All Classes 11/3 and 11/7

We have begun our brain unit. All classes have met George. He loses the top of his head once-in-a-while, but other than that, he's an all around nice gentleman (if you can overlook his missing teeth...Do you know how hard it is to find a good dentist for a skull?)

We have learned how the brain is cradled in the skull, have examined the inside of the skull (pretty bumpy and lumpy, huh?), and quite possibly heard about cerebrospinal fluid. We have examined diagrams of neurons, which make up much of the brain tissue, and have discussed how the brain might feel to our touch if we could hold it.

Next week we shall finish up any incomplete neuron models and then conduct an experiment about brain safety. After that, I would like to begin activities that will show us how we use our brains. That is always great fun!

Kendall 10/28

Today we did not have a chance to talk about the question you asked last session, "Does a baby know anything when it is born?" I told you that you could do a little research about that online or in a book. You do not have to research this question, but you may if you want to. If you find any information, keep it in your A.T. folder until it is the right moment for us to discuss this.

All Classes 10/28

This week we are starting our unit, The Human Brain. I have not assigned any homewotrk since we did the two worksheets for our JGB story, so if we did not finish talking about those and presenting our ideas, we shall do that before going on to the new topic. If we finished the JGB unit, then we may have started the brain unit by thinking of questions we have about the human brain. We shall try to answer some of those questions this week. You may have met George. I'll bring him along this week too. We shall examine his brain and the inside of his skull.

Fox Run, Kendall 10/18

We almost finished our story, The Fisherman and His Wife. For homework, finish writing your story using the prompts on your worksheet. Respond to the second worksheet as well. (Kendall students: Do the story worksheet first; if you have time, begin the second paper. We shall work on that further in class.) When we meet next time, we shall discucss the final question and then begin the Human Brain unit.

Jefferson 10/14

We almost finished our story, The Fisherman and His Wife. For homework, finish writing your story using the prompts on your worksheet. Respond to the second worksheet as well. When we meet next time, we shall discucss the final question and then begin the Human Brain unit.

Jefferson 10/5

We read The Fisherman and His Wife. Please reread it and use your sticky strips to mark places where Alice is being unkind to her husband and where the fisherman is being unkind to Alice. Remember, some of the unkindness will be hard to find, so think carefully. Look for places where each character is thinking only about herself or himself.

Kendall, Fox Run, Jefferson 10/2

Most of us read The Fisherman and His Wife. If we finished, I may have asked you to reread it. If we did not finish, then I did not have you keep the book and we shall finish reading the story this week.

Kendall, Fox Run, Jefferson 9/30

Many of you have already done your homework! If not, your parents are to e-mail me so I can put them on my contact list; students may too, with parents' permission. Students must find the singing horses on this web site. Keep looking until you find them. As I told one parent, don't do it late at night or right before dinner, because you won't want to stop playing to. Please find some old spiral bound notebook to use for A.T. If you have none, then see me. Please also find some protective, plastic container for your materials to keep them safe from water.

Kendall, Fox Run, Jefferson 9/24

Many of you have already done your homework! Thank you; it's going to be a GREAT year!

Parents are to e-mail me so I can put them on my contact list; students may too, with parents' permission. Students must find the singing horses on this web site. Keep looking until you find them. As I told one parent, don't do it late at night or right before dinner, because you won't want to stop playing to. Please find some old spiral bound notebook to use for A.T. If you have none, then see me. Please also find some protective, plastic container for your materials to keep them safe from water.