Flat Stanley- Daytona (Group 3)

Talk about an excited group of students!! 

At the beginning of the year when we sent out our flat classes on their field trips around the world I didn't consider the fact that I would have new students at the end of the year. These students watched as our flat groups returned and were patient but sad that they did  not have a flat version of themselves. 

With only a small hope that we could get an adventure squeezed in at the end of the year we sent our group to Daytona International Speedway. Ed Sweeney, guest service supervisor, hosted our group 3. These were our adventures in Florida:

Daytona Beach
Daytona International Speedway
Richard Petty Driving Experience (We did this!!)
Jimmie Johnson Car (winner of the Daytona 500!!)
The trophy case of all Daytona 500 Winners (with a student lead discussion about how many races are won before you can even make it to the Daytona 500 and how hard that is)

The students all got their very own Daytona car! The most exciting part for the kids was looking at the huge speedway and knowing that they were their eating pizza with Ed. Teachers favorite was seeing the students in the netting of the winning Jimmie Johnson Car! Wow! 

Thank you Daytona International Speedway!

Adjectives are FUN

I thought I better post lessons that went really well and that the students loved. This is one. There were so many opportunities to learn and review other concepts that it was like a learning snowball.

Day One:

• Discuss the events of the weekend or break.
• Watch Adjective Video from School House Rocks.
• Relate video to how they used adjectives to describe their weekend. (Activating prior knowledge and linking to information each student knows)
• Hunt for adjectives in the video (we added words that we thought should have been in there)

What we learned: An Adjective describes a NOUN...and what is a noun? Person Place Thing Idea

 

Day Two:

• Have students use adjectives to describe the classroom. Post a note on something new or add to an existing post it with your own adjective. This is NOT a spelling activity...we are learning adjectives.

An added side note to the sticky note activity: students for days have been adding more adjectives and reading the sticky notes all over the room! More reading opportunities!! I LOVE it.

This stapler brought on quite a discussion about how different people have varied ideas..some thought heavy and some thought light! We decided it is okay to be different and opinionated.

Any student who says "helpful" when it comes to books...is brilliant in my book!!

accuracy I can read the "ADJECTIVES": flat, shiny, silky, and thin

 I have to agree with the adjective "slow" when it comes to my student computers. LOL
 

Day Two:

• Write down adjectives that describe yourself. Use one word descriptors!

• Pick 5 that describe you best and write 1 each on a color strip. Write your name in the cloud.

Day Three:

• Have each student number a blank piece of paper to write down their guesses.
• Read the adjectives and have them guess who it is.
• Discuss which adjectives gave students away and how some adjectives are better descriptors.

Day Four:

• Pick a very simple shape that is a noun. We brainstormed house, star, tree, flower, alien, football, hair, stick person, heart, butterfly, moon, and Pokeman.
• We talked about ways to describe these items using adjectives

Day Five:

• Have students create their chalk drawing
• Have students go around and add adjectives to the drawings

This photo slideshow made with Smilebox

Flat Stanley- England (Group 1)

The first amazing fact about our arrival home from England was that we flew via Royal Mail!! We even went through customs!
We arrived home with a book of photos and a long story about all we did. We also had maps to look over and post cards to gaze at. All of these wonderful moments are going in a class scrapbook!

We received the English flag which is now hanging in our classroom!

We don't want anyone to be jealous but we did go to:

• Felixstowe
• Big Ben
• Harley Rides
• Buckingham Palace
• London Eye
• Landgaurd Fort
• Pub for Birthday dinner
• Playing in the snow (laminated snow suits!) 

We had a wonderful time with our hosts! The highlight...the motorcycle rides! Image that. When we were there our littlest host got sick and had to go to the hospital! We were glad we were permitted to visit and cheer him up. We loved it so much our flat group is going back to live. We hope we bring you as much joy as you brought us. Thanks again!

Flat Stanley- Minnesota (Group 1)

Our world wall is really getting full of our adventures!  Our next trip was to Minnesota.

Our flat class arrived back with 2 hardbound books of our adventures (a class copy and 1 to pass around our homes)

The book had sticky notes inside that told us to open individually wrapped gifts during our reading of the book. We got a hockey puck when we were reading that most kids play ice hockey there. We went to see a huge event that had 28 different ice rinks.

We all received our wings because we got to fly the plane!! And we learned that mice do not like dryer sheets, so we got some for our backpacks. That is how Minnesotans winterize their boats with dryer sheets!

Other highlights:
Photo shoot with a winning basketball team from Los Angeles
Dinner with Cuban food- who wants Yucca?
Contra Dancing
Bluegrass Music- we sat with the band, in their pockets!
Mall of America
Ice Castles in parking lot of Mall of America
Ice fishing
Guthrie Theater

There are so many you will need to come on over and read our amazing book!!!

Flat Stanley- Sweden (Group 2)

Group 2 has just arrived from a wonderful trip to Kristianstad, Sweden. Thanks Meredith!! (and Felicia!)

We stayed in a small city that was built around 1600 AD according to our host.  The adventures we had and things we learned:

• Students take off their shoes when they enter into the school
• School is never cancelled for bad weather and student have recess even if it is raining
• Sweden in Swedish is called "Sverige"
• For holidays people often eat fish, such as Herring
• They speak Swedish
• Soccer and Hockey are very popular

Even the stamps are amazing!

Adventures we had and places we visited:

• Elementary School
• Army building (Legibus Et Armis)
• Cathedral (built 400 years ago)
• Public transit
• Biking around town
• Feeding ducks
• Walking on frozen river
• Castle ruins

We received a special surprise...another package from Sweden! Our flat class also got to go to Ullstrop, Sweden. I loved the milk container in this picture!! Mjolk...beautiful.

What we learned:

• It is usually raining and cold in Sweden..unlike the hot desert that we live in
• High School is optional
• English is taught at the age of 11
• For fun people hunt mushrooms in the forest
• Hiking is very popular in this area because of the untouched land