sutton007

After our initial experience with Building a Sail Car ( read about it here ) my students (and I) were HOOKED with these building challenges! I knew I had to capitalize on their enthusiasm and determination and continue this type of learning! However, changes had to be made to make sure it was a true and balanced learning experience.  This means starting with a REAL plan.  It just so happened that I stumbled across ( while actively searching for appropriate & challenging STEM-type activities ) this great resource geared for students in grades 4-8: Bridges: An Integrated Stem Teaching Guide provided by Elmer's in cooperation with STEMfest The Works .    It provided a lot of the structure I needed to proceed: Objectives, Discussion Questions, Research Activities & Hands On Activities. Activate Prior Knowledge : To begin, I read the story: Bridges Are to Cross by Philemon Sturges with stunning illustrations by Giles Laroche.  This quick but engag...

Gee!  Haw!  Hike!  Mush!   These are just some of the shouts that can be heard on the streets of Anchorage this weekend as the 39 th Iditarod Dog Sled Race in Alaska gets underway. Who will cross under the Burled Arch first? Who will win the Red Lantern Award?  Keeping track of the 1100 mile race, (also known as The Last Great Race) especially if you have chosen a musher to follow is addicting .  Whether you’ve chosen to watch 4-time champion Lance Mackey , breast cancer survivor DeeDee Jonrowe , rookie Kris Hoffman or Jamaican musher, Newton Marshall, the race is sure to fascinate fans. (Current Musher Standing of 2011 Iditarod) Following a musher and their dog team leads to a natural curiosity about the race.  There is a lot of information to be found at Iditarod.com or Scholastic’s, Race Across Alaska .  There is something for everyone in this event.  Dog lovers , you can learn about the race through the eyes of Iditarod dogs,...

It’s a question I hear at ALL parent teacher conferences: What can I do to get my child to love to read?    Or What can I do to get my child to read?  These are also questions that educators wrestle with as well. As a teacher and parent I am still plagued by these questions as there are no definitive answers.  However, there are some steps that we as educators and parents can take to aid in the love of reading.  Be a Role Model: This is a tip from an article, How to Get Your Child to Love Reading .   Children follow their parents’ lead.  If they see their parents reading they in turn, are likely to read.  If watching TV is the preferred activity of parents, then children are likely to fall into that habit.   Likewise, children follow their teacher’s lead.  When the students are reading during DEAR time, why not read a book along with them.  Share something funny or unusual from a story you are reading.  Kid...

"No School - All Schools - Boston" "No School - All Schools - Canton" "No School - All Schools - Walpole" Yippee! That's the one! I remember sitting in front of the television or listening to the radio with my brothers and sisters waiting for the No School - All School announcement! Living in the "W" town our anticipation kept building and building after each letter of the alphabet. Often times there would be several commercial breaks which would produce loud groans of "Oh No" and "Not again!" There is something magical about a Snow Day off from School - UNLESS you are a parent. Today, with so many parents working it's a scramble to find someone to be with the kids. Superintendents often cancel schools early (even before the snow falls) in an effort to help parents make arrangements for the day. That being said - there are many parents that are home with the kids and they may be wondering "what can we do tod...