Pumpkin Season is Just Around The Corner

Our class is looking for pumpkins ...or even a pumpkin patch to visit and pick our own. Contact Mrs. B. by e-mail @ musicmovesmyclassroom@yahoo.com or on my school e-mail. We'll be studying studying pumpkins as part of our Ag In The Classroom studies. (Anything close to the Fargo-Moorhead area.)

Minnesota "Bison Farming"

On the way to the lake, we were only feet away from these beautiful animals. (especially since 4 bison were out of their fence)

Thank You Farmers!

Teach your students to appreciate the farming community. Expose them to lessons that will assist them to become more knowledgeable. ...and then "thank a farmer".

Letter Writing

http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/letter_generator/


Students need to know how to write a letter properly...and everyone loves to receive mail, so using the letter generator kills many birds with one stone.

Have your students brain storm and write letters on subject matter you are studying. They could write to the different restaurants in your area and ask about the nutritious values that may be on their menu. We always invite the many experts we write to, to visit our school as a guest speaker. Then we use our "meet and greet skills" with a welcoming committee when our guest comes.

Students can write to agricultural companies, like Monsanto, inquire about their innovative methods to produce crops, ask about environmental aspects related to their company, and job related questions.

Print the letter and send it when they're done.

Acrostic Poems

http://www.readwritethink.org/MATERIALS/ACROSTIC/

This is an awesome opportunity for students to write "acrostic poems." It puts the title in the proper place for your students, provides a place to brainstorm, and then physically situates the lettering of the topic so students can write their poem. It also gives the student suggestions of words that begin with the letter they need.
e.g. FARMING
Fun
Awesome
Resourceful
Many acres to farm
Interesting
Never a dull moment
Great way to make a living

When you're done using this poem generator, you press print, and it's a published work of art.

P.E.L. - - Plant - Eat - Learn

Schools are striving to improve our daily snacks. Good job to the government for providing snacks for low income schools, but what about the rest of our schools. We've encouraged parents to bring healthy snacks, but the prepackaged snacks with expiration dates of 2012 are still coming in on a regular basis.(Can you say "enough preservatives to kill a horse"?) I've tried all the options... Maybe if they bring their own snack, healthy food will be more affordable? Not true (chips and snack food still poured in)
So now, if parents would like to have your child involved in daily snack, it will be optional. Parents may sign up for the "P.E.L. Program". Students/parents will be encouraged to bring snacks that have been "planted" ....and then we'll "eat" and "learn" about what we're eating, and it's health benefits. Along with the healthy snack, students are required to bring 3 nutritional facts about their food. For example: a banana

Bananas:
The banana is of great nutritional value. It has a rare combination of energy value, tissue building elements, protein, vitamins and minerals. It is a good source of calories being richer in solids and lower in water content than any other fresh fruit. A large banana supplies more than 100 calories. It contains a large amount of easily digestible sugar, making it a good source of quick energy and an excellent means of recovery from fatigue.

Black Blizzard...The Dirty Thirties

In my class, we sing a song called "Black Blizzard". It tells the story about this tumultuous period in United States history, along with the history of our state's agricultural experiences. When school starts, I'll add the words to the song and a video of the kids singing.

Teaching About Germs

Teaching about germs can be fun with "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs". In the story, the wolf professes that he got into all the trouble he was in because of his cold...and we all know, we must stop the germs from spreading. I tell my students that the wolf was ordered by the judge to do community service and speak to school groups about how they can be more careful not to spread germs. (then they may prevent themselves from getting into the trouble that he got into)

I use a large wolf puppet (we made it when my daughter was doing her undergraduate work) and he talks and sings for the kids after I read the story to them.

We also do the "raw potato" germ experiment, journal in our science journals and collect our data.

The tune is from the Broadway musical "Cats".

Don't sneeze, on you neighbor, it's gross please
Grab a Kleenex and blow hard, pinch and wipe once again!
(pretend to blow your nose loudly)
Throw your germs out, and head to the sink, to wash your hands
Soap and hot water, and A-B-Cs.
repeat!

...and try not to sneeze
all over my knees
...I beg of you please

Rose's Journal

Rose's Journal by Marissa Moss is my favorite book about the Great Depression for children. It is filled with facts and feelings, and evokes a lot of emotions from the reader. (research shows: children learn, retain, and recall much more when this is taking place)