Kiker's Strength-Based Learning Cohort

Welcome, SBLC Ecologists! Click on the links below to learn more about organisms and their environments. Remember to read thoroughly. Third Grade Part 1: Savanna http://www.ducksters.com/science/ecosystems/savanna_biome.php Part 2: Tropical Oceans http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/coral/indexfr.htm Part 3: Tundra http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/tundra/index.htm After you learn about the three biomes above, please leave a comment stating which biome is your favorite and why. Fourth Grade Part 1: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/foodchain/glossary.shtml Part 2: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/games/producersconsumersgame.htm Part 3: http://www.eduweb.com/portfolio/earthsystems/food/foodweb4.html After you finish, leave a comment answering this question : What other environmental changes or events could cause an organism's population to increase or decrease?

After a full and focused week, we spent some project time playing board games with our homeroom classmates.  In addition to having fun, it was a great way to practice our accountable talk and teambuilding skills.  Reading and Language Arts Third and Fourth Grade gave 110% this week on their STAAR Tests, and we couldn't be prouder of the work they did. As Cooper S. stated, "I discovered there were many ways NOT to be nervous during STAAR." Fully prepared, fully capable! We continued our center work in writing, and our novel units. Second and Third Grade read a Bluebonnet 2015-16 nominee,   The Great American Dust Bowl -- and discovered that farmers and ranchers moving out west and creating lives not only was extremely hard, but that THEY actually had a hand in changing the landscape so that the dust (soil) was bare for the storms to kick up easily. They were shocked to learn, "In the Dust Bowl there was a big drought for a long time a...

We're halfway through April but ALL the way into learning!  Science & Social Studies We completed our space unit this week. We continued our understanding of Earth's movements and patterns. Sophia explained, "We were able to identify sky patterns like seasons, day and night, and years. These patterns happen because the earth revolves and rotates." We also studied the moon's patterns. Second graders learned about the appearance of the moon. Kate said, "I discovered that the moon is waxing when it gets bigger and waning when it gets smaller." Third graders deepened their understanding of the moon's phases and cycle. "I learned that we always see the same side of the moon because of how fast the moon rotates," Ronak explained. Fourth graders made the connection between the moon and our oceans. Dylan reflected, "I learned that the Earth bulges as the sides from the moon and sun’s gravity, creating high and low ...

Alright, SBLC Astronomers, here you go! The videos we watched in class are below...enjoy! Planet & Star Size Comparison http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/9145543009 Sun's Atmosphere Time Lapse https://vimeo.com/124139626 Phases of the Moon http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/22623876256

Math Fourth graders had fun using protractors to measure and draw angles this week. Third graders learned about customary and metric units for liquid volume, weight, and mass. Second graders learned about 3-D solids and faces, edges, and vertices. Language Arts In reading and language arts, we are honing our skills with short text and have focused on narrative writing.  Second grade wrote, revised, and edited a piece that shared something they did over the Easter weekend. In addition, they analyzed poetry, and Luke J. reports, :I learned that a poem that tells a story is called a narrative poem." It's amazing to see them picking up the ideas behind text structure! Finally, we began a Bluebonnet Nominee called The Vanishing Coin . Third Grade wrote as well. Nicole explains it well, " I wrote a narrative about Easter weekend. Mrs. Forrest wrote hers with us and it was really funny. I think my narrative came out well and I was prou...

Hello, SBLC astronomers! Use the links below to deepen your understanding of the earth, moon, and stars. When you are finished, leave a comment about something you learned or a question you have. Second Grade Part I: http://stardate.org/nightsky/moon Part II: http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk/media/services/thechildrensuniversityofmanchester/flash/earthandbeyond_a.swf Third Grade Part II: http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases.phtml Part III: http://www.planetsforkids.org/ Fourth Grade Part I: http://lessons.e-learningforkids.org/efk/Courses/EN/S0801/login.htm Part II: http://www.onegeology.org/extra/kids/earthprocesses/tides.html Part III: http://www.schoolsobservatory.org.uk/astro/esm/shadows Part IV: http://d3tt741pwxqwm0.cloudfront.net/WGBH/npls13/npls13_int_seasons/index.html

April's here and we're off and running!  Math Second graders used  geoboards and dot paper to create 2-D shapes. They also used pretzels to make equilateral, isosceles, and scalene triangles. They practiced 2-D shapes all week and had so much fun! Third graders measured and used time intervals by finding a starting time and an ending time. They also represented fractions of halves, fourths, and eights as distance from zero on a number line. Fourth graders learned about rotational and bilateral symmetry. They also used mirrors to find what the other half of their drawing would look like as a whole. It was lots of fun! Science & Social Studies We've started learning about space and the cycles and patterns within it. This weekend we have the opportunity to experience a unique part of the moon's phases--there's a lunar eclipse that will be visible early Saturday morning. Click here for more details, including a short video. We've con...

Hello, historians! Use the links below in addition to the books in class to research your assigned Texas Mission. Investigating Questions (1) Who established the mission? (2) When was it established? (3) Who lived there? (4) What activities took place in the mission? (5) What was the outcome of the mission? *   Outside cover includes name of mission and illustration *   Inside covers include facts learned from investigating questions. Mission Espada http://oldspanishmissions.org/mission-espada/ Mission San Juan http://oldspanishmissions.org/mission-san-juan/ Mission San Jose http://oldspanishmissions.org/mission-san-jose/ Mission Concepcion http://oldspanishmissions.org/mission-concepcion/ Mission Valero http://www.thealamo.org/history/chronology/mission-period.html