Tuesday, June 7, 2016

What's Bugging the Garden?

Common Threads school garden specialist Eric Bablinskas has done a wonderful job of connecting our fifth graders to the Geneva school garden this year. Today he provided the final lesson of the year. In this lesson we explored the insect life in the garden and tasted a few of the vegetables that are ripe. We found peas, strawberries, nasturtiums, lettuce, chives and several spices. The drawings the students made show increasing attention to detail.


When there is a bug I do not recognize my first line of research is to visit the Iowa State University Department of Entomology Bug Guide online. We used it to identify a variety of bee found drilling holes in the exposed earth on the playground earlier this week. There is also a very nice bug page at the Burke Museum at the University of Washington. You can explore their other online field guides by following the link on the left side of this page.


This summer encourage your children to take time to study what's around them wherever they are. The environment is filled with tiny details we can learn from. I have found that this type of activity focusses even the most frenzied spirits in my classes!

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Allied Arts Provides an Artist

Allied Arts is offering a free artist's visit to all fifth grade classes in the district! We are hosting Jacquie Bresadola, a local sculptor, who will conduct a two to three hour lesson in sculpting with stone. Here is a link to her web page.


Ms. Bresadola will be here for the next three Thursdays, teaching one class each day. On those days the class that is receiving the lesson will spend the entire morning in Mr. Danielson's room while the other two classes trade rooms at the regular time.


Thursday, May 26, Mr. Danielson's class will have the lesson.
Thursday, June 2, Ms. Hermann's class will have the lesson.
Thursday, June 9, Ms. Stark's class will have the lesson.