When I Grow Up I Want To Be A Firefighter!

In October, our small town's Fire Department came to talk to the kids. The asked the kids if they wanted to dress up and some did, but Ms. Chrissy and I were all over it! They helped me put on a show for the kids. I dressed up and crawled on the floor to rescue them. Let me tell you, it was HARD to get back up. Seriously, it took two fire fighters to help me stand. The oxygen tank is HEAVY!! They had me run the stairs. When we went outside they allowed me to turn on and spray the hose. They didn't use all the power (only half of the normal) on the hose and I lost my stance. It PULLED me. This firefighting gig is no joke. Literally, THE BEST day of my teaching career!!

Best Playdough Ever!!!

 

Seriously, this is the best playdough ever. You could literally go 6+ months without making a new batch but that would be gross because you know, germs! It's so soft!! Make it today, you won't regret it!

Stillwater!

Ice Ice Baby!

Water Cycle

Take a good long look at the water on the table. Now, can you guess how old it is? The water in this glass may have fallen from the sky as rain just last week, but the water itself has been around pretty much as long as the Earth has!

Today, we are going to learn about the Water Cycle! (Turn on PP)

The Earth has a limited amount of water. That water keeps going around and around and around and around in what we call the "Water Cycle."'

The Water Cycle is made up of four stages:
1. Evaporation
2. Condensation
3. Precipitation
4. Collection
(Have students repeat stages one by one focusing on pronunciation)

Evaporation is when the sun heats up water in rivers or lakes or the ocean and turns it into vapor or steam. The water vapor or steam leaves the river, lake or ocean and goes into the air. 

Water vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds. This is called condensation.

Precipitation occurs when so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it anymore. The clouds get heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow. 

When water falls back to earth as precipitation, it may fall back in the oceans, lakes or rivers or it may end up on land. When the water ends up on land, it will either soak into the Earth and become part of the "ground water" that plants and animals use to drink or it may run over the soil and collect in the oceans, lakes or rivers. We call this collection, and it is where the water cycle starts all over again. 

Next, we are going to watch a one- minute video clip that is going to walk us through the four stages of the Water Cycle. 

Now, I want us to label a poster of the Water Cycle. 

The four stages of the water cycle are evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection so this is our word bank or the words we get to choose from. 

When the sun heats up water in rivers, lakes or oceans, some of the water turns into vapor or steam and goes into the air. What is this stage called? Is it evaporation, condensation, precipitation or collection? It is evaporation. 

When water vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds it is called? Is is condensation, precipitation or collection?

When so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it anymore, the clouds get heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow. This stage of the water cycle is called? It starts with a p.

And the final stage of the Water Cycle, when water falls back in the oceans, lakes, rivers, or may end up on land is called? That's right, collection. Great job! Labeling the Water Cycle was not an easy task, but you did it!

Alright 2nd graders, I want to teach you a song! This song is going to help you remember the stages of the Water Cycle. This is going to be so much fun and I am super excited to be able to sing about the Water Cycle with you this afternoon. Let's all stand up and form a circle. Make sure you have room and are not in your friend's personal space.

"The Water Cycle Song"
(Sung to the tune of She'll be Coming Around the Mountain)

Water travels in a cycle, yes it does
(Use pointer finger to make a big circle in the air)
Water travels in a cycle, yes it does
(Repeat finger circle)
It goes up as evaporation
(Move hands up to the sky)
Forms clouds as condensation
(Make a cloud overhead with arms)
Then comes down as precipitation, yes it does!
(Sprinkle with fingers while bringing arms down in front of you) 

**I was observed during the second half of this lesson. My professor wrote: 
"Water Cycle- 
Students were watching a short video clip to reinfroce their learning from earlier. Great discussion post video... Very engaging and respectful. Good check for understanding. Fun review- song with actions- students loved it! Thorough, well- developed lesson plan! Nice job!!"

You and the Environment

Today in Social Studies, we are going to learn about You and the Environment. By the end of our lesson, you will be able to identify ways that the environment influences or effects people. 

When we talk about our environment, we mean everything in the World around us, which can affect our lives.

Human beings have 5 basic needs:

-        Oxygen

o   Oxygen is one of the gases found in air and every single cell inside you needs the oxygen you inhale for energy!

-        Water

-        Food

-        Shelter

-        Warmth

These needs are fulfilled from the Planet on which we live. And everybody, what is the name of the planet we live on? That’s right, we live on Earth. Earth is the third planet from the sun and the fifth largest planet in the Solar System. As human beings, we have 5 basic needs. Our first need is Oxygen. We breathe Oxygen from the air. Remember, when we breathe in Oxygen, our body uses it for energy!

We get water from the rain, which fills our lakes, rivers, and creeks. We store the water in reservoirs and water tanks or water towers. A reservoir is a fake or man made lake where water is collected and kept for later use. Here is a picture of rain. Show me a link if you have seen or played in rain before. This here is a water tower. Show me a link if you have ever seen a water tower.

We get food from the plants and animals here on Earth. Some of us eat meat like Bacon and this comes from a Pig. Salmon comes from a Fish. Fruits and vegetables like Strawberries, Tomatoes, and Carrots are grown.

We get shelter from the materials we take out of the Earth and from the trees that grown to make our homes. A hut is house built by Native Americans and it is made from straw. Other houses are made from wood or rocks.

We get warmth from the sun, fire, power (gas, electricity) and our clothing.

As you saw throughout the PowerPoint, the environment has a big affect on our lives. Without oxygen, water, food, shelter or warmth, we would not be able to live. We are going to switch gears a little bit and learn how we can help the environment. I have created a little book I would like to read with you so lets all come down to the floor where you will be able to see better. 

After reading the book I made, we made a class book. Students were to write one sentence and a draw a picture to go with it showing how they will help our environment. 

Title page

This was my example.

 I was observed during this lesson. My observer wrote:
- GREAT LESSON PLANS!!!
- Social Studies- Environment
- Class book!!! Concrete example of using group work
- Thanks for sharing the PowerPoint with me! So often when speaking about the environment teachers tone it down too much or the material is way over the student's heads but you have it right at their level. 
- I liked the usefulness/application to your lesson.
- Very clear directions as you taught
- Providing feedback and assessing as students worked