Fall Harvest

We spent some time in the garden today with Mrs. Gross.  She reminded the fourth graders that as third graders they planted a single packet of squash seeds back in the spring.  They got to see how those seeds have grown into beautiful plants with lots of squash.   

They students got to examine the leaves, flowers, tendrils, and fruit of the plant.  And then they got to pick!  They harvested 25 ripe squash that will be used to make soup for the Soup Luncheon next month.  The biggest squash was 5 pounds!

Field Trip to Target Field

We had a great time on our field trip to Target Field earlier in the month.  We got to see...

• the Champions Club
  
• the Legends Club
  
• the visitors' locker room
  
• the dugout
  
• where the organ player plays
  
• some of the "behind the scenes" passageways
  

Each fourth grader got to take a turn in the batting cage and everyone got a hit!  We had loads of fun learning about the science behind baseball bats and balls and all about reaction times.  Thank you to our chaperones who were able to join us!

Upcoming Field Trips

We have three field trips in the near future.  Please mark them on your calendar.

The Works

Friday, January 24

Bring a bag lunch.

Out of uniform.

One chaperone spot still available.

Rollerskating at Saints North

Tuesday, January 28

Regular lunch period.

Out of uniform.

Cost is $7 for bus and skate rental.

You may send up to $5 for snacks.

Parents are welcome to meet us there.

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Thursday, February 6

Regular lunch period.

In uniform.

Looking for chaperones.

Peep Dioramas

We also took some time out from our studies to create Peep dioramas.  Check out the cozy living room, the Christmas tree shopping, and the blizzard.

Christmas Card Art

Last December each fourth grader chose an old Christmas card and expanded the picture from the front of the card.  Take a look at how clever our students are!

PS - If you have old cards to donate for next year please bring them in.

Time in the Garden

Mrs. Gross had our class in the school garden this afternoon.  They reviewed what they planted in their Three Sisters garden last year as third graders (corn, beans, and squash), and they examined the massive squash plants that grew over the summer.

After a little learning, each student helped harvest squash and carrots and helped Mrs. Gross clean out one of the gardens.  The pictures show the students hard at work as well as showing off the fruits of their labor.lants that grew over the summer.

After a little learning, each student helped harvest squash and carrots and helped Mrs. Gross clean out one of the gardens. 

Matter - Solid or Liquid?

This week in science we started our unit on Matter.  We mixed 125g of cornstarch with 100 mL of water to see what we would come up with.  The students had a lot of fun trying to decide if it was a liquid or a solid.  The students discovered that the mixture behaved like a liquid or a solid depending on how much pressure was applied.  The mixture is one of a few substances that has properties of both a liquid and a solid and is classified as a non-Newtonian fluid.  Cornstarch and water is probably the most commonly found example of this.  (It also is the inspiration for the Dr. Seuss book titled, Bartholomew and the Oobleck.)