Some Days Learning is Just Hard

Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation
Collection

Four parts of the water cycle...easy enough, right?  We've spent two days watching a video and doing an experiment to illustrate the cycle.  Today I had my students partner up and draw the four parts of the water cycle which they had to put into order.  After explaining at least one part to each group individually I thought it would be pretty easy.

Think again!

 We thought

 and thought

and thought some more.  But it was hard work for our brains!  At one point, I mentioned that I thought it might be a good idea if we all banged our heads against the wall for a bit.  When the last group had gone, one little girl sat down and announced, "That was easy!"  I gave her my "What you talkin' 'bout girl?" face

and said, "If that was easy, I would hate to see hard!"

We all busted up laughing!

And really, that's the way the hard days should end.

When it Rains

When it rains

you might as well sit down

and soak it all in.

It will be more fun that way!



Open House Night

Every year I have teacher friends who post their fresh new classroom pics on facebook and I enjoy looking at the creativity reflected within.  Tonight is Open House Night at Sahel Academy so I thought, "What better time to give you a tour of my classroom."  The door is open so come on in and have a look around!

Here's our lovely big blackboard with some weather posters displayed below.  We've been learning a lot about the weather.  Here in Niger you have to take advantage of studying the weather now because once October hits there will be very little change in the weather.

We enjoyed reading some weird weather facts in Pink Snow and Other Weird Weather and using our imaginations to create other strange kinds of weather like gumball rain, jewelry falling from the sky or a whole schoolhouse coming down complete with rulers and pencils and every item needed to have fun at school.

Here's our meeting mat. Our First Grade friends join us for Writer's Workshop.  This is one of our favorite times of day!

 We use our word wall frequently.  Displayed below are some of our favorite books so far this year.

 Of course, we had to display some of the great stories we've been writing.

Last but certainly not least on this illustrious tour, stop by our book center and cubbies.

Well, I sure hope that you enjoyed the tour around my classroom as much as my students and their parents did!

Can you solve this mystery?

Everyone loves a good mystery, right.  Here's one to be solved taken right from my house this morning.
 
Why is my trash not falling into my trash can?

Cutting outside the lines

I was crafting on Tuesday night with my friend Joy and ran across this beautiful add with a picture of a bride.  It's hard to see it but the paper is all beautiful and shimmery, I couldn't resist cutting her out.  The only problem is that across her shoulders and around her face there were no actual lines to cut out so I had to make a guess.  Thinking that she was surely going to end up with the world's weirdest nose, I decided that it was nothing ventured nothing gained.  Wonder of wonders, she actually looks like a normal human being.  I added the ribbon around her waist because I couldn't resist!