Prairie Field Trip - 5th Grade

5th graders harvested prairie grasses and forbs while hiking through the remaining prairie at Round Prairie Park last Friday. They later threw the seeds in barren patches along the road leading to the river. We witnessed a small controlled burn and saw the power of a small fire in the prairie grasses. Students used school cameras to take their own pictures and will create their version of the prairie story using the pictures.
I am only posting a few pictures for now. Enjoy!

3rd Grade Field Trip Slideshow

Parents,
Check out the picture of Therese with a hard hat! Then ask your child what animal has an adaptation that functions the same way as a hard hat.
In addition to seeing a woodpecker's long tongue that uncoils from his head, 3rd grade Challenge kids laughed and played fun games!

4th Grade Field Trip Slideshow

4th graders spent the afternoon at Jefferson County Park with Therese and the trees. Students identified 10 Iowa trees and then built a device to hold a pea using natural and man-made materials. They dropped their creations off a slide to see how long it took to land!
Check out the slideshow below.
Tree I.D. at Jefferson County Park -4th Grade on PhotoPeach

5th Grade Prairie Field Trip

When: Friday, Oct. 28, 2011
Bus leaves at 9:00 a.m. and returns at 2:30.
Where: Round Prairie Park
What: Restore the prairie: harvest seeds, clear brush, etc.
What to bring: Food. Kids need their lunch and plenty of water.
There are no drinking fountains at Round Prairie Park.
Also, bring garden gloves if possible.
Parents are welcome!
Please send me an email or call me at Pence to let me know.
Kids need to dress warmly. Can always leave coat on bus or at shelter if too warm.
See you Friday.

More Things To Do With Paper - 5th Grade

5th graders met the challenge to build a tall tower with just 2 pieces of newspaper. One girl said her first attempt was a disaster, but she learned she needed a stronger base. Voila. A free standing tall tower made from 2 pieces of newspaper. Way to go!

Origami - 5th Grade

In early October, Mrs. Lemlin came to our class and showed everyone how to fold origami paper cranes. She learned to fold cranes when she was a young girl living in Japan. All students enjoyed folding cranes because of the hands-on nature of the project. We were all grateful Mrs. Lemlin shared her knowledge of the culture of Japan! Thanks, Megumi!

Zippy Clippy 2011

3rd Grade Challenge students applied creative problem-solving skills to the following challenge: invent a new use for a paperclip.

I love their reflections at the end of the inventing process. Here is what they wrote:

"The best thing about making a Zippy Clippy is putting all the pieces together and watching how fast it comes along. I love seeing how our Zippy Clippy turned out in the end. I am an inventor because I love to build things at home."

"I am an inventor because I can make hard things. But I couldn't make hard things without my friends."

"The best thing about making a Zippy Clippy is using a paper clip because most people think that paper clips can't do much."

Please click below to see a slideshow of the Zippy Clippys.

Zippy Clippy 2011 on PhotoPeach