Reading Naturally

Borrowing from read naturally, students, today, listened to me read, aloud, a segment on the rock cycle and the hows, whys and wherefores about rock types. Afterwards, they were asked to "sub-vocalize" and use a yellow highlighter to reread the material. The kids were great about the in-class assignment. Now, I hope they bring in a good rock for class on Monday.

Okay, so I cried

Mama Fry, I will miss you
The day was emotional, to say the least. One of the finest people I have ever known called it quits, today. Tears flowed freely, all day, but the one image that will stay with me forever was at the end of the day, hordes of 6th, 7th, 8th graders and even a couple of high school students descended on Mrs. Fry's classroom to give her a goodbye hug. I had a camera in my classroom but was far to overcome to think about getting it and sharing a picture of the scene with you. sorry.
The goodbye scenerio was preceded by a short video by Mr. Ellis and Mr. Johnson, featuring 7th graders saying goodbye on our closed-circuit television system. The entire school tuned-in. That was a fantastic gesture, you guys.
In the end, Nettie and I, embraced for such a long time, and I soon joined in on the crying. I simply adore this woman, as I adore Wanita and Cheryl -- we are indeed a family.
When I finally end my teaching career, students will stand in the hallway and say, "who?"

Rewind and Replay
We redid our rock volume experiment to verify our data. It was okay, but I still did not get overly excited about the necessary lesson. Some lesson simply floor me, others? Eh.

How do you collect rocks and identify them?
Students will learn, tomorrow.

Water on the Rocks

Students found the volume of their rock by conducting an experiment using displacement of water caused by the insertion of their rock into a cup of water. It was kind of a neat little experiment, hardly one worth mentioning in a blog.

Mrs. Fry is Leaving
It is with a heavy heart I will say goodbye to Mrs. Fry, tomorrow. Health problems have escalated to the point she feels she can no longer perform her duties in the classroom. Few people have touched my life in such a positive way, as Nettie. Her love of teaching, students and reading has even motivated me to read more and utilize her "Read Naturally" program in my science classroom. I wish her a speedy recovery and look forward to the day when she can return to the classroom and continue to inspire our youth. Only my own family and my school family will understand this part, but Nettie, I will pray for you.

More Dichotomous Keys?
Starting tomorrow, the students will begin the process of identifying their rock. We are now into our geology unit.

Putting Together A Leaf Collection

Shake Your Head and A Rock May Fall Out

Today, students were to bring in thumb-sized rocks to start our geology unit. Several forgot, but several also brought in boulders that took five men to carry, while others brought in grains of sand that required a high-powered microscope to see (kinda like my wife's engagement ring). Oh well, the thought was there and the lesson entailed measuring the rock's diameter, length and weight. Also, students were to describe the rocks texture (feel) and any blotches or other imperfections in the stone.
It's amazing what you can do with a simple stone -- perhaps, even, make it a pet? Hmmm, that's been done. Oh well, so much for my inventive genius.
Tomorrow, we assemble our leaf collection into a booklet.
Have a great night, everyone. For my daughter, going to school in Galveston, Texas, the weather is perfect, today. No bird-sized mosquitoes in these here parts, just a beautiful blue-skied day with warm temperatures and plenty of sunshine. Missy and I are going for a walk.