Geologists at Work

As you may know, the second graders are acting geologists these days.  They have been learning the properties of rocks and the terms used to describe the different sizes of rocks found in a sample of river rocks.  This week we talked about sand and how it comes from bigger rocks that have weathered over time.  We got to look at samples of sand from oceans, rivers and lakes around the country.  We learned what the word "particle" means.  Just yesterday we learned that there is an earth material smaller than sand- silt.  We could identify it after we left a small vial containing sand and water overnight.  We saw that the sand was on the bottom and the silt was a smooth layer on top. 

Special Visitors

Today we celebrated Leah's birthday with her parents coming in to read three great stories: Oh, Were They Ever Happy, The Biggest Pumpkin Ever, and Hamburger Heaven.  The kids really enjoyed all the stories!

Martin's Words

Today we celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with our Fifth Grade buddies.  Mr. Allen read the book, Martin's Big Words. Then the buddies picked a quote of his and wrote what it means to them.  Very inspiring overall.  

Story Time

This morning we started the day with Gael's mom, Rachel, reading us a story.  Yafi's Family is a beautiful story of the adoption of an Ethiopian boy by an American family.  

Special treat!

On Friday we were treated to something quite special!  In the morning we had an African drumming workshop. We learned about two different types of drums and had a chance to play each one.  We were told we were one of the "best" classes throughout the week of workshops!  We certainly had a lot of fun!  In the afternoon the whole Thompson School was invited to a concert by the full band.  It was a rockin' time.  

Happy New Year!

This week we greeted our new friend, Mikael, who joins us in Room 210. The students have been giving him a warm welcome and have been showing him the routines and procedures of our class.

We have also started our first formal science curriculum: the study of rocks and soils.  Today the students were excited to observe and collect data on the question "What happens when you rub two rocks together?"