Handwriting in Pen, Pacific Garbage Patch, and Concrete Poetry

Notice:  Please remember to bring back all Library books. This was the last week to sign out books so that the Librarian can do inventory.

Handwriting Practise

Yesterday and today, the students worked on Handwriting (the students who have finished their practise booklets were given a pen and can write with it during Handwriting) and Math (division practise yesterday, and marking,correcting, and more practise today).

Yesterday the students also completed a Science lesson on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

If you are unfamiliar, there are 2 large collections of garbage (mostly plastic) floating in the Pacific Ocean that collectively are double the size of Texas and are held there by ocean currents. The plastic does not biodegegrade and only breaks down into smaller pieces, which sea life think is food. We watched 2 short videos about the situation and talked about possible solutions to this problem. The students then wrote and drew pictures of what we as individuals can do to protect our world, and make it a safer place for us and animals to live. Their responses were knowledgable, thoughtful, and expressed concern for our environment.
Yesterday I introduced the class to concrete poetry and we continued with the lesson today.  Today we read several samples of concrete poems (the words of the poem make the shape of what it is talking about) and then the students wrote one of their own on an animal of their choice, tying into our Science unit.



Concrete poem from Love that Dog by Sharon Creech



I have marked the students' Animal Research Projects, and students can take home their marks and projects next week.
See you on Monday!
Mrs. Schneider