Visit from German Exchange Students

An opportunity that couldn't be passed up presented itself this morning.  It seems that our local high school is hosting three exchange students from Germany who happened to be visiting our elementary school this morning.  They were good enough to come to our classroom and spend some time with us.

When they entered our classroom we were preparing for our Mystery Skype call. They sat right down with the to help and guide the students as they worked to guess the state.  (Kansas has now been added to our growing list of Mystery States!).

Towards the end of the day the three visiting students, Daniel, Maren & Esther, returned to Room 310.  They were given a list of color, number, food and sport words and asked to teach the students the German translation.  All of the students Americans and Germans enjoyed the experience.  It was an engaging and heartwarming activity.

The fourth graders were so interested and curious about what life is like in Germany.  The high school students in turn were patient and thoughtful with their answers. Esther shared with her group that today just happens to be German Reunification Day (which is like our Independence Day). She explained about the Berlin Wall and how it was removed. 



This type of learning doesn't happen everyday and so when an occasion such as this arises we need to capitalize on it.  All of these kids will remember this day for many years to come! So happy to be a part of this Global learning!

 

Teachable Moment - Ashrita Furman, Record Breaker

Grab your pogo stick and hop your way right into the Guinness Book of Records! That's what I think my students will be doing after our lesson on MAIN IDEA and supporting details. 

The worksheet being used to review the skill had information about a gentleman who climbed up and down Mt. Fuji on his pogo stick.  Imagine the stamina and strength it would take to accomplish this feat! As the students continued reading they became fascinated by Ashrita Furman, the man who holds over a hundred other records in the Guinness Book of Records.

The students started asking lots of great questions.  Why did he decide to break the records?  How many records did he break? Where is he from?  Why did climbing Mt. Fuji on a pogo stick bring inner peace? (the paragraph mentioned it brought Ashrita inner peace)  What is inner peace?  Is he still alive?

Not realizing the interest this would spark, we decided to take a few moments to research this unusual record-breaker.  His website, which you can reach it by clicking HERE, has all kind of fun and amazing information.  It also includes the video below:



Students each wrote a letter to Ashrita in their writing journal.  They asked their questions about his records while also telling him about the records they would like break.  One student wants to be the first to eat the most gummy bears in 5 minutes while another wants to pass a football non-stop and still another wants to write continuously in cursive. We have contacted Ashrita through his website and hope to hear back from him!

One never knows where the learning will take us.  The key is to take those teachable moments and follow where it leads!

Advice on "How to get started" by Ashrita Furman himself can be found on this page of his website: How to Get in the Guinness Book.

Please share in the comment section the record you would like to break!  

top photo credit: Scott Beale via photopin cc

Mangos in the Morning! A Student Inspires His Teacher!

by Tatiana Gerus on Flickr

While waiting for my packets of state testing to be delivered to my classroom, amid the noise of scraping chairs and the whir of the pencil sharpener, one of my students approached my desk and shared the following with me.   "My family and I were looking up 'fruits' this morning before school.  We found that Mangos are the most popular fruit and did you know that there are 1000 different types of mangoes?" Hmmmm...actually, I didn't realize that.  As a matter of fact, I really never thought much about Mangos before now. 

Since my little fourth grade friend was fascinated by the mangos and had learned so much,  I felt the need to check them out for myself.  Here is what I learned....

• Mangos are grown in tropical climates. In the Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Guatemala and Haiti are the leading importers of mangoes in the US. 
• Mangos are a good source of dietary fiber and low in calorie.
•  The mango is the national fruit of India, Philippines and Pakistan. 
• India produces the most mangoes but does little trading as it consumes much of the fruit.
• Mangos can be used in recipes for salsa, smoothies, chutneys and more. 
• Mango leaves are used in wedding celebrations.

After doing a little research I realized that there are so many lessons associated with this delicious fruit.  Some curriculum examples:

• Geography:  Locating leading mango producers on the world map which would strengthen geography skills. 
• Math: Looking up and creating recipes that would aid with following directions, fractions, measurement and problem solving.
• Science: Learning about how different varieties are created as well as conditions needed to properly grow the fruits could be explored.
• Language Arts: Researching; reading folktales; writing poems and stories about mangos will allow students practice in different genres.

Sensing my student's enthusiasm for learning with just a cursory look at the mango, makes me think about my friend Denise Krebs.  She allows her students a "Genius Hour" to learn and share about something for which they have a passion or for which they want to learn more about.  When students start researching and studying something they are interested in do they gain more than those topics which are mandatory?  I think, yes!

On a side note, this is why I love my job....everyday I am treated to something seen only through the eyes of interested and engaging 10 year-olds who are fascinated by things we adults sometimes think are just commonplace.

Thanks D for the 'teachable moment' for your teacher!

RESOURCES:
Meet a Mango Tree:  Learn all about the mango tree and fruit. 

Mango Nutrition Facts:  A few quick facts about the nutrition mangos provide.

All About Mangos:  A site that provides information about the history, health benefits; myths & facts and more.


Jango Geography from Mango.org:  A game to test your skills about the countries that produce mangos.  Other Games and activities from this site.

The Mango Charm:  A folktale


Mango Coloring Page:  Several different mango coloring pages at this site.

How to Cut a Mango: from Mango.org

Teachable Moment-Apollo 7 Splashdown!

Crew of Apollo 7 (NASA photo)

Schirra, Eisele and Cunningham may not be household names, but they are names that are now known in our fourth grade classroom thanks to one 10 year old girl and her Grandpa.  These gentlemen were the crew of Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo space flight!  Our young fourth grader shared a piece of their incredible story, but shared it through the eyes and stories of her Grandpa who was fortunate enough to see the end of Apollo's mission.

In honor of Veteran's Day our class wrote letters thanking a veteran in our family (or neighbor).  My student wrote to her grandfather (who happens to also live with her) and he wrote back.  Not only did he write back but he sent in his yearbook from the ship on which he was stationed, pictures of that vessel and some amazing photos of Apollo 7's splashdown from 1968!

As this young lady shared the photos (via the class document camera) she spoke knowledgeably about each one of them. The photos were taken from the ship (where her Grandpa was assigned) the U.S.S. Essex on October 22, 1968 as they recovered the space capsule from the waters. She fielded questions from her classmates and answered them intelligently.  It was clear that she spent time listening and learning from her Grandfather. 

Splashdown - Navy Frogs

Of course this was not the planned lesson of the day, but the impact this had on the students was far greater than the scheduled instruction.  The class couldn't get enough information and wanted to learn more. They asked questions about the astronauts, the spacecraft, the aircraft carrier as well lots of other questions.  It became a social studies lesson on primary sources, a science lesson on space,  a math lesson on elapsed time, a language arts lesson (we wrote poems) and more! But, perhaps what made it most exciting for students, was knowing that their classmate's Grandpa was really "there"!  It made that instant connection with them.

It is important sometimes to forgo the plans and capture the excitement and enthusiasm for learning that comes from those teachable moments.  What was your last 'teachable moment'?  Please share it in the comment section below!


Learn more with Apollo 7 Resources:
Encyclopedia Astronautica:  Scroll down to see a great timeline beginning in March 1965
Astronomy Top 100: This site speaks about Apollo 7 being broadcast 'Live'
NASA Video of Apollo 7
Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum A brief summary of Apollo 7's mission.

Teachable Moment - Watch Live - Iowa Eagles

Making our way back to the classroom from Phys. Ed. the other day, one of the kindergarten teachers stopped my class in the hallway and invited them into her classroom.  I'll admit I was a tad bit annoyed because it was near the end of the day, and we still had some pressing things to get accomplished.  Quickly, my annoyance turned into absolute fascination!  Staring right at us was a momma eagle sitting on her 3 eggs waiting for them to hatch!  Talk about a 'Teachable Moment'!

Well, our kindergarten teacher was actually projecting a live stream video feed of a bald eagle's nest sitting high atop a tree in Decorah, Iowa.  The 'Nest Cam' is part of the  Raptor Resource Project whose mission is to "preserve and strengthen raptor populations."  Raptors are birds of prey. The eagle's eggs which were laid in February have an estimated hatching date of April 1st! 

 

  (This video created from a PowerPoint show produced by Colorado State University)

Watching the male and female eagles 'LIVE' has been the highlight of our week!  Everyday the kids rush into class sharing what they witnessed while watching the Nest Cam.   

Students' observations have included:

  * the male eagle swooping in and changing places with the female

  * moving and rolling the eggs closer together using their beak   

  * dinner (in the form of a mouse) being brought to the nest

  * the female eagle signaling to the male with a high pitched squawking

  * building up of the nest around the eagle's body

The students also blogged about their observations, and also wrote short stories from the point of view of the eagle! They have been asking me question after question about eagles.  They are so en'raptor'ed by the whole thing!

The students have not been the only ones watching this extraordinary event, as their parents have been glued to the live feed as well. One parent commented,  "Not only is it a permanent fixture on our home computer...everyone I work with had it on their computer as a window today." Another parent stated "It's addicting - I can't wait to see the chicks". It's hard NOT to get excited about nature up close and personal!

To think I almost passed up this 'Teachable Moment!' Let this be a lesson to us all about capturing those 'teachable moments' for we never know where learning will lead us (or our students)! How lucky we all are to be able to experience the hatching of these majestic birds - the symbol of our nation! Thank you Ms. Bearce for drawing us in! 

Resources to help answer Eagle Questions:

Eagles 101: Although this is geared for kids in grades 5 - 8 it has a lot of information that can be shared with younger children.

Bald Eagle Facts for Kids:  Some quick facts about the eagle.

Bald Eagle Fun:  Coloring pages, greeting cards and games    

Bald Eagle Photos: Photos taken of Bald Eagles in Alaska

Ben's Guide to Government: Tells how the eagle came to be the symbol of the US Government

 What was your most recent 'Teachable Moment'? Please share it in the comment section.