Happy Holidays!

Thank you everyone again for all of your generous gifts.  We have had a fabulous year so far with all of your wonderful kids and feel truly lucky to have a such a great class.  Enjoy your holidays!  See you all next year!

Ms. Benson and Ms. Hammond

Sharing our holiday traditions in our PJ's

Richmondtown

We took a trip to historic Richmondtown in Staten Island this past week.  Here we visited a tinsmith shop from the 1600's and also learned all about how people used to create light before Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb.  We learned about the betty lamp, sconces, different types of candles and oil lanterns.  Then we were able to make our own candles!  We had to dip them many times in hot wax until they were large enough to use.  

Trying to strike a flint.

And trying...

And trying...we only saw a spark.

The tinsmith shop.
The hurricane for a kerosene oil lantern needs to be
warmed up so it doesn't crack.

Dipping candles.

Making Butter

Our current unit of study in Social Studies is Families: Then and Now.  We are learning all about how life has changed for families over the past several hundred years.  This week we learned how to make our own butter, as many families did long ago.  We poured heavy cream into jars and shook the jars continuously until it became think and creamy.  We all took turns shaking to keep the butter moving in the jar.  Our arms were so tired!  Then we baked some fresh bread (using a bread machine) and enjoyed  a homemade snack at the end of the day.  

Our homemade snack!

The Big Big Bang - A Colorful Explosion!

Our class created a beautiful, colorful abstract mosaic using cardstock and craypas to be auctioned off at the Winter Festival this year.  We took a vote and decided to call it "The Big Big Bang - A Colorful Explosion!"  Here are some pics of us in during the creative process and a picture of the finished product for those who weren't able to make it to the Winter Festival.  Thanks so much to Tali (Mika's mom) for coming in and helping us to put this together.

50th Day of school - 50's style

We celebrated the 50th day of school in true 1950's style.  We came dressed in our best poodle skirts, rolled up jeans, white t-shirts and slicked back hair.  We wrote a "how - to" about making root beer floats and then drank our creations!  Our math lesson focused on the counting to 50, and creating patterns using a old fashioned 45 LP.  Take a look at some of the pictures of our fun celebration.

Dressed up in 50's style

Bobby socks and poodle skirts

We go together

We even read together

Creating patterns on record albums

Learning numbers greater than and less than 50 (on a 45)

Creating the cover for our "How to Make a Root Beer Float" book

Yum!

A root beer float needs a lot of whipped cream.

 

Rolling to 50