Thanks to all parents, grandparents, and neighbors who were willing to share their whereabouts and reflections about September 11. Seeing and hearing these allowed students to gain some perspective. Many of the students had questions about the attacks. The video from brainpop seemed to provide information in a clear way. It also served as a springboard for further discussion.
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I've added a new page to the website. In an effort to connect more fully with what we're discussing at school, I'm adding a video page. This will have relevant videos for students and parents to view. Right now, there's a video of Michelle Paver, the author of Wolf Brother, talking about her research for the series. I also posted the audio for the first chapter in Wolf Brother.
Go to the "more..." tab at the top of the page and see these for yourself! Upon finishing our American Revolution simulation, students reflected on their experiences. Here's a sample of what they said:
"I think it was worth the time we spent on it because I learned a lot. I didn't like where we had to write." "I liked it when we got to pick a person and when we got to battle." "I learned that the Patriots spent the winter in Valley Forge." "I thought the simulation was fun. I enjoyed the roll for the undecided citizens." "I think that is really interesting, it is really." "I would have liked more facts." Some of the things that students learned were...well, interesting. I'm not really sure how they got some of their information! Overall, though, I'd consider it a success. We had our traditional American Education Week Staff vs. Student game today! It was a lot of fun. Though the game title was never really settled, it was called "Revenge of the Teachers/Nerds", "Survivor", and even "Last One Standing".
The time seems to be flying by! It's hard to believe that the end of the first quarter is near. The kids had a great time at Ballard Nature Center last week. From reading their reflections, I can tell that they learned a lot. Our thanks go to Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation for sponsoring the field trip.
Just a reminder that we are putting up our 'Wall of Honor'. Send in information about a veteran, and we will post it. The information form can be found on the school website: http://www.neoga.k12.il.us/. The veterans do not have to be relatives. We are looking forward to honoring our veterans in November. We are off to a great start! I'm excited to be in the classroom with your kids. So far, we've been going over routines and we've gotten started with the fourth grade curriculum. I think that this group is going to enjoy the projects that are planned for the year.
The Illinois Unit has begun! Students typically enjoy this unit because they get to choose the type of projects that they want to do. It is divided into three parts: the C, B, and A level activities. As students move through the levels, the activities progressively involve more thinking skills. We will take a couple of weeks to get through the unit because we will also be learning about the history of Illinois. One of the other highlights is the sharing of ghost stories!
We've just undertaken some new projects at NMS. Students are writing and producing the news! A daily morning broadcast is bringing news and announcements to each of the classrooms. The news web page is under construction, and a newspaper is being put together as well. Each of these is being managed by a team of students. They've put in a lot of time and effort this week to get things together. In no time, more students will be getting involved. I've enjoyed the news broadcast for the last two days and I'm looking forward to seeing
We have just one more day of ISAT tests. Hooray! On Friday, we'll finish up with the science tests. The three reading and three math tests are done - much to the relief of the students. We'll be back to the regular schedule next week (as far as I know right now).
We have been testing all sorts of properties of matter this week. Our mixtures from glue, water, and a Borax solution turned out pretty well. It was interesting to see how some of the globs were affected by different amounts of liquids. The density experiment involving layers of liquids was effective, but not as dramatic as the demonstration of air density! This is just the beginning of the unit, so we have many more experiments to try in the upcoming chapters. I can't wait!
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AuthorName: Mrs. Rentfro Archives
September 2012
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