We/ve just embarked on our new reading unit, Reading Like a Fan. Move over sports teams (even if it is only temporarily), we’ve discovered new interests.

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In December our class earned a pizza party for bringing in the most items for the food drive. WooHooo!!!! Of course we read and wrote. We wrapped up the month with a winter celebration and one more Genius Hour presentation on how to make tortillas. Mmmmm!

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We celebrated Thanksgiving together with a breakfast and specialized lessons presented by the students during our “Genius Hour”. Of course, we found time for math and reading.

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This week is Computer Science Education Week. Computer Science Education Week is held this week in honor of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (December 9, 1906). Coding helps nurture problem-solving skills, logic and creativity.

Let’s CODE!

1. Let’s start with Minecraft! Minecraft is back for the Hour of Code with a brand new activity!

   

2. Now try another coding activity here. There are plenty!

It is time to get those creative juices going again! Mrs. McBride is offering an opportunity to put your skills to work. Find out more details for this month’s challenge here – The Paper Mache Gift Challenge.

December’s superpower is acceptance. Acceptance is the willingness to embrace feelings, habits, or beliefs that are different from your own. Acceptance is the ability to experience or survive something unpleasant. Acceptance is the willingness to tolerate a difficult or unpleasant situation. We all have the human need and right to be accepted.

This month’s book of the month is Remember: The Journey to School Integration. It is a collection of photographs from the Civil Right movement and the era of public school integration with a story by Toni Morrison. In this two-minute mini-documentary, Toni Morrison introduces her book and shows young people the relevance of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision.

After reading Toni Morrison’s Remember: The Journey to School Integration, look back at photographs on page 22, 42 and 67. Select one photograph and write a dialogue between the two students. Post the conversation to this blog.

This month the Hulk challenges to use our Superpower, Gratitude. Kid President has a few ideas for us too.

Here are three challenges:

1. Call that special person on the green slip and let them know how grateful you are for him/her. Return the slip to school and link it to our gratitude chain.
2. Bring in an item for our Food Drive.
3. Be inspired by The Secret of Saying Thanks and keep a 21-Day Gratitude Journal. Read and listen to our book of the month here – Secret of Saying Thanks. Comment 3 things you’re grateful for. They can be super simple—and nothing is too small. For example: 1. Favorite cereal this AM 2. Warm bed to sleep in 3. Funny chat with my brother. Do this for 21 days, But you can’t list your family members by name over and over. You have to write different things each day—this is how you learn to flex your gratitude muscle.Why 21 days? Scientists believe it takes that long for something to become a habit. Good luck!

Here are a few prompts to help get you started:
· What are you are thankful for that is green?
· What are you thankful for that is yellow?
· What are you are thankful for that is soft?
· What are you are thankful for that is round?
· What are you are thankful for that is very small?
· What are you are thankful for that is very big?
· What are you are thankful for that tastes good?
· What are you are thankful for that tastes bad?
· What are you are thankful for that you cannot see?
· What are you thankful for that you cannot touch?

This month the Hulk challenges to use our Superpower, Gratitude. Kid President has a few ideas for us too.

Here are three challenges:

1. Call that special person on the green slip and let them know how grateful you are for him/her. Return the slip to school and link it to our gratitude chain.
2. Bring in an item for our Food Drive.
3. Be inspired by The Secret of Saying Thanks and keep a 21-Day Gratitude Journal. Read and listen to our book of the month here – Secret of Saying Thanks. Write down 3 things you’re grateful for. They can be super simple—and nothing is too small. For example: 1. Favorite cereal this AM 2. Warm bed to sleep in 3. Funny chat with my brother. Do this for 21 days, But you can’t list your family members by name over and over. You have to write different things each day—this is how you learn to flex your gratitude muscle.Why 21 days? Scientists believe it takes that long for something to become a habit. Good luck!

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Professor Snape conducted a potions class just as he did at Hogwarts. The students worked together to make sense of the potion recipe and were held responsible for their concoctions. Explorations included dancing raisins, noticing the interaction between different powders and water, exploring the density of liquids, creating Slytherin Slime and watching a demonstration by Mrs. Frizzle a.k.a. Mrs. Levine for the creation of Hagrid’s Toothpaste. The students were genuinely fascinated by the results and many expressed an interest in trying a few similar potions at home.

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