Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Fall Into Autumn!

FACT: Seasons change as we orbit the sun.

Spring • Summer • Autumn • Winter

Twice a year, around March 20 or 21 and Sept. 22 or 23, our sun shines directly over the equator. That event marks the beginning of spring or fall. What is the equator?

Public Domain photo

e·qua·tor

[əˈkwā•dər]

noun

an imaginary line drawn around the earth equally distant from both poles, dividing the earth into northern and southern hemispheres and constituting the parallel of latitude 0°.

In March when the sun shines directly over the equator, the event is called the spring or vernal equinox. In September, when the sun shines directly over the equator, the event is called the fall or autumnal equinox.

The Autumnal Equinox will occur in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. on Thursday, September 22, 202w, at 6:03 P.M.

Things to look for in fall:

1. Deciduous (di•si•jo͞o•əs) trees will change color and drop all their leaves. Evergreen trees will not. Evergreen trees will stay forever green. :-) Why do the leaves of deciduous trees change color? Use World Book Online to research. Remember, do NOT copy sentences. That is plagiarism, and it is against the law! Take notes, and then turn your notes into your own sentences.

Photo by Grandma Barb

2. On the equinox, there are exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. The day and night hours are equal. However, as we continue into fall, the days will get shorter and the night hours will get longer. This pattern will continue until we reach the winter solstice. That is the longest night of the year and marks a new season, winter.

3. Because the northern hemisphere is now tilted away from the sun, the days will start to become cooler. People will change their behavior. What sorts of behavioral changes will your family make as the days get shorter and cooler? (In southern California, we have mild climate. We don't get too cold in our community.)

There are many fall festivals or holidays. Watch the BrainPop video about fall to learn about the many harvest festivals celebrated. Do you celebrate any of these autumn holidays? If so, please share so we can learn from you!

Check out the FREE BrainPop video about Fall.

4. Some animals in the northern hemisphere will change their behavior. As fall leads to winter, some animals migrate, or move, to a warmer area. Others try to fatten up for the winter they know is coming.

Again, BrainPop Jr. has a FREE video about fall.

Check it out by clicking here.

https://jr.brainpop.com/science/weather/fall/

Share some fun facts about fall!

If you are in the southern hemisphere, tell us what season you are enjoying! How are you changing your behavior?

Monday, September 19, 2022

Welcome to Blogging! Let's Learn the Terms!

This week, I begin my 15th year of blogging with third graders. Blogging is a great way to practice digital citizenship, to build an online footprint, and learn with other classes around the world. Let the fun begin! ~Mrs. Yollis

What is a blog?

A blog is a digital website that is updated regularly. Blogs have themes. Some blogs are sport-related, while others might feature travel or science topics. Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog is about what is happening in a third-grade classroom in California.

What are the parts of a blog?

Header: The header is found at the top of a blog. It has the title of the blog and some headers feature a logo. The header uses text to showcase the title of the blog and sets the color theme. Our blog header has a title and a subtitle. The subtitle says, "Third graders learning and sharing together". The header clearly informs readers what to expect on this blog.

Pages: Pages are not updated regularly and do not allow comments. These static (unchanging) pages provide special information about the blog.

Posts: A post is a story on the blog. The most recent post is featured at the top. The post has a time stamp above the title to let readers know when it was published. Posts can include text, photos, videos, or other digital platforms.

Sidebar: The sidebar runs along the side of the blog. It feautres little gadgets that readers might find useful or fun. One gadget is the archive. The archive lists the published posts by month and year.

There are many interesting gadgets in our sidebar. One is the "Visitor Flags". Check out where visitors are from! The "Search this Blog" will help you find specific posts, and the "Photo of the Day" gadget will take you to another blog that features interesting photos.

Comments: Under each post is a comment section. The comment section is where the blog comes to life. Readers can leave a compliment about the post, add new information that wasn't included in the post, or ask a question. Bloggers often reply to readers to extend their learning and build friendships.

Privacy: Privacy is important on the web. When posting or commenting, never give away personal information. What is personal information? THINK: Never give away your YAPPY!

Now that you know the basics of blogging, you are invited to leave a comment! Remember, use only your FIRST NAME.

What is your favorite part about the blog?

What topics should be published on the blog?

Monday, March 21, 2022

Spring into Compound Sentences!


Rose photo by Mrs. Yollis


The first day of spring is called the

Vernal Equinox.

Spring started on Sunday, March 20, 2022, at 8:33 A.M. (PDT) in southern California. It is called the Vernal Equinox. There are two times when the sun is exactly above the equator.

1. The Autumnal Equinox is in September. (First day of fall.)

2. The Vernal Equinox is in March. (First day of spring.)

Equinox means equal night and there are nearly twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of night.

 BrainPop offers six different informational videos.

Adding compound sentences to your writing can make your stories and essays more interesting.

What is a compound sentence?

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A compound sentence:

Combines two shorter sentences (so has TWO subjects)

Joins the two sentences with a conjunction (and, or, but, so, yet, nor, and for) The comma goes BEFORE the conjunction.

* * * * *

Here is an acronym to help you remember some conjunctions:

F A N B O Y S

(for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so)

This image has information about WHAT each conjunction means.

CLICK TO ENLARGE.

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Share a compound sentence or two in your comment! What signs of spring have you noticed?

Do you have springtime hobbies, celebrations, or activities?

Sunday, December 5, 2021

Hour of Code: Celebrating Computer Science Week

Hour of Code is an annual event to promote Computer Science. According to their website:

The Hour of Code takes place each year during Computer Science Education Week. The 2021 Computer Science Education Week will be December 6-12, but you can host an Hour of Code all year round. Computer Science Education Week is held annually in recognition of the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (December 9, 1906).

We're starting Hour of Code and changing the name to Hours of Code!

Thank you, Hadi Partovi for creating this project!

Computer Science week coincides with the birthdays of two computer science pioneers. A pioneer is a person who is one of the first to enter a field of study or explore a new area of thought.

1. Ada Lovelace, born in England on December 10, 1815, is considered the world's first computer programmer.

Photo Credit

2. Grace Hopper, whose birthday is December 9, 1906, was an American computer programmer and Navy rear admiral. She contributed to the development of the COBOL language and is credited with popularizing the term "computer bug" in the programming community.

Grace Hopper said, "To me programming is more than an important practical art. It is also a gigantic undertaking in the foundations of knowledge."

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One of the important things about problem-solving is persevering. Sometimes you try an algorithm, or list of steps used to solve a problem, and it fails, adjust your algorithm. Try again! This strategy is called trial and error.

On our class blog, you can use HTML code to level up your comments. Here is some information about HTML code. Here is the HTML code for some fancy shapes. There are many more!

What do you like about coding?

Share something you have learned about a program?

What is the most difficult thing about writing computer code?

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Turkey Takes a Vacation :: Happy Thanksgiving!

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Turkey Takes a Vacation!

Stories and Vacation Photos by Mrs. Yollis’ Third Graders

Enjoy!

Tech Tip: Click on the three dots to "Enter full screen".

How did we create this project?

First, we read Turkey Trouble, by Wendi Silvano. The funny fantasy follows our feathered friend as he finds out what Americans feast upon for Thanksgiving. Thank you to Noah and his family for purchasing the book for the class!

Second, we selected an exotic vacation location for Turkey. (If he left America over Thanksgiving break, he would not get eaten.)

Third, we researched an international landmark using reference materials like Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

Fourth, we located the international landmark on Google Earth and took a "vacation" screenshot. Pegman was so helpful! The screenshot was uploaded to our class collaborative photo album.

Fifth, we used our facts to create a story about Turkey's time at the international landmark.

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What was your favorite part about the project and why?

What landmark would you like to visit?

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Happy Veterans Day!

Today America celebrates Veterans Day. It is the day we honor the men and women who have served in the armed forces. Veterans Day is a national holiday.

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Photo by Mrs. Yollis

Veterans: Men and women who have served in the armed forces.
Soldiers: Men and women who are currently serving in the armed forces.

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Here is a link to a wonderful BrainPop

video about America's Armed Forces.

What did you learn about the
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard?

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Below we feature some friends and family who are veterans!

Illustration by Aarna

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Meet our district superintendent, Dr. Stepenosky. As you can see, he served in the Navy. From 1990 to 1994, he was on a USS Chancellorsville which was a guided-missile cruiser. It was 9,000 tons and had a crew of 330. Notice the destroyer in the background.

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Meet Lucas' grandfather, Seargent Bill, who served in the Marine Corps. He was stationed at Cherry Point, North Carolina, and he served in the Vietnam War.