Sneak Peek

Thanks for stopping by! Five more days and then VACATION! Yea! Not ready yet though...are you? Linking up again with my Wisconsin blogger, Mrs. Laffin's Laughing. Here is a sneak peek at my week and then check out my other posts to show what I will do at the end of the week with my holiday stations:) 

Here is my week in review, this is what my kiddos worked on this week. My day one, or what normal people call Monday's start on Tuesdays right now. Sooooo, I don't get my planning time until Monday. This week however, I had a conference, let's just say I lost all my prep time and learned Nada. I hate that. 

Random Acts Of Kindness For Sandy Hook

As educators, we remember and honor our fallen colleagues and their students from Sandy Hook School.  We honor them each day in our classrooms in which we continue their dream of teaching our children.  We honor their memory with our service.  Join with teachers everywhere in committing random acts of kindness to show our love for Sandy Hook.

All during this week, please promote the RAK on social media.  
Use the hashtag:  #love4SH.

Santa's Workshop In Science Class

Next week, is obviously a busy week before we are on vacation! HOOT! HOOT! So, why not take a little break from the FOSS lessons or kits to use the concepts in a holiday way!

Our Kinders, firsties, and 2nd graders are going to be using a great freebie from Smart Chick that has the students building a gingerbread man trap. Great for STEM engineering activities. I will be reading this great version 
In third grade next week, I will be working on an extension of the FOSS water unit by seeing what would happen if gingerbread got wet. I am using the idea I got from Amy Lowe that will help extend what they are doing. I will also be adding a liquid activity that combines their slope activity. I have included it for you... My fourth graders will be working on gifts that santa will bring that goes with bones...

While my fifth graders are working on the stations I created for mixtures and solutions... Christmas Holiday Science Stations


Here are some pointers, pictures, and tips to make this station activity work perfect. First, with the chromatograhy... you can use vis-a-vis markers, that's what I use, that seems to work really well. They do the best in separating out.You can also test other markers to see if they would work, too. Check it out:

I then set up buckets for each station...

Reindeer QR code research

Chromatagraphy lights

Santa's Sleigh

Cups for each group to test for Mrs. Claus' Mix Up

Stations are ready to go! Each group has 3 cups ready with prepared powers.

Enjoy your holiday fun!

Pre-New Years Resolution

Okay, so I am not the type of person to have resolutions, but two of my coworkers have been doing zumba so I thought, why not. I hate exercising and all, but connecting with coworkers was my goal this year because everyone is sooooo busy and streeeesssssed out. We started talking as we were warming up and could still breath, and one of my friends brought up our biometric screening that we have to sign up for again after last year's big push to lower our health care costs. They gave us incentive. With that test, my husband was diagnosed as pre-diabetic and since than my hubby has lost over 40 pounds.

Now onto my resolution...I am suppose to also improve in some way???!!! Yikes. That means lose some weight, lower my blood pressure...okay, so now you can see my dilemma.  It is the holiday season. Food is the theme. Resolution time... I will drink more water... I will continue zumba with my friends...I will do one workout on my own per week... and I will (try) refrain from eating in excess. I will also (try) avoid Mountain Dew. That might help me with my goal of losing 5 pounds. Wish me luck. Here is the zumba video that I have been using:)

Wish me luck!

Freebie Friday, on Sunday!

I love linking up with other bloggers. Today, I was blog hopping and found this great blog with some fun freebies. There are some great freebies so stop on by Teacher Blog Addict to check it out. This site also does a great job with video tutorials. I put a facebook link on my site with her steps. I just have to fine tune it. Here is my Friday Freebie: Pet Rocks, Rock!

Human Body Centers

I have been contemplated an idea that I saw on the Science Penguin. Ari teaches science to her kiddos in Texas. Something that she does is set up centers or stations for her students and then as they are working she is able to meet with her struggling students in a direct instruction group. So.... I am trying this next week. I am going to be setting up stations for the students in 4th grade that are working with bones and the human body. I will use the "bones" of the lesson from the FOSS kit, but then have stations to learn the bones, using this sheet from Crayola.



http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/print/human-skeleton-coloring-page/. I am also using this Cloze activity for them to fill in as they work on learning the bones from boggle.  bogglesworldesl.com/files6/skeletalsystem_cloze.doc‎ 

I also created a scavenger hunt I will be placing around the room as the fourth graders go from picture to picture trying to recall the names of the bones. They use a smart device to check their answers after they studied the bone sheet from the FOSS pack. Check it out...

Skeletal System "Bone" afide Review QR Code Style

No bones about it...it was a busy week. My planning day for next week is on Monday, stay tuned for some FOSS FUN!

Sneak Peek

Have you ventured over to Mrs. Laffin's Laughin' ? She does a fun linky party to take a look at everyone's week. 
I have been busy planning for next week, now that my day 1 is on Tuesday. Last week, I sure was busy taking some pictures of our busy day. Take a look at how FOSS can be fun...
Kindergartners are working on things that move. We move and so do objects, but friction is when things rub together, which makes things go fast or slow. Here is their experiment...

cars and balls go fast, and blocks and rock go slow...friction

My firsties, were rock hounds once again. They separated and sifted rocks and we got this great book from a TPT seller that I am sharing with you:)  https://drive.google.com/a/wausauschools.org/?tab=mo#search/my%20rock%20book  Thanks Angela Potter!

Our second graders used solids to build towers, but not before we had them learn all about being architects, engineers, and constructions workers by using Gail Gibbons book . We then worked on a sheet that helped us plan what we wanted our tower to look like and what materials we would use. Our skyscraper needs a strong foundation!
Now, onto our third graders, we were working with surface tension. You know the one where we see how many beads of water can fit on a penny. We did that, but then we added some pizzazz. We learned about how water bugs can stand and even walk on water. We then used the crayola site I added on an earlier post, here is what they drew...

Water bugs are cool!

  Fourth graders are learning to become doctors, nurses, CNA's, by taking their first medical class. Next week, however I am working on finishing a QR code scavenger hunt for them. I can't wait to share it with you! In my last post I showed you what I did with my biggest kiddos, mixtures and solutions stations and qr code review. They loved it! Thanks for taking a peek at my week.