November 14 was the spelling bee. Sophia and I were both in the bee this year. In the beginning we were both really nervous, but later when we began the spelling bee, we calmed down a little. We slowly rose up the  rounds.  I made it to round 8 and Sophia made it to round 11. I didn’t see the end, but the judges reached a round where they told words nobody got to study. In the end, a boy named Marvin won. I’m glad I entered the spelling bee because it was a good experience, and  it was fun.

On November 6, our class went to the California Cavern. When we got there a few of us went gemstone mining. They gave us a bag of sand and rocks, but hidden inside were beautiful minerals. After everyone was done, we walked to the cave with helmets on our heads. When we entered the cave it was colder than the outside temperature. When we reached the first room, everyone was amazed by the sight of the astonishing rock formations. Because everyone studied the cave before the fieldtrip, we could see the magnificent rocks in person. We saw soda straws, stalactites, stalagmites, columns, flowstone, and draperies. The tour guide said that the room was used for concerts because of the huge open area. The second room was used for weddings beacause a giant fl0wstone looked like a bride’s dress. To get into the “Jungle Room”, we had to walk through a really small tunnel, but it was worth it to see such amazing formations in the cave. To get out of the cavern, we went out the way we went in. When we got out, we had lunch and headed back to school on the bus. We arrived back at school at around 2:00pm, packed up and when the bell rang, we headed home.

 

 

On October 24 we went on a field trip to the IMAX Theater to see two short films about mummies and Mt. Everest. We got on the bus and you could already tell it was full of excietment. When we got to the theater we went inside and sat down. While we were seated, we had to wait a couple of minutes for the movie to start. The first presentation was about Mummies. When that was over, we went to get popcorn and drinks and waited for the next movie to start about Mt. Everest. When the movies were over and it was time to leave, you could really tell people had fun.

 

On October 30th, we did a experiment on convection . Ms. Fennell filled two beakers with water. She heated  one beaker an put red food coloring in it . She put ice and blue food coloring  in the other beaker.Then she taped them in tin foil and poked two holes in them. After that she put them in a bucket of clear, room temperature water. The red water rose to the top fast because hot particles move fast and up because they are less dense. The cold blue particles were slower so they sank. Then we went to lunch and when we came back the water was starting to get purple. Then the next day it was completely purple and the water stayed like that.  This happened because the particles reached thermal equilibrium.

On the 25th of October, we did a simulation on Mesopotamia. For the simulation,we had to try to become the richest civilization. To do this we had to have a written language, build a ziggurat, have a catapult built as a secret invention, and have a set of laws. At first, a lot of  people started trading ,but then, as more and more groups had all the supplies to build their catapult, people stopped trading and started working on other things, like building their ziggurats or writing their laws. At the end of the simulation,we all got to fire our catapults at one another. The next day, we continuedworking on our ziggurats. At the end of the simulation, we got to fire our catapults again.

One particular team destroyed all of the other teams because they had the catapults built first. They didn’t have the richest civilization, though. In Mesopotamia, having a trained army helped. The richest cultural civilization would have art, ziggurats, and language.

 

Our latest journal entries were inspired by Thanksgiving dinner.   We wrote persuasive letters from the turkey’s perspective, asking families not to choose them for their dinner.   Happy reading, and Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Dear family,

I am just a kind and easily frightened turkey. Please don’t choose me as your Thanksgiving turkey. I know there are other turkeys out there who are willing to be chosen, but please don’t pick me. The turkeys that are running wild are good enough, right?   I’m way too young to die, plus I haven’t had a meal in weeks. The other turkeys are fat’ and big enough for your family,  but me no I’m way too small.   One thing that I’ve always wanted to do is impress the other turkeys so you don’t want me….. bye!!!!

Kiani the Turkey

 

Dear Family,

Please,please,PLEASE! Don’t choose me to be your main dish for Thanksgiving. All my life I’ve worked hard to be the turkey I am today. I even have a wife who’s going to have a poult, and I can’t miss that. I mean look at Gary! He’s so scared. How about you just put him out of his misery?  Besides, Gary’s more plump and fat then I am. Also I have friend who’s getting married soon, and I have to be there. Don’t choose me! Don’t choose me! Besides, chickens are better! Trust me!!!!

Your dearest friend,

Mike     (by Nyah)

 

Dear Family,

Please don’t eat me! I have a really good reason, too!  I’m about to go to prom with the cutest girl at Turkey High.  I’ve been working up the nerve to ask her, and I did and she said yes. Can you believe it!?   Look at Fred over there. He’s the football captain.  I bet he’s way tastier than me. So please just don’t eat me.

Your dearest friend,

Carl (by:Jillian)

 

Dear Family,

I am just a skinny , innocent turky. Please don’t choose me for your Thanksgiving feast. I know you always want a big,  bulky turkey to be your feast. I am a thin turkey. Thanksgiving means you are thankful for someone that once helped you, don’t you want to get a bigger turkey to express your thanks?

There is something else, I am thin and easily sick.  I’m always sick, and if you eat me, you will get really sick and get special diseases. I really don’t want that to happen because one turkey sick is enough.  I am kind, I don’t want people to get sick.

You see, I also have some friendship between your daughter.  I am her favorite pet.  I don’t want to see her crying and don’t want you to have to lie to her.   I promised her that I will be with her every day.  I am a good guy and she likes me.   If you make me the Thanksgiving feast, she will cry that I am dead.

Sincerely,

Wilson the Turkey

 

Dear Family,

I am a skinny and nerdy turkey. You might not want to pick me for your dinner.  I will not be as plump as the others.I will not taste as good as the others, and whenever some one eats a nerdy turkey they will turn into a nerdy person!!

There is one more thing, you will also turn skinny like me. So you might not want to eat or pick me.

Love,

Hope the Turkey

 

Dear Fine  Family,

You don’t want to waste your fine money on me, I probably taste like sweat because I’ve been so stressed out.  On top of that, I”ve got a pregnant wife who is about to give birth to baby polts, 13 to be exact. I can’t have my babies growing up with no dad around,  plus there is a big  juicy turkey named Pete.  He is a jerk.

Sincerely,

Turkey Gray

 

Dear Family.

I’m Jimmy the Skinny Chicken. and why are you eating me?  You barely feed me anyway. Guys, why cant you eat Big Joe over there?  He’s the one who’s really big. So lets be friends and eat big Joe over there mmmmmmmmmwwwwahahaha.

10 minutes later

Oh big Joe get ready to go to Thanksgiving. Ooh Yay! I get to go to Thanksgiving. No you get cooked and eaten. No wait I didn’t get to finish my seeds yet NOOOOOOOO!!! Goodbye Joe mmmmmmmwwwahaha!!!!!!!!

Sincereley,

Gabe the Turkey

 

 

 

 

 

    On Friday October 12, 2012 at  8:45am the Arlene Hein Jog-a-thon began. It was a cloudy  and cold day, but perfect for jogging. Most people were really fast right when they started, and some people were already at their first tally mark! Some people were still on their first lap or all the way at the end of the track and some people were making sure we got enough water.  At the end of the jog-a-thon every body   got on the black-top and danced with their friends while eating otter-pops.  The Jog-a-thon earned our school a ton of money.  We had a great time participating in our final Jog-a-thon for elementary school.

    On the Wednesday of October 10, 2012, a Holocaust survivor named Dr. Marks came to our school, and talked about  what life was like for the Jewish people during World War II. He told about how many Jews didn’t really have a life of freedom. Dr. Marks told us stories about his dad being his angel because he saved him so many times.   His father changed his age so that his birthdate would have him being born in the year of 1927, which made him old enough to work in the concentration camps. The Jews did what they could to get away from the Nazis.   Many were sent away to concentration camps.  Mr. Marks and his dad both survived the Holocaust.  He came to the United States with $6 in his pocket.  He worked many jobs so that he could go to school and be successful.  Mr. Marks wants us all to get a good education and work hard.  He wants to make sure that something like the Holocaust does not happen ever again.  We feel very lucky to have been able to have him come and talk to our class.

 

In social studies, we did a fun project where we were the teachers! Ms.Fennell put us in groups of four and gave us a section in our  social studies book about Sumerian Achievements. We had to read that section twice and then write down notes about it. She said we could make a poster, do a skit, or a powerpoint. A lot of people chose to do a poster, and write facts and put pictures on them. Everyone worked really hard on their projects. Some people made quizzes,word searches, or just asked questions. Some groups stayed in at recess just to work on their section! Everyone did a great job teaching and working on their section and we learned a lot about Sumerian Achievements.  I think students make the best teachers!

 

On September 19, the space shuttle came back to earth because the space shuttle wont be going back to space. We got to watch it in our classroom at 8am.   When the space shuttle landed at Edwards Air Force Base, the pilots got some relaxation before they went on a  adventure to northern California. We used the NASA website to watch the shuttle take off from Edwards Air Force Base.  It was riding on top of a big airplane.  It first had gained speed and you could see how humongous the space shuttle was because of a fighter jet right next to it. The space shuttle gained speed and took of like a beautiful,  huge bird. The space shuttle was traveling around  America because it wants to show people that it’s not going to go to space so they want people to see it before they store it in a museum.

At 9:30am, a little over an hour after we watched it take off,  it arrived in Elk Grove!  Our class heard something so we looked outside and saw a huge bird flying in the air with big wings! Our class was shocked to see it flying over our school so we rushed outside and took a lot of pictures of the flying, angel space shuttle as it left. This was the most awesome space shuttle we’ve seen for our entire life!  In the picture it looks pretty small, but we could really see the details as it went by.