Hi, it's Devin again! We just got home from the "Maysie's farm." We learned how to plant lettuce and how it is to live on a farm. We planed atleast... 50 plants! Devin reporting out!

At Maisy's farm... We learned about the plants. Also my classmates got to dig compost. Also we got to eat saled.All of us did planting. Sam is a person who helped us. Chloe's mother and Lara's mother came to help us,too!

The Pullets are in their Coop

We thought this day would never come. Not because we wanted the chicks out of the classroom, but because eight weeks seemed so far away. But here is it! We miss their quiet clucking noises and the charming way that they interacted with the students. They have grown to a pre-laying hen, a pullet. We are proud to have helped with their growth. We hope to see eggs at the end of June. These Buff Orpingtons have been a wonderful hands-on farming learning experience for third graders. 

Excitement!

Not so sure...

We had never seen the pullets so quiet.

There is always one brave one. 

They seemed so small in their new home.

Thank you to the school administration for all of their help!

Thank you to Vandi, who has been taking care of the chicks/pullets on the weekends!

Grandfriend's Day - April 2011

I was so proud of my students. There was a morning full of tasty treats, lovely singing, and shared learning! Each student acted with kindness, and maturity. Grandfriends made our day special and, I think, we made their day special too! Thank you for coming!

We served our Grandfriends some cheese and crackers snack.

We interviewed our Grandfriends about their travels around the United States.

They helped us learn more about the United States.

We asked questions about the state's climate, geography, and state parks.

It was fun to hear their travel stories!

Which states did Grandfriends go to as a child?

When we posted all the various states that our Grandfriends visited,
we were very close to getting to all fifty states!

Students were happy to share a Grandfriend for the day!

We felt admiration while we were learning.

Each child interviewed a guest.

Thank you for coming!

It was a fun morning!

Fifty States Unit

We began our new social studies unit with much excitement. This was the beginning of learning about the Fifty States and the much anticipated State Float Parade. We started by learning about the globe, the continents, and the location of the equator and other parts of the globe. We then discussed the idea of resources because the next part is to research a state and answer the essential question: How has your state successfully used its resources? We chose a state to research and off we went. We are working on the State Float packet at home, and in school we are learning the location of all fifty states. Some of us are challenging ourselves to learn the state capitals as well. We will write a travel brochure at school and read these travel brochures to you during the State Float Parade. We can't wait to show you what we have been working on. See you on May 24th!  

The Five Chicks are now Five Pullets

Our chicks have grownup enough to call them pullets, young hens that haven't yet laid eggs. They are healthy and enjoyable. The seem to peck at everything in their brooder. The brooder is now at 70 degrees during the day. We are getting them ready to go to their outdoor coop. We bring them clover, dandelion, and an occasional worm. They love grapes and laying together in the afternoon. When they are not resting or pecking. You can often find one or two of the pullets roosting on the edge of the brooder. When it is okay with Tr. Jen, we allow the pullets to jump to our legs and we can pet them. They still poop a lot and make a fuss occasionally. We love them and are very proud to have them in our classroom.

The pullets have been raised by these third graders. 

The are very comfortable being petted while sitting on someone's leg.

See how much I have grown!

Cole has a knack for being just quiet enough or gentle enough for our pullets to easily come to him.

It is strange at first to have a pullet on your leg.

But you get used to it and soon it feels normal.

Annenberg Theater Field Trip

Other than it being a rainy day, we couldn't have asked for anything better. We had lots to do inside with our friends. Some of us did crafts, watched entertainers, and some had the patience to wait in line to get their faces painted. We found a relatively nice spot (under the cherry trees is a bit nicer) to have lunch. The grand finale of the trip was watching the dancers in the Dance Theater of Harlem. These dancers walked us through the basics of ballet. Our own Lara got up on stage and showed all of us a few dance moves of her own. It was a fun day with many good memories. 

We were entertained.

We were active.

We tried things ourselves.

We had our faces painted.

There were jugglers!

We ate lunch.

We got ready to watch the amazing presentation of the Dance Theater of Harlem.