Silly Cells and Squid

We have had quite an eventful week, full of great opportunities for students to learn more about some of the concepts they discovered in our Diversity of Living Things Unit.

On Wednesday afternoon, students dissected squid! They examed all of the different internal and external organs, including the beak, siphon, and eyeballs. Many students also removed the pen, and used it to poke the inksack and write. After they were done exploring, we had fried up the edible pieces and enjoyed calamari!

Today (Thursday) we had a presentation from High Tech High called "Silly Cells." A scientist came to our classroom and provided many hands-on opportunities for students to learn more about cells and other living things.

Take a look at some of the memories we shared:

Squid Dissection

 

 

 

Silly Cells

 

 

 

Global Awareness

Today in class students were introduced to our new Theme unit about Global Awareness. Students were asked to brainstorm some of the critical issues in the world today, and then to rank the top three. This created a very interesting discussion, especially since I did not offer my opinion or say that any ideas were right or wrong. I was impressed by how passionate some students already feel about the problems happening all over the world. We have many very exciting things in store for this unit! Some of the questions students will explore include "What are the causes of poverty and why is it so difficult for many people to escape the poverty cylce?" and "How does God call us as global citizens and citizens of the kingdom of God to respond to global issues?" Students will research foreign aid organizations as well as find ways that they can make an impact. More info to follow in the near future!







To go along with this new unit, I have begun reading Iqbal, by Francesco D'Adamo aloud to the class. It is a story about child slaves who work in a carpet factory in Pakistan, and a young boy named Iqbal who has the courage to stand up for his rights and free many enslaved children. It is a fantasatic story and provides many oportunities for meaningful discussions about the way some people are treated.