Hawaiian Monk Seal

I was eating Breakfast, looking at the ocean and what did I see, an Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal swimming by.  Check out the video of the `Ilio holo I ka uaua', which means, "dog that runs in rough water."


What kind of writings could you have students do on such a video? Compare and contrast to animals they see on land? Could they write a story or an essay about a Monk Seal, or Endangered Animals? How does an animal become Endangered?
For more on the Monk Seal, check out: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/hawaiian-monk-seal.html
For more on Endangered animals, Look at: http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/map.html

Websites to Communicate

Using Technology to Communicate with Families

As we start off the new school year, there is so much technology to consider.  Not only do you need to consider technology in the classroom, using laptop carts or computer labs, but using technology as a communication tool with families.  As you learn more about your students and their families, take an opportunity for them to interact with you and your classroom. 

A way to let parents into your classroom is through your Teacher Website or blog.  As you are looking into building a website, think about the purpose and outline best fits your personality. Check out these resources to help you make your website fantastic! …more

How Technology Affects our Lives

How Technology Affects our Lives
This is a huge topic, and one that First Graders are learning. How do dwindle this down to a manageable size. How about how Technology Affects our School?

 From Card Catalog to Computer Searches! 

• Library: Let’s look at the library, no longer do students search through the card catalog for books, instead they find a book by using a computer and search by keyword, author or title. Books are scanned with a computer and barcode, allowing the librarian to keep track of records with ease.


• Lunch:  Lunch count sent to the cafeteria by a computer to minimize wasted food. Students don’t have to carry money around, they have an id card to scan to keep track of their bills which parents can pay in advance!


• Storing Information: Teachers are able to store lesson plans and student records for years. No longer is it one handout that you can’t change, digital resources can be manipulated to fit different students. Attendance tracking throughout the school and even across a whole district now is made much easier with computer software.


• Communication: Emails from teacher to teacher, and home to parents make communication fast and efficient! Teachers and schools have websites where they can share information of upcoming events and even post newsletters instead of always sending home paper copies.


• Collaboration: Students and teachers can share files and resources with each other. Share thoughts and ideas through digital journals and blogs. The sky is the limit with how much technology collaboration a class can do with others.

As you are thinking of how Technology Affects YOUR life. Consider the following questions:
 How do you retrieve information from technology?
 How can technology be used to organize your thoughts?
 How can you use technology to demonstrate ideas?
 How can technology be used in measurement?
 How can technology be used to solve problems?

Animal Webcams!

Take advantage of a chance to do a virtual field trip!  Take your whole class to a tiger's cave, or underwater without leaving your classroom!  Check out these fantastic webcam resources:

National Zoo http://nationalzoo.si.edu/

n  Live web cams to specific animals at the zoo.

n  Also has links for kids.

WEBCAMS http://www.lisd.org/technology/itswebs/elem/curr/webcams.htm

n  See live webcams of animals in various habitats.  Choose from Africa came, Sea Otter, Kelp Forest, penguin, Tiger, Ocean cam and much more!

San Diego Zoo  http://www.sandiegozoo.org/kids/index.html

n  Has a kid territory with FAQ and answers.  Some great images, science projects

Seaworld  www.seaworld.org

n  Has some videos and lesson ideas for teachers

Kidport Science  -- Life in the Sea http://www.kidport.com/GradeK/Science/SeaLife.htm

n  Images and information on various sealife

Wildlife Channel -- www.hancockwildlifechannel.org  
  n  Has fabulous cameras set up in bald eagle nests.  Thanks Ms. Ludden! 

The following is a home video shot from whale watch on the Navatek off Oahu, Hawaii, 02/10/07. Blows, dives and breaches! Mother with calf. 

 

Awesome Interactive Math Sites

Ok, you caught me, I was playing games on my computer.  Math games.  Check out some of these cool Math sites, would be great on an interactive white board, or having individual students on a computer.

Great Interactive Math sites to check out!

• Math Playground


• Math Games


• ICT Games, numbers and literacy


• Polygon Playground


• Learn Angles through sport


• Interactive Measurement


• Place Value Pirates

Interactive Fraction sites:

• Name that Fraction


• Fraction Match


• Fractions, basics, equivalent and more


• Pizza Fractions


• Visual Fractions

PicLits

www.piclits.com  This is a cool site and great way to have students get creative with poetry, complete sentences, keywords and more.  Users have a chance to matches images with carefully selected keywords or can write "freestyle".  Check it out with your students, and create your own PicLit!

See the full PicLit at PicLits.com

It's Science

In honor of Science Fair week here at Gattis Elementary, I thought I would share some science sites that are full of great ideas!:

Experiment of the Week: Sign up for a science experiment of the week.
If you have the time for the science lesson, but not enough time to research and find a steady supply of really engaging science experiments, sign up for a science Experiment of the Week. Each week, a new science experiment will be e-mailed to you.

Bubbles! Do bubbles have sides?  Find out more about Bubbles: http://www.sci.mus.mn.us/sln/tf/books/bubbles.html

Yucky Body Site http://yucky.discovery.com/flash/body/
This site let's you know why all those want to know where eye gunk comes from, what is a funnybone, and what causes bad breath.  Those human bodies do some crazy stuff!