Monday, Jan.31, 2011

Today we started doing electricity experiments in science!  We used Christmas lightbulbs and batteries and our goal was to see if we could light up the bulb.  Almost everyone got their bulb to light up!

We did measurement centers in math.  We got to measure a chocolate bunny, seasoning spices, a stuffed frog, the hallway from the library to certain doors, salt, oatmeal, a wood block, water, the weight of a paper filer, and around a snowman's head.  We used length, weight, and volume measurements.

Today we finished our Famous Kansan keynotes.  We will be sharing these tomorrow and Thursday in the library, along with the other 4th grade class.

We started focusing on Comparing & Contrasting.  We read an article about Sealab 1 and Sealab 2 - be sure to ask your kid about it! An interesting place to live.

We started something new in p.e. today - bowling!  We get to use rubber bowling balls that are lighter than the real ones.  Some of the balls only have 2 holes for your fingers!

We watched a video today from the Discovery Channel.  It was about the Midwest region, and we learned that many cars are made in Detroit.

Wonders of Kansas presentations

Tomorrow, on Friday, we'll be celebrating the 150th "birthday" of Kansas.  In the past few weeks, we've been studying Kansas history, Kansas artifacts, famous Kansans, Kansas immigrants, etc.  In the past week, we've been studying the places, people and things that were voted upon as being the Wonders of Kansas.  Each student researched one of the wonders, and today we began sharing our presentations with the class.  They have been FABULOUS so far!

 

 

Awesome Kansas Info Day!

Today was one of those unanticipated, out-of-the-blue fun experiential days.  A student's grandparents came to visit our room, bringing an unexpected fun experience for the kids - getting to not just feel, but SIT ON, a buffalo hide.  This child's grandparents have buffalo at their home, and they shared all kinds of interesting facts, photos, and hands-on skulls/hide with our class! Definitely the highlight of the day for many of the kids in our class!
Then we had our school-wide spelling bee, with Hana and Daphne representing our class.  Both of our girls did a fantastic job of representing 4th grade, and it was fun to watch BGS kids have a spell-off!
And then our class received 2 "Traveling Trunks" from the Kansas State Historical Society.  This is an AMAZING program that sends trunks full of lessons, artifacts, and other hands-on activity pieces to classrooms in Kansas for FREE!  They have a series geared toward meeting 4th grade social studies standards, and we signed up for our limit in the summer, and they arrived today. It was so much fun to begin unpacking them at the end of the day - we "ooooh"ed and "aaaah"ed as we pulled out hides and bones and photos and tipi parts.  We get to use the trunks for two weeks before shipping them back, and I can't wait to share all of the "goodies" with the kids next week!
Have a wonderful 3-day weekend!
Carla Goertzen

 Our girls in the spelling bee - look how far they've made it!

 Checking out the buffalo skull (above) and the hide (below).  I was astonished by how soft it was!

These are models of Native American dwellings that are native to KS - a grass hut, a tipi, and an earth lodge.  I  unpacked this layer after school, so the kids haven't seen these yet!