Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Reaching the Summit: Year's End

It's the last weary trek to the summit right now. Both teachers and students have their eyes on summer exploration and adventure. The key, as I'm repeating to myself over and over again, is to keep a steady pace.

Our steady pace is fueled by the biography project, read aloud, STEAM projects, and human body systems study. Today we paced ourselves as we learned about biodomes and students began to design the biodomes they'll make. We also had an impromptu visit from a NASA scientists who shared with us the physics involved in space design, the kind of design that supports human life in space. It was fascinating.

Later the Middle School teachers visited us and gave students a preview. Students were quite squirmy as they listened. Many, in my class, have Middle School siblings and neighbors so there was a good deal of familiarity with the notes shared.

At the end of the day we had lots of time for our read aloud, Night of the Spadefoots, as well as time for music and some free choice or recess.

Tomorrow we'll host a local naturalist that will share stories and wisdom about protecting the land and water around us. And on Thursday and Friday we'll have time to make the biomes, work on biography reports, and continue the read aloud. I have a sense that it will be a quick week if we keep a good pace as we reach for the year's summit. Onward.