Happy Valentine's Day

We did several fun activities for Valentine's Day, but this was the only picture I came away with.

Students used conversation hearts to do math Thursday.  One of the last things they did with their hearts was to make a large heart out of all of the tiny hearts.  They enjoyed their math lesson that day :)

We also simplified fractions, made Valentine bags, exchanged Valentine's, snacked on lots of yummy food (thank you to each of you that sent in items!!), wrote about love, and created a LOVE acrostic.  We had a great Valentine's Day in class!

Mardi Gras

We celebrated Mardi Gras by making masks in our class.  We wore them around school and learned a little bit about the parades, Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, and Lent.

A battery, bulb, and wire

Our electricity unit began this week!  On the first day of our investigation study students were given 1 d-cell battery, 1 light bulb, and 1 wire.  They were asked to use these materials to make their light bulb light.  After a few frustrations everyone in the class was finally successful!

They learned their wire must make a positive and negative connection, and the metal tip of their light bulb must come in contact with the wire or a poll of the battery. 

Paper Airplanes

Our reading lesson Monday was on functional reading.  I gave each student a set of instructions for making a paper airplane.  They were to carefully study the directions, synergize with their neighbor to be sure they understood the directions, and check with me with any further questions they had.  Following a 10 - 15 minute study of the directions they were asked to make their paper airplane.  We flew the airplanes to see whose plane went the farthest.  This was a fun way to practice our reading skills and Habit #6 - Synergize!

Number The Stars

Our first read aloud for the second semester was Number the Stars.  Number the Stars is a historical fiction novel that takes place in Denmark during World War II.  Hitler and his Nazi regime have taken over Denmark and are driving the Jews out.  

While reading this novel the students were able to learn a little about life for Jews during World War II. They loved the novel and hated for it to end.  This picture was taken on the day we finished the book.  They all wanted to gather around my desk because a book is a whole lot better when you're super close to the reader :).

SNOW!!!

After several school delays with no precipitation, we finally received a little snow.  We tried to play in it, but as you can see, it was more water than anything.  We had fun anyway!

Solar System Scavenger Hunt

We studied space during the month of January.  We studied the planets, our galaxy, and other items in our solar system, but our main focus was on space technology and its change throughout the years.  As we wrapped our study of space up they students took a scavenger hunt around the school to answer various questions about space.  They had a great time doing this.

Jack's Dog

Jack traded in 5 Bling Slips to bring his dog, Oreo, in to school one afternoon.  Oreo is the smallest, most precious little dog.  We loved getting to meet Oreo!  Thank you for sharing with us, Jack!

Merry Christmas

We had a blast at our Christmas party this year.  We feasted on pancakes & toppings, donuts, sausage balls, and bacon.  The kids had a great time and enjoyed all of the food!

Baby Chicks

Before Christmas break Mrs. White had 7 chicken eggs in an incubator in her classroom.  We were able to watch the eggs hatch and see the baby chicks pop their heads out.  It was the most precious thing and the kids LOVED it!