Word of the Week: CATAPULT
Catapult was one of 5th grade's vocabulary words this week. Why not offer a STEM challenge? The students were divided into teams to create a catapult that could launch a mini marshmallow the farthest. All teams were given the same supplies. As you can see, each catapult was unique!


And the winners were.......

It's NOT Greek to Us!
The 3rd grade students recently completed learning about the culture of Ancient Greece. The unit of study included the birth of democracy, the influence of Greek architecture in the United States, Greek mythology, and the art of Greece. As a culminating activity, the students celebrated by wearing traditional clothing called chitons (NOT togas!) and feasting on Greek cuisine.

Will it float?

Fourth grade students are currently studying the early exploration of the Americas by Europe. We took this opportunity to complete a STEM challenge in order to fully grasp how difficult it was to travel by a ship stocked with needed supplies. The students were challenged to create a ship that would float while carrying twenty pennies. In addition, they were only allowed to use the supplies that were issued to them in a brown paper bag. Immediately, two groups realized that the Styrofoam cups were an excellent choice to use as a flotation device. Not only that, all groups realized that the cling wrap was needed in order to "seal" the ships and make them waterproof. This group demonstrated their engineering skills successfully!

National Unity Day - Wearing Orange = NO BULLYING!!

Lemonade for Sale!

As a culminating project for our unit on Economics, the third grade students became entrepreneurs by planning a lemonade business. Students had to work together in small groups and devise a business plan that included the capital needed, an ideal location to increase sales, and an enticing gimmick to draw customers.

Fourth Grade's Study of Native Americans

In our fourth grade social studies class, students have been exploring the culture of early Native American tribes in North America. They are able to describe the differences in the art of story telling. For example, the Inuit of the Arctic region created scrimshaws, which consisted of carved pictures into ivory. The Hopi of the southwest told their stories using talking pots that were made from dried clay. Finally, the Kwakiutl of the plateau region carved totem poles to explain the strengths of each clan.

Welcome Back

Welcome back to the 2015-2016 school year. I look forward to this adventure with you.