Writing- Ms. Bev worked with each child, independently, on their writing assignments. They are, understandably, at different points in the writing process. This is why splitting the large class into two smaller writing groups was so needed! The kids are getting more and more comfortable with paragraph writing. Transition words, conclusions, topics, and supporting details are no longer such scary concepts!
Math- The 4A math class worked with protractors again today. They measured and drew different angles as a group, as well as individually in their books. Using a protractor takes practice! The class also worked on their multiplication race track challenge. Ms. Jennifer will keep quizzing them on their multiplication tables, as this is a skill that must be mastered! In the 3A math group,
Science- The one word that the children all had to describe today's science lesson was, "gross"! Ms. Gail began class by going over the review questions for chapters 1-5. The students made changes to their study guides as the class went through the questions aloud. They need to use this sheet to study for next week's test! Ms. Gail gave the students the next study guide, for chapters 6-10. The class will complete it at home and use it to study for the test on Thursday.
After the review, Ms. Gail taught the class about the chemical reaction that takes place during digestion. The students were each given a small piece of white bread. They put one piece of bread into their mouths and chewed it up, making an effort to mix as much saliva as possible with the bread. When the bread was good and squishy, spit it out onto a piece of wax paper. Yuck! They drops of iodine to each bread sample. Plain white bread turns a dark blue-purple color when the iodine touches it. The chewed up bread-saliva mixture does not turn dark. The starch in the bread combines with iodine to form iodine-starch molecules, which areblue-purple in color. Chewing the bread mixes it with saliva. This is where the chemical reaction occurred in your mouth: the large starch molecules were changed into completely different, smaller, sugar molecules. Sugar does not react with iodine in the same way that starch does. It was a gross experiment, but effective!
Literature- The class began their new book today, "Mr. Tucket" by Gary Paulsen. They listened attentively while Ms. Gail read the first few chapters out loud. They seemed to really enjoy it!In social studies, Mr. Dennis went over the test with the students. I saw nothing lower than a B! They did a great job!
Agriculture- Sometimes, in agriculture class, I have a preorganized lesson plan on a topic. Sometimes, we perform activities or make farm observations. But, sometimes, I actually have things that need to be done... and even need help! Our broody hen/incubator challenge has reached its end. We all agreed that this was an unfair time of year for such a challenge! The broody hen ended up abandoning her nest, possibly due to the cold weather. If a hen goes broody at an opportune time in the spring, we will have another challenge and compare results! But, the incubator won this round.
Out of the 41 eggs that we put into the incubator, 35 made it to lockdown. The other 6 did not develop, which is not abnormal. The class and I discussed that the fertility rate is most likely lower now, in the late fall, than it would be in the spring. Out of the 35, there were a lot of chicks. These hatched Tuesday and Wednesday. Because of the number of squirmy chicks, I was unable to get a look at the remaining eggs. This is where the class came in to help.When eggs are in the last 3 days of development, you do not want to decrease the humidity level in the incubator. The chicks that have hatched can survive for 72 hours without food or water. This is because they have absorbed the remaining yolk from inside the egg, through their umbilical cords. When the incubator does need to be opened before the eggs have all hatched, it is best to crack it open in a humid room. However, I have a method that has worked for me. I take a towel, drench it in hot water, and then wring it out. I drape the towel over the sides of the incubator. Then, I reach my hand under the towel, crack the lid (without having a visual, just by feel), and do whatever needs to be done.
Today, I had the students take turns helping take chicks from me as I reached under the towel, moving them quickly to their spot under a heat lamp. After enough chicks were removed, I was able to assess the situation. There were 7 eggs that had not pipped at all, and one chick that had pipped and began to zip, but stopped. I taught a quick lesson on percentages. We calculated the success rate
based on the original 41. Then, we calculated the success rate of
those 35 that went into lockdown. I recognized that the one chick that had stalled out during its zipping process was the same one that I took note of the day before. Once a chick is stuck for a long time, the membrane begins to harden, creating a very sticky film that hardens, locking the chick inside. What comes with practice is knowing that, most of the time, the chick was not able to zip successfully for a reason. It simply was weak and unable to do so.
I have learned to trust nature, and let it take its course unless it is obvious to me that an external force (like a humidity issue) locked a potentially healthy chick inside. (We call these "sticky chicks"!) I explained to the class that a chick had stopped zipping. I also explained, very clearly, why we do not assist. However, I told them why I make exceptions in certain cases. I told them that I did not think this was one of those cases... but I left the decision with the class. Did THEY want to help? They knew the risk (It was very clear that there was a slim chance that the chick was "normal"), but they opted to give it a try. So, I very carefully peeled back the shell. The students watched as the chick finally unfolded. It is smaller than the others, and its feet are slightly curled, but there are not outward signs of weakness at this point. However, I still explained that weak chicks usually do not survive. I will keep them posted on the chick's status!
Once the chick was out and warming under the light, I demonstrated to the class the "float test". By placing an unhatched egg into a glass of very still, warm water, you can see if there is a living chick inside. An egg with a deceased chick will simply float in the water. However, if the chick is alive, the egg will bob side to side and cause ripples in the water. After floating all 7 of these eggs, there were none that contained live chicks. This was not a lesson from a website or a worksheet. This was a lesson that anyone who raises chickens goes through on their own. Most of the time, we learn these lessons as adults, but I think decisions such as these can only benefit a child. You see, we have separated ourselves from the grit of reality, from the life and death of the farm. I believe there is much to be learned from tough lessons: empathy, rationality, decision making skill, humility, forgiveness, the realization that life is not fair, and the ability to learn from it and keep moving forward. There is far more to agricultural education than learning where milk comes from... It can help us to create more grounded, less entitled, and more well rounded, generations.
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