News Features
Mrs. Russell's Friends
March 2024
Moving Forward with Spring Products and Presentations
1ST GRADE
Students will write self-simile poems and create self-portraits.
What are my character traits, likes, strengths, gifts, talents, and genius type?
Students spent several days understanding the rules of a simile and how to say and write one after listening to a variety of stories and playing several games. Next, they reflected on their personal characteristics and used those to write self-similes in a poetic format.
Guess the Simile - As hungry as a bear?
Student Sample of Self-Simile Poetry
2ND GRADE
Students will explore manufacturing and entrepreneurial skills as they engineer a prototype of an arcade game.
How will I design an arcade game that others will enjoy?
Students have been working hard to design and construct arcade games out of cardboard boxes. The process includes writing the game rules, designing & building with cardboard connection techniques, creating a blueprint of all 3 dimensions for "manufacturing" purposes, and preparing tickets, coins, and a prize wall for friends who will come play their games!
Cardboard Construction in Progress
Anchor Chart of Cardboard Construction Techniques
3RD GRADE
Students will celebrate solving a month long mystery by creating their own for others to solve.
Which scientist, engineer, mathematician, inventor or entrepreneur will I choose to research?
Students have solved The Eleventh Hour mystery. Indeed it was Kilroy the mouse and his many friends that devoured the feast! Students learned the importance of good detective work and how they must possess strong analytical skills to process information, connect clues, and draw conclusions from seemingly unrelated facts. Students understand how detectives need to pay close attention to even the smallest details, as they are often critical in solving a case accurately.
Decoding backwards messages
using a mirror
Don't forget to collect some nice shoe boxes for the Mystry Box Project Phase of this unit
4TH GRADE
Students will run trials and make improvements to try and complete the path of their Rube machines.
How will we redesign and make improvements to pop a balloon at the end of our path?
Students have incorporated simple machines, a variety of materials, and multiple steps to try and successfully complete a pathway to pop a balloon. They have considered the perfect amount of force, the best angles, the correct speed, and the exact maneuvers needed to complete the courses created. The amount of patience and determination each team has displayed is admirable. Learning from many failures is becoming an invaluable life lesson as well!
One Proud and Determined Team
4th Grade parent invites
went home to come see the
Rube Goldberg Machines in action!
5TH GRADE
Students will map out and begin building their individual civilizations.
What is my civilization's mission statement and contribution to the larger society?
Students have completed writing the guiding principles for all key pieces of their civilization, collected their ideas into a book, and mapped out the areas for building each part. With careful consideration of how their civilization will contribute to the success of the larger society, students will now create a miniature model of all the important components.
Planning Phase of the Society
Connecting Civilizations
to the Larger Society
ParentResources (1).docx.pdf