The Academy of Natural Science

The most exciting news this week was our field trip to The Academy of Natural Sciences.  When we arrived to our destination we saw a giant T-rex awaiting our arrival.  There was a special exhibit of dinosaurs at the museum, "Dinosaurs Unearthed."

Besides the dinosaurs, we also visited the Outside In exhibit. We got to pet some animals like a legless lizard (a snake if you ask me), a turtle and a hissing cockroach.

At the end of our trip, we went to the butterfly room.  One lucky student had a butterfly land on her shoulder.

This week in math we learned about capacity.  This was a brief introduction to gallons, quart, pints and cups.  To help with understand the concept, we made a super hero Gallon Man/Girl.  Pay close attention to his arms and legs.

It is finally beginning to look like the weather is warming up.  Keep in mind that some days are chilly in the morning and warm up by afternoon. Since the students go outside for recess, it is a good idea for them to have a light jacket or sweatshirt.  Also, it is during this time of the year where supplies begin to run really low.  Some of the things we are low on are dry erase markers, pencils, erasers, glue sticks and many students have ripped folders that had been given to them in the beginning of the year.  If you are able to supply your child with any of those things, it is much appreciated.

Have a nice weekend.

OOOOO...oobleck!!

Oobleck?  Is it a solid or a liquid?  That is what we tried to figure out.  As part of our solids/liquids unit in science, we read the story Bartholomew and the Oobleck.  Then we made some oobleck of our own.  You should have seen the recipe come home this week.

What we discovered was that when you hold the oobleck tight in your hands, it is a solid.  But, when you open your hand, it drips like a liquid.  The classroom was a mess afterward, sorry Mr. Bill, but the students certainly had a good time.

This week in reading, we did a travel brochure project.  The students were assigned a state of their choice and researched this state on the internet in our computer lab.  They found pictures and information about the state.  We then created brochures.

In math, we are still focused on measuring and different units of measurement.  This week the students were introduced to miles and kilometers.  We also touched on area this week.  This is a beginning skill at this level and is very basic.  In order to find area, they must count the squares inside the shape.

In social studies, we began discussing how communities change.  We did an activity where a community started with just five houses and a market.  Then families with different needs began moving to the town and we had to make changes to the community.  My favorite addition to the community was the hair salon. Look for our community at Best of Heights Night.

Mrs. Visalli came in this week for a health lesson about bones and joints.  We also had an evacuation drill. Starting next week, we have a college student coming in to observe our class.  Also, next week we have our field trip on Thursday and a half day for students on Friday.

Have a great weekend.

Top of the Morning...to Ya!

In celebration of the upcoming St. Patrick's Day holiday and in the spirit of friendship like our new Humphrey book, we met with our book buddies this week.  Our book buddies helped us to make some holiday decorations for our classroom.

Our rainbows from a pot of gold

Our essential question in reading this week was "What excites us about nature?"  We read several poems about nature like "Snow Shapes, Rain Poem, & April Rain Song".  We discussed the theme of the poems. We also looked for similes.  Next week we will beginning a writing unit on poetry.

In math, we started out the week with our mid-year assessment.  This is a test that includes all of the skills that the students have done up to this point in the year.  I am happy to report that the students performed very well on this assessment.  We began unit 9 which is all about measurement. We reviewed differents standards of measurement and made a chart to help them to remember.

 We practiced measuring with a yard and a meter.  We also practiced measuring with a foot and a decimeter.  Next week the students will be learning about perimeter and area.

We finished up our good shopper unit in social studies.  In one or our lessons this week, the students were asked to look at two different watches.  Each watch had different features and prices.  The students had to decide which watch they would buy and whether or not that would make them a good shopper.

In science, we conducted our last experiment with liquids.  We investigated two new liquids: corn syrup and shampoo.  We performed several tests on both liquids including another drop race.  Next week we will be performing a "secret" experiement with a special "substance."  Can you guess what it is? Bartholomew might know.

Today we had another lesson with Mrs. Fletcher from guidance.  She talked about choices and consequences.

Enjoy your weekend...

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss

This week we celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday with a special visit from the Cat in the Hat.  We all sang a special song to Dr. Seuss.  Then we listened to the story of The Cat in the Hat.  Thanks for the visit. We had fun.

This week in reading our essential question was "How can we understand nature?"  We read some fun folktales that not only tried to explain nature but also came with a lesson.  One of the stories we read this week was called How Beetle Got Her Colors.  The message of the story was not to "judge a book by its cover."  The students were assigned to write why you should not boast.  They were asked to cite details of the story in their writing.  After enlisting some advice from our awesome art teacher, we then made beetles of our own.

We finished up our fraction unit this week with a math test.  They will be coming home next week for you to see.  Next week we will be reviewing for a mid-year test and then starting our unit on measurement. 

In social studies this week, we started discussing needs and wants.  We did an activity where each child received $10.  They were able to shop for up to four items with that money.  Some of the items were "needs" and some were "wants".  You would be surprised to know that many of the students chose to save some of the money in a piggy bank.  Also, many of the students decided to buy what they needed first before buying a want.  

We continue to use our liquids in science.  This week we mixed the liquids with water.  The students were shocked to see what happened with the oil and the water and how they did not mix.  

Book reports were due today.  They look GREAT!!! They will be on display for Best of the Heights Night. Thank you for your support with this project.  The students were so proud of their work and couldn't wait for me to see them.  

Enjoy the weekend weather.  Could winter actually be coming to an end??