The kids were interviewed today by KLEW!

Check out Channel 3's  www.klewtv.com in the next couple of days and see the interview about the Altered Books. The segment will be on again tonight at the top of the 11 p.m. hour.

The reporter Stephanie Hale Lopez was so terrific. She talked about how at their age she wanted to be a journalist and explained all the things she did to become one in middle and high school. All the kids got to experience a formal TV interview wearing a microphone and being asked questions. She spend about an hour and half with us and then went to the gallery to see the great art work of the kids.

The kids had chance to hug each other and say something to each person too. We started slide show of this and last year and couldn't get through the whole thing. I'll have it playing during Student Led Conferences.

See you all tomorrow:)

Last Field Experience for this year's Water Expedition...trip to EcoAnalysts

 We had a very interesting time learning about the macroinvertabrates that EcoAnalysts sample from all over the world. We had a walking day in sunshine to boot!!

Prichard Art Gallery Advertising and PR

 Dona Black from the Prichard Art Gallery came to visit and start the kids thinking about getting the general public to come and see their work. She printed up invitations and posters. The posters were created from all the pictures I have taken during this expedition.
 We spent time talking about what is PR, how do you create excitement around our work and what the Opening will be like. The kids understand the importance of the event on Tuesday, May 24, for 6-8 p.m. A few will speak about their art, Ms. Black will say a few words, and there will be light snacks.
The clipboards in the picture are the rough dafts of the essay to explain the art they created. Final copies will accompany the final project in the gallery. 

Inspiration from UI MFA students

 The Altered Books the kids are working on are coming together. Most are able to describe their creation as it relates to the Guiding Question: How does water quality affect the ecology of a community?.

We also are preparing for the exhibition which will be May 24, 2011. Lots to do as each student is writing an essay to explain the ideas/theme of their book. They hope to inspire, educate, inform and makes the general audience wonder.  The installation below really stretched their brains.

Water Quality in our classroom and tomorrow out in the field

99 Steelhead trout sack fry in the 5/6 Hatchery. The kids are getting to do pH, Nitrate and Nitrite testing. When they are buttoned up, we'll get to feed them. The kids are learning all aspects of water quality.

PCEI came in on Wednesday to review the parts of water quality with the 5/6 and for them to put together their plan as we will head out to Heron's Hideout to test Paradise Creek, return for lunch, and the go to Pullman to test the water of the South Fork of the Palouse River. These indicators listed are what we will test for. We'll collect the data, analyze and present the results on Monday when PCIE's Jenica, Turner, and Nikki return--the scientific process continues...

The kids are working in the instructional groups set up from MOSS. This is Wild Waters working with Jencia on the plan for Friday.

Here one of the instructional groups with Jenica prepare the plan for Friday. 

The 5 days at McCall Outdoor Science School were MOSSome!!!!

 This picture is from Friday morning after Inquiry Presentations. We are minutes away from   heading back to Moscow. The 5 days were absolutely terrific. The kids were in 3 instructional groups and 4 cabins that I assigned. They got to work with these kids all week during the day digging snow pits and testing for moisture, doing water quality tests on Payette Lake, hiking into Ponderosa State Park to study animal adaptations and then back to cabins to socialize. Each evening we had a specific evening program tailored to what I have been teaching in our Water Expedition. The instructors were flexible and thorough in all they did with the kids. 


The 5/6 were engaged learners though out all the weather conditions. We had full on white out snow and wind, tons of ice and cold temps. They really helped each other and proved to be the best group of students the McCall School has had all year. That is what we were told by their instructors-- Shannon, Chelsea and Andrea-graduate students in Environmental Education, who have taught hundreds of kids this year. We loved the compliment!! Louisy the program director agreed and everybody applauded!!


My special thanks go to the chaperones who really helped the kids throughout the whole day whether in class or making sure shower time went smoothly. It was such a pleasure for me to get to know them all better too. 


Here are the names of the parents that helped make this trip possible: 
Betta Bunzel, Valeri Schillberg, Steve Flint, Debbie Berkana, Colette DePhelps, Ray Anderson, Paul Pierzchanowski,  and J.D. Wulfhorst 
We had a great surprise when Nancy Taylor came up from Utah and Mark Lesko came down from Moscow. 


This coming week at school we will be reviewing the content, revisiting the process,  working on our product and putting together thank yous and advice lists. 


Thank you parents for sending your kids with me to McCall Outdoor Science School!! 

3 Chairs Discussion

  Noah sits in one of the three chairs to give his facts and opinion to the discussion question: Are chemicals the biggest threat to water quality? He is sitting in the 'No' chair and speaking his opinion from  examining the expert and common texts  related to water quality. The kids had 22 texts from many sources and various reading levels to find information related to the Guiding Question of this expedition. The GQ is How does water quality affect the ecology of a community?
This discussion protocol I learned while at the EL National Convention in Portland over Spring Break.  As soon as I learned it, I knew this crew would love it.
It is a very structured format and each and every student speaks during this discussion. There are 3 chairs. One for NO, the one in the middle for posing questions to the group for clarification and deeper understanding, and a YES chair. For the YES/NO chairs, the student speaks and there is only listening from the group. The Question chairs allows the person there to pose a question that has come up for them about the topic and engage in conversation with the group.  Only one person comes up at a time. We had several good questions that allowed for interaction that was interesting and informative.
The crew really likes this protocol. The discussion lasted an hour and could have gone longer. After each person  had a chance to go to one chair, then the floor is open and each can come up again. They said they appreciated how each voice was heard and interesting to see how people thought about this one deep question. They also said that it was interesting to see which sources were used.

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. 

Closing Crew and Money for MOSS and PCEI

--At the end of each day after we have debriefed and reflected, packed up and cleaned up, we quickly meet to sing and chant good-bye. We all gather to the tune of Auld Ang Syn--with the words,"We' re here because we're here...." It's the cue and then when we are all there we do a closing chant. We started the day in Morning Meeting and end it just as united for together we are learning and growing academically and socially.
 Today's chant with motions goes--Kow a bunga, I  love being among' ya, We soar together more, because we are 1 score!  Get them to show you how it goes.:)


Also, if you notice an orange string tied around the pointer finger of your child, it's because your 5th or 6th grader is to make sure you get money in for MOSS and PCEI. These two science experiences work perfectly with the curriculum and standards and are just amazing experiences.

More info will be coming home soon if you are interested in chaperoning for all or part of the week. We are also planning a Scrapbook -a- Thon to help raise funds for bussing.

Unknotting--Riston's Morning Meeting Activity--the kids had
break into two groups for better success.

Donating Money to Paloma Institute

Today the 5/6 Crew gave the check for $346.83 that was earned when they sold scarves at the Winter Market in January.
Dr. Dandurand, the Institute's Director, graciously accepted the money and also received a scarf in Haiti's Flag colors. She gave us a picture drawn by one of her Haitian hosts.
She took the time to show  slides from her last visit there. The kids learned much more about the geography( the word Haiti means mountains beyond mountains) and living conditions. They realized that men hoeing a field earned $2 a day plus a meal... very hard living conditions. The root vegetable cassava is the staple crop and seeds for cabbage must be flown in. They know now that cholera is in all provinces of the country and 12 have died on La Gonave just because they can't afford bleach. In the dry season, most walk two miles to get 5 pounds of water.
The population has grown since the earthquake from 130,000 to 200,000 on this island that is 8 miles wide by 25 miles long It looks "like a big camp with all the footpaths", she said.
Dr. Dandurand, Dr. Boughton, and Ryan Law will go again to Haiti on March 11 for 2 weeks and she said she would  visit us after she returns.
The kids were asked to work the Haiti Breakfast on March 6 since they did such a great job last year! They will be able to sell scarves at the breakfast. They were excited to be able to continue to help.

Water Quality begins as Portico still goes and P4 ends

 The 5/6 finished up their Persuasive letters on Friday. Some did take them home to finish. All made it through the writing process and final edit with me. The letters exhibit good growth around the topic of both  Case Study#1 and #2 (Position and Prosperity, Principles and Posterity). Each student has been able to consider and can now answer the three Guiding Questions: How do maps document historical changes, What do citizens want from their government, and What living conditions or ideas motivate people to revolution? The perspective of the American Revolutionary past to the newest events in Egypt have been proved interesting.

Monday--Edible Aquifer as we immerse into Water Quality. This will be the first of three visits that are part of this expedition.

 Case Study for Math Investigations: Portico, How People Flow. We have 'redlined' all the work and on Tuesday will begin to measure and cut the cardboard to begin the building of each part. The kids have really learned so much from Ms. Schillberg. Her expertise has been so wonderful as she explains all aspects of architectural work. We are using the writing process to align this information so the kids can see that so much real world work requires the same steps they do-- collaboration, revision and listening. Lots and lots of listening.;)

The Winter Market Donation Total!!

 Yesterday Jared and Forest counted the money, while Emma counted scarves, and everyone else was knitting during the Haiti Project time of about 25 minutes.

The kids collect $364.38 and  sold 23 scarves!!!!


 We had a discussion about the amount collected and why people gave. They realized that kids DOING something for others, being of service is really important.


Courageous Women of Haiti and Palamo Institute will recieve half each or $182.19. The 5/6 will contact these organizations in the hopes of getting them to come to school so we can formally present the checks.


The Gallery Walk ideas have been collected and a formal discussion about "What's Next" will occur on Friday.

Case Study: Portico How People Flow

Last Monday, Jan. 23, 2011, the 5/6 started an in depth Case Study with architecture expert Ms. Schillberg. This Case Study, with a focus on mathematics will last approximately 5 weeks and together we should have a very interesting product-- a real portico for the 5/6 classroom.

We started with a week long BBK. One of the most telling ways of seeing academic growth is with the BBK process. BBK is Expeditionary Learning language for “Building Background Knowledge.” The goal of a BBK is to get the kids to have the same working knowledge of some concept before a case study or expedition starts.

The process is fascinating to watch and absolutely thrilling to be part of. 

Here's how this one went:

         Ms. Schillberg showed a slide after she wrote the word “Portico” on the board. The kids talked for a couple of minutes. The kids got into groups of 4 and wrote the word “Portico” in the center of huge piece of chart paper and started writing all the things they thought they knew about that word. Every group is doing the same thing. Most important- with each group, the words the write on the chart are all written in the same color by every member of the group. So imagine a web of words in red around the centerpiece word “Portico”.

The next step was to bring them all together and show a bunch more slides. They noticed lots of features about each. Ms. Schillberg shows about 10 more slides. The kids go back to their group and to the chart paper, and this time, write in a new color-- imagine blue and write new information they are figuring out.

Then the kids read from “Common Text”. They received four articles. We read them together. That's why it is common, they all share it. After reading together and sorting vocabulary, figuring out relevant information, and organizing the new data into a timeline, the murmuring really begins!! The feeling of understanding about “Portico” is being verbalized.

Back to the chart paper for one last time. A final contrasting marker color is chosen by the group. 

They all add the new words that express what “Portico” really is. They return to their tables and Ms. Schillberg shows the first slide from the first day. BIG “OH YEAS”... And she shows lots of porticos. The discussion really begins about “Portico” and the kids have realized that we will be building one.

On Friday, the last day of the BBK, each group presented one summary sentence from their chart to the others about what a “Portico” is. These ideas are collected as notes and written on the overhead for all to see. All 6 groups have summarized their learning and all have the same definition and understanding.

THE BBK IS A TOTAL SUCCESS!!

We finished the BBK with them drawing their dream “Portico” for the 5/6 crew thinking about how it could represent us. They diligently start drawing in their case study notebook using. They needed to have 5 adjectives in their drawing to describe their portico. Colored pencils are on fire!

Next, we start a Writers' Circle for all to share and to begin the process of coming up with a shared vision. 

Haiti Project--Committee Work

 It has taken two full days to go through the process, but the connections of how to divide work to the most suited,  how to speak up for yourself, and then connect to the Design Principles for reflection has been successful. We have three committees--PR/Signs, Quality Control, and Event.  We move ever closer to our goal of 51 scarves and will probably have more--thanks to all who have donated yarn!!

This has been a great service project and totally connects to our Case Study #2, Principles and Posterity.

Check out the pictures of kids in committee today!!

Visit us at the Winter Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the 1912 Building in Moscow. We'll be upstairs.

Go to Yarn Undergrounds website and see pictures of Wil, Milo and Forest with Marisa Gibler learning to knit... concentration central!  www.yarnunderground.com

Student Led Conferences

This morning starting at 7:30 parents and kids came in. It's Student Led Conference Day and is a fabulous day here in the 5/6 classroom. Portfolios will be poured through, notebooks reviewed, and writings analyzed while the kids talk to their parents about their learning and the learning process.

The academic work in Expedition (Position, Prosperity, Principles, and Posterity), Math Investigations, Reader's and Writer's Workshop, P.E. and the Haiti Project were the areas that have been chosen by the kids to showcase. Each student chose 3 pieces of work to explain using a reflection template. The process takes the parents through how learning is deep by revealing the layers to how each area is  relevant because the work follows Idaho State Content Standards and a connected skills.

The evaluation process for the kids is hard and fun. Reflection took us a full week. We had to start with everyone understanding the document and the "why" behind doing this kind of thinking/reflecting deliberately. We did peer review and individual sessions with me for oversight.
 It is interesting to watch the parents see all kinds of work that get presented and this is cool because it isn't just "showcase" pieces, but pieces that the kids feel connected to. Today is all about the kids communicating what is happening in their day and how they are progressing through the content using critical thinking skills.

More than anything else, it is so rewarding for the kids to be articulate and feel confident is presenting their learning. There are long conversations about content, questions arise, and discussions erupt because the parents become more and more interested. Every parent wants their child to be doing well, but many get to see another facet of the wonderful offspring. The conferences generally last 50 minutes.

 This year there was 100% connection with the parents in communicating about conferences through the planners--evidence of how good the kids are at talking to the parents about what is going on at school.  The kids are showing responsibility and accountability. I am proud of how well they are thinking and communicating.

Be sure to scroll down the page to see pictures of parents and kids in conference...

Haiti Project-- Winter Market- January 22, 2011 at the 1912 building

The people of Haiti came to the attention of the 5/6 last year after the Jan. 12, 2010 huge earthquake that killed close to 300,000 people. After much talking about what had happened and how the people were living, these kids wanted to "DO" something.  The first thing they did was they bussed tables at the breakfast that was a fund raiser at the 1912 building to help the members of Matenwa go back to Haiti. The members of this organization, lead by Nancy Casey, has been visiting that island community for years to help teach agricultural techniques among other things. Go see the link...http://matenwa.org/CourageousWomen/
(Later in the year after her visit there, Nancy came to visit the kids and talked about what life was like for a 10 year old in Haiti--wrote about that in the 4/5 blog. There is also a great picture of Nancy with the 4/5 crew. Her dialogue,as well as the many pictures she shared really created more empathy.)

 I have been looking for a year long community service project. At first the kids were going to help the senior citizens, but the time to get to the 1912 building just took too much time away from our academics.

The reason I wanted the kids to work on something for a year was for them to experience the ups and downs of service, for us to have discussions around commitment, and for them to think of and begin to see other places they could be of service. So, after watching the people of Haiti continue to suffer and then experience the cholera epidemic in the fall (these people who had left the front page of the papers except when more tragedy struck) seemed like the perfect vehicle for the kids to work on something for the year.

It has been a very good project. Our discussions about how to help humanity have been deep. They have all experienced frustration from wondering what can they really do. Then one day, Simone mentioned face painting and Hannah introduced the idea for making finger scarves and that idea caught on that the 5/6 could sell these and make money for clean water or vaccines. Both ideas generated a lot of excitement. Just today, Aurora remembered that she had wanted to do something for Haiti-- like collect money--right after the earthquake in 2010 and that's how we originally got started.

We asked and (are still asking--acrylic or wool ;)) for donated yarn and the crocheting began. The energy around being able to do something had made them all feel that they can help. We have talked a lot about quality or craftsmanship in the production of their scarves. They have read information from the CDC and seen more information from Time magazine and Boston.com ( a site full of pictures) to keep them up to date on the conditions of the living there. Just yesterday, NPR had an 8 minute piece about life almost 1 year after the earthquake. When the kids heard that about 10% of the population had been killed by the earthquake and all families had experienced some heartache, they were reminded of the need to do something. Another fact that gave a lot of personal connection to was them realizing that whole families of 6 people sleep in a twin sized bed under a tarp roof and bathe in puddles or buckets.

The knitting has taken some of the kids to the next level of scarf making. Thanks to Yarn Underground's owners, Marisa Gibler and Shelly Stone who were very happy to be part of this project when I went to visit them over the  holiday break.

The value of being part of something larger than yourself is inside each kid. Being able to take action helps them feel that value become real or tangible. Seeing them work together for a larger purpose has been a delight and as they talk about issues around the world; they see that their actions connect them to the global community.
Please come visit us at the Winter Market on Jan. 22 from 10-2. Be sure to ask the kids about Haiti!!!

The First Persuasive Essay... It Was A Contest!

Talk about an assignment that got the kids excited! They brought in pictures of themselves aged 5 or younger from family albums. After 'ooohing' and 'aaahing'  over their own picure for days with each speaking quite verbosely about their inherent cuteness, they all finally got down to the hard brainstorming... of finding convincing reasons that they should be picked as the 'Cutest Kid'.

We set up R.A.F.T.S as we do for each writing assignment. This is the 6+1 Writing Traits language that really helps keep the focus of the assignment. R= role. So, their role was to be a contestant. A=audience. That means knowing who you are writing for. These kids were writing to an audience of anonymous adult judges-teachers. F=format.  This format was a letter. T=topic. The topic was "Me"and S=strong verb. The main reason for this assignment-- to learn how to write persuasively.
            In complete seriousness, each worked hard to find 3 persuasive reasons, good solid ones. The ooohing and aaahing became "oh!" and "ahaing!" as they figured out the story to tell about themselves.

It was quite the writing process and it took weeks of revision. We made sure to know what persuasion is and set up the criteria list, as usual.  Writer's Workshops were created around introductions and transitions, closings, and the importance of order or organization of their reasons. They tried out ideas on each other and really grappled with word choice. They ask questions like."Don't you think that sounds too sympathetic?" and "Do you think that complimenting the judges will help?" Lots of thoughts arouse from the power of particular words and realizing that they were only able to create a picture of themselves to three judges they didn't know with words-- only, no pictures-- no names on the work even. Just them telling why they should be chosen as the cutest kid. Whew, it was hard and their effort was palpable.

When the papers were returned with the scored rubrics and copious comments about all the writers, the results were revealed in a way that focused on the writing process because, after all, that was the point.  I  was pleased with how each to worked through the process with an idea and refined that idea. Each student received a round of applause and appreciation for the effort and time. Each, I hope, realized, that the power of communication through writing is a great skill that takes time to learn and much, much practice.