Body Systems Blendspace Teamwork in Action

The Body Systems Blendspace Project

Kaylen Conquers Cascade Mountain

My dad and I went to Cascade Mountain over the weekend and I went snowboarding. Snowboarding is pretty hard to me because it is very hard to change directions and stop. If you are not balanced or move a little too hard then you will fall over. Though, I so think Snowboarding is cooler than other snow sport.
Kaylen

Mustachinquains...

Valentines Mustachinquains: A Lesson in Cinquains

http://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/lessons/how-to-write-a-cinquain-poem/

In honor of Valentines Day, we will be making Mustachinquains; a way to express your poetic side and look dashing while doing it.

Try this instant cinquain maker: Cinquain Maker

Valentines Day Celebration

Tomorrow we will doing a few Valentine activities.  If you would like to bring a Valentine for the students, make sure you bring one for everyone.  You may also bring a non-edible treat if you wish.  These items will be passed out during intervention tomorrow.

My Autobiography in Exactly Six Words

There is some debate about the history of flash fiction and the six word novel.  While many attribute the origin to a fabled wager between a Canadian humorist and the famous Ernest Hemingway, the story remains unsubstantiated. Allegedly, Hemingway and the humorist wagered whether or not he could write an entire novel in six words.  Here is that novel.

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

This story is full of inference.  One can imagine an entire backstory drawing from previous experience and memories, using the vivid and loaded language in the text.

The challenge for our students was to create their autobiography in the span of a six word novel.  Here are a few examples.

Body Systems

Over 2,000 years ago Galen a Greek doctor could have been the first sports medicine specialist. He was the official doctor of the gladiators in the ancient Greek city of Pergamum. As he treated the gladiators he studied their bones and organs.  He attempted to identify different organs and their purpose.  He also documented around 300 different muscles.
Today we discussed these questions: What is a body system? What are organs?  How many do you know?  What do you think organs are made of?  How many body systems can you identify?

Science Unit: Body Systems Blendspace

As we explore the science of the human body systems, we will be using Blendspace (an online digital media collector). An email with instructions for blendspace was sent out this morning.  Follow the instructions to access your account and to complete the lessons.

www.blendspace.com

SpongeBob... A Hero's Journey by Aidan

We Mustache You a Question

The Hero's Journey Map

Mrs. Frisby Setting Maps

Taiko Drumming Assembly

Today's Assignment

Try to think of a unique heroic character, whose story you are very familiar with. 

Use the Hero's Journey App to document the adventures of your favorite storybook or movie hero. Fill in the required information and details that you remember from you r book or movie.  As with anything, use the six traits of writing to ensure good writing technique.  After you have completed the online template, print the final document as a PDF.  Save it on your google drive or your hard drive and then send me a digital copy of it.

Here is the link: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/herosjourney/

Good luck.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH... Is it a Monomyth?

The Hero's Journey: The Monomyth

Click on the image below to access The Hero's Journey Interactive.  You can use this interactive to document the travels of your favorite book or movie hero.  The site demonstrates the different attributes of a common hero's journey as described by Joseph Campbell. You can also use this site to map out your own new hero story as a prewriting activity.

The Monomyth or The Hero's Journey... Fourth Grade in a Nutshell

Today we discussed the structure of the Monomyth or the Hero's Journey as described by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero With a Thousand Faces, written in 1949.  Mr. Campbell discovered a common pattern in hero stories throughout history including Greek Mythology,  The Odyssey, and other famous hero stories.  He cited commonalities amongst the stories and developed an outline.  This outline is still used today in modern storytelling. Star Wars, The Hunger Games, Percy Jackson and Harry Potter each have elements of the hero's journey evident in their storylines.  As we read our book, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, be on the look out for these heroic elements.  Be prepared to identify them as we have our discussions.

The Journey of Fourth Grade can be seen as a hero's journey.  You are the protagonist on a reluctant quest for knowledge.  Dark things await as you practice, struggle and attempt to overcome unnatural obstacles set before you by the most evil of antagonists... Mr. Crame.  Will you rise victorious over your obstacles to reap the rewards and return to earth a better hero?  Only time will tell.
Here is are some videos that illustrate the monomyth.

Aidan's A+ Igloo

New Homework Assignment...

Stay home and build an igloo. Enjoy your snow day!