by Jennifer Jordan, History & Latin Teacher

Each year I love to close the 5th grade’s study of the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis & Clark with a trail mapping activity on our school campus. Students divide into teams and receive instructions to chart a route that includes compass directions, number of feet, and landmarks. Students chart from the side entrance of the middle school, to the basketball court, around the flagpole, and then to the back corner of the middle school. To simulate Lewis & Clark’s expedition, students imagine that the route is new, unexplored territory and they take notes as such. Each student in each team has a specific role, whether it’s using the compass, measuring the distance, or charting the notes. A student types the notes so that the 4th grade class can test out each team’s notes and see if the notes accurately get them from Point A to Point B. This lesson not only involves collaborative learning and listening skills, but it also enables the 5th grade to show the 4th grade students some of their upcoming activities in middle school. It doesn’t hurt that the 4th grade can locate hidden treasure if they use a good set of notes!

by Nicole Ayers

The Spartan Science Olympiad team competed in the Texas A&M University - San Antonio Regional and placed first overall. We will travel to Texas A&M - College Station next month to compete in the State finals. We are a young team of 5th-8th grade students competing against 6th-9th graders, but we have DRIVE!

Individual awards were as follows:

1st Place

• Codebusters: Katherine, Staten, & John

• Crime Busters: Olivia K & Morgan

• Experimental Design: Livi D, Henry, & Bailey

• Food Science: Henry & John

• Mission Possible: Bailey & Cage

• Mousetrap Vehicle: Cooper & Daniel

• Naked Egg Drop: Morgan & Staten

• Ornithology: Addison & Morgan

• Storm the Castle: John & Daniel

• Write It, Do It: Livi D & Bailey

2nd Place

• Dynamic Planet: Daniel & Taryn

• Electric Wright Stuff: William & Cooper

• Meteorology: Taryn & William

• Ping Pong Parachute: Morgan & Staten

• Road Scholar: Staten & William

• We've Got Your Number: John & Daniel

3rd Place

• Bridge: Henry & Cage

According to Mark Twain, “climate is what we expect, weather is what we get.” Fifth grade has recently begun an investigation into weather and climate. Students compared and contrasted weather and climate in a lab investigation using M&M’s.

Each student was given a “fun size” bag of M&M’s. On the lab report, they were to choose 6 different types of weather to coincide with the different color of M&M. The next step was to choose one M&M randomly out of the bag (without looking) to represent that day’s weather. Students documented their “random” weekly weather report according to the colors of the M&M’s.

Obviously, weather predicting takes into account more than just M&M’s. Students were able to see how weather and climate work together, but also work independently of each other.

By Susie Rogers, ELA, 5th-8th

Students just completed the novel Restart by Gordon Korman. One of the main themes of this engaging and relatable book is bullying. In the novel, fellow classmates are bullied by Chase, the main character, for the way they look, their activities, and even their grades. As Chase gets a chance to redeem himself and become friends with the ones he bullied for so long, the idea of celebrating uniqueness in yourself and others was made. 

This lesson was the basis of their end of novel project, The Best Part of Me. Students were asked to choose one part of themselves that they liked the most and write a paragraph about it. We then took a picture to illustrate the best part of them! See how hair, eyebrows, birthmarks, shoulders, hands, head, eyes, tongue, and athleticism make this 5th grade class so special! 

Each year, the 5th grade class takes its Colonial America unit and makes it interactive– a complete physical representation of life in the three colonial regions. Students take on the roles of colonial citizens and research the aspects of colonial life in their particular region (New England, Middle, or Southern). The real fun begins when we build rooms and businesses to showcase the students’ research. Students actively participate in the planning and design as well as the physical building of their rooms and businesses. We could not do any of this without the genius and support of Denise Henley, our rock star jack-of-all-trades. Mrs. Denise truly teaches our 5th graders how to think and plan for themselves. She offers suggestions on design and welcomes students’ own ideas. Students build self-confidence and motivation. They learn to take initiative. Real life lessons occur behind the scenes at the Colonial Fair, thanks to Mrs. Denise.