Skyping is underway

We have started to skype with other classes in the US.  This year I am using the yes/no format which makes it a little harder.  So far we have contacted with 4th and 5th grade classes in Calabassas, CA, Valparaiso, IN, and Cincinnati, Ohio.  We are on our way to a 50 state skype!

Saying good morning to Mr. Thompson's class

Students at the mic answering yes/no questions

Mappers working to find out where in the US is Mr. Thompson's class

We are looking forward to many more skypes including one to the country of Chile.

Bugs, Bugs, Bugs,  the room is crawling with Bugs!

Investigations, Inquiry, Insects, these are all words we are using in science.

Why would we start the year investigating milkweed plants?

Because monarch caterpillars LOVE it.

Insect vocabulary

• exoskeleton
• antennae
• pupa
• chrysalis
• thorax
• metamorphosis
• nymph
• phermones
• abdomen
• larva
• camouflage         

We were busy writing in our science notebooks which is what all good scientists do.

 

 

 

                          Welcome Back!

It's great to be back at school with a room full of eager to learn students.  As I begin my 20th year of teaching (wow) I am excited about all of the opportunities that lie ahead.  All veteran teachers often think about the changes in education.  Technology is the biggest change for me and last year I dove right in.  This year I have a SMARTBoard and I continue to learn many fascinating things on twitter.  My class has already asked about skyping which we will start soon.  Thanks students for a fabulous first day.

It's been a week since I said good-bye to my students, wow hard to believe!  The end of the school year is always bitter sweet, the kids are ready for vacation, but I am never ready to say good-bye.  This was such a great year!  My class was one of the best that I have had and we learned so much together.  I dove into technology head first often with their help. 

We enjoyed many mystery skypes and also 2 author skypes, which you can read about on my blog.  My goal for next year is to skype with all 50 states and South America.  

As a teacher I never truly take the summer off.  This time is spent preparing for next year, I have a long list of tasks for the summer.  My list includes reading The Daily Five, The Book Whisperer, Real Revisions, Bigger Than a Breadbox, and  The One and Only Ivan, to name a few.  I also want to learn more about the video slideshow maker Animoto.  Hopefully I will get it all done before August.

During the school year many friendships were made, Jessa, Melissa, and Olivia enjoy time outside.

                         Lessons were learned, measurement is always a fun hands on activity.

                            Life long memories were formed, thanks for another great year!

Have a splendid summer!

May is field trip month!

We made our annual trip to Pilot Knob State Park last week, it was a beautiful day!

Riley holding his arm load of eggs for the relay.

Logan's turn.

Then it was time for operation egg drop.  Students constructed a container that an egg could survive in after being drop from the tower.  Read about Pilot Knob and its tower here http://www.igsb.uiowa.edu/browse/pilotknb/pilotknb.htm

Students anxiously wait for their egg project to fall.

Mrs. Happel at lift off

Yes, there were survivors!

View from the tower, beautiful Iowa country side.

We Met an Author !
Laurel Snyder

On Friday my class skyped with the author of Any Which Wall.  This book is particularly interesting because it starts out on a hot summer day in a corn field in Iowa.   A group of children find a mysterious wall and soon the adventures begin.  With this in mind we decided to ask the author for a skype interview.

Laurel started by introducing us to her pets and her dog even did a trick.
She then told the students that she started writing when she was in 3rd grade and about her childhood friend Susan, who is a character in Any Which Wall.
She told them that she had to send her first book to 49 editors before it was accepted, and that when they write they have to write and rewrite.  She also showed them her special writing area.  She informed them that she does a lot of research while writing her books, because the historical facts have to be correct.

Skyping with author Laural Snyder

 

Everyone enjoyed this author skype, "That was so fun," was the comment when we reluctantly had to say good-bye.  Some of the students shared illustrations for Any Which Wall that they had made.

Thank you Laurel for inspiring us to read, write, and draw.


http://laurelsnyder.com/
http://laurelsnyder.com/?p=800   She also told us about the Penny Dreadful bookclub

Dissecting Tulips

Today we had fun dissecting and investigating the parts of a tulip.  What a great hands on experience.  It was so fun to walk around the room and listen to the chatter as they found each part and examined it.

Scientists always take notes, we use our notebooks often.

Vocabulary:

• pollen
• anther
• ovary
• petals
• pistil
• sepals
• stamen
• seeds 

The Dr. is in!

Wow this is neat!  Engaged students.