of the mug. Have someone else slowly add water to the mug - being careful not to disrupt the penny. As water is added (you may have to add a lot), you will slowly see the penny "rise up." It's really amazing. Why does this happen? If you can't figure it out, ask your child! He or she should know!

Magic Penny

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Multiplication Tricks

During our last unit of study in math, we looked at different "tricks" that could help us memorize our multiplication facts. We decided to record these tricks on video. I edited into two parts (since the length was a little long). Do you know any more tricks for multiplication? Do you have any other methods you use to memorize your facts? Leave a comment below with your own ideas!

Beat the Calculator

In my weekly newsletter, I know I've mentioned the math games we play in class. These games are a great way to practice our multiplication facts in a fun way. We learned a new game last week that quickly became a class favorite - it's called Beat the Calculator. One person is the caller, one person is the Brain, and one person is the Calculator. The caller draws two cards and calls out a fact, and the Brain and Calculator try to be the first person to get the correct answer. Whoever calls out the correct answer first gets the cards. The person with the most cards at the end of the round is the winner. This game is high energy, so there is a LOT of noise in our room while small groups of kids play this game. But I hope this short video gives you a feel of our class "game time"...

Studycast - Light Test

Click here to listen to the studycast for our upcoming light test. You can download the studycast to your computer by right-clicking on the link and choosing "save target as." The test is this Friday, December 11th, and the study guide came home on Monday, December 7th. If you have any questions about the material, please send me an email or leave a comment below.

Poetry

We've begun a new unit of study during writer's workshop - poetry. We began our study by immersing ourselves in poetry - filling our minds and hearts with powerful words. We then learned about the "Doors of Poetry": the heart door, memory door, observation door, wondering door, and concerns about the world door. We can open these doors to find poetry in our lives (poems are hiding everywhere). We also learned how to create strong images and "crack open" general words. Here are some of the poems our students have written so far...

The Wind Cries This is Not Right
by Wilson

Somewhere a woman is weeping
Somewhere a man has no wife
And the wind whispers
This is not right

Somewhere a rich man is robbing
Somewhere a poor man is giving
And the wind cries
This is not right

Somewhere killing is legal
This place is the war
And the wind screams no, no
This is not right

For the man and the woman should be married
And the rich man should be giving to the poor man
And the war should be stopped
And the wind screams
This is right

Leave a comment below to let Wilson know what you think about his poem!

Pollution by Carson

Stop throwing trash on
the
ground.
Stop killing our Earth.
It's all we have.
Don't be lazy and throw
your trash down.
Put it in the
recycle
bin.
Let's bring this world
together.
Make it
stronger
stronger
stronger.
Let's make our
world
the best we
can.

Leave a comment below to let Carson know what you think about his poem!

Oh, Brother! by Olivia

Oh, Brother
You are such a
pain
You squeak
You peek
You terrorize
my life
But always remember
you're
still my
Brother

Leave a comment to let Olivia know what you think of her poem!

Sun by Jada

it rises
it stays
for a little while
it goes back
it soaks up all the light it can
and share all of its secrets
again and again and again
it spreads light among us
making us who we are
sun

Leave a comment and let Jada know what you think about her poem!

The Dream by Sloan J.

drip, drip, drip
drip, drip, drip
is all I hear
on this quiet night
the covers up to my chin
I feel warm and snug
in my fluffy bed
a peek of light fills the room
clank
the door opens
then I realize it was all
a dream

Leave a comment to let Sloan know what you think of her poem!

Video Clips from our Writing Celebration

I was able to capture a few video clips from our Narrative and Word Play Writing Celebration. I especially enjoyed watching the songs and chants...

Self-Portrait Poem - Caitlin

Last week, we spent a lot of time immersing ourselves in the language of poetry. I asked each student to find a Self-Portrait Poem - one poem that spoke about who they were as a person. I thought Caitlin picked a great poem for herself. Here's the poem:

Waterfall
by Jane Yolen

Waterfall.
Waterfall.
Leaves, sticks, twigs and all.
A rumbling, tumbling cataracting fool, falling over and over and over and over.
Into it's own quiet
Pool.

Here's what Caitlin wrote about the poem:
My poem "Waterfall" connects to me because I love waterfalls. Also, when it says "Waterfall, Waterfall," it makes me calm. Then "rumbling, tumbling, cataracting fool" makes me think of noise and movement. That is the true me. At school I am quiet, but at home I am a crazy person. "Waterfall" paints my portrait.

Isn't that incredible? I love how Caitlin connected this poem to herself. Have you ever found a self-portrait poem? If you haven't, give it a try. It's a fun challenge!

Narrative and Word Play Celebration

We had a wonderful time sharing our writing during last week's celebration! The kids loved hearing your comments and reactions to their work. Here are some pictures from our time together...

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

Last week during science lab, each student wrote a set of procedures to create a "cookie-turkey." Students would create part of the turkey, and then write down the procedure. Our students did an incredible job using specific details when writing - I was very proud of them. Here are some pictures of the little turkeys...

Turkey Procedure Writing

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It's All Smoke and Mirrors

One of the first investigations in our study of light was to figure out what happens when light strikes a mirror. We observed that light reflects in predictable ways. There is a "law of reflection" that works with mirrors - light beams reflect off mirrors at the same angle they strike the mirror. We decided to see if teams of scientists could use two mirrors with a flashlight and make the beam of light strike in certain places in our classroom. Here are our young scientists at work...

Exploring With Light

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What's the Chance?

While Challenge was out this past week, we created a pretty fun probability game. A student puts 10 unifix cubes into a paper bag (any combination of colors and amounts). Another student then pulls out one cube at a time and records the results. After 50 or so "pulls" the student then makes an inference as to how many of each color are in the bag. This game took lots of inferencing - you really had to study your results. We learned that the more "pulls" you make, the more likely you are to have accurate results. With more accurate results, you're able to make a better inference of what's in the bag. Here are some pictures of our kids at work...

Probability Games

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Learning Facts...with Baseball

Kids have to learn their multiplication facts - it's a part of growing up. Hopefully, we can make the process a little more fun. We play LOTS of different games in class to reinforce the facts. Here are some pictures of the kids playing Multiplication Baseball - a class favorite.

Multiplication Baseball

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Meet the Authors - Babymouse and Lunch Lady

My first session at NCTE started with some of my favorite characters - Babymouse and Lunch Lady. I was so fortunate to attend a wonderful session where the creators of these characters shared their stories, ideas, and writing processes. Jarrett Krosockza began the session by telling us how Lunch Lady came to be. It's a very funny story - when he went back to give a presentation to the elementary school he attended as a child, he realized the same lunch lady was still serving lunch! He struck up a conversation with her and realized she had a life outside of school (when he was younger, he imagined her sleeping in the back of the cafeteria on a cot). This sparked the idea for a crime-fighting lunch lady. I was so impressed with how this idea for Lunch Lady sat in his notebooks for years - yes, years - before it finally came to be a graphic novel. He never gave up on the idea. He slowly developed it, thought about it, and finally the right time came along to publish it. Matthew and Jennifer Holm went next, and I loved hearing about their childhood. They are two of the funniest people you will ever hear present - so much laughter! I took lots of notes about the process they use as writers. When I shared this with my kids at school, they were amazed at how much revision goes into writing a book. Just as we learned during our word play unit, writing requires risk, imagination, and a playful spirit.

Here are the three amazing writers and illustrators together...

Here's me with Jarrett...

Here's me with Jennifer Holm (notice the bunny ears)...

Lizzie was so gracious to donate the first two Lunch Lady books to our classroom library. Thanks, Lizzie!

The Braces Blues

On the day we learned about song writing, Madison and Lizzie took a shot at writing their own "blues." Since they both recently had braces put on, they decided to let braces be the subject of their song. They did an incredible job - so creative (and you'll love the motions)...

The Rainy Day Recess Blues

As part of our wordplay unit in writer's workshop, we decided to write a class song. We sat down one morning and wrote "The Rainy Day Recess Blues." I was so proud of our kids! We found out that it is not easy to write a song. You have to think about rhythm, syllables, and rhyme. You have to make your words fit the rhythm and beat. You can listen to the song by clicking here.

As you listen, you can follow along with the lyrics:

Look out the window, see all the rain
Can't go outside, gotta stay in and play
We'll miss recess, it's so sad
Watching the raindrops, I'm getting mad
We've all got the rainy day recess blues

Drop off our trays, get in a line
Head back to class, not feelin' fine
Can our day, get any worse?
Recess is cancelled, we feel cursed
We've all got the rainy day recess blues

Walk in the classroom, go to our seats
Put my head down, feel like I'm beat
But Mr. Brown, pulls out his guitar
He makes us feel, like we're stars
There's no more, rainy day recess blues

Let us know what you think - leave a comment below!

Jada and Sloan - Chant Fanatics!

We're wrapping up our unit on Word Play. The kids have had a wonderful time during this study - we've written jokes, chants, songs, riddles, and even idioms. Each day I would teach strategies for these types of wordplay, and then students would have a "menu" of options to choose from as they worked in writer's workshop. Jada and Sloan really took to chant writing. Chant writing is fun - it has rhythm, rhyme, and is really silly (things kids love). I was proud of the effort and hard work these two students put toward their craft. Here are Jada and Sloan sharing a few of the chants they created...

Stop-Think-React

Good readers are active readers - they're not passive. Good readers constantly ask questions, make predictions, form inferences, and find connections. One way we've been practicing this stance is by using a strategy called "stop-think-react." You do just what it says! In this instance, partners were reading a National Geographic Explorer article together. At different places in the text, they would stop, think, and discuss their ideas with each other. Here are a few of our kids sharing their thinking...

Red Ribbon Day

"Show Good Character - Say No to Drugs!" was our class theme for Red Ribbon Week. We created a banner, and each student dressed up as his or her favorite book character. Our kids marched proudly in the parade, chanting slogans to the top of their lungs! After the parade, we had small group discussions where each student "became" his or her book character and talked to other characters in the class. It was fun to actually be some of the characters we've read about - and it was fun to watch and listen to the other "characters" share about their lives. Here is some video footage from our day together...

Space Facts from Room 241

After returning from our field study to Roper Mountain Science Center, we decided to do a mini-inquiry into space. We had learned so many new interesting facts about our solar system, and had a lot of new questions. We began this inquiry by developing our questions and wonderings. We then spent a lot of time reading through resources, trying to find the answers to our questions. We learned to read "big chunks" at a time; we learned to connect our new learning to our background knowledge; and we learned to stop, think, and reflect about what we're reading. We decided to showcase our new learning with a display on the outside wall of our classroom (it's currently being created). But I also got the video camera out and had a few kids share their learning on film. Hope you enjoy...

Studycast - Social Studies Chapter 5

Click here to listen to the studycast for our upcoming Social Studies test on Chapter 5. You can download the audio file to your computer by right-clicking on the link. Choose "Save Target As" and save the file to an appropriate place in your computer.

If you have any questions or thoughts, click on the "comments" link below this post and leave a message. You can also email me at any time. Hope this studycast helps!

Sustaining New Teachers

A Sense of Belonging: Sustaining and Retaining New Teachers
by Jennifer Allen

I’m not an administrator or an instructional coach. I’m just a regular classroom teacher. So when I picked up this book, I thought that it might be a bit irrelevant to me – I was wrong. The first chapter of the book brought me back to the fall of 1999 when I met my first class of third graders. That was ten years ago, and somehow I had forgotten how hard it was to be a first year teacher. But Jennifer Allen helped me remember - the assessments, lesson planning, pacing, and behavior management were overwhelming. It was a hard year. As I look back, I’m actually amazed that I survived! Did you know that almost half of all teachers leave the profession after 5 years of teaching? In this book, Jennifer tackles this important issue. She describes how her school has supported new teachers in their first three years. When I finished the book, I was excited about the possibilities. If more schools adopted these practices, I believe new teachers would be incredibly more successful. Jennifer describes how she supports teachers within the classroom, using a gradual release of responsibility. New teachers are able to see her demonstrate a series of lessons each week, and then build on those lessons at the end of the week. Jennifer also shares detailed descriptions of her meetings with new teachers. She shows us exactly how to set up an environment that is supportive, inviting, and challenging all at once. I was particularly impressed with the study groups that Jennifer initiates. She once again gives detailed descriptions on how to create successful groups – from how to offer the courses to how to set an agenda. This is one of the most practical and important professional books I have read. I recommend it to anyone in our profession.

Studycast - Electricity and Magnets

Click here to listen to the studycast for our upcoming test on Electricity and Magnets. You can download the audio file to by right clicking on the link and saving it to your computer.

The study guide for the test came home on Monday, October 19th; and the test is on Friday, October 23rd. If you need an extra copy of the study guide, visit our classroom website's homework page to download a copy.

Send me an email or leave a comment below if you have any questions!

Madison's Leads

Last week we learned how to write strong leads. Strong leads often include a small action, dialogue, or a description of a setting. We tried out these strategies in class, and each student wrote three different leads for his or her story. Madison wrote about her first time ice skating. Here are her three leads...

1. "Click, click," the skates went as I put them on. I can do this, I told myself. I waddled out to the nice. I took a deep breath and stepped on the ice.

2. There I was - staring at the ice as I walked closer and closer. You can do this Madison, I told myself nervously. I put my foot on the ice, then the other. I gripped on the side. I was ready.

3. My heart was beating fast, then faster and faster. "Aren't you coming?" said my brother. I was speechless. I had to do this. It was the only way I could learn how to do this. I closed my eyes, then I opened them again. I stepped on the ice. I was ready for this.

Can you see all the ways she used small actions, dialogue, and setting? Which one do you like the best? Which one "grabs" you as a reader and makes you want to read on? I'm sure Madison would love your feedback.

Studycast - Social Studies Chapters 3-4

Click here to download the studycast for our upcoming Social Studies test. You can right-click on the link and download the audio file to your computer.

The test is on Wednesday, October 14th. The study guide came home on Thursday, October 15th. If you have any questions, leave a comment below or send me an email. I hope this studycast helps you and your child prepare for the test!

Cortes - Spanish Explorer

We watched a video that taught us the incredible story of Cortes and how he conquered the Aztec Empire. After watching the video, we summarized the story by creating a powerpoint. I typed it in while the kids retold the main events. After we created the summary, we acted out each part of the story. This could be a great resource as you study for the Chapter 3-4 test!

Cortes vs Aztecs

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Columbus Inquiry - What We Learned

After our Columbus inquiry was over, I invited the kids to share about what they learned. I captured a few of their responses on video...

Christopher Columbus Inquiry

Last week I introduced Christopher Columbus to the class. We read a few picture books, shared our previous knowledge, and studied maps of his journeys. We then began to ask questions ,and we recorded these questions in our writer's notebooks. These questions were the basis for our inquiry. The following day, we had the opportunity to explore more resources as we searched for answers to our questions. Students used the Internet to study websites about Columbus; other students worked with partners to read non-fiction texts about this explorer. We came away from this experience with LOTS of our questions answered. I was really proud of our kids! After the inquiry was over, I asked our students to reflect on the experience. How do we go about finding answers to our questions? Here is what we came up with:

• We are curious people.
• We learned some initial facts.
• We asked questions.
• We wrote out questions in our notebook.
• We read 'big chunks" at a time.
• As we read, we asked ourselves, "What did I learn?"
• We wrote down what we learned in our own words.
• We shared our thinking and questions with our partners.
• We used the Internet and books as resources.
• We were on-task.
• We enjoyed learning new things.
• We concentrated.
• We thought about our questions as we read.

Below are some pictures of our researchers as work..

Christopher Columbus

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Adding with Base Ten Blocks

Too often, kids know the "how" of mathematics instead of the "why." Today we got out the base ten blocks to find out exactly what happens when we add multi-digit numbers. Many of our kids were surprised to find out that you don't really "carry the one." You're actually regrouping ten ones together, and then moving the ten over with the other tens. They were really surprised to find out that you don't "carry a one" over to the hundreds. You're actually regrouping ten tens into a one hundred! I demonstrated this lesson with a really cool website you and your child can visit. Students then had the opportunity to use base ten blocks to connect what they know on paper (the traditional addition algorithm) to what was really happening with base ten blocks. I hope activities such as this one build solid conceptual understandings of math for our kids. I want our kids to know the "why" of math!

Conductors and Insulators

Today the kids and I designed a "conductor tester." We did this by creating a circuit that could be opened with two wires. If the two wires touch each other or an object that is a conductor, the circuit would be complete and the motor would run. Students went around the room with their testers and founds lots of conductors and insulators. Do you know what kinds of materials are conductors and insulators? Here are a few pictures of our young scientists at work...

Here's a picture of Lizzie with our high-tech conductor/insulator tester.

Sloan is testing out the top part of a clipboard.

Xion found out that the front of a stapler is a conductor.

Small Moments in Writer's Workshop

Our current unit of study is on Narrative Writing. For the past week, we've learned how to collect our memories - the stories of our lives. We've learned that good writers zoom in on the most important part of the story and tell it step-by-step-by-step. Good writers don't choose "watermelon" ideas, but choose "seed" ideas instead (ask your child about it). Good writers slow down the moment in their mind, and include all the small, exact details that make the story come alive for their reader. Below are two pieces written by our students during the week. Dolan and Wilson did a wonderful job utilizing the strategies we learned in class.

OK, I Lied by Wilson

One night when Miller had a sleepover at my house, we ordered a pizza. My mother was doing the laundry. My father called, "Jac, Wilson, and Milller - get in here and eat." When we came in, we all sat down. I said the blessing. Miller said, "Let's eat!" "OK," I said. Jac said, "Wait." Jac's my little brother. "Maybe we need to let it cool down." Miller said, "It's not hot." I said, "Maybe you should listen to Jac, Miller." He lifted the pizza box. I saw smoke come off it. Miller picked a piece up and took a bite. He swiftly threw it back down in the pizza box. He said, "OK, I lied!" We laughed for a long time. We still talk about that.

What a great small moment story! Click on the Comments link below this post to share your thinking with Wilson.

My Home Run by Dolan

I step up to the plate. I tap on it three times. I hold the bat up. I squeeze the bat tight. I say to myself, "This is it. End of the game. Sixth inning. We are losing by one. There are two outs." "Come on, Dolan! Home run!" screams my coach. The pitcher winds up. The ball comes slowly out of his hand . "Whoosh" goes the ball. Then suddenly - dinnnng! The ball echoes through the air. "Run, Dolan, run!" I run as fast as I can to first...to second...to third...to home!! I had done it! A home run! The A's win!!

Let Dolan know what you think about his small moment piece. Click on the "Comments" link below this post to share your thinking.

Electricity - Making a Motor Run

I am loving science right now. We are in the middle of our Electricity Study and having a blast. During one of our first investigations, I gave the students a light bulb, wire, and a battery and issued this challenge - make your bulb light up. From this investigation, we learned about complete circuits and how current electricity flows. For our next investigation, I gave teams of scientists a battery, motor, and wires. I issued a challenge - make the motor run. Using their knowledge of circuits, students were able to quickly make their motor run. I then gave each team a switch and asked them to incorporate this into their circuit, therefore controlling the "on and off" of the motor. Our scientists were brilliant. Here are some pictures of our class at work...

Motor Run

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Pentominoes

Last year I read the book Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett. It's an interesting children's book where the two main characters solve a mystery about a stolen piece of artwork. One of the characters is intrigued with patterns and puzzles, and he always carries around a set of pentominoes with him. After reading the book, I became intrigued with this mathematical puzzle. I ordered a classroom set, and I began exploring them at the beginning of this school year. I found out that pentominoes are a lot like tetris (for those of you who remember that very fun Nintendo game). You have 12 pieces, each consisting of 5 squares. Each piece is named by the alphabet letter it represents. You can arrange the 12 pieces to make a 6x10 rectangle, and there are over 2,000 different ways you can arrange the 6x10 rectangle. Sounds easy, right? Wrong. My daughter and I played with them every night for two weeks...no luck. My father-in-law was the only person in my family able to make the rectangle! So last week I introduced this puzzle to our class to see what they could figure out. The pentominoes proved just as challenging to our students as it did to me. This will be a mathematical puzzle that we will continue to explore all throughout the year. Here are a few pictures of our kids in action...

Pentominoes

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Good Readers Get Stuck

This week in Readers' Workshop, we've talked about monitoring our comprehension - thinking about our thinking. We've learned that readers have an "inner conversation" in their mind when they read. We ask questions, make predictions, stop and notice, and even go "huh?" We also learned that all good readers get stuck - it's just going to happen. Yesterday I gave small groups of students scenarios that highlight situations where good readers sometimes get stuck. Each group brainstormed strategies to get "unstuck" and then created a skit to demonstrate some of these strategies. Enjoy the video...

Native American Tableaus

In order to review our study of the early Native Americans, we decided to create tableaus to show what we've learned. Each group was assigned and specific cultural region and was asked to create five tableaus to answer the following questions:
1. What was your environment like?
2. What kind of homes did you live in?
3. How did you get food?
4. What was your most important resource? How was it used?
5. What was your culture like?

As you watch the video, ask your child to describe his or her interpretation of the tableaus. Our students should be able to connect their new learning to what they see. Enjoy!

Ordering Numbers

In order to better understand how to compare numbers, we played a game in class. Each student had five small pieces of paper. They wrote a number on each one, and then put the numbers in order from least to greatest. Students also made answer keys for their game (we tried to think like test takers...creating tricky numbers). Everyone had a chance to go around the room and "play" other students' game. Before AND after playing, we discussed effective strategies for comparing and ordering numbers. Here are some pictures...

Ordering Numbers

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Magnet Investigations

Our first unit of study in science has focused on magnets. Below are some pictures from several different investigations during these past two weeks. We started this unit of study by giving students plenty of time to explore magnets. We talked about our previous knowledge and our observations after some exploration time. We knew that like poles repel, while opposite poles attract. We then made some paper clips "fly" using magnets and fishing line. This got us thinking about the strength of magnets. How could we measure the force between two magnets? While Challenge was out one day, we set up an experiment using doughnut magnets, balances, plastic spacers, and washers (ask your child about it!). We found out that as two magnets get further apart, the force between them decreases. The investigation we completed today involved the question, "What do magnets stick to?" We were surprised to find out that magnets do not stick to all kinds of metals. Be sure to ask your child what they learned from this experiment!

Magnet Investigations

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Living Together Differently

At the beginning of the year, we asked ourselves, "What does it mean to live together differently?" We have 28 students in our class - each one is unique. How do we expect to work together, get along, and live within these four walls of this very small classroom for almost 7 hours each day? I shared some picture books with the kids that focus in on this issue, and we came up with lots of ideas of how to "live together differently." The video below shows some of the ideas we felt were most important...

Studycast - Native Americans

Click here to listen to the studycast for our upcoming test on Native Americans. If you want to download the audio file to your computer, you can right click on the link and choose "Save Target As..." You will then be able to choose a location on your computer to download the file.

One of the hardest things about helping your child study for science and social studies test is simply mastering the content. With the studycast, it takes all the guesswork out of studying! You and your child can listen to the studycast in order to know exactly what information will be covered on the test. Your child can use his or her textbook, class notes, and this studycast to help them prepare for the test. If your child misplaced his or her study guide, you can click here to download an extra copy.

If you have any questions, just leave me a comment below this post or send me an email. I hope you find this studycast helpful!

Math Games

One of the best ways to learn math is by playing games. So far this year, we've learned several math games: Poison, NIM, Addition Top-It, Subtraction Top-It, Name That Number, Number Top-It, Around the World, and High Number Toss. Ask your child about these games. Which ones were their favorite? What did they learn by playing these games? Here are a few photos of our students playing hard...

Me Boxes

I love sharing Me Boxes. It's a great way for us to learn about each other's hobbies, interests, and expertise. Each child was asked to bring in a box with 5-6 items that represent something about them. Kids were able to make connections and learn more about who each person really is. Here are a few photos from our Me Box sharing time...

Me Boxes

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Tangrams

In all my years of teaching, I have never explored tangrams. I found a nice bucket of these unique shapes in my supply closet (a teacher had given them to me long ago), and I decided it would be fun to teach the kids how to use them. A tangram is an old Chinese puzzle that is made by taking a square and cutting it into seven shapes. These shapes are then used to create the shapes of animals, people, and objects.

We began our exploration by sharing a picture book titled Grandfather Tang's Story. Grandfather Tang tells the story of two fairy foxes who play a shape-shifting game of tag. As each fox turns into a different animal, Grandfather Tang would create the animal with his tangrams. The kids were hooked. I gave each student his or her own set of tangrams and challenged them to put them into a square. Our kids quickly mastered this challenge, and we began creating all kinds of shapes (a running man, seal, bear, duck, boat). Tangrams are a great mathematical tool - they force us to think spatially, look for patterns, and try new strategies to solve problems. I was so proud of our kids. If you'd like to learn more about tangrams, I've included some links on the blog's sidebar. You can make your own tangrams and begin creating! Take a look at the pictures below to get an idea of what tangrams are all about...

Tangrams

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Science Investigation

I presented the kids with this question, "What item will hold the most water - a sponge, cloth, or paper towel?" I gave each team of scientists a small piece of sponge, cloth, paper towel, two cups, a graduated cylinder, and a stopwatch. Together we created procedures for our investigation, and our teams set out to find their results. I was very impressed with how our students designed the experiment. They did an incredible job keeping constants the same: we filled each cup half way with water, held each item under water for 30 seconds, squeezed each item as hard as we could. The kids really thought through each aspect of the investigation. As we hypothesized, the sponge ended up holding the most water. We inferred that it's shape, size, and spongy quality all helped it retain the most water. This was a wonderful way for kids to be introduced to the scientific process. Here are some photos of our scientists as work...

Our First Week of School

At the end of our first week, I was able to capture some of our students talking about their favorite parts of our week. Enjoy the video below...

A New School Year!

Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year! This blog is a place to share the happenings and discoveries of our 4th grade class. I'll be posting photos, videos, student work, and much more - all to give you a "peek" at what goes in our classroom. I originally was going to shut down this blog and begin using the district's blog provider, but at this time the district program does not allow embedded video. So...I will continue using this blog address. Videos are a big part of our classroom, and I want you to see it all!

If you are unsure about what a blog is or how to leave a comment, I have created a short video tutorial that gives you step by step directions on how to participate with our classroom blog. I look forward to talking and collaborating with you through this endeavor. Welcome!

Interview with Clayton

We are honored to have Clayton as our featured student this week. We hope you enjoy getting to know Clayton a little bit better!

What's a typical day look like for you this summer?
Well, I sleep until 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Get up and eat breakfast, check the garden to see what has grown overnight. We have cucumbers, summer squash, tomatoes and basil growing in our garden. I go to the pool. Play with my dogs and take them on walks in the neighborhood. I have been eating lots of good food: fresh vegetables, peach cobbler, ice cream and cheesy noodles, of course. I play until dark then hang out inside reading or watching T.V. Then I go to bed by 10:00 or 10:30 p.m.

Have you been any place special? What was it like?
Yes. I went to the Isle of Palms, to Columbia to visit my Grandparents and to a Pine Tree Farm in Wagner, SC. All of my trips were awesome. I love swimming in the ocean. We went to The Columbia Zoo and saw fireworks at midnight on the Fourth of July. The farm had three ponds we could swim and fish in. I caught a 2 ½ pound bass and we ate it for dinner. We tried to shoot a potato gun, but it wouldn’t work, so we shot off fireworks instead. It was great!

Right before school starts, My Dad and I are taking a trip to California for 10 days. I am most excited about visiting Alcatraz Prison.

What's your favorite summertime activity? What do you love best about the summer?
My favorite summertime activity is definitely going to the pool. I get to hang out with my friends and I like to dive down deep in the water. The best thing about the summer is having no homework.

What good books have you read so far?
I read Medusa Jones early in the summer. My Mom and I read The Dangerous Days of Daniel X. I have also been re-reading some of my favorite books from when I was younger.

Have you picked up any new hobbies this summer?
I have done a little bit of weight lifting while my Mom works out. I like gardening. I love to cook. I created a pasta recipe that I have shared with many of my family members.

If you have any questions or comments for Clayton, just leave a comment below. I know he'd love to hear from you!

Interview with Alaina

One of the ideas I mentioned earlier in the summer was to interview former students from Room 241 and post the interview to the blog. I sent Alaina (08-09 alumni) a set of questions, and she graciously emailed me back with her responses and even included a few pictures. Here is the interview with Alaina...

What's a typical summer day look like for you?
I wake up, eat breakfast, go to Team Greenville (a year-round swim team) around 8:00. After TG practice, I go to Stone Lake (the summer pool) and play around with my friends. Then, I go home and eat lunch, rest at home for a little bit, then, go back to Stone Lake for afternoon practice, then, do something besides swimming, such as: biking, walking the dogs, playing on the computer, then, I eat dinner, get ready for bed and then go to bed! Some weekends I have TG meets and on Thursdays or Tuesdays I might have a Stone Lake meet.

Have you been any place special? What was it like?

On the second week of June, my friend, Ashley, and I went to Clemson Swim Camp. We stayed for 5 days and "lived" in dorms and swam at Clemson's indoor pool with the Clemson coaches. We learned a bunch of new drills and did lots of dryland workouts. What's really cool is that we got to eat in Harcombe Dining Hall. They had so many things to choose from!! They have REALLY good salad and awesome frozen yogurt!

I also went to the Isle of Palms beach with my family and our cousins. It was really fun because we got to see our cousins we hadn't seen in a while. We went with my mom's side of the family to the beach and in August, we are visiting my dad's side of the family in Pennsylvania and going to an amusement park!

What's your favorite summertime activity? What do you love best about the summer?

My favorite summertime activity is swimming, I'm usually swimming in an indoor pool and always getting better at my strokes and concentrating on what I'm doing - but in the summer, we can just sit around and jump in the pool and do handstands and try to do cool tricks off the blocks. I also like Diving. Flips and twists and those kinds of things are really cool to try to do.
Hmmm, what I like best about summer. . . that's a tough one. I think I'd have say seeing my summer friends and spending more time with them, and I'd say vacation because I like going places.

What good books have you read so far?
I read a book called, The Outsiders. It was pretty good, a little scary though. Its about greaser or "hoods" and well-fed, healthy people with nice homes and their lives. I also read a book called, Poppy. I really enjoyed it because of the animals and the action in the story. My favorite character was Poppy and I liked Ereth (Poppy's porcupine friend) alot also. I read a book called, The Sister Grimm. . . the fifth in the series, I think. It was about the Grimm Sisters' kind-of-brother, Puck, being sick and they had to take him to a special fairy-tale land. Puck ends up being next for the throne and many things start going wrong.

What summertime advice can you give our blog readers?
Over the summer, you will have more time during the school year, so you should pick a sport or activity that you would really like the focus on and put your mind to. If you really believe in yourself, you will exceed farther in that activity. :)

Have you picked up any new hobbies this summer?

Umm. . .not really. I did figure out that I love to play Scrabble, when I never really used to play it.

If you could do anything on a summer day, what would you do? What would your day look like?
I would want it to be a warm day but a bit foggy. I would want there to be not direct sunlight but the sun be hiding behind some fog. I would probably go to the lake and go tubing with some friends. Or I would want it to be a really sunny, hot, hot day with a bright blue sky and the slightest breeze. I would go to all the amusement parks I could with my family and a few family friends.

What's something interesting that no one knows about you (that would be fun to share)?
I have a huge birthmark on my back, and you can only see it in the summertime when I'm wearing my swim suit.

This picture is me, my brother, Bryan and my friend, Annie Hope, in the clubhouse at Stone Lake while they are deciding to continue the swim meet due to severe weather.

This picture is of me and my dog, Koda, on a hot summer day after taking him on a long walk around the neighborhood.

If YOU are a former student of Room 241 and would like to be interviewed, just leave a comment under this post or send me an email. I'm sure many of you have questions or comments for Alaina, so just leave them in the comments section below - I know she will love hearing from you.

Book Review - Medusa Jones

Medusa Jones

by Ross Collins
reviewed by Clayton
(08-09 Room 241 alumni)

Medusa Jones is a book of fiction about a girl who lives in ancient Greece. She is a Medusa and so are her parents. A Medusa can turn people into stone with a gaze. Medusa Jones and her friends are bullied in school by the Greek God’s children; Perseus, Cassandra, and Theseus. Medusa wants to turn the bullies into stone but her parents won’t allow it. Medusa is friends with Chiron, who is a Satyr: half boy, half goat and Mino, who is a Minotaur: half boy, half bull. Medusa, Chiron and Mino call the bullies the “Chumpians” because they are the children of The Champions: Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. The author makes many references to mythology throughout the book. If you are familiar with myths, you will appreciate the inside humor. But, even if you don’t know anything about mythology, there are many funny situations that Medusa ends up in. One of my favorite problems that Medusa deals with is her hair. She hates the snakes that make the tangled mess of hair on her head so she wears a knit cap each day to cover it up. She even goes to a barber shop one day to get her snake-hair cut and the barber gets bitten by one of the snakes, his hands swell up and she is banned from the barber shop. This is just one of the many problems she has in her life. Throughout the book Medusa is constantly dealing with the bullying of the “Chumpians.” She even has to go on an overnight camping hike up Mount Olympus with her friends and the “Chumpians” where all kinds of things go wrong for everyone. Eventually, at the end of the book, Medusa gets even with the “Chumpians.”

This book is 147 pages long. This was an easy, but fun book to read during the summer and I recommend it to everyone in Room 241.

I want to give a big thank you to Clayton for taking the time to write this wonderful review. What do you think? Is this a book that interests you? Do you have a friend who might like this book? Leave a comment below and let Clayton know your thoughts. I know he'd love to hear from you.

If you are an alumni of Room 241 and would like to do a book talk, just send me an email or leave a comment below. We'll get YOUR own book talk posted soon!

Summertime Blogging

Even though we're not together in the four walls of our classroom, I'd still like to stay connected to everyone during the summer. I've got a few ideas how our blog can be used during the next few months...

1. Books Talks - I read LOTS of books during the summer. I'd like to post some of my book recommendations for the kids - hopefully it will give them some new titles to check out at the library or local book store.
2. Guest Bloggers - I'd love to have some guest bloggers post this summer. Maybe some students would volunteer to write a short piece about their summer? Maybe some students would like to contribute a book talk to the blog.? Maybe some students would like to write share a story or funny moment?
3. Interviews - I read several blogs that interview authors. I thought it would be fun to interview some of the students of Room 241 during the summer and post their responses. This would be a great way for us all to stay connected.
4. Book Conversations - What if we all tried to read the same book during the month of June? Not a chapter book, but just a really powerful picture book that you could check out at the library. We could all leave comments with our responses to the text - an on-line conversation!

As you can see, I'm pretty excited about continuing the conversation this summer. Please check out the blog each week - I'll work hard to keep it interesting and updated. And members of Room 241 (past and present), send me an email at ghbrown@greenville.k12.sc.us if you'd like to be interviewed or contribute a book talk or help out with the blog in any way. I look forward to hearing from you!

Our Little Piece of Vacation

To all my students' parents - THANK YOU! Your extremely generous gift certificate to Lowe's allowed our family to buy some furniture for our back deck. Our previous deck furniture was handed down to us from my uncle, and we just found out this past weekend that the furniture (two chairs) was over 30 years old - can you believe it?! So, our new table and chairs have transformed our deck into "a little piece of vacation," as described by my wife. We love to sit out there in the morning and eat our breakfast together as a family. In the afternoons and evenings, we'll read books as we watch our kids play in the backyard. It's made our family extremely happy. Thank you again for your kindness and generosity. Below is a picture of me and the kids enjoying breakfast one morning last week.

The Tin Cannies

My favorite event of the year is the Tin Cannies. This is my opportunity to recognize each child's gifts, talents, and special contributions to our class. Each child receives a Tin Cannie (it's a trophy made of tin cans, gold paint, a little bit of hot glue, and a lot of love) during this special ceremony. I love reading the descriptions of each award, and I know the kids love trying to guess who each tin cannie will go to. There are always a lot of laughs and joyful tears during the ceremony. Each child in my class is so unique and wonderful - I love having the opportunity to celebrate my students. Below are a few pictures from this special event.

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Song Celebration

Singing is an important part of our classroom. It's fun, and it brings us together as a community. Whenever we learn a new song, the kids do an excellent job creating motions and movements to go along with the words. For our end of the year celebration, we decided to invite our parents and friends to our classroom and share all the songs we learned during the year. Here was our song list:
"Lean on Me"
"Grandma's Feather bed"
"You've Got a Friend"
"Thank You For Being a Friend"
"The Constitution Blues" (written by our class)
"Right Field"
"Love Can Build a Bridge"

The kids an incredible job with the performance. We hope you enjoy the pictures below...

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Field Day

I included these pictures in our electronic portfolio, but there may be other friends and family who'd like to see these pics. We had a blast on field day! Third through fifth graders attended in the afternoon, and I was ever so thankful. It rained all morning long as the kindergarten, first, and second graders participated in field day activities. The rain let up just as we went outside around 12:00. But it didn't matter - we still got soaking wet. A big thanks goes out to Coach Rohrer for planning and coordinating all these fun events.

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Great Scots!

I just found out that Alaina has been chosen as a winner of the Great Scot Young Writer's Contest. Alaina is a gifted writer and extremely deserving of this award. From the information on the website, she will be presenting her writing at the Scottish Games on the weekend of June 5-6. Congratulations, Alaina!

Nakia's Persuasive Letter

A little while ago, we completed a unit of study focused on persuasive letters. Each child chose someone to write to - someone they wanted to persuade. We learned how to write clear introductions, support our reasons with compelling details, and write effective conclusions. Nakia wanted elementary schools to have more time for P.E., so she decided to write her state representative. Nakia received a letter back a few days ago! Her representative agreed with Nakia's ideas and pledged to pursue legislation that would help South Carolina kids live a healthy lifestyle. Nakia's letter has made a difference! Way to go, Nakia!

Weather Studycast

Click here to listen to the studycast for Friday's upcoming test on weather. You can also download the studycast to your computer by right-clicking on the link and choosing "Save target as..." The studyguide for the test came home on Monday. If you have any questions about the test, just leave me a comment below. I'll get back to you shortly!

Weather Fronts

Last week, we learned what happens when cold air masses and warm air masses collide. Cold fronts generally are generally heavier and have higher pressure (they don't budge easily). Warm fronts are generally lighter and have lower pressure. When these air masses meet, you're sure to have some interesting weather. The kids created skits to explain their new learning...

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African Dance

Our 4th and 5th graders were able to learn with the Borenya African Drumming and Dance Group during our artist in residence experience last week. The 5th graders learned African drumming while the 4th graders learned African dance. Our class worked extremely hard all week learning and perfecting our dance. I was proud of their focus and hard work! Below is a video of our performance.

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Camp Thunderbird - Part 1

Mrs. Selby (Alex's mom) took some incredible pictures of our kids while we were at Camp Thunderbird. I highly recommend you watch these pictures with your kids - let them tell you all about the activities we participated in - canoeing, camp fire, predator and prey, aquatic ecology, wildlife ecology, living history, hanging out in the cabins, rec time, and dinner time! Be sure to thank Mrs. Selby for sharing these photos with us!

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Camp Thunderbird - Part 2

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Camp Thunderbird - Part 3

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Investigating Weight

Last week, I set out several different scales and let the kids explore with weight. On this particular day, we were exploring the US Customary system (ounces and pounds). Kids were finding the weight of various classroom items; they really enjoyed using the balance. Here are a few kids describing their investigations...

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Our Very Groovy 70's Party

As a reward for filling up our marble jar (based on excellent effort and teamwork during related arts), the kids decided to have a 70's party today. Everyone was invited to dress in their favorite 70's wear, and I told the kids we would play some 70's music. To be quite honest, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. I knew we'd enjoy the music, but I wasn't sure what the kids would do once the music began. When we cranked up the music (a big thanks to Mrs. Duckett and Mrs. Selby for sending in some tunes), the kids immediately made our blue carpet into a dance floor. As you can see from the pictures below, it soon turned into a limbo line - which was a TON of fun. Everyone was laughing, smiling, dancing, and enjoying themselves. It was one of those really special moments in the life of our class. When the limbo line fizzled out, we started doing a line dance Mrs. Waddell-Poole taught them during related arts. Again - everyone danced. The 70's had made their way into Room 241! Enjoy the video below...

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Science Fun Day

Here are some pictures from Science Fun Day. We started our day with Coach Rohrer learning about nutrition, and then we had a guest scientist (or more like a mad scientist?) from Roper Mountain Science Center who dazzled our kids with explosions. We spend our next session with Mrs. Waddell-Poole (see video in the post below) dancing our way across the solar system. After a bag lunch outside, we spent the afternoon panning for gold. Our last experience of the day was Mrs. Selby, who introduced us to her tortoises. It truly as a fun day!

Science Fun Day

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Solar System Dance

One session of our Science Fun Day was spent with Mrs. Waddell-Poole, our incredible dance teacher here at Stone. She led our kids through a solar system dance. Groups of students had to create a dance to explain or showcase a specific aspect of our solar system. The kids got to use these "shape-shifter" costumes that were really fun. Below is a video of the kids performing their dance. After each dance, a student from the group explains what their motions and movements represented.

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Studycast - Organisms

Click here to listen to the studycast on organisms.

The test will be this Friday, April 24. The study guide came home on Monday, April 20. If you need an extra copy of the study guide, click here to visit our homework page. You can download a copy.

If you have any questions, just leave me a comment or send me an email. Good luck!

Book Clubs

After reading The Tiger Rising as a whole class, we decided to form our own book clubs. I put the kids in groups, and each book club came up with their own name and constitution. We have the Frazier Five, The Golden Eclipse Dragons, The Kewlios, The Chalkers, and the Five Star Readers. After deciding this information, I showed each club 3-4 books that I thought would be "just-right" for them to read. Each club selected a book and created a reading assignment for themselves (how many chapters to read and how to respond in their journals). We alternate between reading days and discussion days. I wish you could hear the wonderful discussions our kids are having. By listening to each other's ideas, building on different perspectives, and proving their ideas in the text, our kids are become deeper and stronger readers and thinkers. I'm really proud of them. This past Friday was a discussion day, and here are a few pictures of our kids participating in their discussions...

Book Clubs

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