Show and Tell
9/29/2017
Many of us may associate show and tell with early elementary. I know when I was young, that's when I had the opportunity to bring in special things to share with my class. However, show and tell is just as powerful at any age. We all know that sharing what is special in our lives is a great way to connect with others.
5th grade students have the opportunity to sign up for show and tell throughout the year whenever they have something special that they want to share with the class. This could be something they made outside of school, an adventure on a vacation, something important in their life, a favorite book, or something cool that they own. Show and tell takes place during our morning meetings. After each share, students are encouraged to ask questions. If a physical object is shared, it may be displayed for the day. Show and tell not only helps to deepen the connections between students, but it also blurs the lines between personal life and school life. This helps students to see each other as whole people and to celebrate the unique and wonderful aspects of each other. Each child is special and interesting in their own way, and show and tell is a great way to help students appreciate that in each other. Found Poetry
9/22/2017
5th graders have been working on a poetry project for the past few weeks. Through this project, students have been learning about literary devices and grammar.
The poem students are are working on in the images below is called a found poem. This poem requires students to identify an interesting paragraph in a magazine, and then strategically break it apart into phrases to transform the prose into poetry. This project helps students identify good writing. It also helps students distinguish phrases from one another. This is important as we continue our journey into more advanced grammar and conventions lessons. Enjoy the pictures, and have a great weekend. Science Hike
9/15/2017
This past week, the 5th grade class joined up with the 3rd and 4th graders for the science hike. This activity provided several benefits to students. As the name of the hike implies, one of the goals of the hike was to provide students with an opportunity to research, plan, an implement a scientific investigation in nature. Students met twice prior to the hike to review the scientific process and work collaboratively with a group of peers to plan, gather material, and implement an investigation. All three grades will be studying an aspect of biology this year, and these studies provide an introduction to each grade level's units of study.
One of the other benefits was the social benefit. Students worked in mixed age groups with students they weren't previously very familiar with. This created connections across grade levels that may not have otherwise happened. The hike itself was somewhat of an analogy for the year. Students will face challenges throughout the year. However, persistence, perseverance, and determination pays off in life. The gallery below contains photos from both of the preparation and the hike itself. Outdoor Classroom
9/10/2017
This past week, we took some time to enjoy the beautiful weather and write some poetry underneath the crabapple trees. Students were inspired by the views as well as the deliciously sour crabapples. Enjoy the photos below.
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Elizabeth FerryMs. Ferry's experiences include teaching with the Peace Corps in Tanzania, teaching high school English in Maine, and this is her second year at PNA. She loves moose, outdoor activities, and being with her students. Archives
April 2021
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