Oh My

Well, it has been a busy first few weeks of school.  And also a bit surreal.  In the first three weeks of school, we have had the aftermath of a hurricane, a tropical storm, and massive flooding.  We started school on August 29, but because of the effects of the above, we just finished our 11th day of school on Friday. 

The routines have been slow going because of the interruptions.  We had a full week the week of August 29th, followed by a week comprised of one-and-a-half school days.  We had Monday, September 5 off for Labor Day, then we had school Tuesday and half of Wednesday. 

Wednesday was an early dismissal due to the pouring rain and flooding occurring here in the northeast.  (In some nearby areas the water came so fast that the students weren't allowed to leave until the state police gave clearance to leave.  Some students (and parents who came to pick them up when the weather turned) had to end up staying in the schools overnight.) Thursday and Friday we were off because of the flooding of the Susquehanna River in our area.  At one point we had part of our interstate, the turnpike, over 150 state roads, and many local roads closed due to flooding of the roadways, sinkholes, or buckled roads.  Some are still closed.

My family fared pretty well, only having to deal with a boil water advisory for four days and closed roads.  We also took in a few members from our church who had to be evacuated from a flood-prone area.  (Good news, they didn't get any water.)  Others, including many of my students and colleagues, are still dealing with cleaning/repairing/replacement of flooded basements and homes and the headache that comes with dealing with insurance companies.)  By the time we came back on Monday, September 12, it was like the first day of school all over again.

It'll take some time, but we'll be back on track soon.  Keep us in your thoughts.

Let the Countdown Begin!

I know it's been a while since I've posted; I've been doing all of my back-to-school duties.  School starts Monday in our district, barring any possible power outages from Irene.  I am not located on the coast, but I am located inland in one of the affected states.  My area is calling for wind and rain, but not much more than a regular thunderstorm.  We'll see what happens. 

I've been debating on whether to continue my daily blogging, and I think I'm going to try to post a one to a few times a week.  (Gotta take some grad courses for my next certification level, so I'll be taking time to do that.)  I will continue to post new ideas and neat happenings throughout the year for you, so don't go anywhere!

If you have already started, I hope your year is going well for you.  If you have not already started, I hope your year will go well for you.  And, if you feel the urge, send me a comment from time to time and let me know how your 180-day journey is progressing.  (You can be anonymous if you want!)

Let the countdown begin!

Where Is My Summer Going?!?

Just last week we celebrated our nation's independence with picnics and fireworks.  The stores celebrated the holiday with Fourth of July sales, only to be closely followed with Back to School sales.  Haven't checked your newspaper flyers lately?  I can assure you...it's begun.  This week's Target ad has a two-page spread with specials on lunchboxes, lunchbox containers, backpacks, notebooks, and writing utensils.  Not to be outdone, Wal-Mart also has a flyer out this week solely dedicated to all things school, whether that school is college or K-12.  As my daughter said when the flyers came, "I just want to enjoy my summer!" 

Ditto.

I feel like my summer just began.  I finished school (with students) on June 10th, was away for a conference that following week, took four days of teacher inservice courses the week after that, and served as preschool director for my church's Vacation Bible School the week after that.  And now the papers are advertising for school supplies. 

Just. So. Sad. 

I know some of you have been planning for the next school year already, but I figure I'll give myself another week or so before I really get into it.  In the meantime, I am undertaking a new adventure.  I'll be trying my hand at being a freelance education writer for Suite 101!  This is pretty exciting because I can write about what I do and I can do so whenever I choose.  If you don't remember, I worked in the writing field for a number of years before changing careers to be a teacher.

I know what you're thinking:  Aren't you busy enough?  Yes and no.  This year my husband and I will not be full-time weekend houseparents at the facility for underprivileged children.  It was too hard on my children, who missed out on a lot of their own activities (like sports) because we were on duty every other weekend.  We are still on the on-call list, but we are not obligated to go in just because there's a need.  The second reason we are not working full time on the weekend has to do with me; I have to take some courses in order to attain my next level in teacher certification for my state.  There is just not enough time in a week to get everything done.

So what am I doing in the meantime?  I'm reviewing and previewing academic skills with my children, catching up on my personal reading, running when my knee permits, and enjoying my family.  I can think about school in another week or so...as long as I don't look at any more flyers in the paper! 

(Day 3 of Scholastic Trip #2)

Okay, so Day 3 wasn't really a full day.  Actually, it wasn't even part of the original plan for the trip, but one of the members of the editorial team asked if any of us would be available Thursday morning to talk about the focus of publishing from the standpoint of the teacher. 

I got up and showered, ordered and ate breakfast, finished packing for the trip home, checked my bag at the front desk and ordered my cab to the train station to be ready when I got back from the meeting, and met the three remaining advisors for our trip over to Scholastic.

Breakfast.  Fuel for the day.

We met with a member of the editorial team who talked with us for about an hour.  We talked about how well the books fit into the curriculum, what areas and levels still need materials, how to address the needs when state standards are so different (although the new Common Core Standards may help with that issue), and how test preparation materials fit into the grand picture of things.  There should be more materials in social studies and science coming for the lower grades; one of my complaints was that the materials offered for the lower grades are either too simplistic or too far above grade level for the students to understand.  We'll see what happens.   We also found out how to submit our own material if we so choose.  There's no guarantee we'll be published, but it's nice to know the option is there.

After our meeting, I went back to the hotel, picked up my bag, and got into the cab.  My cab ride to Penn Station was just as harrowing as the one I took the night I arrived. I was glad to get out of the taxi!  An hour later, after a purchase of a french toast bagel with cream cheese (and a drink), I was on my way home. 

Ahh.  Home.  

(Day 2 of Scholastic Trip #2)

Day 2 began much the same as the first: meeting Carol in the lobby, walking to Scholastic headquarters, and having breakfast.  The meetings for the day covered changes to the teacher reward (bonus point) program, back-to-school promotions, some new web applications, and a preview of the new bonus catalog.  Lots of exciting things in store!

One of the things I am excited about is the change to the bonus point system.  We had complained in the February meeting that sometimes it was hard to reach that minimum requirement to get the 5X bonus points for that month (or whatever the promotion was in any particular month).  Many of us stated that we were guilty of padding our classroom orders just to reach the minimum dollar amount threshold.  (I suspect many of you do the same thing.)  Well, there is good news:  Beginning this fall, all bonus points will be lumped together, no matter which book club/flier you use.  No more minimum dollar amounts!  Your bonus points will be awarded based on the total number of dollars for your order.  (There will be a chart explaining how the new system works in the teacher portion of the flier.)  I don't know about you, but I use my bonus points A LOT.  And to know that I won't have to pad orders anymore and still get the benefit, well, that's just icing.

Another exciting aspect is this year's back-to-school promotion to get children excited about reading.  I can't tell you all of the details, but I can tell you it has something to do with a partnership with Wal-Mart and Kellogg's.  Just keep your eyes peeled!

Some of the new web applications being put into place (besides easier navigation of the company site and book order links) include a link where teachers and parents can rate books according to specified criteria.  The idea behind this application is sort of like Pandora Radio;  readers can rate books and move books into categories by title, author, series, skill sets, illustrations, message, age group, etc.  There would also be a place to solicit feedback or leave a comment about a book.  You know as well as I do that sometimes books can be used for more purposes than the publishing company thinks of or lists on the description/book jacket.  Sometimes just a snippet of a book is perfect for supplementing a lesson or a series of similar stories is just right for a concept study.  This new site would allow people that are using the books add to the details and description of the book.  An example would be the Junie B. Jones series.  One of the other advisors uses snippets of the books to do grammar studies.  I would never have thought of using the series that way.  Through the site, those ideas would be available to whoever clicks on the link.

For those of you who are fans of Book Talk, there are plans to have five new titles from the book clubs highlighted each month.  There would be book highlights from preschool to high school.  Scholastic plans to have some of the editors and writers do short videos about the highlighted books.  Teachers would also have the ability to link to those videos through their personal, class, or school web pages.  The book videos would also be archived for later reference.

Regarding the book club fliers themselves, our meeting with the design team revealed quite a few changes. The team has reworked the fliers so that they are going to be less cluttered, a larger section will be available for your class online ordering code, there will be a highlight page featuring authors or series in each, there will be a section for book reviews from the teacher advisors (much like those we do for the Scholastic Facebook page), the layout of the order form on the last page will be MUCH easier to read, and there will be a section with preview pages from different book levels to help parents and children choose "Just Right" books.

I know it's a lot to take in, but it was a busy day.  So busy that we had a "working lunch" that day; lunch was brought to the room and we continued on.  Our day of meetings ended at 5:30.  We had about half an hour to freshen up and/or walk around Soho before we left for dinner.

Dinner that night was held at the Mercer Kitchen.  The restaurant had little menus made up for us to choose our three courses.  I had the fried calamari with spicy mayo for my appetizer, the Mercer burger for my entree (delicious, and I'm not a burger person), and the sour cream cheesecake with cherries for dessert. 
Just. So. Good.


Sorry about the flash.  This is one of the windows out front.



Our menu cover.

Our menu options for dinner.

During dinner I sat near the guru of the bonus catalog, Tanya.  I just have to tell you; when you get the catalog in the fall with your beginning-of-the-year Scholastic materials, HANG ON TO IT!  There are SO many good things in there!  (And I'm not saying so because I helped choose some of the items, but because there are a lot of neat things in there.  My bonus points are already spent for this year!)

After dinner we said goodbye to those folks who were heading out early the next morning.  Several of us were going to hang around the next morning before our departures to have an informal meeting with one of the editors from the book club division.  More on that to come.

Stay tuned.

(Day 1 of Scholastic Trip #2)

The first day of Scholastic meetings started off with us meeting Carol in the lobby of the hotel, getting our clearance badges for the next few days, and a walk from the hotel to the Scholastic headquarters. (The walk took about 10 minutes.  You would be amazed at how relatively quiet Soho is at 8:30 a.m.)

We arrived at the building and were taken upstairs to have breakfast and meet with another Carol; this Carol is the VP of the eCommerce department.  She and her assistant Sean walked us through the new website design and further picked our brains for improvements to the book club ordering sites for teachers and parents. 

Some of the new changes coming this fall are: a searchable index of all book being offered by the Scholastic clubs, in Club Shop, or teacher materials.  (This is one of my favorite new features!)  You will now be able to search for titles by author, subject, grade level, genre, skill set, or title.  I believe they will be adding a feature that will allow teachers and parents to keep a snapshot of students that will allow recommendations to be made based on the child's grade level, age, and/or reading level.  (They were still working on the details for that one.)

Another feature coming this fall (and is already in place in some areas of the country through test markets) is the e-reader feature.  Scholastic will be offering e-books for sale through the website to be downloaded to the Scholastic e-reader software, which is free.  The software can be downloaded onto a computer, tablet, or smartphone; I think you can download up to five per household.  Anyhow, once books are purchased, they go to the device of your choice.  Each child has his or her own "bookshelf" where they can store their digital books.  The program itself reminds me of a LeapPad combined with an e-book.  The students have the ability to look up words, take notes, highlight, play games, and do comprehension activities throughout the books.  (This was the one I tested out this past spring; I couldn't tell you the details until it went live.) I can't wait to start adding books for my kiddos.

After the discussions about the above, we stopped for lunch around 12:30.  We went to Miro Cafe for lunch and had a few minutes to walk around before we went back.  The afternoon was filled with the actual preview of the websites.  My take: much easier navigation, especially if you have coupons to enter with your order.  The whole ordering process has been streamlined for ease.  There will also be a change to the form letter available on the site for parent online ordering. 

We also talked about how to get parents interested in book clubs and online ordering.  Some of the things the other teachers use are: a Smartboard presentation showing parents how to get on the site during parent nights (if you have a Smartboard.  I don't.), an "All About Me" letter indicating student reading preferences, adding a link to your class web page, and providing the "How Book Clubs Work" link to parents. 

At 5:30 we ended the day with a little shopping at the Scholastic store.  I bought my kiddos some new books: Fairest for my oldest and a Ricky Ricotta book and activity book for my youngest.  Here are some new pictures from this trip:


The entrance to the lobby.



With the last installment of the movie series coming out, I thought it only fitting to take this.



Just thought this was really cute.

 At 6 we went to dinner at Bar 89. 



Dinner was delicious, but I'm not going to talk about that.  The thing to talk about once you've been to Bar 89 is the BATHROOMS!  Yes, the bathrooms.  There is only one word to describe them: Freaky.  Let me show you what I mean.

This is my pic from inside the stall.  I am standing in the corner. 



Totally fogged.  I can see out, but no one can see in!



When you go into the stall, the door is all glass.  Once you shut the door, the stall glass fogs up so no one can see you and a lighted "Occupied" sign appears on the door.  When you are finished, you open the door and the fog clears.  A shock at first. 

Once dinner was over, we went back to the hotel to prepare for Day 2.

Stay tuned.



(Day 181: Last Teacher Day and Scholastic Trip #2 Travel Day)

This is my room at the beginning of the school year before the children came in on the first day:

Notice how shiny everything is and how bare bones the room was?  Throughout the year I've added games and projects and papers and all the other things you accumulate over the course of the year.  (Where does it all come from anyway?)
 
This is the room on the last teacher day of the year, looking sort of the same, but not really.

All of my stuff has been cleaned, sorted, thrown out, or filed away for use next year.  Any furniture that does not belong to the school had to be moved into the coat area so the floors are clear for the cleaning crew. (The crew will move all the deks and tables.)  The counters all needed to be cleared, too, so the coat area is filled with my mailboxes, centers organizers, my desk chair, fans, file bins, book bins, etc.  My posters get to stay because they aren't doing anything with the walls this year.  The other picture I took didn't come out clearly, but there is nothing on the counters by the windows.  My desk is (gasp!) totally clear, too.

After cleaning, sorting, filing, and moving, I left about half an hour early so I could dash home and get a shower before hopping on the train to travel to New York for a special (read: not a usual occurrence) set of meetings with Scholastic.  The company asked any advisors who were able to make it to come back and see the updates and changes before the print deadlines for the fall.  (These would be the updates and changes we talked about during our February meetings.  Read Day 111, Part 1 and Part 2, and the Saturday Meetings links.) I made it to the station with about half an hour to spare before departure.

I made it to Penn Station (which is in the same building as Madison Square Garden) around 9 p.m., took a nerve-wracking taxi ride to the Tribeca Grand Hotel, checked in, took another shower (even riding in the train felt gross), and prepared for a day of meetings. FYI: I slept much better this time; no construction going on outside my window!

More to come on the meetings; you are going to be so happy this fall!

Day 180: Last Day of School

Friday, June 10 was...

The.

Last.

Day.

Of.

School.

The last day was actually a half day for the students.  The first portion of the day was a slide show presented by the PTA.  Every year the PTA gathers together pictures from the first day of school until about the last two weeks of school.  The show is set to music and covers everything from holiday celebrations, PTA assemblies, functions like Read Across American Week, the May Fair, classroom speakers, classroom projects and lessons, time on the playground, field day, lunch, time in specials, etc.  The show is about an hour long.  The children really enjoy the show because they see themselves or friends, and there's a lot of "Oh, I remember that!"  It's really pretty cool.

After the slide show we had snack and finished off our last chapter book of the year.  Then we went out for recess.  Once recess was over I passed out the report cards/summer newsletter/summer practice work packet  and read a short story.  By then, the dismissals had begun.  As the children went out, they hugged me and wished me a good summer.  I told them to send me postcards from wherever they traveled or to stop by at the beginning of the school year to tell me about their summers.

Once the students have gone, the teachers had a potluck lunch. (We do this every year.)  After lunch, we worked in our rooms and/or on cumulative folders.  Whatever didn't get finished was pushed to Monday, our last teacher day in the building.  (I finished my folders, but my room still needed work!)

Day 179: End-of-the-Year Party!

Day 179 was our End-of-the-Year Party.  If your school is like mine, the "party" is somewhat of a wrap-up to everything.

The day started with my kiddos taking a survey.  Every year I give the students an evaluation to fill out.  The first past is about them: what they've accomplished/goals they've met, new friends they made, etc. The second part is about the class/classroom: what lessons they liked best, what lessons weren't their favorites, and suggestions for improvement. (I always have to clarify on this one because I can't change things like the school-wide discipline policy, recess times, etc.  There are always a few kiddos who want to adjust those!)  The final segment is about me:  Did I treat them fairly?  Did they feel safe?  What was the best/worst advice I gave them? I tell the students to be honest; they are not going to hurt my feelings by their responses.  I take the surveys and read them over so I can gauge my teaching for next year.  I have actually taken some suggestions from students in previous years and changed things from time to time.  I've been thinking of doing a smaller version of the survey at the end of each quarter or semester as well.  We'll see what happens.

After that, we cleaned out the last few items from their desks (crayons, pencils, and final "fun" sheets) and cleaned up the room a bit.  By that time, it was time for recess and independent reading time, which led us into lunch.

Lunch was held in the classroom.  We had pizza, chips, and juice.  Some of the children also brought an extra snack or two, so they also had those.  During lunch, the students watched a slide show of the year, courtesy of one of our parents who took pictures of a lot of our class activities. 

After the slide show, the class had a surprise for me so I was asked to step out of the room for a few minutes while they got ready.  When I was given the signal to come back in, I came in to see my students standing at their desks with roses in their hands.  Each student then came up to me, gave me hug, presented me with a rose, and told me thank you or some other appreciative statement.  After that, each of the parents came up and presented me with a rose and said something nice about me and/or the year.  The whole thing was very sweet and slightly overwhelming.  I was a little teary by the end.  Here is a picture of the final bouquet:

There are more than two dozen roses in here. Every time I think about it, I get a little teary eyed.  It really was a thoughtful gesture.

 
After the hugs and tears and more hugs, I took the students to special.  During that time, the room was cleaned up and the desks were wiped down.  The room parents prepared the afternoon activities to be ready to go when the students were out of special.

Once the children were picked up, we prepared to go outside for about an hour (not much longer, as there was a heat advisory that day.  Even with that, it was cooler outside because of the breeze than it was in the building.).  We went down to one of the fields and played water games: Duck, duck, goose (where you threw a water balloon at the person's back instead of tapping them on the head), balloon toss, water tag, and the student favorite, free for all.  When everyone was sufficiently drenched, they stretched out on their beach towels and had juice and Popsicles.  After that we took a group picture and prepared to go in for a craft activity.

Back inside, the students painted picture frames to be filled with a copy of a class picture (courtesy of the same parents who provided the slide show).  The students finished their  paintings and went outside as they finished.  After recess we read under the fans and waited for dismissal.

A long, hot, fun-filled day.    

Day 178: Talent Show!

I told you all a little while back that the second grade was going to put on a talent show as a tie-in to our last language arts theme of the year, which was named, "Talent Show."  We scheduled it during the last week of school for a few reasons: the grade level would be finished with the theme, the students would have sufficient time to practice, and we wouldn't get in trouble for taking away from "instructional time." (Our principal frowns on anything that takes away from classroom instruction; if we schedule a speaker or something, it must have a direct connection to the curriculum.  Not that we would just waste time, but it's better to be on the safe side.)  Moving on...

Permission slips were sent home during the second week of May; those who wished to participate had to send their forms back two weeks before the show date to give me time to double-check song lyrics (ALWAYS do this!), arrange performances, reserve the space, and make arrangements with the custodian for mikes, lights, etc.  Even with the deadlines, there were some changes as late as the day before (lost slips so notes were sent in, people dropping out or changing what they were doing, etc.  It was a little crazy for a minute there, but we got it all together.).

Talent show morning began as a scorcher.  The show was scheduled to begin at 9:30 and last until 10:45-11:00.  It was a humid 84 degrees at 8:45 when the children came in.  Let's just say that once all six classes, teachers, and various family members were in the cafeteria/multipurpose room at showtime, the place was toasty, even with the doors open!

Any students who were performing came up the to cafeteria first so we could arrange them in the order they were going to be on stage.  (Their classes came up later.)  Then we could have one act on stage while another was getting ready and the third was "on deck."  This way we could keep the flow going with a minimum of interruption.  Once the children were finished, they came back and sat in their seat; we returned them back to their classes afterward.

We broke the show into three sections to allow for changes. (Some acts had mats or needed to have the area cleared, props put up, etc.)  This also allowed our hosts (students from the classes) to have a break.  In all we had about 30 performances, so the hosts introduced about 10, as well as our "laugh breaks."  Laugh breaks are segments where two or three students tell jokes to the audience; our version of a commercial break.

Once we got started, things went along pretty smoothly.  We had one student forget her dance routine in the middle of the song, but she came back later and started over.  She rocked it!  We also had quite a few singers (with music and a capella, solo and in small groups), some dancers, a few gymnasts, a pogo stick act, hula hoops, piano recitals, baton twirling, a comedy skit, a guitar act, sports demonstrations, cup stacking, and several students who created artwork for display (portraits and sculptures). 

Overall, the show lasted just over an hour and a half, and we were able to get out of the cafeteria in time for kindergarten to get in and sing their farewell song for their parents.  (It was a little hairy there for a minute; I wasn't sure we were going to make it!)

The children enjoyed the show and were able to show off all of their talents.  I would say that if you plan to do this with your class or grade level, allow plenty of time for organizing and a few extra minutes in the show schedule to allow for little mishaps (because they will happen!).

In years past, we also provided refreshments after the show, but we didn't this year because it would have been cruel to keep the parents in that heat much longer!  But if the idea floats your boat and the weather (or air conditioning) works for you, then go for it!

Day 177: Letters to Incoming Second Graders

I wish I could say this idea was mine, but it isn't.  This idea was given to me by a former colleague, who used to do the project with her students.

So what is it?

I have my students write a letter to the next group of second graders.  I have my students write about what they learned this year, projects we did, field trips we had, etc.  They also get to tell their favorite lesson from the year (insects and mobiles were favorites) and give a bit of advice to the reader ("Don't lose your pencils!" and "Always listen."). 

After the students write their letters, I file them away for the first day of school.  When the first day comes, I place them on the desks in a random order and use them as an icebreaker/introduction as to what we will be doing over the course of the year.  In the case that I have more students than letters (which I think will happen this coming year with classes being cut and all), I will have the students share with a partner and keep the extras to read aloud. 

An alternative I have heard is to have the students write persuasion letters to their teachers at the end of the year.  My daughter did this as a project in fourth grade.  Her teacher had the class write to her and explain why they thought they deserved to go on to the next grade/why they would make good fifth graders.  They had to include things like study habits and attitude.  Very eye-opening, I'm sure.  She also had them write letters to the fifth grade teachers to introduce themselves.  I haven't tried either with my second graders, but judging by the enthusiasm in which they wrote their letters, I think they would enjoy the task.

Finally Here: Day 176: Haiku Hike

Monday, June 6, was Day 176.  To keep my students involved, we spent a portion of the day on a "haiku hike."  We read the story Haiku Hike, which is a student-published book from Scholastic.  I love the book because the students explain what a haiku is, use haikus to lead us through their hike in the woods, and give extra little facts about the things they write about. 

After reading the story and giving a few more examples of haikus, I took the children on a hike on the school grounds.  I told them to write any ideas they could think of while observing their surroundings.  I told them to focus on movement (i.e.,swaying), color, shape, feel, etc.  I was amazed at the number of things they were able to find: lilacs, blackberry bushes, spiders, robins, butterflies, forget-me-nots, poison ivy (on the other side of the playground fence near the fields), ants, cherry trees, daisies, and so many other things.

When the hike was over we came back to the room and I gave the children a few minutes to look over their notes and add to them.  Then I went over the expectations of the haiku, stressing the syllables in each line (some children like to count the words instead).  After that, the students began drafting their poems.  Through several drafts, syllable checks, format checks, and spelling checks, all of the students were able to publish a haiku with an illustration.  Below you will find a few examples:

If you can't read it, it says:
Daisy
Soft as a blanket.
White, yellow, green. Colorful. 
Swaying in the breeze.

This one says:
Hostas
Soft green and white leaves.
The back of the leaf is rough.
They are small and wide.

The children really enjoyed the experience and were very proud of what they had done.  I was proud of their effort and creativity.  Try this one with your kiddos!

Computer Update

So...

(Notice the CAPITAL LETTERS? And punctuation other than a period? EXCITING!)

I made it back from New York late yesterday afternoon. Once I settled in and got some sleep, the first thing on my agenda for today was getting my computer to connect to the Internet.  A call to Comcast, a trip to the Geek Squad at Best Buy, and some fiddling with wires later, I am wired and ready to go again!  (Of course, after I clean out both my work and personal inboxes...ugh.)

Stay tuned.  There will be a lot coming your way.

Thanks for hanging on with me!

Awaiting Help

i am not in any distress. physically anyway. my computer is. which is why i am sending this update vvie my phone. this is sort of annoying because the keys are too small to do what i want and i cannot type in  caps or use any punctuation past a period. grr.

my computer was the victim of an early morning thunderstorm. i tried everything to get it to connect and called my provider to no avail. my modem is fine and the computer is fine but they are not talking to each other. so i have to take it someplace to have it checked. 

i have five days to catch you up on as well as another trip to scholastic...where i am heading via train right now.

hope to update you soon.

Day 175: Class Lists

It's that time again.  Time to sort out the students for the class lists.  This year we had to condense six second-grade classes into five third-grade classes.  As you know, this is not always as easy as it seems, and we had our own share of problems this time.

First, one of the third-grade teachers will be out on maternity leave until December.  We were asked to pay attention to the students because there are a few in second grade this year whose teachers have been on leave in much the same fashion for their kindergarten and first-grade years.  So this year has been sort of a catch-up year for them.

Add to that the fact that there are two classes that will have no less than six learning support students in them.  (We group them by class so the aides can be available to help instead of having them run back and forth between the rooms.  We follow a push-in model for special education, so the students are only pulled out of the regular education rooms if they are in a life skills class.  Even then, the students still visit the rooms for socialization purposes.)

Add to that the fact that there are a lot of immature students in the grade level this year.  Immaturity often leads to behavior issues.  It was an interesting process getting all of those students split up between the classes.  Even so, each room has about three students that still have some social growing to do.

Mixed in with all that, we have to make sure the students are grouped heterogenously by rank (low, low/medium, medium, medium/high, high, gifted).  Then we have to make sure the balance of girls and boys is as even as possible in each class.

Needless to say, it was an interesting meeting, but we managed to get it all sorted out.  All is well.

...As long as parents don't submit special requests to the office...

Day 174: Summer Reading!

Thursday, June 2 was Day 174.  Our school was visited by a librarian from the local public library to talk about the summer reading program.  The idea for this year is to explore your world and other cultures through books.  The children are supposed to read 10 hours to earn a free book.  Time past 10 hours qualifies them for additional prizes.  Several of my students already signed up for the program; I hope the rest do, too.

I have quite a few books on my summer reading list.  What about you?  What can't you wait to get your hands on this summer?  Leave a note in the comment box!

Day 173: Just Breathe...

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth.  I have been buried (deep) in paperwork.  You know, the end-of-the-year madcap madness of cumulative folders, end-of-year assessments, preparing class lists for the next grade level, final report cards, summer newsletters, and last-week-of-school plans.  Add to that room packing, preparing for a grade-level talent show, and trying to keep the students sane and you have the last few days of my school year.  (I know some, if not all, of you are in the same boat I am.) 

Just...

Breathe.

Day 172: ABC Book Pictures

I posted last week about the ABC Book project I'm doing with my class.  Here are some pictures of the final project from last year. 



Cover




First page

 I plan to make the text larger this year and add more pictures for the items the students come up with this time.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

Day 171: I'm Melting, I'm Melting!

Friday, May 27, was Day 171.  The harbinger of things to come for these last two weeks of school.

Yep, you guessed it.

The HEAT.

Here was my temperature reading for most of the day:

Can you read it?

In case you can't read it, the mercury was just under the 88-degree mark. This with the windows and door open to create cross ventilation and air flow.  (Trust me, NOT having them open would have been much worse.) 

Let's see.  One teacher, 19 bodies, and 88-degree air temperature. (I didn't even get into the 90-plus humidity percentage!)  Not a pretty picture.  By the end of the day everyone was tired, sweaty, and lethargic.  SO glad school is almost over! 

The week of Memorial Day is supposed to have highs in the 90s all week, which means near 100 (or more) in my room.  I'll keep a daily tab for you.

Until then, send cold thoughts our way, because "We're melting! We're melting!"

Day 170: Thinking Ahead

It's about that time.  Time to start thinking ahead as to what is happening these last (gasp!) 9-1/2 days and beyond.

During the week before the last day of school, I like to wrap up all of my units and everything so I can get my grading done.  My district sends home report cards with the students on the last day of school.  My principal also likes to check them over a few days early, so I plan to have mine done.  I'll be giving a final unit test in reading, an end-of-the-year math test, and an AIMS Web probe (to help determine math levels for next year). 

In between, there will be an assembly about the local library's summer reading program and a "hero fair" put on by the fourth-grade classes.  (The fourth grade studies the life of someone who made an impact on America and/or the world.  My daughter studied Ruby Bridges for hers a few years ago.  They create PowerPoint presentations and presentation boards, then they dress as their person and act as a living statue to tell about their lives.  It's pretty neat to see who they study and how they bring it all together.)

In class, we will be starting the creation of an ABC book on what we've learned this year in second grade.  I like to use the story The Things I Learned in Second Grade as a starter; it gets the students thinking about what they did this year.  I break the children into groups and assign them a set of letters.  They have to talk with their group and create a list of things we covered during the course of the year.  They can use anything from stories we've read, favorite characters, authors, concepts, math skills, science experiments/vocabulary, social studies ideas, international days, and field trips.  I tried this project for the first time last year and was amazed at how much the students remembered!

After the lists are written, I go through and choose three items for each letter of the alphabet.  (X can be a little tricky, but you can make it work!)  Then I type them into the computer to create a book.  I also find pictures that correlate with one thing from the three listed and insert it with the letter.  After that, I copy them and bind them.  They are given out on the last day of school as keepsakes. 

During the last week of school, I have the students clean out desks, I hand back old projects, we clean up the room and double-check puzzles and games, and sort through the class library.  I also have the students write a letter to incoming second graders, telling them about the year they are going to have.  We do an additional letter to perspective third-grade teachers, telling a bit about themselves.  I hang on to both sets of letters and give them out at the beginning of the school year.  Between all of those things, we have a class party, a board game day, and a grade-level talent show. 

What about you all?  What kinds of things do YOU do to end the school year?  Leave them in a comment and I'll post them for sharing.  I know you have some great ideas!
 

Day 169: Mirror, Mirror

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who's the fairest of them all?

No, I am not reading Snow White to my class.  I am, however, reading Mirror, Mirror by Marilyn Singer for another Scholastic review.  This review will not be on the Scholastic Facebook page, however.  This review will actually appear in the Lucky book order forms this fall!  Exciting!

And...

A little daunting.

The book was reviewed once by another Teacher Advisor for the Scholastic page.  I guess they want a new perspective.  Anyhow, I need to write a review that doesn't cover the same things the other teacher wrote. 

We'll see what I come up with.

Anyone have a fairy godmother I can borrow?

Day 168: Field Day!

Today was Field Day, every elementary school student's favorite day in the spring.  Really.  Gym class activities for half a day, popsicles, and a chance to be silly with your friends?  Who DOESN'T like Field Day?

Games were planned, volunteers were gathered, sunblock applied, and insect repellent sprayed on.

And.

Then.

It.

Rained.

When I arrived at school this morning, the weather was a fine mist of rain.  This mist proceeded to get heavier and heavier as the time for student arrival loomed.  Fields primed for the day were soggy and muddy. 

Enter the announcement saying that Field Day would not be rescheduled because of the forecast.  (We are supposed to have thunderstorms all week long.)

So what did we do?  Volunteers were ready.  Students were ready.  Staff was ready (with a back-up plan, of course!). 

Well...

...We had it inside. 

"Inside!?!" you gasp.

"With 670-plus students?!?" you ask. 

Yes.

Here's how we managed: 
**Grades 3-5 had their activities in the morning while grades 1-2 watched a movie in the cafeteria.  (Kindergarten had their own field day last week.)  Stations were set up in various classrooms and common areas among the third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade hallways.  Those classes rotated stations for an hour and a half, until the lunch rotations started.
**After the lunch rotations, the first- and second-grade classrooms became the scene of various activities, with the common area near the library serving as yet another station.  The older grades watched the movie in the cafeteria. 
**Each classroom hosted stations for the 11 classes to rotate through.  We started in our own rooms and rotated to the left until we reached our own rooms again.  (My classroom was turned into a throw/toss station.  The children had three little stations where they had to make a basket, throw rings onto a moving target, and throw rings onto a giant inflatable dinosaur.)
**Some of the stations we visited: jump ropes, scooters, relay races, parachute games, volleyball, bowling for cones, memory relays, and two-person board walking.  Our final station was a class picture.

In all we had a fun day with very few injuries, no sunburn, and no insect bites.  (However, there were a few welts from jump ropes gone wild and one finger run over by a scooter.  No worries; the children are fine.) 

By the end of the day, the students were tired and ready for naps.  So was I!

Day 167: A Visit From the Weatherman

Day 168 saw a visit from a local television weather forecaster.  One of the science units in second grade focuses on weather.  The students learn what a meteorologist is and does, what tools are used to forecast the weather, what the water cycle is and how it relates to weather, how seasons change, and what dangerous weather is.  As an extra step, I also have my students do research reports on different types of dangerous weather.  So to find out that an actual meteorologist from TV was coming to visit the school....!  Well, that was just the highlight of the students' day!

When he visited, he started off with some weather-related jokes.  One of the student favorites:  "What is a tornado's favorite game?  Twister!"  After that, he had student volunteers come up to help demonstrate things like the four elements of weather (temperature, wind, air pressure, and humidity), the water cycle, how thunder is created, dangerous weather, and safety tips for dangerous weather. He also showed students some of the tools he uses and let them take a look and try them out.  He also show them his "pet tornado," a device the creates a tornado in a jar at the flip of a switch.  (I think everyone wants one now!)  At the end, we took a group picture of the students with him and he broadcast it on the 5:00 newscast.  So the students got a chance to meet a local celebrity, learn a bit, and be celebrities for a day themselves.

It was a good day.

Day 166: It Followed Him to School One Day...

You know how the song goes.  The next line says, "It made the children laugh and play..." 

Well, I can assure you that what followed my student (or rather, hitched a ride) to school on Thursday did NOT make the children laugh and play.

Thursday morning, Day 167, started out at any other school day.  The children had come in and unpacked, and were beginning morning work.  Toward the time of the ringing of the late bell, one my students yelled that there was something in his backpack.  This as a colleague had come in to ask a question.

She was closest to my student at the time, as I was at my desk going through folders, so she stepped over to take a look.  I put down the folder I was looking through and came over to see what the commotion was.  (As you can imagine, by this time, any student who was in that area wanted to take a look.)  We shooed the children to their seats (or the back carpet) and began to look for the creature.  By this time, the late bell rang, so my colleague went back to her room and I proceeded to look for something out of the ordinary.

As I turned to tell the students who had come in during the commotion what to do about unpacking, the object/creature came out of one backpack and began to crawl on the backpack next to it.  Of course, the student who had initially told me there was something there began yelling...which set off a chorus of "There it is!"

The "It" in question was a large hornet that somehow made its way into my student's backpack and managed to travel inside said backpack without being smashed.

Anyhow, it flew out of the backpack and buzzed angrily around the one side of the room.  Which sent my second graders scurrying to the opposite side of the room, yelling and sounding like a herd of animals.  At which point I held up my hands (while keeping an eye on the insect) and told them to calm down. I then told the students who normally sit by the coat rack to have a seat on the back carpet and work there.  Then I opened the door and a window to try and coax the hornet out of the room. Eventually it left the room (I think!) and we began our day.  I say I think it left because we didn't see or hear it past 9:05 or so, and we haven't seen it since.

My only hope is that it didn't hole up somewhere...

Day 165: More Beautiful Music

Wednesday, May 18, was Day 165.  (No typo here; we had primary elections on Tuesday, so there was no school.)

On this day, the students were treated to the sounds of the fifth-grade chorus, orchestra, and band.  (My school always splits them; otherwise the assembly would be way too long for the little ones.) 

What a difference a year makes!

I think it is always interesting to hear the progress the students have made over time.  Having a child who went through the same chorus and orchestra teachers (and who is still playing and singing in middle school), I know that progress can only be made through consistent practice and application.  Anyone listening to the concert Wednesday could hear that these students "got it."

The music itself also lends to the growth of the students because of its complexity and layers.  Whereas the fourth graders are still learning the notes and finger/bow placements, the fifth graders have moved past that point and are able to get into the "meat" of the music.  They played rounds, two- and three-part harmonies, and varied their techniques. 

Even my students were impressed!

Day 164: Decisions and Dilemmas

Monday, May 16, was Day 164.  A day full of decisions and dilemmas. Why, you ask?  What was going on?

Well, Scholastic decided to bring back the Advisors for the Lucky and Arrow book clubs for a few more meetings.  This is not a usual practice, but there are some things they are still working on.  Anyhow, I received an email saying they want us there June 13 through June 16.  Wonderful!  Except...

1. My last teacher day is June 13.  (The students get out the 10th, but the teachers aren't.) I wasn't approved to take the day as a personal day as I was permitted to do back in February.  So I will need to do my traveling after work.
2. I had two inservices (previously) scheduled for June 15 and June 16.
3. I had to figure out child care.  Two days a week is one thing, but those two days turned into eight.  Why? Because I had to reschedule my two inservices for the following week, which means I will have four inservice days in a row.  (I had them previously scheduled for two days one week and two days the next.)  Also, I had to schedule for the four days I will be traveling to and from New York, and the two days of meetings while I'm there. 

So now I have everything figured out.
1. I will take the late train into New York on the 13th to be ready for meetings early on the 14th.
2. I was able (with my principal's permission) to cancel the inservices I had registered for and reschedule them for the following week.
3. My mother-in-law has agreed to watch my kiddos not only during my Scholastic trip, but also the days I have my inservices.

Disaster averted!

Day 163: Talent Show!

Day 163 began the talent show season in my grade level.  In our reading anthology, the final theme is called "Talent Show."  Basically, the theme shows how people can have many different kinds of talents; not everyone who has a talent is a singer, dancer, or musician. 

As a wrap-up to our reading anthology theme, my grade level puts on a talent show.  The students are allowed to do traditional talent-show performances, but we also allow things like art displays, joke telling, dramatic/comedic readings and monologues, sports demonstrations, and acrobatics.  In past years we have had everything from cheer leading, hula hooping, dancing, and singing to musical performances, jokes, photography displays, and magic tricks.

The students perform for our grade level only, and performance is optional.  Parents and grandparents are invited to watch the show, and refreshments are served afterwards.  The children really like the chance to show off talents they may not have been able to show otherwise.

Our show is not until June 8, during the last week of school.  I'll let you know how it turns out!  

Day 162: Field Trip...Chaperone

While Day 162 was technically not spent in my own classroom, I was still part of an educational learning experience.  What did I do?  I spent the day as a chaperon on my sixth-grader's study trip.  (A note to those of you who teach middle school:  Kudos to you.  I don't know how you do it!)

The trip was to a local nature center where the students learned about the function of wetlands on a hike, identified birds in the habitat, acted as naturalists for the day while searching for frogs, snakes, and evidence of other animals (like bats, snails, deer, and chipmunks/squirrels).  The students also learned how pollution, erosion, and runoff affect watersheds; how to determine of water was "clean" by identifying live aquatic insects in samples of water from around the area; and how to identify trees by their leaves and bark. In all, it was an very informative trip, and the weather was cooperative.

While I was out in the park, my students spent the day with  a substitute.  They said they had fun and everything was covered.  A good day on both ends.

Day 161: Beautiful Music

Day 161 saw the arrival of the Spring Concert.  If your school has any type of music program, you probably know all about the Spring Concert. 

My school offers chorus, orchestra, and band for students in grades 4 and 5.  Lessons for the instruments are given in small groups during school hours once a week; whole group weekly practices also occur.  Each spring, each grade level group performs a dress rehearsal concert for the school before they perform for their parents in an evening concert. 

Day 161 was the date of the fourth-grade spring concert.  The lower grades were treated to the sounds of the band, then the chorus, then the choir.  For many of my students, this was exciting because they have siblings or neighbors up on the stage performing.

Next week will be fifth grade's concert.  Looking forward to it.

Day 160: 20 Days Left?!?!?

It seems so unreal.  There are 20 days left in the school year, as of Tuesday, May 10.  Wow.

If you are anything like me and your year is almost over, you are probably a little into hyper-drive mode, trying to wrap up all projects and loose ends before the children decide they aren't going to work anymore.  I keep thinking of all the things that have yet to be done:  One unit test in language arts, two science quizzes, a unit test in math and an end-of-the-year test in math, field day, report cards, and a talent show. I know, it's enough, right?  Add in there the fact that the heat has returned, and it's enough to make you want to crack.

But...

I won't. 

Things will get done and I will survive.

I just keep looking on the bright side...

20 days left!

Day 159: Another Half Day

Monday, May 9 was Day 159.  For me, the day was a half day because of yet another appointment to the specialist for my knee.  I am almost 100%, but I am still having trouble kneeling down (as if to tie my shoe).  Try as I might, I just can't do it.  I still also have some weakness in my knee, mostly if I were to lie on my back to do crunches or something; the weight of my calf and foot pulls on the joint and aches.  Past that, I am doing much better than I was when I first started physical therapy.  I am actually back on the treadmill! (In small--like five-minute--doses, but on nonetheless!) Yeah!

Day 158: Mother's Day

Today we worked on Mother's Day projects.  I know some teachers do theirs a few days ahead, but I find that sometimes little ones have a hard time keeping a secret, so I do mine a day or two before the weekend.

I've done various projects through the years, but this year we made cluster pins for Mom.  The students worked with me in stations to hot glue crystal beads onto pin backings.  Why pins?  I had the idea of "My mom's a jewel," and it was the easiest project to do with my kiddos.  (And, I had a hard time finding the proper cording for the necklaces I had originally planned to do!)

Result?  The students loved it!  I provided a range of colored beads, ranging from clear to gold to champagne.  Some of the beads also had an iridescent sheen on them.  The students planned out the beads they wanted to use (one even painstakingly picked out only her mom's favorite colors), and I helped them glue their designs (and reglue escaped beads!).

While the beads were setting, we created our cards.  Then we wrapped our pins in felt and tissue paper (a little cushion for the trip home!)

Here are some pictures of a final product:

Top view.  Isn't it purty?

Ooh.  Sparkly.

Day 157: Cinco de Mayo!

Day 157 was Cinco de Mayo.  We did a few things to learn about the day.  First, we viewed a short video on Brainpop Jr..  (For those of you not familiar, Brainpop Jr. is a website that provides short videos, quizzes, and activities on all topics for students in grades K-3.  Brainpop (without the junior) is for upper grades.  Check it out!)

Then we read a bit about Cinco de Mayo and made tissue paper flags. The flags are supposed to mimic the ones used in parades or fiesta celebrations.  Seeing as I work with second graders, more intricate designs could be a bit hard for most of them.  Anyhow, the students enjoy cutting the patterns (and it's a good review of symmetry as well!).

To make the flags, you take a sheet of tissue paper and fold it into quarters, lengthwise.  Then you fold that length in half so the free edges touch.  Then you cut the paper similar to the way you cut designs for a snowflake, being careful not to cut too close to the fold lines.  Otherwise the flag will fall apart once it's opened.  Open the flags and hang for decoration.

Day 156: Halfway Through

Sorry to report that there is nothing much to say about Wednesday, May 4.  The day went just as it should. Check back later! =)

Day 155: Inspiration

A few months ago (and sometime last year) I was sent an e-mail called "What Teachers Make."  I only recently found out the name of the author of this poem (which was actually published several years ago).  If you've read it, you know how funny it is.  If you've not, then you are in for a treat.

I was sent a link for a video of the author himself reading the poem at an inservice.  Reading it online is one thing, but hearing it said by the author himself takes it to a whole new level. The author, Taylor Mali, is not only a teacher, but a comedian, performer, and slam poetry artist.  That said...

Sit back and hold on to your hats. 

Enjoy and be inspired!

Day 154: Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

To all of my fellow educators,

Thank you for all that you do every day, for every child.  I know that sometimes it is a thankless job, that there are days you want to scream or cry (or have done both), your building may be run down, your administration may not seem to have a clue, your classroom is crammed tighter than a can of sardines, your team may be driving you crazy, you're on 15 committees on top of working 80 hours a week--and getting three hours of sleep, parents may be giving you a hard time, yet another test is taking you away from teaching the basics, budget cuts have left you with paperclips and two pencils, the class pet has died/had babies/escaped--again, and paperwork can look like Mount Everest.

But...

Little Johnny has finally mastered his addition and subtraction math facts, Sally has increased her reading fluency, someone has left you a hand-drawn picture that says "You're the Best Teacher Ever"--complete with hearts and smiley faces, your students are showing growth, everything you've taught all year is finally coming together, you get a good review from your principal, the class plants haven't died, one of your students gave you a high five/hug/ear-to-ear smile (because you are awesome)...

And you realize that you wouldn't have it any other way.

Enjoy your week!

Day 153: Half Days

Friday, April 29 was a half day--for me.  (My district doesn't do half days; the only exception being the last day of school.)  I took the morning so I could take my daughter to her follow up for her ankle.  (All clear, by the way.) 

I left my usual Friday routine out for the substitute.  As best as I can tell, everything was done.  There were Xs on the stuff I had marked, but no notes were left behind.  Nor was the sub there when I got to the building.  (On half days I come early so I can go over the morning, but no one was there.  Oh well.)

I also learned that there was no library on Friday.  Of course, that happened to be where my class was scheduled to be.  So that means I had no planning time.  So what do you do when you find out 20 minutes before you are to pick up the students from lunch that there is no special for them to go to after lunch?  Panic?  Cry?  Beat your fists and yell?  Noooooo.  (You might want to, but those won't solve your problem.)  

I decided to extend my insect unit in science by showing a 20-minute video on amazing insects and their life cycles, then have a discussion about it.  (We are in the middle of our milkweed bug colony right now, and we have learned the difference between complete and incomplete metamorphosis, so it fit.)  The students loved it, learned a few new things, and I got a chance to at least go over a few items for the afternoon.

Happy Friday!

Day 152: Storms and Flooding

Whoa.

I know I've been asking for spring to arrive, especially after the winter we had, but today takes the cake.  As we all know, with spring comes the arrival of rain, rain, and more rain.  Well last night and into today, we got hit with that storm front that made it's way across the country and devastated the Midwest and the southern states. 

Around 10:00 last night, the lightning started.  No thunder until later in the night.  And then the rain started.  Buckets and buckets and buckets of rain.  It sounded like someone had a pressure washer aimed at my windows all night long.

When I got up in the morning I clicked on the local news and the entire Doppler radar area was covered in dark green, yellow, orange, or red.  Not colors you want to see first thing in the morning.  My family and I went on through our morning getting ready for school.  My husband took my daughter, who is recovering from a sprained ankle, up to the bus stop. My son and I finished our morning routine and were about ready to walk out the door only to get a phone call telling us that one of the major roads near my home was flooded.  And school would be on a two-hour delay due to the flooding there and other parts of the area.   The middle schools, which miraculously already had some students on their way to the buildings (my daughter being one of them), were on a liberal tardy policy.  That basically means that any students who were held up by detours would not be marked late.

(In 10 years of teaching, I think I've only had two other days where school was cancelled or delayed due to flooding.  That was the year Hurricane Isabel hit the middle Atlantic states.  I lived in Baltimore at the time, and a good portion of the area near my school--including my husband's office--was flooded.  But here?  Definitely NOT your everyday occurrence!)

Anyhow, while I waited at home for the water to subside a bit (the rain finally stopped), no less than four tornado warnings crawled across the screen for surrounding counties.  I don't know how my county was missed, but I'm not complaining.

Okay, I get it.  Spring is here. 

It just needs to tone itself down a bit!

Day 151: Project Update!

My students finished their projects on The Wartville Wizard.  Here are some of their finished drawings:



I love the look on his face.




Stylish, even when covered in trash.




Trash as hair accessory and earrings.  Priceless.




So much trash that it floats above him.

 The students really enjoyed this project!  I think they were surprised to find out how much trash they make, even as little children.  They also learned how they can cut down on the amount of trash they generate and how to properly recycle/reuse/dispose of everything.

A good lesson for anyone.

Day 150: Spring Has Sprung!

Tuesday, April 26, was Day 150.  First day back from Easter/Spring Break.  First day of what is yet to come.

The flowers are blooming, the bees are buzzing, the butterflies are fluttering...and the heat is returning.  The day's high temperature was 86 degrees.  I actually dressed in dress shorts, a sleeveless top, and sandals.  Why?  If you remember my post from the beginning of the year, I work in a building with no air conditioning.  My building also has a metal roof.  Oh, and my room faces the pavement on the bus loop.  Which means that if it is 86 degrees outside, it is 96 degrees in my room.  The ceiling fans succeed only in blowing the warm/hot air around.  So by the end of the day, my students and I are lumps of sweaty messes. 

The good news is that there are only 30 days left until the end of the school year, so we won't have to be sweaty messes for long! (At least during the summer we have the option of running to the local ice cream parlor.  I don't think field trip monies would cover that!)

Day 149: Earth Day Projects

I usually dedicate a whole week to Earth Day stuff, but since this week was a short week due to the Easter holiday, I had to cut back a bit.

Monday, we read about our human footprints in National Geographic's Human Footprint.  The students couldn't believe the amount of stuff ONE person uses in a lifetime.  On Wednesday we read The Wartville Wizard by Don Madden. (Tuesday was when we did our egg project because that's when my class was scheduled for computer lab.) Thursday, I had the children pretend they were a resident of Wartville and draw what they would look like with trash all over with them.  (This after we brainstormed what type of trash they would produce as children: straws, candy wrappers, gogurt containers, etc.) I'll post those pictures in a few days.

We also watched School House Rock Earth.  The children loved the video and some of them were still singing the songs as they were dismissed.  If you get the classroom edition, you will get bonus content to use with the students as well as a teacher's guide. 

Another thing I like to do to supplement my Earth Day lessons is show pictures/share articles from National Geographic. I think pictures really make the issues real to the children.

Happy Earth Day!

Day 148: Egg Update

Here are some of the students' egg projects I referenced in Day 147.

Nature-themed

Another nature theme