Monarchs Released

Today we released three monarch butterflies.  Usually our first science unit of the year is studying monarch caterpillars and their metamorphosis process.  Unfortunately, I could only find 6 caterpillars this year and they had each made a chrysalis before school started.  We have been watching these carefully, and three butterflies came out over the weekend.  It was fun to let them go and see them fly south on their way to Mexico.

Oh Deer!

Today we had 5 special visitors at school and only two of them were human.  Steve Porter and his son, Dylan, brought three of the bucks from their deer farm near Lake Bronson, Minnesota.  Dylan taught us about the development of antlers and buck behavior during different times of year.  The class got to see a lot of antlers and three very large bucks up close!

Hopes and Dreams

I took a Responsive Classroom workshop a few years ago, and I use so many components of this wonderful program.  

At the beginning of the year we talk about things we are good at and things we need help with.  These can be subject areas (Math), organizational areas (bringing in homework on time) or social areas (raising hands before talking).  Then each student writes his/her hope and dream for this school year on a star.

To share our hopes and dreams with each other we had a loud and crazy celebration this afternoon.  I am sure everyone in the town of Hill City wondered what was going on.

Now early next week we will sit down together and talk about what rules are necessary so that every single person in our class can meet his/her hope and dream.

Science Inquiry: Goldenrod Galls

Two days of school have gone by.  I am extremely exhausted, but it is a good thing!  I always try to start the year with a big science activity my class can really get excited about.  I usually do a monarch caterpillar/butterfly unit.  Unfortunately, there are very few caterpillars around this fall, so I had to go on to Plan B.  What was Plan B?  Goldenrod galls!

The Canada Goldenrod plant grows all over our area. Many of these plants have a special feature called a "gall."  This gall is a little home for the larva of the Goldenrod Gall Fly.

Yesterday I gave each student a Goldenrod gall to observe.  They drew pictures with accurate coloring and wrote down some observations.  They then had to think of 5 questions.  The most common question was definitely, "What is inside?"  After cutting them open, most students found a small white larva. We are keeping these larva, just in case any decide to go through metamorphosis and we can produce a few flies.  It has happened in other years, so I have my fingers crossed.

Today we went out to the woods near our school forest and found dozens of galls.  The class is to take them home and share what they have learned with their families.

Tomorrow we are going to go out and look for some milkweed.  I'm still hoping to find a few monarch caterpillars yet this fall!

Exploring the goldenrod gall - recording observations, drawing,
coloring, and writing questions.

Looking for galls in the woods by the school

We found a few!

 

Welcome Back to School!

  It is Labor Day weekend and I should be out doing "summery" things for the last time.  Instead, I am sitting at my computer working on curriculum and parent newsletters.  Ah, such is the life of a teacher.

This is my 18th year of teaching at Hill City Elementary School.  You would think after 18 years, going back to school would be easy.  It definitely has become easier, but it still isn't easy.  Every year I decide to change a whole bunch of stuff and as I get older my memory isn't as good. 

I think I have everything ready for Tuesday.  My room looks ready, anyway.  In just over 48 hours, the whirlwind of a school year begins again.  I can't wait, but I think there is still time to go swimming in a lake just once more this summer.

End of Year Field Trip

Okay, so this wasn't the most educational field trip we have ever taken.  But it sure was fun!  The 5th and 6th graders spent the morning at Thunder Alley, the new and improved bowling alley in Grand Rapids.  The lanes are lit with black lights so we got some cool glowing effects on white socks. And the science teacher in me could talk about ultraviolet radiation.

The kids then spent money in the arcade.  And the math teacher in me could discuss probability and statistics as they took chances in winning thousands of tickets.  These tickets were turned in for fabulous prizes, including at least 10 whoopee cushions.

The best part of the trip (for me) was going to Veteran's Park for lunch.  After eating, half the kids played kickball and I took the rest down to the Mississippi River for a little nature exploring.  We found a dragonfly nymph and lots of crayfish.

Maybe the kids did learn a few things after all...

Track and Field Day

Track and Field Day is an annual event at Hill City School.  The morning was cloudy, cold and rainy, but the kids still ran, jumped and had a great time.  The highlights this year included the 5th grade girls relay team defeating the 6th grade girls and, of course, the tug-of-war competition.  We had lots of help from some older high school boys, so there were some upsets here, too.