Sprout House Observations, and GIANT Idaho Map, Calligraphy with raspberry ink we made

The kids really like used the quill with the ink we made. I have had to buy some real ink to use. A few students have brought in quills from other birds to try. 

 The kids have kept track in a chart of watering and sprouting. Results have been different for the seeds. They have done sketches and tomorrow will be able to take home their plants. We have also been feeding two Venus Fly Traps. I had to go and get a second one because of all the flies they were bringing in! We have had good talks about adaptation and writing facts. Learning to explain information takes a lot of practice. The Sprout Houses were the material for their first narrative and expository writing. We are using a story in the text book as the model. Lots of thinking about what to include. They know what a criteria list is now.                                      Each day some have been able to measure the height of their sprout in mm/cm, do a sketch, and write statements that describe change.         It was really interesting to have them do this first experiment because many changed the amount of water they were giving to the sprout. The little house has a funnel and I gave them a teaspoon and measuring cup. When a few kids had sprouted seeds, kids began to over water. They realized this when we started writing 'claims and evidence statements'.

Comfortable in her tank of coconut husks watching the class.

  It took more than a half hour of directions, and team instructions, but at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, the kids interacted with National Geographic's Giant Idaho Map.

 http://nationalgeographic.org/education/giant-traveling-maps/

First 5 minutes to wonder and wander.

The comments the kids made after we debriefed were very insightful as they explained that the size of the map allowed them to understand the distances better.

https://idahogeographicalliance.wordpress.com/

Karen Humes and Patrick Olsen, University of Idaho colleagues, wrote the grant that made it possible for this huge map to travel our state.

They loved walking on the Bitterroot Mountains that are the eastern border for the state.

Socks only on the 16' x 20' map. It weights 25 pounds

Besides the Team Bingo Scavanager Map Search, the kids put some information down that they will look into.

Yellow Group

Red Group

Blue Group

Green Group

The questions on the board were for the TBaA for each group. It is important in cooperative learning to make sure that the kids reflect on the learning. It provides review and reinforcement.

As I observe and listen to each group making sure that everyone is heard and how to take turns, I am reminded that the art of listening gives us so much knowledge. For this group of very friendly 4th graders, they are  finding out that that the information or observations of another classmates will aid their own learning.