Learning about First Peoples

Parents,
This afternoon we began our unit on Native Americans. We started by learning about the very first peoples to cross over the land bridge from Beringia during the last ice age- about 15,000 years ago! We even carved our own Clovis-style arrowheads, like prehistoric hunters preparing to take down a woolly mammoth! 

Today I also handed out a BRIGHT ORANGE page with the project description(s) for this unit. You may notice that it looks very different from prior projects. In fact, it is a menu with 9 items for students to choose from. Please look over the options this week with your student and discuss with them which sound most interesting. I've asked that each student bring back the attached acknowledgement by the end of the week with a tentative selection of menu options. These can be changed and are not "locked in". 

I've also included a calendar of key dates for the unit, including our Potlatch celebration on Wednesday, February 17th. Please save the date! More details to come home later in the month. 

Native Americans Unit Assessment Choice Menu In order to demonstrate mastery of the unit objectives for the Native American unit, you may choose from the activities listed below. You will choose activities that must total at least 8 points. All activities are due on Tuesday, 2/16/16. 3 Points: Remembering and Understanding (A)On a map of the world, locate and label Asia, North America, South America, and the Bering Strait. Using a dotted line, label a Flow Map which shows the migratory route suggested by the Bering Land Bridge theory. Label the Native American regions- Arctic/subarctic, Pacific Northwest Coastal, Southwest, Southeast, Plateau, Plains, and Northeastern Woodlands. (B)Create an original piece of art that represents or depicts an element of daily life from one of the tribes that we studied in class.  Your art should include a written label which includes the title of the piece and a brief description of what it is and how it applies to the tribe you chose. 5 Points: Applying and Analyzing (C)Read a Creation story from one of the tribes we’ve learned about. Write a 1-page retell in your own words and create an illustration to accompany it. An IEW checklist should be used and included along with your KWO, rough and final draft. (D)Research and use a graphic organizer (e.g. a Venn diagram) to compare and contrast the tasks of women and men within a chosen tribal group. Write a short (1-paragraph) summary of your findings. An IEW checklist should be used and included along with your KWO, rough and final draft. (E)Write a poem or song using facts from our unit that could be used to help review OR as a learning tool for next year’s 3rd graders.  You may take an existing song and change the words or you may create an original poem or song. 8 points: Evaluating and Creating (F)Research and build a model of an authentic Native American shelter or home. Write a description of it, including the materials used and how it was made. Tell how it is the same or different to where you live. An IEW checklist should be used and included along with your KWO, rough and final draft. (G)Create a scrapbook about a NA tribe of your choice. Your scrapbook must include the following subtopics: Housing, diet, transportation, women’s work, men’s work, spirituality, clothing, tools or weapons, and recreation. Pages  should include diagrams, illustrations, and artwork. (H)Build a pair of dioramas, each depicting a different NA tribe, in order to compare their respective environments, housing, farming/hunting practices, and social structure (did the whole tribe live in 1 longhouse or with each family in their own smaller dwelling?) Write a short (1-2 paragraph) summary of your findings. An IEW checklist should be used and included along with your KWO, rough and final draft. (I)Request (no later than Thursday, 2/11/16) to take a written assessment (test) on Tuesday, 2/16/16

Do you or someone you know have a connection to a native tribe? We would love to have community guests share what they know about out topic!

Science Fair is this week!

Our class is currently working on a science experiment about Sunscreen! You are welcome to come by Thursday afternoon from 3:30-5:00, when all projects will be on display in the gym!

This Friday's Field Trip:

We will be leaving around 8:45 to travel downtown to see Geronimo Stilton: Mouse in Space! with the Oregon Children's Theater. We should be back on campus around 11:30 for lunch. The afternoon will be spent exploring our Native American unit more in depth. 

Thank you for reading! Please write 'mammoth' in your child's planner for a Teamwork Dojo point!

Mrs. Gausman

Welcome to 2016!

Families,
I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing winter break! As we prepare to return to school tomorrow, here are some upcoming events and details for January.

Battle of the Books

Tomorrow kicks off our 2016 Battle of the Books competition! 3rd grade is the first year that students participate, so for all the families new to BoB, here's a quick look at what you can expect.

Battle of the Books has begun! Third through eighth grade will spend the next six weeks reading and strategizing before going head to head with the other classes in fast paced battles that test comprehension. Today the official list of 26 books will be released. Classes will work together to not only read these books, but master them. Because each student can only answer three questions per battle, it must be a team effort. Which class will come out on top? It's anyone's game at this point. Be sure to ask your student what BOB book they are reading. You are more than welcome to read it with them or even to them! Students should also begin memorizing the titles and authors exactly as they are written on the official lists. 

THE OFFICIAL LIST

Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Holes by Louis Sachar

The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch

Emma by Jane Austen

Stuart Little by E.B.White

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary

Ecoviews Snakes, Snails, and Environmental Tales by Whit Gibbons and Anne R. Gibbons

Freckle Juice by Judy Blume

Elephant Run by Roland Smith

The Skirt by Gary Soto

The Boy on the Wooden Box: How the impossible became possible on Schindler's List by Leon Leyson with Marilyn J. Harran and Elisabeth B. Leyson

The HItchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles

Courage Has No Color- the True Story of the Triple Nickles: America's First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee Stone

Peace Warriors by Andrea Davis Pinkney

The Wildlife Detectives How Forensic Scientists Fight Crimes Against Nature by Donna M. Jackson

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women by Catherine Thimmesh

The Walk On by John Feinstein

Frindle by Andrew Clements

Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons, a Calvin and Hobbes Collection by Bill Watterson

Waiting for the Magic, by Patricia MacLachlan

How Oliver Olson Changed the World by Claudia Mills

Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull

The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

Fish in a Tree by Linda Mullaly Hunt

FAQ

How are books chosen?

The Battle of the Book list is chosen by a team of teachers and administrators. They review the National Librarian’s Association recommendations, Newberry Medal winners, Caldecott Medal winners, and other notable award winners. From these lists they find books that range from the lowest reading level participating to 3 years above the highest grade participating. From there they ensure that we have fiction and nonfiction, historical fiction, classics, sports fiction, animal fiction, adventure, and a biography. The last consideration is a balance between female and male characters. The idea is to have at least one book in the list that appeals to every child participating.

What if I think a book is over my child’s head or is inappropriate for them?

The beauty of Battle of the Books is that it is a team effort. No one child is expected to read every book. In fact, it’s best if they don’t read every book. Choose 2 or 3 from the list that you are OK with and read those.

Can my child listen to the book/watch the movie/have it read to them etc?

YES! The idea is for children to be exposed to literature and to understand the story. They can have it read to them by an adult or older sibling, listen to it on tape, or read it themselves. They can watch the movie, but be careful; often the movie is not the same as the book. Abridged and "Junior Classic" versions are also a good option for making more difficult texts accessible to younger readers. They may not have as much detail, but should get the characters, places, and main story points.

Are eReaders allowed at school?

Yes. For the duration of BoB, students may bring their electronic readers to school, but must follow the following guidelines:

1. A parent note giving permission must accompany the e*reader.
2. Students may ONLY access BoB books (no other apps) during school hours. 
3. Electronic devices will be stored in a special basket behind my desk at all times except during reading-appropriate times. They may not be taken out to recess. 
4. eReaders will be returned to the student every afternoon to be taken home. No devices will be left at school over night.
5. The student will be responsible for their device. 

Again, there will be many paper-books available for students to read, and by no means is an e*reader required. It is up to your family to decide if this use of technology is appropriate for your student. 

January Curriculum

This week we will have a quick review/wrap-up of the Nervous System before diving into the Eye, Vision, and Light unit. This will be tied in with our next unit, the Ear, Hearing, and Sound in February. Our February 26th field trip will be an on-campus exploration of these topics- including a visit to an optometrists office and a hands-on eyeball dissection! If you are interested in helping, please check out our Volunteer Spot!

Towards the end of the month we will also be starting our next history unit on First Peoples of North America. This unit will continue into the first part of February.

Our January field trip is on Friday, 1-22-15 to see the Oregon Children's Theater production of Geronimo Stilton, Mouse in Space! Villains are threatening New Mouse City, and the only hope is our reluctant hero, Geronimo Stilton! In this “enormouse” adventure, Geronimo is launched into space on a top-secret mission to save the day!

Science Fair is coming!

Friday, January 22nd is the CHPCS Science Fair. 4th-8th grade students participate as individuals, while K-3rd grade conduct class projects. We will be off-campus that day but will be conducting our experiment earlier in the month and it will be displayed at the Fair. For our project, we need several bottles of different strengthed SPF sunscreen. If you have a bottle/tube that can spare a few tablespoons of, please send it in with your student. I will send the bottle back by the next day. (No aerosol/spray please). 

We have 2 field trips in February- the first, a "bonus" trip, is on Thursday, February 11th to Tryon Creek State Park. Again, please check out the Volunteer Spot if you'd like to help out!