Terrific Day at the Museum

Homework
4th Grade Math:  Due Friday - Division/Multiplication.  Optional problem solving work:  On Balance (progressively challenging problem sets).

5th Grade Math:  Due Friday - p. 142 & 143 in packet

Wordly Wise:  20 minutes Weds and Thurs nights  (depending on overall homework time)

Reading 20 minutes  (don't forget to record your reading in the planner)  

Upcoming Events: 

Save the Date:  May 29, 6:00-8:30pm, Performance of Learning & 5th Grade Tribute in the classroom and Depot.

Field Trips

• Wednesday, May 7 (8:45-3:15)  Oakland Museum History Gallery
• Friday, May 23 (8:45-3:00)  Sailing on Bay and nautical skills workshop.

Photos from the Field trip

The infamous coy pond.

We began by breaking into small groups for a tour of the Cordell Bank exhibit.

Explaining upwellings.

Studying the animals in the Cordell reef.

Jaws

Discussing the ocean in the theater area.

Plastic sky.  A section of the exhibit is dedicated to ocean trash and the affects on ocean life.

Looks like the stuff we find too by the bay.

Baby albatross, fed plastics mistaken for food by parents.

After a break from the tour we went to the science lab.

Squid dissection!

A hands on experience.  (Food grade squid)

The syphon is found.

Cutting the mantle.

Pulling out the "guts."

A backpack sherpa.

Field Trip Tomorrow - Depart 8:35.

Please note, we will need to depart as soon as possible tomorrow.  We are walking to North Berkeley BART, so if you arrive late and we have left you can catch us on the walk there (University to Acton to station).

Homework
4th Grade Math:  Due Friday - Division/Multiplication.  Optional problem solving work:  On Balance (progressively challenging problem sets).

5th Grade Math:  Due Friday - p. 142 & 143 in packet

Wordly Wise:  20 minutes Weds and Thurs nights  (depending on overall homework time)

Reading 20 minutes  (don't forget to record your reading in the planner)  

Upcoming Events: 

Thursday, April 24,  Field Trip:  Oakland Museum's Cordell Bank exhibit and squid dissection science lab.  Permission slips for this trip have already been collected. Students will need a snack and lunch.  Depart:  8:35, Return by 3:15 (possibly earlier).  Transportation: BART

Save the Date:  May 29, 6:00-8:30pm, Performance of Learning & 5th Grade Tribute in the classroom and Depot.

Other Upcoming Field Trips

• Wednesday, May 7 (8:45-3:15)  Oakland Museum History Gallery
• Friday, May 23 (8:45-3:00)  Sailing on Bay and nautical skills workshop.

 Homework

4th Grade Math:   4/21 Division Classwork/Homework Continue from class to complete the division word problems.  Students who were finished in class have other assignments or the  On Balance problems to work on.  These are meant to be challenging, and the students are not expected to finish the packet, but to spend about 20 minutes working through them as best they can.  We will share solutions in class over the week.

5th Grade Math:  Pages 140 & 141

Reading 20 minutes  (don't forget to record your reading in the planner)  

Upcoming Events: 

Thursday, April 24,  Field Trip:  Oakland Museum's Cordell Bank exhibit and squid dissection science lab.  Permission slips for this trip have already been collected. Students will need a snack and lunch.  Depart:  8:45, Return by 3:15 (possibly earlier).  Transportation: BART

Save the Date:  May 29, 6:00-8:30pm, Performance of Learning & 5th Grade Tribute in the classroom and Depot.

Other Upcoming Field Trips

• Wednesday, May 7 (8:45-3:15)  Oakland Museum History Gallery
• Friday, May 23 (8:45-3:00)  Sailing on Bay and nautical skills workshop.

Today in Strawberry:  

Sharing the results of the water audit at the all school assembly.

Demonstration of how much water an "average American" uses each day.  You actually need to DOUBLE the number of 5 gallon buckets on the table!

Our march to the bay to pick up trash.

Discussing safety for the clean up.

Water Audit!

 Homework

4th Grade Math:   4/21 Division Classwork/Homework Continue from class to complete "Knowing When to Multiply or Divide" (both parts), and the Missing Factors page.  For students that completed this section in class try the On Balance problems.  These are meant to be challenging, and the students are not expected to finish the packet, but to spend about 20 minutes working through them as best they can.  We will share solutions in class over the week.

5th Grade Math:  3rd page in your packet.

Reading 20 minutes  (don't forget to record your reading in the planner)  

Upcoming Events: 

Tuesday:  We will walk to the Berkeley Marina at 10:15 to clean our stretch of shoreline as part of our continuing effort - as well as honoring Earth Day.  We will return by 12:00 for lunch on campus.  Bring a Raincoat just in case, and good walking shoes.

Thursday, April 24,  Field Trip:  Oakland Museum's Cordell Bank exhibit and squid dissection science lab.  Permission slips for this trip have already been collected. Students will need a snack and lunch.  Depart:  8:45, Return by 3:15 (possibly earlier).  Transportation: BART

Save the Date:  May 29, 6:00-8:30pm, Performance of Learning & 5th Grade Tribute in the classroom and Depot.

Other Upcoming Field Trips

• Wednesday, May 7 (8:45-3:15)  Oakland Museum History Gallery
• Friday, May 23 (8:45-3:00)  Sailing on Bay and nautical skills workshop.

Today in Strawberry:  

As part of our Earth Day focus, TBS began a water audit today.  We tracked water throughout the day, collecting wash water in a bucket, keeping track of the amount of drinking water from faucets, and noting the number of flushes!  Tomorrow, at our school assembly we will review the results and connect it to the bigger picture of water use.

Our return from break saw us eagerly delving into research about the topics for our performance of learning in the end of May.  The students gathered more information in the first part of the day, then began script/screenplay writing int he afternoon.

Free Speech Movement group reviewing historical pieces online.

Rosie the Riveter/Woman's Movement group highlighting sections of text.

A few pics from the Read-a-thon before the break.

Welcome back!

New Almaden field trip

Photos from the New Almaden Field Trip:

Our tour began by connecting how Ohlone people used cinnabar found in the area.

Cinnabar - the ore mined for mercury.

Discussing life in the mines.  100s of miles of tunnels down to 650' below sea level.

How to drill dynamite holes.

Electrically charged dynamite.

Visiting the house of an 1800's Victorian style life for the mining camp bosses.

Mercury mining Bingo.

Our walk in the neighborhood brought us past adobe houses (still lived in today) to mining equipment.

Cranking the kiln and condenser (where the mercury was extracted/vaporized from the ore)

Sharing about new information learned.

We ended our "educational" walk at the cemetery - our third cemetery this year.

The most notable tombstone (above) marked the burial of Bert Barrett.  Barrett died many years later and was buried in a different location.

Kevin led the kids in "Ships & Sailors" before we packed up and began our journey home.

Much thanks to Kevin, Moira, Anne and James for driving today!

Upcoming Events: 

Readathon, April 11:  A day of reading.  Students may come in pajamas and bring sleeping bags, pillow, a stuffed animal and of course, books for a day of lounging and reading.  Adults are welcome to join us to read.  

Schedule for Readathon:

• 8:30-8:45 - Set up cozy reading spaces
• 8:45-10:00 - Reading time with active break
• 10:00-10:20 - Special snack for Readathon
• 10:20-11:00 - 2nd Reading time
• 11:00-11:45 - PE
• 11:45-12:15 - Recess at the park
• 12:15-12:45 - Lunch
• 12:45-1:00 - Read aloud
• 1:00-1:30 - Reading with Buddies
• 1:30-2:00 - Choices
• 2:00-2:15 - Jobs and Dismissal

Save the Date:  May 29, 6:00-8:30pm, Performance of Learning & 5th Grade Tribute