7th and 8th Grade - Child Labor

Child labor is a problem that affects young people like you, in places all over the world, including the US. When children are forced to work, they often miss out on the chance to live a normal life, and do the things that we take for granted (go to school, spend time with their friends and family, etc.). Please read the story of Basilio, a child who worked in a mine in Bolivia.

Read about Basilio on this website:

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/devilsminer/

When you are finished, please answer the Questions on your teacher's blog.

2/19/09 - 5th Grade - The Ride of Paul Revere

Today we are going to talk about the Paul Revere, and the ride he took on the night of April 18, 1775 to warn the patriots that the British were coming. Let's start by getting to know a little about our colonial celebrity: http://www.kidsandhistory.com/paulvm/h2_hist.html

So, Paul Revere was a member of two secret societies that wanted to change the government of the colonies. When they wanted to meet, or exchange information, they could not just call each other up on the phone, this was the 1770's (the fist phone conversation wouldn't take place for 100 years! - March 10th, 1876). They had to send letters that were carried by messengers like Paul Revere. Let's read about the message that Paul Revere carried to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British soldiers were coming to arrest them.

The most famous version of Paul Revere's ride was recorded in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere." But, Paul Revere's diary tells a different story than the famous poem. As we read the poem together, please fill in the details on your worksheet. Then we will read Paul Revere's diary, and compare and contrast the two.

Longfellow's Poem
http://www.kidsandhistory.com/paulvm/h1_midride/ridepages_nosound/ridefset.html

The Real Ride:
http://www.kidsandhistory.com/paulvm/h2_real.html

Paul Revere's depiction of the Boston Massacre:
http://ww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2007/03/20/513012/BloodyMassacre.jpg

Paul Revere's complete account of the ride:
http://www.americanrevolution.org/revere.html

Technology Planning

Teachers,
Here are some technology planning sites that I have been looking at:
http://www2.msstate.edu/~lsa1/nctp/Guidebook.pdf
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te300.htm
We are going to start discussing plans for developing a technology planning group, at the staff meeting this afternoon, and these sites may be a good starting point.

2-11-09 - 3rd Grade - The Oregon Trail

Today, you are going to learn about the men and women of the frontier who traveled the Oregon trail.
Go to: http://www.virtualapple.org/oregontraildisk.html
When the game starts, press 2 and then press enter, to read about the journey. When you get finished with a page, press the space bar to go on to the next one.
After you read about the Oregon Trail, press 1 and then press enter, to begin the game.
Follow the instructions to choose your player (banker, carpenter, or farmer), enter the names of the people in your party, buy supplies, and enjoy the Oregon Trail!

2/10/09 - 5th Grade - SPACE!

You guys asked a lot of great questions about outer space. I did some research, and found web sites that will hopefully give you some answers.

Space has fascinated humans since the beginning of recorded history! The origins of astronomy (the scientific study of celestial objects) date back to ancient Mesopotamia (5000 to 5500 years ago!). Many of the questions that you have asked are still unanswered. If you are interested in Space, consider studying Physics in High School and College. Here are some of your questions, and some of the answers I have come up with.

How long does it take (the space shuttle) to orbit the earth?
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/webcasts/shuttle/sts113/processing-qa_prt.htm

How big is space?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/universe/howbig.html

Why can't we breathe in outer space?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_space

Why is there zero gravity in space?
http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal109/NEWHTF/HTF611.HTM
http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312074/zg.htm

How long does it take to get to outer space?

How long can a star stay alive?
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/astronomy/a/how_long_does_a_star_last_in_outer_space

How long can we stay in space?
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE1DD1630F93AA15751C1A961948260

Do they eat special food in space?
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/living/spacefood/index.html

How far away is the moon?
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_kids/AskKids/moondist.shtml

How do asteroids form?
http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=221

How are black holes formed?
http://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy/black_holes/
http://cosmology.berkeley.edu/Education/BHfaq.html

Keep asking good questions, and seeking truthful answers!

2/10/09 - 6th Grade - African American Scientists and Inventors

The following web pages tell the stories of some of the most famous African American Scientists and inventors.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmscientists1.html
https://webfiles.uci.edu/mcbrown/display/faces.html
Scholastic Top Ten:http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/inventors/

Webquest:http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/jhhs/jhhslmc/Black%20History%20Webquest/default.htm