Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukkah, and Happy Holidays!

It is the most wonderful time of the year! Please share with us what you are looking forward to over the holidays. Do you have any special plans for Christmas? How about Hanukkah? Are  you spending time with your friends and family these next two weeks?

Let's share our holiday traditions and plans for the break!

Dissecting a Sheep Brain

Today you located the...

• brain stem
• cerebellum
• cerebrum
• hippocampus
• amygdala
• prefrontal cortex
• corpus callosum

Please share any new learning from this experience. I would love to read about the functions of these brain parts! Please teach me what you know!

Also, share your feelings about dissecting the sheep brain. 

"Thirty G" Check in!

We absolutely love our thirty glorious minutes of independent reading!

Please share with us what book or books that you are enjoying right now. Is there a book that you are planning on reading next? Did you just finish a wonderful book?

I can't wait to read your comments!

Attitude of Gratitude!

We have so much to be thankful for during this time of year and always! Please share with us some of the things for which you are grateful!

Shoshone Shout-out!

The People of the Great Basin survived in smaller groups in desert-like conditions! They were tough and clever people.

Please share some of the facts that you have learned already!

Comanche Conversation!

The Lords of the Plains were highly skilled horsemen and expert hunters! They ruled the plains!

Please share what you have learned so far in your research.

Hopi Happenings!

The Hopi people got their name from a word that means "peaceful people". Hmmm...very interesting and quite a contrast to our Comanche tribe!

Please share interesting information from your research so far.

Shawnee Sharing!

These nomadic Native Americans roamed the forests with other Eastern Woodland tribes. They certainly had troubling times with Europeans like the other tribes!

Please share some fascinating facts that you have learned so far.

Quiet Time

We have been talking about mindfulness this year. Our Quiet Time is a time to relax, fall into a quiet activity and get ready to refocus. Please share your feelings about quiet time.

What do you enjoy doing?
How do our three deep breaths make you feel?
Do you enjoy the chime?

Native American Brain Tracks!

Today we enjoyed the American Heritage video called Native Americans!

I can't wait to read your wonders, new learning, wows and questions. Please share at least three brain tracks.

Mindset Stances!

Now that we have reviewed all five stances, let's share a personal example of a mindset of your choice!

Flexibility
Resilience
Optimism
Empathy
Persistence

30-G Check in!

We are loving our "just right" books during 30-G! Let's discuss. Reading is social!

• What are you reading now?  
• What is "on deck"? 
• Do you have a favorite book or series of books? 

Please write at least three sentences.  Check for capitalization and punctuation. 

Publishing Power!

Today we had a wonderful Writer's Workshop! Everyone was busy working somewhere in the writing process.

Some people were writing first drafts. Some people were revising by adding show not tells and making sure their hook and endings are crafted well.

Other people were working on cover art or editing.

Please share what you enjoyed about Writer's Workshop today. Where are YOU in the publishing process?

Quality Posts are Us!

Quality Posts are Us!

We are learning to blog our thoughtful comments! We know that a quality blog comment...

• answers the question of the post.
• is usually three or more sentences.
• has correct capitalization and ending marks.

Please let me know specifically what you think about third grade so far.  What is your favorite part or parts of the day? Do you like our classroom? Do you like our Memorable Lines Wall? Fancy Work Wall? I am very CURIOUS about your feeling about third grade!

Step up to 3-P!

Hi second grade friends!

Read about what current 3-P students loved about being in 3-P!

Living History Museaum

I had a wonderful time listening to the fourth graders give their Living History speeches! 

As I was listening, my brain was surfing for new learning and fun facts. Also, I noticed that many of the famous people featured demonstrated many of the stances such as flexibility, persistence, empathy, resilience and optimism that lead to their successes.

Please share your new learning, fun facts and/or thoughts about the important mindset stances of these famous people. 

Mindful Breathing

Lately we have started taking three deep breaths at different times of the day. These deep breaths have really helped us relax and get focused. We have also tried listening carefully to the chimes as the noise slowly fades away. Focusing on the sound is also surprisingly super relaxing.

Please share your feeling about our new routine of breathing deeply and focusing on a sound as it fades away. Do you like doing these things? Were you surprised on how they made you feel?

Also, we reviewed the three basic parts of the brain...the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala and the hippocampus. The basic idea is that if you are feeling safe and peaceful, you can use the big front part of your brain. If you are scared, you only want to run away or fight.

You can also share your thoughts on this idea and how it affect the classroom.

Field Day Fun!

Field Day is one of my most favorite days of the year! I love the fact that upper school, middle school and lower school all participate!

Please share some of the things that you enjoy most about Field Day.

"30-G" Check In!

There is nothing better than silence and a good book of your choice! Please update us on your independent reading!

What have you been reading lately? Do you have any recommendations for our class? Let's catch up with our reading choices!

Fairy Tales!

I am excited to begin our fairy tale and fractured fairy tale unit! This is my first time to teach this unit!

Please share a favorite fairy tale if you have one. Tell us why you like it.

Also, please share any experiences that you have had with fairy tales. Do you remember your mom or dad reading fairy tales to you? Do you remember hearing them in a certain grade at Kinkaid?

If you are like me, you may not have much fairy tale experience. Let's get the fairy tale talking started!

iBook Success!

Today we each created our own page for our Oregon Trail iBook! Now all we have to do is name it, edit it and practice reading it for Pioneer Hour!

Please share your topic and a few facts with us.

Also, let us know what your favorite part of this process has been. Research? Typing your paragraph? Planning your widgets? Creating your page?

Dr. Simpson's Lesson

Hi friends!
I wished I could have been there for Dr. Simpson's lesson today! Please share with me some of your thoughts about the lesson. What was her main idea? Do you have some new learning to share with me? What did you find interesting? Do you have any personal connections to her lesson?
                                                                      Love,
                                                                                 Ms. Peach

Journaling on the Oregon Trail!

orsonprattbrown.com

Historical fiction is so much fun to write! It has been so much fun to see you all step back in time to the 1840's.

Please share some good things that will happen to you and your family and some bad things that will happen. We all know that traveling on the Oregon Trail was filled with highs and lows!

Please be specific. Tell us which family member is involved and include as many details as you can.

Oregon Trail Background Knowledge!

Our head are filling with Oregon Trail BK! Please share some of your new learning with us!

Remember...today we learned more about the wagons (aka prairie schooners), leaders, councils and travel guides.

Because of Winn Dixie...top ten list!

I really love how the preacher listed 10 things about Opal's mom. For fun, you can experiment making a top 10 list about your mom, your dad or any important person in your life.
Enjoy!

Top Ten List about my mom...
1. She misses my dad very much.
2. She loves to garden.
3. Her favorite color is yellow.
4. She doesn't really like to bake at all...too much measuring.
5. She likes comedians.
6. She doesn't like to do down on tall escalators...more comfortable on an elevator.
7. She loves each of her daughters very much.
8. She walks in the mall for exercise.
9. She prefers salty foods over sweet foods.
10. Just like Gloria Dump, she listens with all of her heart, and it feel really good.

View to Learn!

We are busy gaining background knowledge about Westward Expansion!

Please get your earphones and your Learning Log out. Write brain tracks as you view this video. Remember you can stop and start it. Then share some new learning with us!  Enjoy!

Finish Strong!

We are working on crafting wonderful endings to our realistic fiction stories!
We know there are...

• circle story ending
• peaceful endings
• celebration endings
• dialogue endings
• whole story reminders
• cliff hangers    
• show character change                                         ...to name a few!

Please share the type of ending you chose and maybe a sample of your ending! 

Cultural Awareness for Everyone...C.A.F.E.!

Today was our first CAFE meeting! It was a great success! Many thanks to our friends Aiden, Ethan and Patrick for presenting on the topic of Chinese New Year. Thank you also for the red envelopes with the chocolate gold coins in them.

I gained a lot of new learning! What did you learn? Do you have any wow facts? What was your favorite part? Do you have a compliment of statement of gratitude for Aiden?

International Fair Travel Reflections!

I am just unpacked my suitcase from our big trip to Italy! I am so tired!

Please share your reflections on either Canada or Italy or BOTH! You can include background knowledge, new learning and/or your favorite parts of your visits to the countries.

Bluebonnet Chatter!

Tomorrow we will vote on our favorite Bluebonnet book! There are so many wonderful books on the list this year!

Please share one or two of your favorite books and why you think the book or books are so special. Why would the book be a great winner of this award?

30-G Check-in!

Greetings, readers!

We are getting better and better at choosing just right books for ourselves. We area also getting so much better about reading from a variety of genres!

As you all know, I personally LOVE realistic fiction. That is my "go to" genre! But, I have also been reading nonfiction and biographies lately. I am always reading cookbooks and Time Magazine.

Please share what you are currently reading or just finished reading. We can't wait to get some great recommendations!

Oh, Canada!

We have been learning new information on the amazing country of Canada! Many of us did not have very much background knowledge on this country including Ms. Papadakes!

Please share at least two things that you know about Canada and a few wonders.