Taking a scene and seeing it in its 'parts' and passing along a 5/6 tradition!

The kids worked with a partner and took a scene from the actual Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire script and recreated it to see all the parts of a scene. Then they wrote the Slug Line (white index), Description/ Action(orange index) and Dialogue (yellow index). They shared with their partner. The format for the screenplay is really becoming imbedded in their heads--the writing they do in the content area ( after we research around each symbol) will 'show' more than tell. It is quite process. I've even been writing the Morning Message in this format. It's been fun to see the kids act out what is written in before Morning Meeting.

The are all the scenes chosen and correctly formatted. We talked about how the action just as important and some shots are all description of what is seen by the audience.

Working in the 'Outside Classroom' space.

 Passing along the tradition of 'Finger Knitting'-- the 5/6 all are making scarves. They will also learn to crochet and knit. We'll decide in January our Service Project for these items.

 Traditions are important to share. We talked about the importance of them in families and even in classes. It has been a happy couple of days seeing all the kids working together, learning together and so comfortable with each other.

Donated yarn and a basket of scarves from  the previous year's Haiti Project. The meter stick was part of the discussion about proper length. The color choices of the kids is great. Some are buying scarves for family members--hope you are lucky recipient of such creative labor. All money made goes to a project that they will decide together to support.

This is a great way to use all this 5/6 energy!!!

Symbols of America- Social Studies Expedition

 This is some the formatting notes for our final product which will be a screen play. The first day of this expedition we had great information taught to us by our expedition expert, UI professor and playwrite Robert Caisely. He came and 'wowed' the 5/6 with all kinds of movie information and 'how tos'. This will be such an interestingly new writing experience because writing a screen play needs to be visual with so much specific dialogue.

 This is the actual screen play for Harry Potter. We read through six pages taking notes and learning how  a script comes to be.

Mr. Caisely (Sam's Dad) telling the kids stories about the writing process. He was so entertaining--I felt so like the Old School Marm keeping him reined in because one he got the kids giggling...we covered a lot of information during our lunch note taking session.


December 5- February 24 will be the time period for this expedition. Then we'll have the next Discovery Week. 

This expedition will cover 100 years, 1800-1900, focusing on westward expansion/manifest destiny through by using the symbols as the anchor for the specific chunks of time. The kids will work with me on the first case study to become an expert for what they will need to have researched and then the triads (groups of three screenwriters) will work together to write about one of the symbols from this time period.

UPDATE on the creative nonfiction letters to the NW Congressional Delegation:
Mr. Buser, the president of the Ice Age Floods Institute (iafi.org/ )
emailed me on Monday to say that he used the letters while in Washington D.C. and they were well received by the legislators.
 Also, he said that one or two will end up in the IAFI January newsletter! Good work  5/6 CREW!!

Reminder: Kids need to have water bottles at school-- a well hydrated kid works and feels better. :)

Recreating Glacial Lake Missoula on the north playground

  We had some great play on Friday outside because the kids had fresh snow, about 3 inches at 9:45 a.m. and we able to make snow people and mosh around happily. By afternoon the north playground was a mushy and terrific mess-perfect for reenacting the ginormous Glacial Lake Missoula Flood from 18,000 years ago. 17 total kids participated in this spontaneous fun. First they used the 'dots' to collect the water behind a dam they created. After carefully constructing the ice dam, there was conversation about how to float it to make the ice break into big 'bergs'.

 Once the dam broke apart, the water moved quickly toward the drain where several yelled," Dry Falls!!!!" They dashed to the grate watching the waterfall. Someone spoke up loudly, "Down it goes to the Columbia and out to the Pacific!" They were immensely immersed.

Feeling very pleased with connecting to the content of the expedition!!!


Below is an example of me scribing at the whiteboard as the kids found good choices of quotes from Dr. Alt's book, Glacial Lake Missoula, to support ideas they were writing about in their creative nonfiction narratives. The thinking they did on this work was sent to Mark Buser, the president of the Ice Age Floods Institute because at the end of the month he will be meeting with the the NorthWest Congressional Delegation in D.C. to work on getting funding for the geologic trail that follows the path of the flood through the scablands and to Portland.
Being able to weave text quotes into their own writing was a very effective way for them to express their knowledge about all the have learned.

  Sphere in the Headlights has been a great expedition!!

Analysis of Mr. Naiman's Writing

Transferring work from Reader's Workshop notebook to individual white board to share.  The 5/6 are deep into critical thinking of analyzing the writing of Coraline by Neil Gaiman because the way he described the house helped them think of a 'nonliving' thing as a character. Besides writing in the voice of a tomato in Writers' Workshop, the thinking about what an author has done in Readers
 Workshop are part of the building skills to the final product which is the creative nonfiction narrative that will be sent to the  Congressional Northwest Delegation by way of the Ice Age Floods Institute President, Mark Buser, as he heads to Washington D.C. at the end of November.

 The book Coraline has been very interesting for the kids to read. We set up a 'T' chart in the Reader's Work shop notebook as a 'notecatcher' of the words and page number of where each found language that was vivid and descriptive about the house and how those words added to each's overall understanding of the house.

An example of text coding, the notes being captured and then the planner--our major form of communication!

The way the kids have been keeping parents up to date in the planner has been just exceptional. This is how good they are doing their jog--the whole field experience to Grand Coulee was planned through them communicating to the families. I am so proud of how hard they work to be responsible learners. 

Have a wonderful week of Thanks!!

P.S. The kids can call into my radio show 'World Waves' on KRFP Moscow 92.5 next Wednesday from 8:30-10 p.m. to request some world music!!! I'll be sure to do a shout out the the 5/6! They have the phone number in their planners!:)

Following the path of the Glacial Lake Missoula Flood or learning what J Harlen Bretz figured out by walking the land in the early 1920s

 Ivan, our guide, took us to the very bottom of Grand Coulee Dam. We were able to go to this area which is off limits because of 9/11 to regular tourists. Before all the security measures, the townspeople used this tunnel to exercise in during the cold winter months.  The tunnel runs the full length of the dam- over a mile and we could see the light at the end of the tunnel!

             Seeing Steam Boat Rock on a brisk November morning was spectacular. Ms. Kuhle reminded the students that the reason it remains after a dozen or more floods down the coulee is because of the granite outcrop on the front other wise the basalt rock would have been washed away.

Steam Boat Rock 8:30 a.m. Friday, November 4, 2011. Ms. Kuhle is just beginning to give the narrative and ask questions to the kids.

http://iafi.org/  This is the link for the Ice Age Floods Institute--major source of all our information.

 Inside the dam and feeling the vibration of one of the turbines.

 After we had a delicious authentice mexican meal at La Presa in Grand Coulee, Mr. Moody, President of the local Cheney Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute talking to the kids after dinner and showing the original map of the channel scablands drawn by J Harlen Bretz.

DRY FALLS!!!! The whole crew packed was so excited to see the 3.5 mile long ancient waterfall. Their mouths dropped open as soon as they saw the size. Here Mr. Neff, former H.S. Physics Teacher, whose Dad walked this land with Mr. Bretz came to the Interpretive Center to tell the kids first hand stories.

 At Grand Coulee before the 'Hard Hat' tour. We came to get an idea about the volume of water that flowed and to see the coulee that is the grand one of the flood that occurred 18,000 years ago.

The fabulous chapersones-Mr, Jaekel, Ms. Caudill, Ms Berkana, Ms. Kuhle, Ms. Caisely, and Mr. Wulfhorst

Birdie, who helps publicize the Coulee Corridor and Mr. Moody discussing the amazing scablands.

Driving in the coulee on our way to Steamboat Rock.

Ready for the hard hat tour!!!!

Attentive listening and thinking as Ms. Kuhle explains the water direction and our first stop IN the scablands. The kids burst from the cars talking about how much they noticed and how they were following the map and discussing the geologic changes of the lithosphere.

These are a few pictures; more to to come!

Thank you families for supporting such an educational experience. The kids traveled around 400 miles together talking, learning and experiencing great content.

Be the Tomato!

           Writing in a particular voice takes time. The writer must become the source of inspiration.
 The 5/6 took the first steps of writing a creative narrative by first touching, smelling, looking at, and then eating cherry tomatoes from my garden. We spent time creating lists of interesting adjectives to describe this fruit/vegetable. We read books and talked about interesting ways to communicate an idea and think about audience be comparing two children's books.  Two students researched and gathered a handful of 'tomato' facts. Dialogue was analyzed for value and we thought about the strength of problems in short, short stories.
Then the formal writing assignment was given in the 6+1 Writing Traits way-- a R>A>F>T>S. Those letters stand for role, audience, format, topic, and strong verb and provide the structure for the assignment. So, for this writing, the R was to write in first or third voice using dialogue to move the story or/and give setting. The A stands for audience. We decided this first writing assignment would be for us to get to know each other better as writers. The F= format, which was a tiny, short story about the 'T' which is the topic. The strong verb chosen was for us 'to entertain' each other. We wanted to learn what we find funny and to build friendships.

The pictures show the students in the last step of the writing process. The kids self evaluated their final copy after multiple steps of revision and editing. Certain criteria for this assignment was created and the rubric or grading tool and their papers is what the kids are holding in these pictures. After they self assessed their own work, they were randomly given a peer (ask about if they were a blueberry or banana) to review how they graded themselves. Hard work and the level of security has grown exponentially in this group because they shared their thoughts to each other about the writing in Writer's Circle and with each other often over time. Peer review when focused is essential to growth.  They will tell you they have grown and the proof is reading their first rough drafts and comparing it to the final project.

This writing assignment was part of the scaffolding or growth for the final product of our expedition. The kids will write in the voice of the land-the scablands to the Congressional Delegation of WA, MT, ID, and OR. More on that soon-- tomorrow we head out to Grand Coulee by way of Eastern Washington to absorb the lithosphere.

Service and Compassion at Paradise Creek Reach 1

What a terrific day the 5/6 had together being of service. They were able to stake about 320 blue tubed plants and pull weeds. There are a total of 19,000 that must be staked!
They kids worked in with their partner from the vocabulary study of the day before. Before we left, we reviewed that work can be social and that learning to enjoy each other academically and socially helps them feel productive and connected to each other. Upon debrief and reflection back at school, the kids answered this question: How does the work that we did today help you understand our upcoming field work experience on Nov. 3 and 4 when we go to Grand Coulee?
The responses were spot on! They are realizing that our school experience isn't confined by walls, but is exponentially enhanced by no walls when they are focus and engaged!!





The two PCEI leaders Jana and Mitch were informative and interested in making sure that the crew understood the reason for the vegetation and how Paradise Creek's improvement helps us all.

The ever-changing and interactive spheres came to life today.

Here is the list of adjectives were given by the kids to describe the day: hardworking, extraordinary, futuristic, helpful, wonderful, focused, respectful, focused, fun, determined, good, important, rainy (:)), muddy, interesting, warm, cold, teamwork-y, epic, awesome, psychic, speedy.

We also talked today about J Harlen Bretz who they are getting to know in the reading about the Channeled Scablands. He spent over 10 years walking the land and figuring out how it came to look the way it is. The kids being able to 'be' on the land today helps them understand how just being observant and working on and with the land helps them understand it better.

Be sure to walk with your 5th or 6th grader on the path right behind the UI Bookstore to see what we were able to contribute to our community.

 Paradise Creek

Preparing for Service to our Community and into Case Study #2 with indepth partner vocabulary study of The Channeled Scablands

Ms. Huston of PCEI talks enthusiastically to the kids about the plants they will be protecting and educating them about blue tubes and the whole Reach 1 Site behind the UI Bookstore where we'll be working most of Friday.

Partner Forest and Karina read together and find vocabulary to study.

Solomon and Emma Leed ready and decide... 

Gunnar and Emily

Avery, Owen, and Milo work together. All partner were chosen by an activity called 'blueberries and bananas.

Dan and Lee think together about the reading.

Frances and Avery make sure that their words help them understand the subject.

Simone and Claire

Emma and Ivy

John and Gracie work in the 'outside' classroom

Aurora works with our newest student, Iris.

Deep in work, great environment as everyone is focused.

It's hard work and challenging thinking, but all this information is essential to our off campus trip to Grand Coulee .

The plans are coming together. The Grand Coulee Center Lodge has been a great place to work with and we will have huge rooms. We need 8 parents for driving. That way the kids will be in triads or 3 to a car and since we are doing field work, that number helps them stay focused.

We will get to tour Grand Coulee Dam at 2 p.m. on Thursday. We get the 'hard hat' tour which is two hours and then we will tour the interpretive center. Dinner will be at about 6:15 at La Presa, and then to our motel.

Friday we are off to Steam Boat Rock and Dry Falls Interpretive Center. We will be back at school by 3 p.m.

Right now Ms. DePhelps and Ms. Clark are collecting parents to chaperone and drive. We are still working on lunch for Friday, but all the details are aligning and a full list of times and contact numbers will be out next week.

The 5/6 will benefit so much from the this trip as we consider our Guiding Question: How are the four spheres of the earth ever-changing and interacting? They are getting really excited and engaged into understanding field work. Keep asking them questions. :)