What's Happening in Room 35

New Class!

We have a new class posting to blogs this week! It is very exciting. They are going to be posting their hopes and dreams for their third grade year. I am so impressed with this class. They are a wonderful group of kids and it has been fun getting to know them. I have lots of fun activities planned for this year and I can't wait to get started....well I already have! I think the kids are really enjoying science so far and now they are going to be BLOGGING!

Minneosta History Center

Here are George Washington's actual dentures.  Can you imagine wearing these things?
Painful!  The George Washington exhibit is one of the traveling exhibits at the MNHS.  Last year we had Benjamin Franklin. I have learned so much history from these wonderful exhibits. I really enjoy this glimpse into history that we travel to each year on our "Big" third grade field trip.  Wow! Did we have fun!

Beargrease 2011 Predictions

We have been learning about sled dogs, sled dog racing and the history of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon.  The race starts this coming Sunday in Duluth.  Today in class we made some predictions as to who might win the race this year.

Abby's Story

The Mole

 

On November 14th, 2010, I woke up and told my mom I was going outside to take some photographs. It had just snowed yesterday, and it looked just magnificent.

I put on my hat, boots, and coat. Then I coaxed my little dog Sara outside with me. I unzipped my camera case and took my camera out.

I snapped a few photos of my dog and cat, but they weren't very good. I shrugged and walked into the backyard to see if the snow covered trees held any birds I could get photos of. I looked around in the trees, but could not find any.    

My cat jumped around in the snow, and my little dog trotted after her. I thought the snow was just too deep for my cat, so that's why she was jumping around. But then I heard a peeping noise, and saw a little brown mouse-creature scurry under the snow. I gasped, thinking it was a mouse.

My cat kept chasing him around and around in the snow, and once, when my tracks in the snow made a path for him, he paused and screamed in terror. Then I knew I had to help him. He had buried himself in the snow again, and by now I knew he was a baby mole, but and my cat was on his trail. I kicked up snow gently, he dashed from the snow and went in between my legs, but I was not frightened. He wavered around under me- probably because moles can't see very well, and they just have excellent hearing- then he plowed back into the snowy blanket.

I put my dog inside, then my cat. I ran into the garage and found a box and lid. I searched around for him where I last saw him, but had no luck. Before I knew it I had almost kicked up half the area of the backyard, and I still hadn't found him.

Then I thought, "If my cat found him once, she could find him again!" I went inside and got my cat. I carried her to the area I had kicked up. She started prancing around in the snow for a little while, then she must have gotten bored, because she ran away to see if she could find her next helpless prey.

Something in the back of my mind told me he wasn't out here, and to give up, but I still didn't want to lose hope. I kicked around in the snow some more, I even trekked around in the woods a bit, but he was gone.

I wasn't planning on keeping him forever, no, because I wanted to observe him a little, see how he made those burrows in the snow, offer him some food, maybe give him a name, Little Guy, I would have called him. You might think, "Why would you want a filthy creature, that can't even see where it's going?" Well I would have loved him, you know why? I wasn't afraid of him. I usually freak at mice scurrying around everywhere, but not this little mole.

I searched and searched and searched everywhere. Then, finally, I gave up. I was glad that I probably saved his life for a while, and he might be in his own little den with his family, but I wanted just to see him, to tell if he was okay.

I trudged through the snow and put the box and lid back into the garage. I went inside, to where my little dog Sara was waiting at the top of the steps for me. I took off my hat, boots, and coat and put them in their proper places. I sat down at my computer and wrote how I had saved a little mole's life, for now.

It's Up!

The mural is up!

 

The Mural is finished! Wow!

The third grade kids at Washington have been busy painting a mural, representing all that we have learned about the Ojibwe people in our studies this year.  It has been an amazing year.  I was a participant in an Ojibwe Arts grant called Project Intersect.  The grant provided funding for guest speakers, field trips and classroom resources.  The result is amazing.

Our Beargrease Predictions

The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon starts on Sunday.  Today we made predictions as to who we think might win.  Here they are.  I got to choose 2 because I'm the teacher :) ....and I couldn't decide who my top pick should be.

Meal Worms

Today we all got meal worms.  We can keep them in a covered container in our desks.  This is what we observed and noticed. They have six legs and they drag their tail. They also have thirteen or fourteen  segments. Meal worms have a head and mouth. The meal worms love moisture. They drink the apple juice from the apples and they live in their food. Their color is light or dark brown and black. They shed a bit. They dig a lot. They eat while they dig. They are kind of smart and they move a lot.

Here are some pictures of meal worms that we took with our class Kena-Vision class microscope. 

This is Cole's mealworm.  It is alive.

 

This is a mealworm's molted skin.

 This is a picture where we labeled the body segments, the head and the mouth.

Student reporters: Camryn, Maddy P., Carter, Logan.

Lily the Bear had a cub

Lily the Bear had one cub today at 11:38 a.m.  Researchers are trying to confirm if there could be two!  To see the little cub's arm sticking out from underneath her mother, Lily, and hear the cub nursing, watch this video. This has been so exciting to follow!

John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon

In class we are learning about John Beargrease, an Ojibwe person, born in 1858.  He was amazing man and a fantastic musher.  The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is run each year to celebrate his accomplishments.

This year 30 mushers are entered in the 390 mile race.  To learn more about each musher, click here.

There is a really cool photo gallery of the 2008 marathon here.  There is another photo gallery here.