"I've got a secret book for my cookies!"

I didn't post last week with the crazy weather and shortened week we had! Hopefully spring has truly sprung and we won't have any more snow days! 

In history this week we finally started WWII (some people have been asking since day one "Are we there yet?!"). To do so we did a fun simulation where I was a candy factory owner this time, as well as a candy shop owner and a banker. We did this simulation to take a look at how someone like Hitler could easily come to power in a desperate economic situation and the differences between him and FDR during the time. I think some students legitimately have trust issues now! 

We also learned a new technique for questioning and conducting research: Question Formulation Technique (QFT)! 

In math, we finished up circles with some centers (I forgot to take pictures because I was running a center) to help solidify our knowledge of circumference. We quickly moved on to area and even learned about sequences with our warm up questions! 

Other exciting things this week! 

• More lost teeth! We are almost to a full set! 
• Mrs. Thomas and Ms. D in the top 5 in the 7th grade bracket challenge pool.
• Jokes, hugs, and laughter!
• Mrs. Cromer visiting and tweeting our Oreo math lesson on the CES page!
• A great day and many compliments in computer lab.
• Students that help each other.
• This secret book!
  

Ms. D's Weekend Snap Shot: 

I took hardly any pictures, but I had a ton of fun!

• Worked at the Blue Ridge
• Saw Beauty and the Beast...twice!
• Monthly singing at church 
• Harry Potter marathons with best friends 
• Sunshine and chacos

Songs, WPA, and Bruce Springsteen

This week in history we focused on wrapping up the Great Depression by analyzing three different songs for their historical components. Links to the songs are below and I will take some pictures of our final collective pictures we drew as we listened to one of the songs. It was kind of like musical chairs, except with drawings and no one gets booted out when the music stops! Students started a picture of something related to the Great Depression and kept drawing until the music stopped. Then they would pass it to someone else who would pick up where they left off so at the end of the song we had a bunch of pictures created by multiple artists! 

Song of the South by Alabama

Dust Bowl Dance by Mumford & Sons 

How Can a Man Stand Such Poor Times and Live by Blind Alfred Reed (a native of Floyd, national recording artist, an artist at the 1927 Bristol Sessions, and this particular song was picked up years later by a guy by the name of Bruce Springsteen).

We also started another PBA where we are assuming the role of WPA workers during the depressoin. This project comes with lots of choice to highlight our learning in a way unique to us. We have photographers, music composers, writers, collage makers, and more! Pictures coming soon as we finish up!

We also wrapped up fraction operations this week and finished out division using KCF (ask your student)! Mrs. Brevard came in to help us out last week and we really put that knowledge to good use!

Other exciting things this week:

Students did a trust and synergy exercise in guidance. They start on chairs and someone pulls them out one by one slowly and everyone must rely on the other to keep the structure from falling!  

 

I attended and presented at the Appalachian Studies Association conference at Virginia Tech and got to check out a photography show in the Armory, which happened to be constructed by the Works Progress Administration! 

Ms. D's weekend snapshot: 

This exhibit was titled Beyond Coal. It highlights what coal removal does to a place and it's people here in Appalachia and as far as Romania. Other features included a tent revival selection and caves and caverns as a tourism source in the Appalachian region. Check it out if you get a chance! 

I had the pleasure of meeting Robert Gipes (middle, greenish gray shirt) a few years ago at Marshall University and hear him speak about his community work in which he brings members together to conduct plays that highlight cultural issues throughout their Kentucky homes. I finally got to attend one of their productions and it was well worth the wait! 

I was intrigued by this dried flower mobile at the Armory!

Theses pups guys came for dinner and hung out for a bit! #cousins

Springing forward never looked better with a 7pm sunset!

Two for One.

I didn't get around to posting last week, so this is a two for one! We have had a great couple weeks full of learning (so much so, we've all forgot about our lack of snow this year and enjoyed the beautiful sunny days instead)!

History has been all about the Great Depression: causes, impacts, solutions. We have looked analyzed political cartoons, photographs, text and much more!

Fun in the stock market game! Some people made money, but most ended up in debt at the end when the market crashed! 

Posing with their money before they lost it! 

A student made this to portray the definition of isolationism in the US. 

Math is still fraction operations, but we threw our fears of fractions out the window weeks ago and have been crushing our fraction work lately. We just learned how to multiply and divide them before we throw it all together this coming week!


Other exciting things the past two weeks: 

Someone turned into an ant on a beautiful sunny day outside for SAC time! 

A successful Winter Carnival and basketball bowl-a-rama!

Warning! We got out early for potentially harmful thunderstorms and someone was a little bit excited! 

4-H Presentations! This one is on how to play the bass drum! 

Making peanut butter rice krispies!

A how-to on drawing Thanos!

Read Across America was this week! Look at these kiddos on wacky/unique style day! 

"Hey Ms. D...are you a hippie?...hipster?...rock star?...Willie Nelson?..."

Fun challenge at our faculty meeting! 

Ms. D's multi-weekend snapshot: 

No wonder my herbs grow sideways. 

Banana bread, cake, strawberry jam, and eggs. #homestead

Saturday morning visitors! 

Nothing beats hearing those cans pop and checking in on the final product!

Sunday 4-wheeler ride! 

My sweet friends Amber and Cody had their baby Finley! 

Look at that cute little face! 

The Lucky Spoon

This week in history we started a poetry project about the 1920s! Students have to describe the 1920s through a collection of five poems! We also started to take a look at the aftermath of the Roaring 20s...the Great Depression.

In math, we began fraction operations. We threw out all our negative thoughts about fractions and replaced them with a promise from myself, "I will not let you fall." We sought understanding this week instead of answers through multiplication models! Boy did we rock them (most of us picked it up on day ONE!).

Other exciting things this week: 

• SCA fun!

• Positive office referrals! 
• More lost teeth (at least 4)!
• Snazzy new haircuts!
• Sunshine and outside SAC!

Harry Potter Pusheen!

Sweet Valentine treats!

The lucky spoon was spotted and available at lunch!

Check vs. Check basketball!

Ms. D's weekend snapshot: 

Sunshine and chaco weather in February!

Meet Phil. Phil decided he wanted to make the journey from the Wills Ridge dumpsters to a new home on the farm. Phil is blind in his left eye and partially in his right. Phil has a cauliflower ear. Phil has a cold and is taking medicine. Phil loves to be rubbed and purrs like crazy. Phil is named after Philocetes from Hercules the Disney movie. Phil likes his new farm life and friends. 

Back deck paper grading. 

Cute decorations at a sweet friend's baby shower. 

Warm weather that brings on lots of eggs!

2.5 mile hikes with your best friends, psuedo-nephew, and Danes. 

Roaring 20s

This week in history we focused on what made the 1920s roaring! We experienced many of the new arts and culture changes first hand and did some sensory work to go with it!

We also took our new vocab and wrote mini stories to use the words in different ways (these pictures won't turn again!). 

Math was all about measures of center! We did a ton of practice, including reading an article about basketball players and how mean, median, and mode helps them up their game! 

Other great things this week: 

• A boatload of talent at the PTO Talent Showcase! 
  

• One of our own representing at the showcase! 
  

• Hugs, hugs, and more hugs!
• Excited students getting 11/11 on this week's math quiz! 
• Mrs. Thomas and her hula hoop skills!

Ms. D's weekend snapshot:

I worked a wedding this weekend, caught up on Netflix, and cleaned house! :)