Day 78: Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to you! Have a safe, warm, and restful break. Check back at the blog for updates over the vacation!

 

Day 77: New Years Resolutions

Day 77: MATTER TEST

Day 76: Letters to Santa

This year, the McLeansville Elementary School Student Council is making an effort to flood the Santa Mail boxes at Macy's stores with letters to Santa. For each letter Macy's receives, they will donate $1.00 to the Make a Wish Foundation. Today, we learned more about the foundation and discussed how great it is that someone is helping sick children to have something positive to think about throughout the year. If you can, take a moment and write a quick letter to Santa. If you bring it to school before Friday, December 20, we will even drop it off for you.

CLICK HERE for the link to the Macy's Believe Project!

Day 75: Holiday Card Exchange

This year, our class participated in a holiday card exchange with 30 schools across the country. Here are our cards and the map we've created to show where the cards have originated. We've even been able to talk over Skype with some of the classes! Happy Holidays from around the USA!

Day 74: Changes Labs

Exploring what happens with Alka-Seltzer and water. 

Hard at work with our 6 science lab stations.

Baking soda and vinegar... oh my!

Vinegar and milk... hmmm! What happens?!

Day 72: Voki

http://voki.com

Day 71: Holidays Challenge

We've started building Holidays Around the World boards with our Discovery Education accounts, and check out this challenge from DE! If you want your board submitted to the challenge, let me know!

The challenge is open to students in all grades. The prize-winning board will be selected based on the most interesting content and the best use of the features of Board Builder. The prizes are a New Year’s Gift for the board creator and a New Year’s Gift Pack for his or her classroom. (Prizes will be wrapped in paper and mystery, like all good holiday gifts.)

Deadline = December 20, 2013. Teachers must submit the boards, so give them enough time to review, approve, and submit.

Here are the directions:

1. Create a board with a theme of Holidays around the World.

2. Create a unique title for your board and include the word “holiday” or “holidays” (i.e. “Globular Holiday Extravaganza” or “Musicalicious Holidays”).

3. Submit your board to your teacher for approval. Then, ask your teacher to 1) share it to the DE Community and 2) submit it for the challenge here.

Here are some hints:

Get creative: take some time to think about a theme that interests you and would be interesting to others. Focus on one holiday and the different traditions it brings in various cultures; highlight unique holiday foods; dig into the origins of a particular holiday — all of these and many more ideas would be fine.

Use the features of Board Builder: make sure you take advantage of the variety of things you can include on a board. Board Builder lets you include images, video, audio, and documents. You can use resources directly from Discovery Education, resources saved on your computer, or you can create your own photos, videos, songs, etc. and upload them right onto the board.

Day 70: Hour of Code

Let's start here...
Catch those pigs! Code.Org



Places to learn how to code for kids:

Tynker

Create a holiday card with Scratch

Code Academy

Day 69: Congratulations

Congratulations to our students who were selected to serve on the 2013-2014 McLeansville Elementary School Student Council!

President: Storm
Vice-President: Kayla

Representatives: Da'Mon & Alexandra

Day 68: Student Council Elections

Day 67: Mrs. Hines' Interim Report

Day 66: Look What Came Today

Day 64: Sheep in a Jeep!

Look what we are learning about force and motion with sheep in a Jeep. Who would have guessed?

Day 62: Reading Test

Day 61: Science Fair

Day 60: Mystery Skype Update

Day 57: Gratitude

Day 56: Science Fun

Need something to do this weekend? Check out this Science fun!

Day 55: American Revolution

We have been learning about the American Revolution in our class this month. It's been a lot of fun to explore Colonial Life, causes of the Revolution, battles of the American Revolution, and Founding Fathers. Based on your enthusiasm, I want to share a few other resources you might want to check out...

http://mrnussbaum.com/amflash/: The American Revolution for Kids

http://www.revolutionary-war.net/revolutionary-war-spies.html : Spies in the American Revolution

http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/women_american_revolution/: Women in the American Revolution

And information about the important battle that happened in our own back yard - The Battle of Guilford Courthouse

Day 54: Advice

Today, we put together some quick advice for other classes who are trying the "Something New" project. Here's what my students had to say...

Day 53: Paul Revere's Ride

Today, we studied the classic poem, "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadworth Longfellow as the introduction to our week on the battles and major events of the American Revolution. Despite the fact that this is a very difficult text, we tackled it beautifully, with a little help with some friends ... the Animaniacs! Sometimes a lot of help comes in places where you would least expect it!

 

Day 51: Heat Transfer

Are you trying to remember the three main types of heat transfer? Think of hot dogs!

CONDUCTION:
Heat is transferred through direct contact

* A pan is hot to the touch
* A spoon sitting in a hot pan will also get hot

CONVECTION:
Heat is transferred in a circular motion in air or in liquid, where the warm rises to the top and forces the cool down and closer to the heat source

* Air conditioning and heating in a home
* Boiling water/Cooking over the stove

RADIATION:
Heat is transferred by electromagnetic waves

* Sun
* Microwaves
* Radiant heat

Day 50: Liberty's Kids

We are studying about the Revolutionary War this month through our Language Arts studies. We've been watching the Liberty's Kids series from PBS. Don't forget that you can check out more about this awesome and informative series with your Discovery account (http://discoveryeducation.com) or on YouTube!

Click HERE for links to more resources for Liberty's Kids!

Day 49: States of Matter

How do the molecules in the states of matter move? 

Day 48: Around the World in 80 Seconds

Hey to my favorite class! I've missed you this week - check out this awesome math game I found this week. Can you go around the world in 80 seconds?

Day 45: Colonial Kids

Take a virtual tour and learn more about Colonial Life!

 

Complete your scavenger hunt with a neighboring partner!

Day 44: Measurement

Today, we went on a measurement scavenger hunt. Can you find something in your house that is...
1 foot long?
1 inch long?
1 meter long?
1 centimeter long?
1 millimeter long?

What about...
1 ounce?
1 pound?
1 gram?
1 kilogram?

We also made line plots of our shoe sizes!

Day 43: Range, Mean, Median, Mode

Day 41: Energy Wise

 

Today, we had a special performance from the folks at Duke Energy about how to keep our homes more energy efficient. Every student received a card on how to get some extra resources at home! 

If our school gets 100 people to sign up for one of these FREE resource ranger kits, we will get $100 to use for our PBIS committee. Here's the link to sign up https://www.resourcereward.org/

Please help us out and do it today! 

Day 40: Spelling Activities

Here are the spelling choice activities for this week...

Complete one activity each night and have an adult initial that the activity was completed.

 

______ Write ten sentences using your words.

 

______ Write your spelling words on cards (two sets) and play memory match against a parent or sibling.

 

______ Write a rap using all of your spelling words.

 

______ Draw and color a picture. “Hide” the words in the picture.

 

______ Take a practice test at home given by a parent.

 

______ Using a thesaurus, write your words and a synonym and antonym beside each word.

 

______ Pretend as if you are shooting a basketball. For each shot, spell one letter of your words.

 

______ Clap as you spell your words and tell an adult their meaning.

 

______ Resort your words into their categories and write them on a sheet of notebook paper.

 

______ Write a friendly letter to someone using at least ten of your spelling words.

 

Day 38: Some things don't mix

Explain to your parents and family members what is happening here! Just don't let the heat in! 

Day 37: Decimal Place Value

Today we reviewed decimal place value based on images. Don't forget to look at each image as a fraction. One-tenth is bigger than ninety-nine thousandths! It doesn't matter how many blocks are colored if their values are different! 

Day 36: Mark Your Calendars

Our 5th grade trip has been set! Mark your calendars for April 9-10 because we are headed for Wilmington, NC. Check out some of the awesome sights we are going to see! Our first parent meeting will be Thursday, October 24 at 4:00 pm or 5:30 pm.

 College tour of UNC-Wilmington

 Ghost Tour of historic downtown Wilmington waterfront

 Civil War Battle Site at Fort Fisher

 

 NC Aquarium and field visit at Kure Beach

 

Lunch and river cruise on the Henrietta II

 

  USS North Carolina Battleship

 

Day 35: Reading Eggs

Each student now has their own Reading Eggs account. Log on at http://readingeggs.com with your individual login and password.

Day 32: We've Gone Bi-Coastal

This school in Irvine, California was recently recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School, which is a tremendous honor. In this article, a 5th grade class is featured doing a Mystery Skype session as one of their awesome technology lessons. Guess who is on the other end of this computer screen? We are!!!

HERE'S THE LINK TO THE ACTUAL ARTICLE!

Day 31: Spelling & Vocabulary City

As we are starting with Words Their Way this week, each week, I will post your lists onto Spelling City. My page can be found at https://www.spellingcity.com/kellyhines1/. You will want to look for your ELA Group (green, blue, or purple) and the date of the Monday of the new week. We will check it out in the lab together this week, but it will become part of our weekly word work time. You can practice at home, too!

Day 30: Weekly Update

This week we are learning…

Words Their Way: Students will get their first spelling words this week. We are using a program called Words Their Way that focuses on helping students to master patterns of spelling and reading. Students will get their words on Mondays, and tests will be on Thursdays.

-      Operations with Decimals: We are extending our learning of place value, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction from whole numbers to decimals.

-      Weather Unit: We are wrapping up our weather unit this week. Study those vocabulary cards we made and the study guide you will get on Monday!

-      English/Language Arts: We have wrapped up our non-fiction unit, and are moving into our first fiction unit of the year – Fairy Tales! We will be evaluating the motives of characters, themes of literature, and understanding multiple perspectives of how authors write.

Happening This Week... 

Wednesday: Weather Unit Test

Thursday: Spelling Test

Friday: Mini Quiz on Operations with Decimals & Science Fair Topic Due

Day 29: Early Release Day

Your homework this weekend is to...

Have Fun! Play Outside!

Day 28: Mystery Skype Update

We are getting to be pretty good at Mystery Skype! So far we have spoken with classes in California, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. We've even made international calls to Manitoba and Alberta, Canada. We are learning about bordering states, time zones, how different states are affected by El Nino, Tornado Alley, the Ice Fields of Canada, and more. We have more sessions scheduled in the coming weeks. Come join us if you are interested in checking it out!

Day 27: B-TV

Our students help put on B-TV, our live morning broadcast, each day. We have two broadcasters, 1 camera person, and 1 person in charge of the teleprompter. If you are ever in the building at 7:45 AM, be sure to check out their great work! On Fridays, our PBIS Team even joins in on the fun!

Day 26: Science Fair Time!

It's time to kick off the annual science fair. All students will be required to complete a science fair project for the school science fair, which is November 22. The first phase of the project is due on Friday, October 11... the topic!

Here are a few resources in case you are stuck for ideas...
IPL12 offers some great suggestions and resources
Discovery Ed has an amazing Science Fair Central
Exploratorium

Click HERE for a video to help you start thinking about the process as a whole!

Day 25: Something New

Today, we started wrapping up our Something New projects. We had some amazing student entries, and we all learned so much about and from one another. Here are just a few of the things we learned...
- how to play a new song on the guitar
- some basic words in Greek
- how to make cakes, cookies, and cupcakes from scratch
- how to make and sew pillows
- how to play a drum beat
- how to play a song on the piano
- how to kick a football off a tee
- how to perform the cup song

Day 24: Donors Choose

Thanks to a generous gift from a variety of kind sponsors and Donors Choose, we have a new set of board games for our classroom. We spent time today opening, putting together, reading directions, practicing math and problem solving skills, and playing. We also wrote thank you notes to our kind donors! If you are interested in other projects we have posted, check out our page at http://www.donorschoose.org/kellyhines.

Day 23: Walking Through Division

Day 22: Van Denton Visits

Van Denton, meteorologist from Fox 8 news, came to talk with our students today about forecasting, weather reporting, fronts, and tropical weather systems. If you are interested in trying out for a spot as a special kid anchor on the weather report, check out information on his website on how to apply!