So Hard to Believe

I just cannot believe we are only one class day away from summer.  I also cannot believe how fast this year has flown by.  Time certainly does fly when you're having fun... and I'm not sure I am ready to say goodbye to our first year of this marvelous adventure.

Spelling- We began the day with spelling class.  Because this list is particularly challenging for them, we reviewed the most troublesome words before beginning with our activity.  After a discussion and some spelling-out-loud, we brought out the letter tiles.  The students worked it groups to create their own "crossword puzzles" with the spelling list.  They really had to think about the letters in each word, as they stared at the letters on the table, trying to make as many words fit as possible!

Grammar- In grammar, we played a review game.  The students took turns answering questions, such as "What is the definition of a verb?", "What is the preposition in this sentence?", and "What is a conjunction?".  Each question was worth a point.  However, answering the question correctly earned you the chance at a bonus point!  They took a shot throwing a ball into a basket.  Toward the end of the game, I threw out two-point questions.  The students did an excellent job reciting the list of prepositions, helping verbs, and diagramming sentences on the board!

Math- Ms. Jennifer, who will be teaching our math class next year, visited us during math today.  She taught us all a very cool tricky for multiplication 6's through 10's!  Afterward, the children worked on Multiplication Mosaics and Division Designs.  These worksheets really keep multiplication and division practice fun!  The kids answer the math problems at the bottom of the page.  Then, they have to plot out points on the graph, using the hundreds place in their answer for the horizontal position and the tens place for the vertical.  The result of the division design was a picture of a nesting bird! 

Science- We have covered so much ground in science this year!   As a recap, the students were given a written evaluation in science.  Since science class is only held once per week, we spend that time discussing topics and doing hands on experiments and activities.  At home, they have spent a lot of time reading about the topics, studying websites, and watching videos about the concepts.  This was a chance for the kids to think back to all that they have learned, and show what they know in both science and writing!  They were each given a sheet of essay questions.  They had to choose one of the questions and answer it, in paragraph form, in 15-20 minutes.  Once they finished their essay question, they handed it in and were given another.  Each child answered 2-3 essay questions in an hour.  It was a lot of thinking, and a lot of writing! 

Poetry- The class did an excellent job reciting, "A Time To Talk" by Robert Frost.  After recording each of their recitations, we headed to the garden to make their final poetry video.  I don't want to give away too much, but this one may just be the best one yet!   The poem is about putting down the hoe, not dwelling on all of the unfinished work that we have to do, and taking the time to talk to our friends... to nurture our relationships.  This is a perfect poem for our class.  Our education.  Our domestic lives.  Our families.  I cannot wait to edit these and show them to the class, parents, and teachers at our Finalé Dinner next Friday!

Social Studies-Today was our last day with Mr. Dennis... until next year!   The class has completed their journey from North American colonization to the spread Westward during California's goldrush.  Next year, Mr. Dennis will lead the class through U.S. History- Civil War through the present!  For those who need a recap of everything the students learned about this year, please click here!