World Forestry Center

We had a great time exploring at the World Forestry Center on Friday, January 22nd. After reading about the four types of forests, who lives in forests, and how we can preserve our forests, we then became fire jumpers, white water rafters, explorers of the forest canopy, and we even planted a few trees. Thanks to our wonderful parent chaperones. We also received a compliment from other visitors that happened to be there. They were very impressed with the kids from Corbett and how well mannered and hard working they were!

Glad to be Back!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful break. I know that I did! It was nice to see all of my family, eat a lot of great food, watch some movies, and relax with a good book or two.

I must admit that I missed seeing the kids of Room 12 and I am excited to get back. We were very busy today calculating some math, reading, writing, and beginning our new studies on the 13 colonies.

We started our studies on the 13 colonies with a bit of historical background. We are reading a book from Joy Hakim and she introduces the colonies with a trip back a few thousand years. She tells the story about how in the city of Ur there lived a boy named Abraham. We now know Ur as Iraq. She goes on to tell of Abraham's travels. She tells of what Israel, Egypt, Canaan, Greece was like thousands of years ago. Her story also tells of the Romans and what life was like in Spain.

Her main point is that each of these cultures had many different ideas (both good and bad). It is through all of these different civilizations and their ideas that America was built upon. The European newcomers learned from each group and from the Native Americans that were already here in America.

Out of all of this mixture a new nation developed - the United States.

During the next few weeks students will work with a partner to become a bit of an expert on a specific colony. Kids are busy reading about their colony and later they are going to be responsible to tell a story (through writing) about how their colony began. They will also make of map of what it looked like back in the 1600s. They will then create a poster that they will use during their presentation to the class.

Students will have at least one hour each day to work on this project. This week will be researching, next week writing and drawing the maps. During the week of January 19th they will polish up their presentations.

More to follow...Michelle