Stunning Soil

Last week our class observed and studied soil samples from our own backyards. We were surprised at how different the soil samples from two kids' yards could look! Some soil samples were dark brown with small bits of mulch and others were deep red and clumped together. In some soil samples we found pieces of decaying leaves and grains of sand. The soil samples from Meagan and Casey's yards looked and felt like red clay. 


After studying our own soil we looked at soil graphics from books. We found out there are 3 layers of soil - topsoil, subsoil, and bedrock. Within those 3 layers are different types of soil - humus, sand, silt, and clay. Another type of soil is called loam...this is the type of soil that plants like the best because it has the most nutrients and the best drainage for water. Check out the soil graphics Liam and Ella D. created...

Field Trip Fun

On Thursday, April 21st we went on a field trip to the University of Virginia.  We visited the Rotunda and the UVA Lawn.  We went on a tour and in the Rotunda we saw the most realistic sculpture of Thomas Jefferson.  The Thomas Jefferson sculpture was so important that when the Rotunda caught on fire, students pulled it outside to save it!  Thomas Jefferson was the founder of UVA and is called the Father of the University.  We saw columns that were influenced by Greek architecture and arches that were influences by Roman architecture.  We found out that the arches were more expensive because they used more material, so Thomas Jefferson had to change his plan to use more columns.  The state government was so worried about his sloppy work that they kept giving him more money, but this was all part of Jefferson's plan.  He was a very clever man.  He was also considered a "giant of his time" because he was six feet, two inches tall.  On our tour we also learned that UVA now has many secret societies that we could be a part of if we are students at UVA and get "tapped"!

These are the most decorative columns - Corinthian. 

UVA Rotunda

These are the most plain columns and most often used - Doric.

These columns are Ionic.

Sketching the Rotunda.

Hard at work.

Details, details, details.

Working together.

Doric

Ionic

Corinthian

These are the only arches on the UVA Lawn and the first to be built, but then Jefferson decided to switch to columns because they were less expensive.

Bottom window of the Rotunda.

Rotunda sketch in progress.

Artists at work.

A beautiful day for sketching outside.

The other side of the Rotunda was a completely different view. 

Good-Bye Mrs. Hunter

Mrs. Laubscher's class was sad to see our WONDERFUL student teacher, Mrs. Hunter leave.  She is going to make an outstanding teacher next year and she will be missed.  We hope that she enjoys the classroom library that we started for her with our favorite books and messages from students inside the front cover! 

Coliseum Sketching

Come by the third grade hall to see our NEW Coliseum sketches. Our next unit of study will be ancient Rome. Notice the three different columns, Doric, Ionic and Corinthian, all influenced by ancient Greece.

Awesome Frost

Can you see the frost!?

We were curious about frost. Some of the questions we wondered were...

• What is frost?
• What is frost made out of?
• What creates frost?
• Is frost just frozen dew drops?
• What is frost caused by?

We had lots of questions! We hoped that our experiment would help us find the answers to at least some of our burning questions. On top of a sheet of wet paper, we placed a can filled two-thirds of the way with ice and the rest with salt. We tried to figure out which of our materials represented different weather conditions outside that help make frost. We realized that the wet paper was like the wet ground outside, or the water vapor in the air. The can filled with ice represented cold air outside. (The salt in the can made the ice colder.) When the water vapor in the air around the can touched the freezing cold can, it slowed down and turned to frost! The same thing happens outside when the air is colder and the dew droplets turn into ice on your windshield or bedroom window. 

Chain Reaction Contraptions...Build It...Test It...Revise It!

We decided that just learning the different types of Simple Machines was not enough. Actually building Simple Machines and seeing them in action is much more exciting! Better yet, why not put Simple Machines together to create a chain reaction contraption that gets a job done? It sounds a lot easier than it really is! We've been working hard for the past 2 weeks to create our contraptions using items you find around your house: paper towel tubes, fish sinkers, string, plastic spoons, corks, marbles, clothes pins, dominoes, toy cars, and yogurt cups. We had to meet 4 basic guidelines:


1. Your machine must begin and end with the pull of a string.


2. Your machine must have at least 5 Simple machines of 3 different types.


3. Your completed contraption should not be any taller than 1 1/2 feet.


4. The chain reaction must be repeatable and reasonably reliable.


Here's a look at our Week One progress...

A Day in an Ancient Athens Court

We researched the court system in Ancient Greece and found out some interesting facts. Did you know that only adult males were considered citizens in Ancient Greece? (Some of the girls in our class did not think this was a fair system!) We found out that citizens in Athens made decisions about the law and whether to find criminals guilty or innocent. After our research, we became Athenian citizens ourselves.


We read The Boy Who Cried Wolf and wrote persuasive speeches trying to prove whether the boy was guilty or innocent. Our speeches were so persuasive that Athenians were divided right down the middle! Half of Athens believed the boy should be found guilty and the other half believed he was totally innocent. The city was in an uproar! To appease both sides, we brainstormed a way to compromise and wrote speeches to persuade the Athenian Council. Here's what each team came up with...