Four Day Week Five For Friday!

 Hello!  Thanks for checking in for another edition of Doodle Bugs':

Morning Messages

This week's messages focused on a variety of holidays:

 I get most of my holiday ideas on this site.  I then try to connect the holiday to what we're learning in class. 

 *On the day I wrote about Kid Inventors Day, we received our Dyson Ideas Box.  So far, we've read about how Mr. Dyson made over 5,000 vacuums before he finalized the design on his final product. 

*The popcorn poem fit in perfectly with our "I have, who has?" game because the questions were about matter and physical properties. (Click here for the Popcorn poem Pin.).

*We've also been reading books that are in the running for this year's Caldecott Medal (read more in this post).  

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Projects

We have been loving directed drawings!  This time we drew Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (click here to check it out). 

After drawing, we watched Movie of the Week on Brain Pop Jr.  Then we read about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (I used this resource.)  Finally, the kids wrote about Dr. Martin Luther King as we are working on informational writing.  I find that directed drawing is inspiring the kids to want to write ~ plus each drawing is so unique!

Clara Barton Assembly

We just loved learning about Clara Barton who was a strong woman ahead of her time.  She worked hard as a teacher and an advocate for disadvantaged and needy people.  Eventually, she founded the American Red Cross:

Sheryl Faye, the actress who portrayed Clara Barton, did an amazing job telling about Clara's life and achievements.  She made several wardrobe changes and even answered questions at the end.  If you'd like to read more about this excellent experience, check it out here.

Karate Demonstration

Sensei Herman and his crew delighted the third graders with a karate demonstration.  Two teachers - Ms. Aufiero and Ms. Verlhurst ~ even broke wood:

Thanks to Elite Freestyle Karate for this interesting and educational demonstration!

Dyson Ideas Box

When I went to the office on Tuesday, I found a BIG box addressed to me ~ how exciting ~ our Ideas Box had arrived.  Here's the information directly from the James Dyson Foundation web site:

By the time today’s students graduate college, the US will need 1.65 million engineers. To create the engineers of tomorrow, math and science class need to be exciting. But teaching engaging science lessons can be overwhelming for busy teachers.
The James Dyson Foundation developed the Ideas Box to challenge students to find inspiration in everyday objects and develop ideas. To identify problems and use their creativity to find solutions. The Box helps teachers nurture the skills needed for the next generation of engineers.
The Ideas Box is a product analysis and design kit to teach engineering. It also has links to literacy, math and business. It includes:

• 1 Dyson Air Multiplier™ fan as a case study
• Teacher’s Pack with lesson plans and instructions
• Posters for the classroom

The Box and training materials are available to classrooms completely free of charge. The Box is loaned to a school for 4 weeks at a time. It’s ideally suited for students in 4th-6th grade but can be adapted for any classroom.

If you want to request the Ideas Box, click here.

That's it for now ~ have a wonderful weekend!