Chemistry!

We finally finished up our geology inquiry projects ( I cannot believe I did not take pictures of those yet!) and moved onto our LAST SCIENCE UNIT OF THE YEAR!!! Holy Moly! I have been pretty stoked to teach chemistry to the boys because they got to do chemistry about three years back with our island fellow at the time. So, they already know a lot but I figured it would be a great hands-on and fun unit to finish up the year with, not to mention a great prep for high school!

We are SUPER thankful to the Matinicus School who loaned us their Foss Science Kit for "Chemical Investigations." What an awesome kit... four HUGE boxes and chemicals, science equipment and FUN!

In our first investigation the boys had to examine and make observations about a "mystery mixture" I presented to them.

They had to record as many observations as they could by just looking at the substance.

Then they added water to the substance and recorded what happened.

Can someone say "chemical reaction!?"

During the second part of the investigation, I gave the boys 9 white substances to use to try and figure out what substances made up the "mystery mixture."

They made more observations about the new white substances and read a bit about the common uses of these substances...

Then it was time for some more chemical reactions... protective eye wear is a must! At least for Hootie!

The boys got to experiment... testing the different substances with water to see how they reacted.

They were able to mix the substance once they had an idea of what kind of mixture would cause the same reaction that occured when they added water to the "mystery mixture."

Lots of substances to chose from!

The testing plate! 

Quinn getting mad that he couldn't figure out the mixture...

So he had to go back to the experiments!

He thinks' hes got it!

During the last class this week, the boys got to use an interactive table of elements to help figure out their final answer of WHAT the mystery mixture actually was!

Pretty cool Foss website!

We left their test trays out overnight to see what would happen after the water evaporated and we're able to make our final guess based on the left over residue of the substances... 

the final answer ... the mystery mixture = citric acid and baking soda!

All this chemistry is exhausting!

Our Virtual Inter-Island Poetry Slam! Yeah!!!

The day had finally came for our FIRST EVER Virtual Inter-Island Poetry Slam!!!! As you can imagine and know from our blog posts we have been preparing for this day for MONTHS! The olders from Monhegan and the Ashley Bryan School had written, styled, and practiced their poems together and were ready to perform in front of an audience! 

Here is our Monhegan audience! Super proud!

We had made a "Noise-o-meter" to judge the kids by the audience response! Let me just say... all of the kids poems caused the roof to BLOW!!!

This was a pretty cool moment in terms of our collaboration between island schools. It was the first time we ever had an inter-island "dramatic" performance where the kids were partnered with other students on other islands! AND it was the first time we had family and community members from different islands on the Tanberg as an audience! I really think we could have made history... the first-ever VIRTUAL poetry slam. I am just so proud of these kids for being so willing and comfortable with this technology and type of collaboration. It is pretty amazing and cutting-edge. My heart just continues to burst with pride for these kids and these island schools. We.Are.Awesome!

Another amazing break....

This is what happens when the teacher cleans out her desk during break and finds Pop Rocks in her stash of old BINGO prizes!

Classic!

We are just a weeeee bit too goofy sometimes. But I love every second of it!

Happy Cinco de Mayo

We obviously had to make some Cinco de Mayo crafts during morning meeting last week... I always like to make sure to teach the kids that Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexico's Independence Day... but I still like having a little fun with it!

We got out all of our best noise maker materials!

Dalton was excited to use the glue gun!

My finished product... I am ready to make some noise!

Margaret's gorgeous blue and green theme!

Quinn gluing his noise maker together!

Ut oh...

I think Margaret's need just a litttttttle more glitter!!!

Charlie's Angel!

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!

Garden Day!

In honor of May and all this stinkin' rain we have been getting we had a "garden day" share time for our TLC youngers last week.

Unfortunately Margaret was not in school on Garden Day so Quinn said he would "stand in" for her. The kids were suppose to dress in their best garden outfits (I was thinking flowers, veggies, and fruit) but after Quinn sifted through our "dress-up" box this was the best "garden-garb" he could come up with. He called himself a "New Yorker Farmer." Oh man.

The rest of the youngers look fabulous in their garden outfits... there was lots of green, yellow, pink, and brown clothes!

I was excited I got to wear my apple shirt for garden day!

The kids took turns sharing what they like to grow (and/or eat from the garden!)

Quinn tried to explain her garden outfit... of course the youngers loved it.

This younger at the Ashley Bryan school brought in a sweet little bunny to share for Garden Day!

What a lovely garden sweater Ms. Donna had on!

Ms. Heidi looked like a walking garden!

I think the teachers often have more fun dressing up then the kids!

Here is all the fun we had during our garden day!

Art Class: Still Life!

We had a lovely art class last week on a very grey day...

 Still life drawing using mixed media.

Donna set up this beautiful display with awesome lighting. It made for such a relaxing, quiet assignment.

 Dalton's black and white sketch using charcoal.

 Quinn's up close piece using cray-pas.

Apparently there was an incident with Quinn getting Dalton to dare him to write with cray-pa on his face. I missed this... but came out to the main room seeing this face. Classic.

Dalton's second piece... his still life turned into an abstract and I absolutely love it!

Donna overseeing her little art minions. I love art class.

Perfection. 

Spring Book Groups!

It is hard to believe that just a year and a half ago our TLC had our first round of book groups where we all read the same book and it was as simple as the teachers and students posting questions and answers on a google doc each week. Fast forward to this spring where we now have SIX different teachers from SIX different schools teaching SIX different groups of kids who are reading SIX different books!! We meet twice a week with our groups, have in depth discussions, analyze text, relate to characters, and most of all just enjoy great literature together as a group. It is pretty fantastic!

We just started our books groups this week and we are excited to have the middle schoolers from Swan's Island join us for this round of book groups!

Quinn's is lucky enough to have Michael from Swan's as his book group leader. Quinn has six kids from four different islands in his group and they are reading the book "Among the Hidden."

Margaret is in a kindergarten book group with the kindergartners from the Ashley Bryan School and the Cliff Island School! Heidi from Cliff are leading these little ones in fun discussions about characters, settling and plot! They are reading "Charlotte's Web!" Lucky Ducks!

And then there is my fabulous book group... the "olders." We have six students from four different islands in our group, including Daltini. We are reading the book "Going Bovine" which I have to say... I LOVE! Anne is co-teaching with me and it has been so fun working with these guys. They are so smart and witty and I think we are going to have a great time together.

Of all the amazing things we do within the TLC I think book groups is really the epitome of what we do best... using technology to allow our students to work at their own learning level with students and teachers from other islands. It is just a blast and I think it is just so cool that we have come so far in just two years with this project. It's just a real testament to the teachers and students and additional support involved with the TLC! 

Mush! Mush! Mush! Gush! Gush! Gush!