Heredity in the Garden!

I have been working on ways to incorporate NGSS science standards in the garden. School gardens are a great way to get students engaged in a whole new way. Whether it is container gardens or a raised bed, you can find great ways to get kids learning FOSS concepts....NGSS standards and more!

Here is what we did this week...we asked the questin "How are young plants and animals like, but not exactly like their parents? I told them to look at a partner as I  turned over cards that read...
1. What is your length of eyelashes? long or short
2. What kind of eyebrows do you have? bushy or thin
3. What are the shape of your lips? large, medium, or thin
4. Are your earlobes attached at the end or does it hang down?
5. Do you have freckles?
6. Do you have dimples?
7. Do you have a widow's peak?
8. What color are your eyes?
9. What color is your hair?
10. When you do I love you in sign language...is your pinkie the same size as your pointer?

They have so much fun sharing. Then, we talk about how you get those traits. That those attributes get passed down to us by our parents and grandparents and beyond? I then show them a picture of my sister and I. We have different dads, but have very similar features. I let them tell me how we are alike... then let them know we have the same mom, but not dad. I also share the following picture to let them figure out how animals are also similar, but not the same. We share our ideas.

 Then...I let them know that we are going to go out in the garden and see how one type of plant is similar to the same seed that was planted. We look at our pea plants...our pumpkin plants...then we look at the zucchini. They look very similar? Why? They are both part of the squash family. They are related. We try to figure out their differences to tell them apart. I love that the kids are figuring out how to look at leaf structures and tell the plants apart!

Our Pumpkin plants...

Our cucumber plants...

The sheet that we did together! They can understand heredity and traits!
Here is the freebie to go along with what we did this week!
Download Heredity Freebie Here

Summer Link Up...Blast From The Past

This week, I am linking up with I Heart Grade 3. I finally have time to spare and linking up is definatley on my to do list...sure is better than the laundry:)

Five hears ago...I was 40...Yikes. I was still teaching 5th grade at another elementary school in our city. Now...I have been teaching K-5 science at the biggest elementary school in our district with over 430 kiddos! I wouldn't give it up for a minute. I love what I do! I did 5 years ago...but I saw changes coming and wanted to make a switch...after 18 years of teaching at that time was getting to me a bit. I lost a bit of my creativity.

Five years ago...I had all of my children with me under one roof! My kiddos were 15, 13, 10, and 7. That sounds so little. Now, I have two in college this year. Time flies when you think about 5 years going by!

I was looking for pictures that I had from 5 years ago...wow...the changes in five years...

Without braces...

With braces...

My high school graduate....college bound!

Five years ago...I didn't know what a blog was, never knew TPT existed...and now I am thankful each month when I can now help my kids in any way I can as they go to college! What a blessing linking up with teachers have been!

Sometimes I wonder if anyone is out there...sometimes I wonder how to keep up with all these "new" way of connecting and creating...but I do know it has made me a better teacher...making packs for my students and now for other people has helped me find that creativity and then some!

Peas In the Garden and a Freebie

It is pea picking time in the school garden! We first planted our peas the first week of May here in Wisconsin! We love to make our connections in science with reading and social studies! Here at Thomas Jefferson each year, we use the book First Peas to the Table that connects the real life of Thomas Jefferson and his pea competition he had with his neighbors. He usually lost, but what a great way for our kiddos to make connections with history! Although the peas are picked in summer...and our planters don't reap the benefits...our summer learners get to and they are very willing to help honor the winners of our competition!


Here is are the winning classes plants...and a picture of a taste tester! Peas in a garden are just like sugar! Pods and all! I also included the sheet we use to share our observations with the planters of the peas so they have record of our observations! We do a tally of the peas we count before we pick! The winners this year had over 28 peas growing on the plant in one week's time!

28 peas that grew in one week...last week they were babies and flowers!

So what do you think of the peas?  Sugar? Yes...sugar!

First Peas To The Table Freebie!

4th of July SALE-abration!

It sure is nice to have some time off and rejuvenate before we have to think about heading back to school! We are so fortunate to have a place "up north" here in Wisconsin! Check out a few ways we are celebrating time off together!

Duchess our Weimerhaner relaxing on the boat!

My daughter even did my nails for the 4th!

We enjoyed Happier Hour at T-Bell for fun!

And the boys were goofing off on the dock!
What a great way to have some time together as a family! Relaxing...playing...eating...enjoying the company!
To celebrate the 4th of July...I am throwing a sale! 

Come Join the sale! Stop by THE TPT Science School Yard Store for science resources and more!

Currently July!

July...oh how I love you...let me count the ways!!! One: it's our families favorite holiday! Tie Die Time this weekend! Two: it's about sitting at the lake and relaxing as a family! Three: It's summer! Time to be creative and have the time to do it! Currently...I am thanking Farley...over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for hosting Currently! What a fun way to link up with great teachers all over the U...S...of A and all around!

Listening to... I woke up early because I really wanted to get Currently done! It's already the 2nd. I went in to get the dog up in my daughter's room...and it was a tornado! I got her up a bit early to do some cleaning before we head up north!

Loving that... all my family and their boyfriends will be staying with us for the weekend! Who doesn't love grilling out...smores...bean bag toss...fireworks...

Thinking that...I need to head over to the grocery store and pick up the food for the weekend...I made a list and checking twice to not forget anything!

Wanting to...go to Vegas, but I really have to use my extra money to help my two lovlies with college expenses! I have wanted to go for two years, but I just can't find a way. I hope everyone shares some great things they walk away with. I would sure like to connect with you out there to learn more about how you all are so good about finding time to do EVERYTHING...you guys rock!

Needing to...make connections like the presenters are saying in their downloads. Would love to hear what you need from a science teacher...what other science teachers are doing in their classrooms,..and some great tips we can all get from each other...

I am an all star at...moving things forward. We took this test at school during an inservice and I always knew I was a NORTH. I get an idea and I go with it. That is probably why we have a school garden as quick as we did! Give me an idea...the means to do it...the artistic freedom...and I will make it happen.

Have a great fourth!

It's strawberry picking time here in Wisconsin...life is sweet!

Fourth of July Freebie!

Today, is my first official day on vacation! I have already put new tires on my car today, unloaded my car of all of my supplies from the two weeks of summer engineering camp, changed the sheets, made muffins, and even some homemade strawberry jam! Now, we are headed up north to go fishing! Sitting on a boat, watching my two boys relaxing and hanging out is priceless! This weekend, however,  I got to go to a baseball tournament and enjoy some down time to create some fun units and relax in the sun at the same time!!!! Here are  my Monday Made Its..with.4th Grade Frolics!

Monday. made it #1...I made it to vacation!!!!!

WooHoo! Time to finally relax!

 
Monday Made it #2...I made my annual strawberry jam...a bit early because of all the rain...

Monday Made It! I made jam again this year for my college kiddos!  

Monday Made it #3...Guess what I made????

So is a summer fun freebie! Our favorite holiday is 4th of July! You can get together as a family in summer and just have fun...no need for gifts...major dinners....all that is for other holidays! This week, all of my kiddos are together and we are excited to make our annual 4th of July T-shirts! To celebrate my vacation...our favorite holiday...and just sharing some fun ideas that I have done with my kids when they were little...Here is the TPT link to the 4th of July FREEBIE!!

Enjoy your 4th of July weekend!

Summer Learning at the UWMC

I love when summer slows down a tad... I am still waiting for that to happen though.  I have had some fun watching my oldest daughters teach STEM classes. I think that they appreciate their "teacher" parents a bit more after dealing with supplies, lessons, fillers, conflict, and time management to list just a few...I was able to teach Cardboard Arcade last week and the kids seemed to really like it. These kiddos come from a completely different background then my students...let's just say mine are 83% free and reduced lunch...these kiddos get to go to the university for classes. Wouldn't change it for the world...money isn't everything...

It sure gave me a greater appreciation for my own school, my own 430 sweeties, my own room with my own supplies, my students that know my rules and expectations...I finished up now with summer just starting for me! I am very excited, but I wanted to reflect on what we did this last week...each day a different B for no Boring Summer kids!

Day 1: Bull's Eyes...STEM parachutes, STEM catapults, and STEM cars...X marks the spot

Day 2: Boating Fun and Building Sky Scrapers

Day 3: Buddies Building Coasters

Day 4: Boxes and Arcade Games

Day 5: Bring On Summer Fun! What we can engineer when we are BORED...

Here are some of the activities we did along the way...

Pipe insulation tubes are the best cheap investment for roller coaster fun! They bend, curve, and loop!

Boat building with aluminum foil and clips...parents and kids...all a board!

It's our cardboard arcade in action! The kids love to make games out of boxes! Another summer fun activity!

Catapult olympics outside...the cure for the summer time boredoms! We had marshmallow catapult catch, homerun derby, bull's eye, and golf! All with a few spoons, Popsicle sticks, rubber bands, binder clips, and creativity!

Boat building challenge takes us to the one blow competition!

Would love to hear how you find STEM ways to beat the boredom! I am finally on vacation!