Donors Choose: We are Smarter than a 4th Grader!

UPDATE: 3/3 This project has been fully funded and DonorsChoose has ordered the game cartridges for the class. How cool is that? We are on our way to beating Watson!

I have put a class project up for funding on DonorsChoose.org. We have recieved half of the funding through the Horace Mann Insurance Company. If you know of a business or individual who would like to contribute you can see the listing here. I would like to get the grade 5 cartridges for our Classroom Jeopardy game console. We are smarter than the fourth grade cartridges that we currently use!

Valentine's Day Friends- Friendship Oaths

When a 60% average is OUTSTANDING!

WOW, Super congratulations to our bastketball superstar!
Way to shoot Heather!

Sentence Building: The Car Crashed

The class played around with building sentences again. We started with "The car crashed" and added specific words, multiple predicates, prepositional phrases, and a simile (which could be moved to the beginning of the sentence for a bit of variety if so desired).

The smooth silver Lamborgini Diablo screeched across the gray rough pavment, drifted out-of-control, and slammed into the dented guardrail like a bizzare chimpanzee slapping a fat elephant on the cheek. by Aaron

Mr. Hansen’s rugged black Dodge truck drifted across the busy highway, fish-tailed over a small patch of dirty grass, and hydroplaned over a large lake like a bird flying over the treetops.   by Adam ( I wish I had a flying truck!)

The antiquated blue automobile fish-tailed across the road, shattered on the slippery ice, and self-destructed like a rocket shooting into the sun. by Brianna

The gassy pearl pink automobile whooshed through the dusty dirt, collapsed onto the flaming fire, and disintegrated onto the boulder like paper crashing through fire. by Cady

Like Godzilla destroying the city, the neon purple Ferrari bent when it hit the guardrail that was stiff, collapsed on an angry little old lady, and demolished a hospital speeding through traffic. by Alison

The brand-new silver minivan skid on the deadly black ice, smashed into the bus stop, and exploded upon the very unhappy store clerk’s store like an out of control gorilla. by Amanda

Like a stage 5 hurricane, the speeding onyx black  Aston-Martin hydroplaned into the rusty guardrail, somersaulted through the windless air, and shattered every shining window in the car.  by Cameron

Like an out- of- control fire- cracker, the stylish lime green Chevy Cruz drifted over the baseball field, flew above the charcoal black road, and exploded between the ten story buildings. by Ben

Like a monster truck crushing a car, the mint condition cherry red Dodge Viper drifted around the tight corner, slammed into the huge wall, and destroyed the yellow Camaro.  by Codey

The white flat tired SUV slammed into the old rusty guardrail, smashed through the brick wall, and rolled down the bumpy hill like an elephant stomping on the ground. by Molly

The rusted dinged-up black Camero spun out behind the schools playground, skidded across the icy road, and swerved into the chalky white ice-coated snow like a first grader grabbing ice cream. by Austin

 

The dirty old pickup skidded across the ice-riddled highway, tumbled into the opposite lane, and ruptured an oil truck like a speeding bullet piercing through metal. by Dallas

The insane sapphire automobile drifted across the smooth black ice, fish-tailed around the sharp slick corner and slammed into the frosty metal guardrail like a wrinkly elephant heading for his mud bath. by Heather B.

The unkempt burnt-sienna Buggy skidded across the stormy rain-drenched road, severed the murky cars windows, and pulverized most everything else like a rogue criminal. by Kayla

The brand-new rocket powered Ferrari swerved into the dusty sand, hydroplaned over the Pacific Ocean, and exploded on the dwarf like a bomb. by Nick

The out of control onyx Mustang smashed into a stained guard rail, wrecked into a secure brick wall at New Searles School, and disintegrated in Mr.Hansens class like TNT. by Richie

Like an elephant scared of a weak little mouse, the trendy fiery jeep burst around the spooky tunnel, sped across the curved corner and collapsed off of the guard rail. by Tori

The crazy maroon Cheetah race car crashed into a burning building, bounced off a rock, hit a guardrail, and disintegrated like a meteor crashing into the sun. by Andrew

The sanitary Green Lamborghini Gallardo drifted from the furious intersection, tumbled across the contaminated street, and demolished an indigo house like a furious hyena. by Zak

Sorry car lovers for destroying all those fine cars!

Snowshoeing this week

Class, don't forget to come prepared to do some snowshoeing on Wednesday with Mrs. Boire. You will need your snowpants, boots, hats, and gloves to be ready for a fun experience.

Did you know that snowshoe racing is a quickly growing sport? If you really enjoy snowshoing, you can  run and race in the winter months.
Here is a spectacular picture from a race at Beaver Brook last winter. This photo made it into a couple of magazines this month. If you look real close, you can see Mr. Hansen (3rd racer in line behind the guy in the white shirt on the right).

Here is another shot (black and silver hat). The Beaver Brook race is on February 19 and yes you can walk the whole thing if you want.

Building Sentences: The cat ran.

We have been working on building sentences starting with a simple sentence and adding specific words, similes, and phrases. Last week we started work on combining predicates and adding prepositional phrases. Here are a few examples of what the class came up with. We all started with the simple sentence, "The cat ran."

The fresh newborn kitten darted toward the delicious cat food, scurried around the beautiful room, and jogged out of the house into the tall grass like a nervous monkey in a pool. by Aaron

The cuddly shadowy black kitten dashed across the newly bought carpet, skidded over the polished wood floor, and pounced on a mouse like a deranged maniac. by Ben

Like a ballistic Chihuahua, the spazoid double pawed, tortoise shell cat skidded from the mall, dashed down the road, and darted to its master. by Campbell

The fluffy Persian cat chased a mouse through the tall green grass, clambered onto a giant rock, and pounced onto the mouse like a cop tackling a criminal. by Zak

The rugged panther darted between two bushes, scurried through the long-grassed green field, and chased a bunny rabbit into a small cave like a soccer ball into a net during a soccer game. by Adam

The scrawny cheetah chased behind the baby buffalo, skidded into a mini rock, and pounced on a mouse like Mr. Hansen at dessert. by Amanda

The adorable cub stalked across the towering grass, tip-toed toward the tiny deer, and pounced on the surprised antelope like a cop catching a criminal. by Cady

The calico cat darted over the squirrel, scurried through the lunch room, and skidded across the floor like a fifth grader on water skis. by Austin

Like a dog chasing an insane cat, the ballistic cat sprinted through the red door, dashed onto the sidewalk, and darted upon the fence. by Brianna

Like a track and field runner, the energetic Persian cat zipped across the kitchen, dashed through the backdoor, and sprinted into the lush grass. by Cameron

Just another snow day!

In case it snows (or any other day you're bored)

Here are some things you can do with your parents' permission and help:

Download Google Earth and explore the world to your heart's content. Can you find your house? Can you find New Searles School? What can you find out about the country you are researching for your computer lab project?

Sign up for Glogster EDU basic with your parents' permission. Play around with the controls so you get an idea of how it works. Can you make some sample interactive posters?

Go to National Geographic's atlas puzzle page. How long does it take you to complete an interacticve jigsaw puzzle. Can you make your own puzzle at the jigsawplanet.com page?

Make a piclit  and email it to Mr. Hansen and a grandparent.

Take some pictures outside of the snow and all the fun you are having outside. Turn the pictures into an animoto video. Send it to Mr. Hansen and a friend.

Use wordle or tagxedo to make a word cloud picture using all the words you can think of that are winter words. Print out your word cloud or send it to Mr. Hansen (you can't save wordles)

Help your mom or dad shovel snow.

Clean your room.

Read a book.

You better not be bored!





...please, let there be no more snow this year!!!!