Wiggly Worms and Loopy Leeches

We are studying the invertebrates in science class.  Each day we talk about a different phylum of animals and take notes on it.  Yesterday we learned about the annelids - the segmented worms.  Today each student got to observe a night crawler and a leech.  Next week we are going to design some great behavior experiments to see how smart these little critters are.  But for now, we just enjoyed playing with these slithery, slimy creatures.

Happy Valentines Day

Today was a day of red and pink, hearts and love, and tons of sugar!  We had a great Valentines Day party with a kickball game against the 4th graders, a Valentine box contest, a little dancing to the Wii, and cookies, cupcakes and candy.  I am so glad Valentines Day is at the end of the week this year!

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Today we went out in the school forest to look at tracks in the snow and other evidence of animals.  We saw a few places where the deer had browsed on shrubs and a woodpecker or two.  The highlight of our visit was shaking the trees to make a blizzard.  We came in a little cold and a little snowy, but it was fun to explore the woods in winter.

Studying Angiosperms

Today I handed each student a knife.  Am I crazy?  Yes, a little bit.  I think you have to be crazy to teach 5th grade.  Anyhow, we are studying angiosperms - plants that have a fruit surrounding their seeds.  Each student received a different fruit with the assignment to cut it in half and study the seed.  After some observational drawing, the students carefully cut it into pieces for everyone to try.

We  ate a lime, lemon, cantaloupe, tomato, cucumber, papaya, mango, pineapple, green pepper, apple, star fruit, cherry, persimmon, quince, grapefruit, pear, pomegranate and kiwi.  The kids were surprised to learn that some foods we think of as vegetables are actually fruits.  If it has a seed inside, it is a fruit!

Native American Research

 Dakota

Shoshoni

Crow

Pawnee

Inuit

Mandan

Cherokee

Iroquois

Apache

Menominee

Nez Perce

Cayuga

Lakota

Mohawk

Seminole

Navajo

Hopi

Today we had our History Fair.  The students have been busy researching different Native American Tribes.  They wrote a detailed report, and created a project to teach others about their tribe.  At our History Fair, parents, other teachers and students came in to take a look at our projects.  The 5th graders did an excellent job talking about what they had learned.

Gymnosperms!

A gymnosperm is a seed plant that keeps its seeds in cones.  We commonly know them as conifers or evergreen trees.  Today the class  took a close look at the 8 gymnosperms that grow wild in Minnesota.  Can you name them?  Give up?  Okay, I will tell  you...  red pine, white pine, jack pine, black spruce, white spruce, balsam fir, white cedar and tamarack.

The kids learned the common traits that will help them identify these conifers in the woods behind their houses.  We will be going outside next week to see if we can find these trees in the forest near the school.

A Policeman with a Teddy Bear?

This isn't an ordinary policeman... and that isn't an ordinary teddy bear.  This is Police Chief Jeff Madsen with Daren the DARE lion.  See?  It isn't even a teddy bear at all.

We started the DARE program today.  Officer Madsen will be coming into our room once a week to talk to the 5th graders about how to make good choices in life.  He does a fantastic job getting to know the kids and teaching them great stuff.  We usually end the year with a field trip to Minneapolis to see a Twins game.  It's going to be a great DARE year!