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. :)

Follow up from First Day of School-Morning Meeting Activity...to help kids learn about our space

 Aug. 29, 2011 We had a very terrific first day. The 5/6 Crew participated in an activity in Morning Meeting. This activity was to help get them acquainted with each other and their space. They were paired and given sticky notes with the directions to walk around our classroom and notice and wonder. These two verbs are very actively part of what EL methods celebrate; that is, thinking and processing together. Today, these 5/6 kids shared information together and we will process how we do things to help them all know our protocols and expectations. By Friday everyone will be able to explain so much of what we do. Parents be sure to plan a visit very soon!! Come by after school when you get a chance.

Oct.17, 2011 Today we will continue to reinforce the importance of taking care of each other and our classroom. On Friday the kids reflected in their Planners on this one idea Name three things that I do to help take care of my crew and my classroom. We will create an anchor chart to remind them daily of all they have been doing in the areas of Courage, Responsibility, Empathy and Welcoming.

Be sure to ask you child about how they contribute to 'good contagious behavior'.

November 3 and 4 we get to visit Grand Coulee and the Scablands of Eastern Washington

 After presenting the Field Experience opportunity to the PPSEL School Board, the 5/6 got the 'go ahead' from them for our trip that is part of Sphere in the Headlights. We are about to enter our 2nd Case Study- Water, Water Everywhere?- and the trip will allow the kids to walk where J.Harlen Bretz and his graduate students studied in the early 1920s. We will be viewing the land and thinking so far back in geologic terms so they can understand the flood that came from Glacial Lake Missoula.

The picture is of Ms. Kuhle reading a creation story from the Huron Indians who themselves try to explain the land they live on. The connection between science and literature is powerful. The discussion we had from the reading was interesting. It is a reminder that our stories are a reflection of us humans as we are try to figure out life. To be able to understand the science around  the land of Eastern Washington will be so interesting as it is one of several places on Earth that experienced a catastrophic flood event.

That event dramatically changed the land. The evidence we will "see" is the experience and it will be awe-inspiring. We will get to see the coulee (old river bed) of Grand Coulee from Steam Boat Rock and Dry Falls. There will be experts along the way to help guide the kids in understanding the hu-moun-gous-ness of what is around them.
Lots of information will be coming home in the next couple of days from the kids. Also, Ms. DePhelps and Ms. Clark will be in contact about travel. As the kids may have communicated, the motel is being paid for by the fund raiser last year-5K for Play!

The work around the timeline for the geologic events will be added to this week as we are adding plate tectonics to what they know. Ms. Kuhle had the best discussion on Thursday and left class with half a dozen sticky notes packed with questions. Her knowledge and the freedom that gives to the kids for deeper thinking has been so magnificent to be a part of!

Be sure to look around yourself and notice how the land of the Palouse is do different from Eastern Washington.

Clarissssa gets her first visit with the 5/6 this year

Clarissssa, the ball python, has been part of the 4/5/6 classroom since August of 2009. Having a Crew pet is a wonderful part of a class experience and everyone has learned a lot from her. As snakes go, she is social and easy.
She fit in the palm of my hand when I got her. Handling her was new to me, and my daughter, Maggie, helped me learn how best to lift, control, and anticipate movement. Feeding was scary at first. Though eating is all part of the cycle of life, it took time to get used to  the whole process. Clarissssa
(you'll notice my creative spelling of her name--she is a snake after all) is fed on the weekends and not with the kids. She is up to 2 mice per feeding now.
The crew and I  talk about what are her needs. They have learned about keeping the environment clean, humid, and warm for an animal that would survive best in a West African rodent hole.
I remind them that she is a 'giant rib cage' and we must provide a secure foundation and move slowly. We wash before and after to keep her and us healthy. When the two students wish to take her out, this time Emma Lee and Milo, one handles while the other cleans the tank with me.
Each student gets a chance to do these jobs.
Listening to what the kids learn from each other and from being with this exotic animal is enlightening. They all to be more empathetic as some are more cautious and others more exhilarated by their first touch of her skin. Just today one of the students thought he was being licked when another gently said, "no, she is smelling you." Lots of good conversations happen around this beautiful snake.

Physically representing geologic time last Thursday

 (Facing East) This is the most recent period of geologic history with the first kids holding up "First Plants" all the way to the last kids holding up "Stone Age People". It was very fun and interesting for the kids to see time spread out over the whole field. Of course we ran the area a couple times when we first got there--just loving the space and grass. After we returned to school, we started to physically represent 'time' on paper.  We have been doing a couple of drafts for accuracy and for the group to work on accomplishing the LT. 

(Picture taken facing west) Looking back in geologic time from photosynthesis to the birthday of  Earth over 4.6 billion years ago. We enjoyed the lovely weather at the soccer field right off  Taylor Ave. on UI campus. It only takes the 5/6 about 8 minutes to get to this amazing green space. We used the whole 100 meters. Ms Kuhle marked it out and we used the white boards to show the particular events and then for the kids to stand on the meter mark that represented that period of time. The lithosphere is making more sense.