So that's what that computer is for...

Our thanks to Mark Nelson for coming into our classroom today. During his visit he explained what it is like to report on the weather and a bit about the computer that now located in our classroom. We learned that it is busy gathering about the weather from a station up on our roof. We then snapped a picture with the huge pile of hail that we had left over from a hail storm from night before!

Corbett's Color Paper Factory

Here are some pictures from our first Corbett Color Paper Factory. Corbett's amazing 4/5/6 students all worked together to mix paint by using yellow, magenta, and turquoise to create a variety of colors. The paper created will be used for our future cut and torn paper creations (like murals and props for Reader's Theater).

Stream Table Investigations

This week we continued using stream tables to help us investigate how rivers, canyons, gorges, and deltas form. We looked at what types of variables impact their size and their depth. During our guided investigations we focused on the amount of water (standard to flood) and the slope of the land. After we completed the guided investigations, it was time for us to design a few of our own. We looked at how structures, the amount of water, and the geography of the land can affect the flow of the water.

Another quick week!

The saying "time flies when you're having fun" really hits home for me! I can't believe how quickly the past two weeks have come and gone.

This week we continued our investigation of erosion and deposition with our stream tables. We created a plateau and then used a water source to create our own rivers, deltas, canyons, and more. Our science kit used the Grand Canyon as their example but we quickly saw the connection to our own Columbia River Gorge.

We have also been busy during our Writers' Workshop making a Corbett Grade School Guidebook. We determined that our audience would be new students, new teachers, substitute teachers, parents, and visitors to our school. Our book will include how things operate within our classroom and our school. This book will be filled with useful information for our audience.

Looking forward to next week,
Mrs. Dawkins

Stream Tables

Making Models of Our School

Struggling Artists...

Our First Week Together

We had an amazing (and exhausting) first week together. We explored maps and models, completed a lot of math, played a few math games, became struggling artists, created three spectacular masterpieces, went on a treasure hunt, read some great books, wrote in our journals, walked the trail (twice), picked blackberries while on one of our walks, made two blackberry crisps, ate them, began designing the "perfect school," and met our two buddy classes (Mrs. Lilly's and Mrs. Wold's).

One item left off our supply list was colored pencils. I will be ordering a few boxes, but if you find yourself out shopping this weekend, picking up a box for your child would be very helpful!

Items needed for our classroom
-10 or 20 gallon fish tank, air pump (bubbler), chiller (we would just borrow this)

Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences will be Tuesday, October 27 and Wednesday, October 28. Sign-ups will be during Back to School night on Tuesday, September 15th.

We have a field trip scheduled to visit Oxbow Park with Mrs. Wold's class on Thursday, October 29th. We will learn about salmon on this trip.

Have a safe, relaxing, and long weekend.
Remember no school Monday means school on Friday!

Take care,
Mrs. Dawkins