Revisit of Educational Goals, and Water Expedition Addition: Trout Eggs

This is the tank in the 5/6 classroom. It's covered with black paper mostly to keep the Steelhead eggs in the dark. The refrigerator looking box is the Chiller from Dworshak that I was able to pick up 2 weeks ago. The water temperature will be kept at about 50 degrees for the eggs to mature and 'eye up' We'll be considering water quality for this community and those that live in the river. When we return from MOSS,  the kids will get to do water quality testing at 2 sites in our community. All this work is to help them answer the Guiding Question of this expedition which is: How does water quality affect the ecology of a community? On Tuesday, Mr. Henson is coming to our class to deliver the eggs. This program is called Trout in the Classroom. Michelle Feeley helped me to make contact with Idaho Fish and Game and get the process started to get trout eggs. More information about what is next for this part of the expedition will come soon.

Reviewing Eduational Goals...so what do we want to be and what steps are being taken to accomplish it.

This group did a fabulous job in reviewing their educational goals. Each spoke about what they want to do and how well they are accomplishing the steps. Then each person at the table asked a question to help further the discussion and aid each other in making more clear goals or steps. These crew mates were patient, thoughtful, and very attentive listeners.  The stayed with the protocol for the discussion and each student benefitted from their collective stamina.

Photos on Flickr of the 5/6 crew

We are well into the Spring 2011 Water Expedition. There are 3 case studies for this content, one of them is our trip to MOSS and our continued work with PCEI where we are doing more water testing and collecting local data.  We have already been to the City of Moscow Water Department, had PCEI in class for two hands on science work opportunities, and Ms. Schwendiman joined us for a packed day of experiments from Latah County Soil and Water Conservation District.  The first case study is laying the foundation about fresh water--where we get it, how we use it, clean it,  and who controls it...

The pictures are from the last 2 days. It is really time for me to have an event to show all the cool pictures of these kids in action. http://www.flickr.com/photos/msbonzoppsel/

Once again, this crew was complimented by people that have come to our classroom and by others that work with us during field experiences. I hear the nicest things about what a thoughtful, inquisitive, and engaged group they are. They are spurring each other on to deeper thinking.

Know you have been hearing about the trip to McCall. It is really is a fantastic experience--bunking with crewmates and doing science! We are having a fund raiser, you'll see all the handouts coming home, so please help us by posting these invites. It would be great to raise enough money to pay for a bus and reimburse parents that are chaperoning this trip. And let me just say Thank You to those parents right now. :)  This fund raiser is the Scrapbook-A-Thon on March 26-27.

Most of the kids have finished their Newberry Winner book that were checked out from the UI Education Library. They have been reading to find the 'theme'. We have been able to have Literature Circles and these organized small discussion groups have helped them to trade more book titles. It is good to see interest in older (from generations before WWII) books being read and for them to realize that series books have been around.;)

  While you are enjoying the week of Spring Break with your kids; Help them find time to read!!

The day that should have been a snow day!!

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March 1, 2011



After a democratic vote in Morning Meeting allowed by the Teacher/ Dictator ;), these five came outside for recess to play in the snow. In about 10 minutes they rolled these huge snowballs because the snow was perfect for making a 5/6 fort!

We were in Literature Circles in the afternoon for the first time this year with the Newbery Winner books that the kids picked up at the University of Idaho College of Education library during the Raucous Readers Round Up two weeks ago. They've had reading time in class and  are all searching for the theme in their novel which is one of the criteria used by the American Library Association Committee to pick the winner. Some of selections are old books, like Smoky the Cow Horse, others new as in Criss Cross, and some are well known titles like The Westing Game, Holes, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Slave Dancer, and Sounder.   The groups practice the proctocol of having one member present certain information and then each can ask one question. Listening and analyzing each others information is very much a part of this work. The will continue to read and meet again. We'll be done with these book selections by Spring Break in one week.