We are beginning to learn about different countries. We are interested in learning how we are the same and how we are unique. We are really interested in learning how make it a better place through understanding and empathy .
We read a book called The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty Birney. In it Eben accepts a challenge from his dad to find seven wonders in his small, rural town in seven days. If he does, he’ll earn a trip to some place far away. As we read the book we realized that a “Wonder” is only wonderful through the story and history that accompanies it.
We have been blogging for a few months and we are hoping to reach out to the world. We are hoping for lots of help. We are hoping to learn about the wonders of the countries we are researching from people who live there. We wrote letters on our blogs asking for help. You can find them in the Student Blogs on the right.
Here are the countries we are researching: Liam – Japan, Emma – Thailand, Logan – Argentina, Sophia – Germany, Sutton – the United Kingdom, Ellia – China, Ella – Russia, Michael – Costa Rica, Mady – Italy, Olive – Canada, Cooper – India, Eddie – Madagascar, Ryan – Mexico, Charlie – Turkey, Gabriel – Spain and Hayley – France.
If you can help us, or have friends from the different countries we are researching, please open our blogs and leave a comment at the bottom. Please share our search with friends you think might be able to help.
Thank you! 3E
Mowgli welcomed us to Camp Lincoln at the picnic tables. We followed him to the sports field. He had us make a big circle with our entire grade. We played a game about well we listen. He also taught us a game called Knee Tag. In Knee Tag you are safe if you put your hands on your knees. When your hands are on your knees you can’t move. Mowgli and Riptide also led us in the Clap, Jump, Spin and Run game. It was lots of fun too.
After the games we went on a nature walk with Wolf. First, we visited the farm animals. We saw chickens, ducks, goats and sheep. Then, we found plants we could eat. We found wintergreen and Indian cucumbers. The wintergreen tasted and smelled like root beer!. To find an Indian cucumber, look near water. Be careful when looking for the Indian cucumber. Dig around the stem and you will find a white root! Clean it off and taste it! It tasted like a carrot! After that, we made 
Nature Tea. We used hot water, wintergreen leaves, and pine needles. Some of us thought it was delicious, and some of us through it was yucky! Finally, we reached the Point. There were trees that had been struck by lightning. They had stripes and broken branches. We had lots of fun on our nature walk. “AROOH!!!”
For the third part of our day, we began playing a game like Red Light, Green Light to steal a counselor, Riptide’s keys. Once we got his keys we “drove” to the “zoo.” We crossed a rickety-rockety bridge over a swamp to get there. Once we got to the “zoo” we sorted out our animal names by size: small, medium, and large. We didn’t like the orders at the zoo, so we ran away. We (the animals) had to cross over a “peanut butter pit,” but first we had to get the rope. We made a lasso out of our sweatshirts to reach it. When we had the rope we had to swing across to escape the zookeepers. There was only one tiny boat for all of us to fit on. We swung across one at a time. We huddled together like penguins on the boat so everyone was safe. Our escape was a success. And our adventure was lots of fun!
Thanks to your kind generosity our Animal Awesomeness event was able to raise $700.09. We will send this money to the World Wildlife Fund to support threatened and endangered animals.
Our first major study of the year is an integrated exploration of habitats and animals. We traveled to a zoo and then created our own classroom zoo. In the middle of the research process the students began to realize many, many of the animals they were learning about were threatened or endangered. They discovered that the loss of one animal – no matter how large or small – changes the world forever. And they realized this change is never good. They decided they wanted to do something to make a difference. But what?
From those first November talks they ideas began to take shape. They decided they would invent games and activities with an animal theme and invite the school community to an event. Every time someone played a game, they’d get at least one ticket for a raffle. They met with the principal to share their plans and got the okay. They created fliers about the event to send home and post around the school.
They planned and created The Sloth Lounge – for parents to rest in after a long day, Animal Safari, Pin-the-Tail on the Wildebeest, Red Panda Pie Face, Animal Chairs, Cotton-topped Tamarin Bowling, a Feed the Animals Obstacle Course and Toss The Poison Dart Frog. When the games were done they created animal-themed journals for the raffle and decorations for walls.
At last, after four months of planning and making, they set up Animal Awesomeness in the gymnasium and hoped people would come. They did! For an hour the gym was filled with families playing games, winning tickets, taking chances in the raffle and most importantly helping the Good Deed Club change the world!
We had a wonderful day celebrating International Dot Day. This is a day focusing on creativity, building confidence and sharing this important message with the world. Here’s how we made our mark.
I hope you’ll be able to stop in too.
It was also a special day for our family. I didn’t get any books read. I didn’t get any thank you notes written. I didn’t watch any birds, but I did get to welcome this little guy into the world. I’d like you to meet James, the newest member of our family. So yes, Max and Seamus, I am a grandma now.