Odds and Ends

Well, we're already well into summer and I'm way behind uploading some pictures from the end of the year. Let me catch you up...

During testing week, we tested all morning and then took it easy during the afternoons. The kids LOVED building hotrod tracks all over the room. They worked together so well and created a giant track spanning the room and out the door. It's hard to tell in this picture, but the orange strip looped through those chairs ended up being the giant track!

We did a lesson on figurative language and poetry, and the kids had the idea to make a poet-tree. 

We did a unit on plants and grew seeds in different soils; that experiment didn't go as planned, but the seeds we planted in plastic bags grew surprisingly well.

We had a Pizza/Pie Party to wrap up our unit on fractions and I didn't let the kids get by without a little work that day. Here they are dividing cookies into equal parts and answering questions about the pizzas and pies we ate.

We also did some soil exploration and had a special guest from the soil and water conservation district come by and talk to us and do a special demonstration. 

We got to see how erosion works and how chemicals and things that are bad for the environment can get into water. It was an important lesson in keeping our world healthy and clean. 

As a final math review, we did a scavenger hunt around the school, answering different math questions about the things we found along the way. 

I captured this picture of the kids working side-by-side:

I didn't capture all the fun final events we did at the end of the year, but I'll leave you with this photo of nature walk we took "just because". This picture reminds me a a verse that kept popping up throughout the year:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

Pet Day

At the beginning of the schoolyear, the students requested a special pet day, so I thought it would be the perfect way to wrap up our unit on animals. There was such a variety of pets that the kids brought in, and we all had a great time. 

Bearded Dragon

Ferret

Squirmy puppy (-:

Tortoise

Hamsters

Puppy

Donkey

A few days later, we had a guest speaker (who is also a parent of one of my students) come in from the local veterinarian office and speak to us about animals. She brought some great hands-on specimens for the kids to touch. 

She also showed us some animal X-rays with our low-tech wall sconce. 

I love making learning connect to real life whenever I can; I enjoy it and the kids do to!

Celebrating Jesus

Way back when, right before Easter, I decided to forgo the usually Easter-themed activities in favor of remembrance of the importance of the holiday and its significance to those who follow Jesus. 

I had different stations around the room where kids stopped and did some sort if activity or read something to remind them of the journey Jesus went on before his crucifixion and resurrection. 

Creation - God created our world and called it "Good".

Fall - Man sinned and was separated from a loving relationship with a perfect and holy God.

The Last Supper - God didn't leave us there. He sent His son to live a perfect life. He represents the bread of life that we all need. 

The Garden - Jesus surrendered to his Father's will.

Judas Iscariot - Jesus gave himself into the hands of sinners who wanted him killed. 

Pontius Pilate - Jesus was given up to the people who wanted to kill him. 

The Cross - Jesus took the punishment that we deserve so that we can be forgiven. 

Burial - Jesus was buried.

The Resurrection - Jesus conquered hell and the grave. 

What an amazing God we serve, who provided the way to forgiveness, power to overcome in this life, and eternal life after death!

Thanks to this website for some of the ideas and activities: http://www.rethinkworship.com/complete-journey-to-cross-stations/