Multiplication/Division Pixie Problems!

Mrs. Yollis' third graders have been working with the computer teacher, Mrs. Minicozzi, to write multiplication and division story problems. 

First, students chose a X/÷ fact family and wrote the four equations. 

Example: 

6      7     42

6 x 7 = 42

7 x 6 = 42

42 ÷ 7 = 6

42 ÷ 6 = 7

Second,  students selected one of the fact family equations.

Third, students wrote a story to match the math equation. Fictional characters were used as the main characters.

Finally, students used the computer program called Pixie to illustrate their story problems. 

Enjoy!

What was the most difficult part about creating your Pixie pages? 

What advice would you give others who are using Pixie?

Make up another word problem in the comment section!

What is Plagiarism?

According to the New Oxford American Dictionary:

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Now that Mrs. Yollis' class is learning to research using the World Book Encyclopedia Online generously purchased from the PFC, it is important for everyone to understand how to share learning without just copying.

It is wrong to copy and paste! 

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How to share learning without becoming a plagiarist is tricky.

Step 1:   Read the passage completely.

Step 2:   Take notes on the interesting parts.
                  (IMPORTANT - Only write facts. Do not copy sentences.)

Example:

• California
• largest population
• 33,871,648 people

Step 3:    Use the facts to compose your own sentences.
                   Now is a good time to add your opinion as you share.

Here are my own sentences using my California facts:

I was surprised to learn that my state, California, has the largest population of all fifty states. There are approximately  34 million California citizens. 

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Next week, our school will have National Geographic's

Giant Traveling Map of Asia. Use World Book Online to

 research some information about the Asian continent. 

How big is Asia in square miles?

What is the population?

How many countries? 

Pick an Asian country to learn about.

What are the highest and lowest points on the

 continent?

What languages are spoken?

What bodies of water border Asia?

What animals are found in Asia?

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What would you like to learn about Asia? 

What did you learn about Asia from World Book?

Remember, to put the facts in your own words!

Four Students Earn Their Own Blogs!

In Mrs. Yollis' class, students who demonstrate responsible work habits and regularly participate in the class blog are eligible to earn their own blog. Maintaining a blog takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Today, four students are ready to take on that responsibility.


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A big thank you goes out to the parents of our student bloggers.
Parents are the administrators of each student blog and have been learning right alongside their child.  Well done, parents!

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Behold!

Please visit these blogs when you have the time.  The students would love some encouragement via a comment or even just a ClustrMap dot!

 

Heather Perfect Posts

(second grader)

Abbey's Articulate Artistry
(third grader)

Collin's Cool Collection
(third grader)

Mallory's Gallery of Life

(third grader)  

Rather than leave a comment here, please follow the new blogger hyperlinks and leave them a comment!

Thank you for supporting student blogging!

Join Our Class 365 Project!

I just added the final photo to our Yollis' 366 Project. This elementary school photo-of-the-day blog has proven to be a wonderful place to share photographs and practice all types of writing. 

 During the 2012 year, the Yollis' 366 Project received photos and comments from teachers, classes, and individual students all over the world! 

I personally thank each photographer and blogger for his/her contribution!

YOU have made the project special!

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For the 2013 year, I have changed the look of the blog. The new theme is a collage of photos. Hover over a photo and it will flip. Information about the photo is on the back of the flipped photo. Click on a photo and a new window will open.  Hopefully you will click and leave a comment! 

I invite you to join our photo-of-the-day project this year. Simply email Mrs. Yollis an original photo (around 200 kb is good).  Include some text to complement the image. Be sure to end with a question or two so you can get a conversation going!  You can submit more than one photo throughout the year, and it does not have to be taken on a specific day. Photos and text subject to approval by Mrs. Yollis. :-) 

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Click here to explore the last two years of the Daily Digital Documentation!

Do you think you or your class might contribute?

Did you participate during the last two years? If so, which photo was yours?

Happy New Year everyone!

Wonderful Winter Solstice ~ 2012

In the Northern Hemisphere, winter is the 

coldest season of the year. 

It begins about December 21 and lasts until about March 21. Around December 21 or 22, 

the sun's rays fall directly over the farthest point south of the equator - marking the first day of winter. 

Winter days have fewer hours of daylight because of the path the earth takes as it revolves around the sun. The earth completely revolves around the sun during 365 days. The earth's axis always tips about 23 1/2 degrees from a line perpendicular to its path. 

In the Southern Hemisphere, winter begins in June.

Different regions have longer winters than others. For example, in the polar regions, winter takes up half the year. In the Temperate Zones winter takes up about one quarter of the year. 

In regions where there is cold weather, it causes many changes in the environment. Water may freeze and become ice, snow, sleet or icicles. Most plants and animals become dormant and rest. 

Some animals hibernate. 

The only plants that grow and remain green are evergreens. 

People protect themselves from the cold climate with winter clothing when they go outdoors. They enjoy a variety of indoor activities or outdoor winter sports such as skiing, skating, or sledding. 


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Here are some fun winter links!
 

Want to make an online snowflake? Click here! 

BrainPop has some great winter and snow movies! Click here! 

Snowflake Workshop? Click here! 

What do you enjoy most about winter?


How will you be celebrating the holidays?

What activities will you be participating in this winter break?

Holiday Party Fun!

A terrific time was had by all!

Holiday Party ~ 2012 on PhotoPeach

See you next year!

Where did you put your snow globe?

A Variety of Van Allsburgs!

Recently in our reading text books, we read The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, Chris Van Allsburg's first children's book. It is a clever and mysterious story about a dog named Fritz who runs into Mr. Gasazi's garden. Fritz is possibly turned into a duck by Mr. Gasazi, but the reader never really knows for sure. Mr. Van Allsburg leaves that up to the reader to decide.

Because Mr. Van Allsburg is such a talented writer and has written so many wonderful books, Mrs. Yollis read three more to us.

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The first one we listened to was called Two Bad Ants. Through their experiences in the jar of crystals, which turn out to be sugar, these ants learn that they are better off staying with their colony rather than venturing out on their own.

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The second book we enjoyed was Bad Day at River Bend. The story seems to take place in an old western town. Everything and everyone in town is being covered by a colorful greasy slime. However, at the end it is revealed that all the characters are in a young boy's coloring book!

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Finally, Mrs. Yollis read The Widow's Broom to us. It was an eerie tale in which a witch's broom comes to be owned by a widow. The neighbors are very upset about this enchanted broom who does all the widow's chores and want to do away with it. However, the widow comes up with an extremely clever plan to trick the neighbors and keep her broom!

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We are learning about surveys and polls in class. We decided to  survey our readers: Out of the books read this week, which story is your favorite? Why?

Please leave a comment with your choice!

What other books by Chris Van Allsburg have you enjoyed?

Science Stop: A Colorful Science Lesson

Last week,  Mrs. Yollis' and Mrs. Ranney's second and third graders teamed up with Mr. JR's high school chemistry students via a Google Hangout.   The high school students gave a fabulous science demonstration about color and light.

 

Check out their last collaboration about matter!  

Mrs. Yollis met Mr. JR at the Google Teacher Academy in NYC,

  and they planned these science segments when there.

 

 

 

 

Mr. JR. welcomed the class! Everyone loved his new colorful hairdo!

 

 

 First Mr. JR. and his students taught the elementary students a great song about the rainbow. The seven colors of the rainbow are also know as the spectrum.

Have you ever heard of ROY G BIV?

What does ROY G BIV mean?

Next, the high school students demonstrated how to mix color pigment to make new colors! Watch and learn!

The students used a prism to split white light into the 7 colors of the visible spectrum. They used the word refract. 

What does refract mean? 

 

 

 

We ended the call with a chant about light!

Do you know any additional facts about light that you can add? 

What was your favorite part about the science lesson? 

Collaboration: A-Z Technology Tips!

Mrs. Yollis' class ♥ to collaborate and learn with others. 
 Recently, the class worked with 4KM and 4KJ from Victoria, Australia. 

Together they  completed a Google Presentation slide show called the A-Z Technology Tips! 
Enjoy and hopefully learn some new technology tips!

Did you learn anything new?

 
Can you share a technology tip of your own?

Family Blogging Month Winner, Heather!

Second grade Heather was one of the top winners during our Family Blogging Month! 

Here is her free-choice post! She took all the photos and wrote the text.

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This is naughty Rocky. As you can see, his is pretty cute, but is naughty. He is a golden retriever mixed with a chow. Rocky’s legs and tongue make him part chow. Rocky’s legs are shorter than a regular golden retriever. On his tongue, he has bluish-purplish dots.

When we got Rocky, he was only one year old. We adopted him from the animal shelter. His birthday (adopted date) is March 17, 2011.

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Here is Rocky holding the tennis ball in his mouth. Do you know why the tennis ball is whiter than usual? All the white things are saliva. When we throw the ball we don’t wear gloves. Instead, we use our hands and after we are done throwing the ball, we NEED to wash our hands. If any of us don’t wash our hands, germs from Rocky will spread.

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Now, Rocky has dropped the ball. When he doesn’t want us to thrown the ball, but we throw it, the next time he lays down, he will keep the ball in his mouth.

  

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Most dogs stick out their tongues because they are happy. They also stick out their tongues when they are hot. In this picture, it looks like he is hot and happy.

Do you have a dog?

If yes, what type of dog is it?

If you don’t, what is your dream pet?