Week 42: The End
Cheers to the end of a wonderful school year! Here are some pictures from our 4th Grade Beach Day Celebration! We had a great time playing in the water, building sand castles, and sharing a pizza lunch. The end of the school year is always a little bitter sweet, but I am excited for summer and all of the wonderful adventures to be had before school starts again in August.
Week 41: Let's Go Fly A Kite
This week we explored kites! From the geometric shape to the uplifting tune from Mary Poppins, we immersed ourselves in the history and science of these popular toys. The kids all made scale models of kites which they tested using fans in our classroom. They then scaled up their dimensions to create a full-size kite that was exactly 3 times the size of their model. After attaching a kite line and tail, we took our creations out to the field to fly! Much to our delight, nearly all of the kites made it up into the air.
After flying kites on Friday afternoon, we met up with our Kindergarten buddies to have an end-of-year dance party and popsicles. We can't wait to watch their promotion practice on Monday!
After flying kites on Friday afternoon, we met up with our Kindergarten buddies to have an end-of-year dance party and popsicles. We can't wait to watch their promotion practice on Monday!
Week 40: It's All Fun and Games!
The kids were excited to learn that for math this week we would be playing a variety of math and logic board games. The games ranged from basic arithmetic to fractions, and required the kids to problem solve together in order to play. I was very excited and proud to see what everyone was able to cooperate and get along with minimal intervention on my part. Now that our project is over, I am always looking for opportunities to sneak some collaborative group work into our day.
Week 39: SBAC Testing
This week was dedicated to taking our state tests for the year (the SBAC), so all project work was put on hold as the kids spent the majority of their days working through Math and English Language Arts exams. Our discussions of perseverance and growth mindset certainly paid off, as everyone was able to maintain a positive attitude through a very challenging week.
I feel very fortunate to work for a school that knows a child is so much more than what can be captured on state test. We value personal growth, real-word learning, confidence, empathy and integrity. We work hard to instill in our students the desire for authentic knowledge, and the passion to share that knowledge with others during exhibitions. These things cannot and will not ever be measured with a standardized exam.
I feel very fortunate to work for a school that knows a child is so much more than what can be captured on state test. We value personal growth, real-word learning, confidence, empathy and integrity. We work hard to instill in our students the desire for authentic knowledge, and the passion to share that knowledge with others during exhibitions. These things cannot and will not ever be measured with a standardized exam.
Week 38: Hiking at Torrey Pines
Our favorite part of this week was hiking at Torrey Pines State Reserve as part of Mr. Scott's Outdoor Leadership class. The kids have been studying state parks, and the importance of preserving protected lands. We got to spend time learning about the special Torrey Pine trees from some of the park rangers, and then hiked down to the beach to explore the tide pools.
Now that our big project is over, we will work on a series of short activities to wrap up the year. I chose to start with some basic coding through Google CS, using the Scratch coding platform the kids are familiar with from Engineering. We are working on an activity right now to customize the Google Logo!
Now that our big project is over, we will work on a series of short activities to wrap up the year. I chose to start with some basic coding through Google CS, using the Scratch coding platform the kids are familiar with from Engineering. We are working on an activity right now to customize the Google Logo!
Week 37: Last Exhibition of the Year!
Exhibition week always comes with a heightened sense of excitement in the building. This week we put the finishing touches on our products, and reflected on all of the information we learned during this project. In order to prepare for exhibition, students chose a part of the project they felt most confident talking about, and came up with questions that exhibition guests could ask in order to learn more about that aspect of the project.
On exhibition night, students expertly answered visitors' questions, and connected all of the aspects of our project. They spoke eloquently and with pride for all of the hard work they've done over the past few months. It was wonderful to stand back and watch them run the show!
On exhibition night, students expertly answered visitors' questions, and connected all of the aspects of our project. They spoke eloquently and with pride for all of the hard work they've done over the past few months. It was wonderful to stand back and watch them run the show!
Week 36: Origami at HTM
The 6th graders at High Tech Middle spent a large part of their year working on a "Mathigami" project, and were excited to learn that we were folding origami as part of our project too. They invited us to come over and check out their work, and they also taught us how to fold a sonobe cube! I think that forming connections across High Tech schools is a valuable form of collaboration, especially because our students will soon be middle schoolers. They were excited to see what a middle school looked like, and connect with some older High Tech students.
Week 35: Camping at Cuyamaca
The highlight of this short week was our overnight camping trip to Cuyamaca Rancho State Park with Mr. Scott who teaches our Outdoor Leadership Exploratory.
As part of Outdoor Leadership Class, students learn the importance of protecting and preserving "the places we play." In preparation for this trip, everyone learned how to setup and take down a tent, wash camp dishes, and "leave no trace," to ensure our natural areas stay clean and well take care of. For several students, this was either their first time away from their families, camping, or both! It was wonderful to see everyone support and encourage one another to step outside their comfort zones. Although our weather was a little gloomy the first day, everyone was in good spirits and had fun exploring the campsite, building tarp shelters, and playing in the meadow. The next day, the sun came out bright and strong, just in time for us to explore the waterfalls at a neighboring campground. We came back to school that afternoon happily exhausted.
As part of Outdoor Leadership Class, students learn the importance of protecting and preserving "the places we play." In preparation for this trip, everyone learned how to setup and take down a tent, wash camp dishes, and "leave no trace," to ensure our natural areas stay clean and well take care of. For several students, this was either their first time away from their families, camping, or both! It was wonderful to see everyone support and encourage one another to step outside their comfort zones. Although our weather was a little gloomy the first day, everyone was in good spirits and had fun exploring the campsite, building tarp shelters, and playing in the meadow. The next day, the sun came out bright and strong, just in time for us to explore the waterfalls at a neighboring campground. We came back to school that afternoon happily exhausted.
Week 34: Arbor Day Festivities
One of the essential questions we have been exploring in this project is, "how can we protect and replenish our natural resources?" This week, the students had the opportunity to take part in an Arbor Day event held by the Friends of Balboa Park where they helped plant trees along Park Boulevard, and handed out information cards which they created about the various kinds of trees being planted. The kids got a taste of the importance of positive human impact in our world, which I hope inspires them to continue to make positive change as they get older.
After a quick lunch, we headed back out into Balboa Park to participate in a worldwide competition to log as many living species as possible. We uploaded our pictures to the iNaturalist app, where they will be added to the collection of pictures gathered by scientists and naturalists all over San Diego.
After a quick lunch, we headed back out into Balboa Park to participate in a worldwide competition to log as many living species as possible. We uploaded our pictures to the iNaturalist app, where they will be added to the collection of pictures gathered by scientists and naturalists all over San Diego.
Week 33: Old Town Adventure
We went to Old Town this week as part of Mr. Scott's Outdoor Leadership class. We learned all about the early settlement of San Diego, and the different professions people in the town could have had. The highlight of the trip was visiting the old schoolhouse and participating in a lesson about San Diego history. Much of the information we learned at Old Town overlapped with our study of the California Gold Rush, which was a nice connection between our two classes.
Week 32: Zoo, Gaga, and Origami
We started out this week with a trip to the San Diego Zoo in order to observe animals that rely on trees to survive. We also looked for native and non-native plants, and then had some free time to explore anything else we wanted to see.
Later on in the week, we learned a little bit about the Japanese art of origami. Part of our final product for this project will involve an origami mobile, so we are working on learning some basic folds and shapes. We had a special guest (Micah) come teach us some origami. He was visiting his aunt who works for HTH and loves folding origami at home, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity for him to come teach us his skills!
Perhaps the most exciting, and highly anticipated, part of the week was the installation of our new Gaga pit. The 5th graders worked hard to raise money and assemble the pit for everyone to use and enjoy.
Later on in the week, we learned a little bit about the Japanese art of origami. Part of our final product for this project will involve an origami mobile, so we are working on learning some basic folds and shapes. We had a special guest (Micah) come teach us some origami. He was visiting his aunt who works for HTH and loves folding origami at home, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity for him to come teach us his skills!
Perhaps the most exciting, and highly anticipated, part of the week was the installation of our new Gaga pit. The 5th graders worked hard to raise money and assemble the pit for everyone to use and enjoy.
Week 29: Letters from the Past
This week we worked on writing letters from the perspectives of people living and working in a gold mining town. Each child chose a character role (miner, doctor, vigilante, robber, shopkeeper, boarding house owner) from a jar and crafted a letter home to their "families" detailing their journey to California, the hardships they've faced, and any other exciting information their imaginations dreamed up. This is a fan favorite when it comes to this project, and I am proud to say that in 5 days the kids drafted, critiqued, revised, finalized, and coffee-stained their letters. Why coffee? To make them look 200 years old!
On Wednesday, March 14th, 4th and 5th graders were given the opportunity to participate in HTe's "walkout and connect" for 17 minutes, honoring the lives lost in the Florida school shooting. The aim was to come together in solidarity and support for one another in an effort to build our sense of community. It was a powerful experience, and a moving one as well. There was an overwhelming sense of belonging and pride on everyone's faces. We also made it into a NowThis News compilation video of walkouts across America that day!
On Wednesday, March 14th, 4th and 5th graders were given the opportunity to participate in HTe's "walkout and connect" for 17 minutes, honoring the lives lost in the Florida school shooting. The aim was to come together in solidarity and support for one another in an effort to build our sense of community. It was a powerful experience, and a moving one as well. There was an overwhelming sense of belonging and pride on everyone's faces. We also made it into a NowThis News compilation video of walkouts across America that day!
Week 28: Learning from The Lorax
At the beginning of this week, we had a visit from Tim Womick and his Tree Circus. Here is an article that details Tim's "Johnny Appleseed" lifestyle, and his love for trees. It also gives a brief overview of what the Tree Circus entails. The kids certainly enjoyed the experience, and the teachers did too!
As part of our continued study of trees, we spent some time reading Dr. Seuss's The Lorax and discussed the events that transpired as a result of the Once-ler's need for Thneeds. We then compared the story of The Lorax to the story of the California Gold Rush. We learned that events that happen often have many positive and negative outcomes, which can occur simultaneously. By making comparisons between something simplified and familiar (The Lorax) and something more complex (The Gold Rush), we were able to easily visualize both the benefits and the downsides the Gold Rush had on California's history and landscape.
In other news, the once overlooked sandbox has now become a 4th grade favorite. The kids told me the creation in the picture below is a Hot Wheels Garage. It's so nice to see such happy kids all working together!
As part of our continued study of trees, we spent some time reading Dr. Seuss's The Lorax and discussed the events that transpired as a result of the Once-ler's need for Thneeds. We then compared the story of The Lorax to the story of the California Gold Rush. We learned that events that happen often have many positive and negative outcomes, which can occur simultaneously. By making comparisons between something simplified and familiar (The Lorax) and something more complex (The Gold Rush), we were able to easily visualize both the benefits and the downsides the Gold Rush had on California's history and landscape.
In other news, the once overlooked sandbox has now become a 4th grade favorite. The kids told me the creation in the picture below is a Hot Wheels Garage. It's so nice to see such happy kids all working together!
Week 27: The Benefit of Trees
This week we began shifting our focus from the Gold Rush to the importance of trees. We read several articles on the benefit of trees, and put all of that information together into one chart which we will add to as our project continues. We weren't surprised by some of the benefits (trees give us oxygen, they create shade, they are nice to look at), but some of the benefits were surprising! Did you know that there is a connection between trees and crime rates? Did you know that just looking at trees helps patients in hospitals heal faster? We are excited to explore some of these lesser-known benefits, so that we can help educate others.
We also spent some quality time with our buddies on Friday afternoon. Our buddies are learning about the chaparral, and some of the plants and animals that are found in this "community." They were working on thinking like scientists and we helped them color a picture of a coyote to match the colors of a real coyote. We had fun helping them observe and draw!
We also spent some quality time with our buddies on Friday afternoon. Our buddies are learning about the chaparral, and some of the plants and animals that are found in this "community." They were working on thinking like scientists and we helped them color a picture of a coyote to match the colors of a real coyote. We had fun helping them observe and draw!
Week 26: Arte y Danza
One of the highlights of this week was our Arte y Danza exhibition. Our class worked with the wonderful Ms. Araceli, to put together an inspiring dance which they performed for an exuberant audience on Saturday morning. I was amazed by the power and concentration of these kids. Their ability to represent themselves through movement was touching to watch, and I was extremely proud. Thank you to those of you who were able to take time out of your weekend to be there with us!
Week 25: What Is Love?
As a gift to our families for Valentine's Day, we decided to create a video with each child answering the age-old question, "what is love?" The kids were given an opportunity to journal their thoughts about this topic first thing in the morning on Valentine's Day. Many of them were puzzled at first, but eventually everyone was able to come up with an answer. It was heartwarming to hear their explanations, and wonderful that each answer was unique to each person. The final product is below!
Week 24: An Experiment in Flight
This week, amidst our focus on the California Gold Rush, we were able to investigate an authentic question about flying paper airplanes in class. In a break from our normal routine, we spent Thursday studying the science of flight and designing our own paper airplane experiment. We learned about the scientific process, and how scientists use models to gather data and form conclusions. The kids had a great time designing their planes, and enthusiastically encouraged one another as each student took his/her test flights. This was a wonderful reminder of the importance of being able to break away from a schedule for the purpose of honoring student voice and choice.
Week 23: Eagle Gold Mine
The highlight of this week was our field trip to the Eagle Mining Company in Julian. This immersive experience gave the kids an idea of what it was like to work in a 19th century gold mine, complete with a mine tour inside the mountain and a panning lesson. Although this is not exactly the experience of the '49ers, who did most of their mining in rivers and along hillsides, it was a great way to get a feel for what life was like during the Gold Rush -- long hours, tough conditions, and not much pay dirt.
Week 22: Gold Rush Simulation!
Our California Gold Rush simulation is well underway, with 5 mining teams aiming to strike it rich! Each team must work together to read information, fill out worksheets, make decisions, and answer questions in order to earn gold nuggets. Hardships and triumphs befall the teams with daily Fate Cards, in much the same way the '49ers experienced the ups and downs of real-life mining.
This simulation is a fun and engaging way for the students to learn some background knowledge about the Gold Rush, as well as have some practice cooperating in teams. So far, all of the teams are doing very well with compromising on decisions for the group. They are also keeping a Miner's Log to detail their thoughts and feelings about what is happening to them throughout the simulation.
This simulation is a fun and engaging way for the students to learn some background knowledge about the Gold Rush, as well as have some practice cooperating in teams. So far, all of the teams are doing very well with compromising on decisions for the group. They are also keeping a Miner's Log to detail their thoughts and feelings about what is happening to them throughout the simulation.
Week 21: Student Led Conferences
As we prepared for Student Led Conferences this week, the kids got some practice in the art of letting writing. Each student wrote a letter to their parents detailing the work they were proud of, some challenges they overcame in our comic project, and some goals they have for the upcoming semester. In the letters they worked on practicing typing using correct finger placement, being reflective about themselves as students, and expanding on thoughts or ideas to add more detail. Once they were finished with a draft of their letter, they printed it out for editing. They received a tally mark for each mistake in a line of text, and were then in charge of figuring out what the mistake was and correcting it. When their letters were finished, they practiced reading them aloud to strengthen their reading rate and fluency. Even an SLC letter can become a mini-project!
Week 20: Fractions
In the midst of our introduction to the California Gold Rush, we are also diving deep into a study of fractions. In 4th grade, fractions are still a relatively new concept for many of the kids, and one that can be quite tricky to master. We've talked a lot about slices of pizza, and pieces of pie. We've drawn fractions, we've colored in fractions, and we have just begun figuring out fractions of whole numbers (such as, "what is 1/5 of 25?"). This week, one of our activities was to make fraction cards and sort them into different categories. We then used our cards to play "Fraction War" while solidifying our understanding of which fractions are bigger than others.
Week 19: Our New Project!
A new year brings the start of a new project. While we (teachers) work on finalizing and publishing our comic book to present to the Chicano Park Steering Committee in February, we (our class) are getting right into our new project! We will be studying the environmental impact of the California Gold Rush, focusing specifically on erosion and deforestation caused as a result of 19th century mining techniques. Once we gain plenty of background information, we will begin looking at issues of deforestation that still occur today, and explore ways that we can help preserve and replenish trees and other natural resources. We are hoping to partner with a local urban forest organization to help them plan and put on an Arbor Day event in an effort to give back to our community.
Week 16: Exhibition Night!
Our class worked very hard this week to finalize their comics for exhibition on Thursday. Preparations included: multiple drafts of colored comics, preparing living history, student panel, and student tour guide presentations, organizing our process portfolios, mounting comics on poster boards, and practicing our exhibition run-through. With the amount of work it takes to organize and coordinate an exhibition with 80 students, it required all of us to be working together towards our common goal -- and we did it! The evening was a huge success. We even had some very special visitors in attendance, including two of the original muralists from Chicano Park who were in awe of the work our students created. We are heading into Winter Break excited to take on the rest of the school year come January!
Week 15: Ice Skating
We took some time out of our busy week to go to the ice rink in Liberty Station on Wednesday morning. What I thought would be a fun break from the normal school routine turned out to provide a lesson I've been trying to instill in my class since our first day of school. With 26 kids and a limited number of adults, it took a while to get everyone skates, get them tied, and send the kids out onto the ice. As adults slowly made their way through the group to help size and tie skates, I noticed a number of students jumping in to help tie skates as well -- without prompting, and without complaint. When we all finally made it onto the rink, I heard nothing but words of encouragement and praise as kids who were unsure at first found their footing on the ice. It was a proud moment to see my class come together in this way, and a good reminder that some of the best lessons don't necessarily happen in the classroom.
Week 14: Inking
We have begun the final stages of our comic creations! This week, many students finished the penciling and moved on to inking. During the inking stage, more details are added in to the images, including shading and backgrounds. We watched several examples of inking on YouTube, and practiced using the inking pens (ultra fine Sharpies) before working on our comics. Everyone has been very careful and diligent with their work, which demonstrates the level of pride they have in their product. We will be displaying our inked (and hopefully colored) comic pages at our exhibition in two weeks!
See the video below for different ways a comic can be inked!
See the video below for different ways a comic can be inked!
Week 12: Gratitude
With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, we focused this week on gratitude. We started the week by reading The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, and talking about the message in the story. The class decided that the message was that you have to give back just as much as you take, so that everyone is happy. We then thought about the things we are grateful for in our lives (friends, family, home, school etc.) and practiced our drawing skills by sketching and coloring Thanksgiving turkeys. I hope to continue highlighting gratitude as one of the cornerstones of our classroom.
Week 11: Exploratory Exhibition
After many weeks of hard work, our class presented their final products for Engineering at our Exploratory Exhibition this week. Their creations were based on the children's picture book, Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! During this Novel Engineering project, they worked to construct a robotic or non-robotic solution to some of the "problems" in the story.
Week 10: Scripting, Thumb-nailing, and Penciling -- Oh My!
The kids were hard at work this week on their comics, as they wrapped up their scripting and moved into sketching (thumb-nailing) the early drafts of their artwork. This is a long, and sometimes tedious, process as drawings need to be done and revised several times in order to adequately communicate the story the kids are intending to tell. Persistence and perseverance have been the key to keeping a positive attitude this past week.
Some of us also learned a new math game called Prime Climb. It is a great way to practice some basic arithmetic, as well as become familiar with factors, multiples, and prime numbers up to 101. The kids who have played so far have really enjoyed it! Thank you to the Dowd family for their kind donation to our classroom.
Some of us also learned a new math game called Prime Climb. It is a great way to practice some basic arithmetic, as well as become familiar with factors, multiples, and prime numbers up to 101. The kids who have played so far have really enjoyed it! Thank you to the Dowd family for their kind donation to our classroom.
Week 9: Comic Art & Costume Creep
We had a blast at the San Diego Comic Art Gallery this week! This long-awaited field trip came at exactly the right time, as we are in the height of scripting and thumb-nailing our Chicano Park comics. We got to learn all about the creation of comics, from brainstorming to storyboarding and everything in between. The highlight of our trip was getting to hear from one of the writers of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic, Tom Waltz! He talked to us about how important it is to collaborate and work together when creating something as complicated and intricate as a comic or graphic novel.
On Friday we participated in High Tech Elementary's first annual Costume Creep Jog-A-Thon. The event was put on by a handful of our wonderful parents, and together we have raised over $17,000 for our school! Despite the warm weather, the kids ran their hearts out in their costumes and had a great time.
On Friday we participated in High Tech Elementary's first annual Costume Creep Jog-A-Thon. The event was put on by a handful of our wonderful parents, and together we have raised over $17,000 for our school! Despite the warm weather, the kids ran their hearts out in their costumes and had a great time.
Week 8: Library Makeover Mini Project
The highlight of this week was the "mini project" we did that involved revamping our classroom library. For the past few weeks, the library was very disorganized with no real system for finding or putting away the books. As a result, the kids had trouble choosing books they wanted to read and feelt frustrated by the constant mess in the library area.
Projects often come to fruition when there is a need, and we certainly had the need for a better library system. I decided we would tackle the library on our half-day. The students were split up into three teams, and each team was given a different task. The first team took all of the books off the shelves and sorted them either by author, reading level or genre. Once that was finished, the second team put all of the books on the shelves and labeled the shelves according to the categories listed above. Finally, the third team labeled each book with a sticker denoting the section it belonged to. All-in-all the project took about 2 1/2 hours.
Not only was this project great for organizing our library, but it also gave all of the kids a sense of the books they have to read and most importantly, it helped them work together towards a common goal. Nobody fought or argued, but instead pulled together in order to get the job done. The students now also have more ownership over the library space, and are more apt to keep it clean!
Projects often come to fruition when there is a need, and we certainly had the need for a better library system. I decided we would tackle the library on our half-day. The students were split up into three teams, and each team was given a different task. The first team took all of the books off the shelves and sorted them either by author, reading level or genre. Once that was finished, the second team put all of the books on the shelves and labeled the shelves according to the categories listed above. Finally, the third team labeled each book with a sticker denoting the section it belonged to. All-in-all the project took about 2 1/2 hours.
Not only was this project great for organizing our library, but it also gave all of the kids a sense of the books they have to read and most importantly, it helped them work together towards a common goal. Nobody fought or argued, but instead pulled together in order to get the job done. The students now also have more ownership over the library space, and are more apt to keep it clean!
Week 7: Student Led Conferences
Student Led Conferences are a time for families to connect with their children over what they have accomplished in school, and to set goals for what they would like to accomplish moving forward. For this round of SLCs, we as a teaching staff decided that we wanted to open the lines of communication between parents and teachers in order to forge a stronger connection between school and home. It was wonderful to spend time talking with families about their child'd strengths, their family values, and how we can best serve them at school.
In the midst of SLC chaos, our class also found some time to work on new math strategies, read book club books, and enjoy the California sunshine. We are looking forward to being back to our normal schedule next week, so that we can get back into our project!
In the midst of SLC chaos, our class also found some time to work on new math strategies, read book club books, and enjoy the California sunshine. We are looking forward to being back to our normal schedule next week, so that we can get back into our project!
Week 6: Story Mountain
This week our main focus was to work on the plot of our comics. We talked about the "story mountain" and the different elements of stories (beginning, rising action, climax, falling action, ending). The students worked in their comic teams to begin planning out the initial sequence of their stories.
We are also learning how to work together in a group, with many different ideas and conflicting visions for what a comic could look like. The kids are discovering the nuances of compromise and team work.
We are also learning how to work together in a group, with many different ideas and conflicting visions for what a comic could look like. The kids are discovering the nuances of compromise and team work.
Week 5: Team Bonding
As the students have started to delve deeper into the world of comics and graphic novels, we have begun the early stages of brainstorming for their own comics. We have talked about characters that could be in their comics, potential plots, and how to convey some of the important messages of the Chicano Movement. In the upcoming week, the students will find out who their comic team is, and start to put together a rough outline of what their comic will be about.
This week we had our 2nd grade apprentice teacher, Mr. Ricardo, come and talk to us about his family history in the Bracero Program during WWII. His grandfather came to the US from Mexico (along with thousands of other Mexican workers) in order to tend to the crops in California's Central Valley while the US farm workers were contributing towards war efforts in factories.
In the midst of all the hubbub this week, we took some time to go outside and explore the bay just across the street from our school. Some of the kids in our class were having a hard time remembering to be kind and inclusive, and they all decided together that some quality time outside would help foster a stronger class bond. On Thursday, we ditched our afternoon plans and headed outside into the beautiful late afternoon sun. Sure enough, there was no fighting, teasing or name calling. Everyone had a buddy to hang out with, and we were simply able to enjoy one another's company. This was an important lesson in remembering that sometimes it's okay to break away from the plans in favor of what will best serve the group.
This week we had our 2nd grade apprentice teacher, Mr. Ricardo, come and talk to us about his family history in the Bracero Program during WWII. His grandfather came to the US from Mexico (along with thousands of other Mexican workers) in order to tend to the crops in California's Central Valley while the US farm workers were contributing towards war efforts in factories.
In the midst of all the hubbub this week, we took some time to go outside and explore the bay just across the street from our school. Some of the kids in our class were having a hard time remembering to be kind and inclusive, and they all decided together that some quality time outside would help foster a stronger class bond. On Thursday, we ditched our afternoon plans and headed outside into the beautiful late afternoon sun. Sure enough, there was no fighting, teasing or name calling. Everyone had a buddy to hang out with, and we were simply able to enjoy one another's company. This was an important lesson in remembering that sometimes it's okay to break away from the plans in favor of what will best serve the group.
Week 4: Comic Art
This week we had two very special guests visit our class. The first was Hector Perez, a local architect who has designed several buildings in the Barrio Logan area. We were able to see some of his design concepts for buildings, as well as his more creative and artistic type sketches. He reminded us that the more we learn about ourselves, the more we can learn about and appreciate others.
Our second guest was comic artist Grady Williams. He brought in all of his sketches that he used to create one of his pictures books called Loose Tooth. He walked us through the steps of designing and creating a comic, from brainstorming interesting story ideas, to tips on how to sketch (keep the characters simple so that they can be easily recreated!).
Lastly, we learned a new math activity this week called "Array Jar." Students are given an unknown number of foam tiles, and they must create arrays using all the tiles in order to determine how many they have without counting one-by-one. This activity will eventually lead into understanding the area model. For more information on the area model, please see this website.
Our second guest was comic artist Grady Williams. He brought in all of his sketches that he used to create one of his pictures books called Loose Tooth. He walked us through the steps of designing and creating a comic, from brainstorming interesting story ideas, to tips on how to sketch (keep the characters simple so that they can be easily recreated!).
Lastly, we learned a new math activity this week called "Array Jar." Students are given an unknown number of foam tiles, and they must create arrays using all the tiles in order to determine how many they have without counting one-by-one. This activity will eventually lead into understanding the area model. For more information on the area model, please see this website.
Week 3: A Visit to Chicano Park
After much anticipation, we were able to visit Chicano Park this week in order to study the murals and gain some valuable real-world experience in a place we've been reading about and talking about for the past two weeks. The students were very excited to see the murals, and many of them recognized the artwork from our discussions in class. They were surprised at how big and numerous the murals were!
While at the park, we were greeted by USD Historian Alberto Lopez Pulido, and muralists Victor Ochoa and Armando Nunez who created many of the original murals still on display at the park today. We were given a tour of the park, and then we had some time to do a close study of the murals.
This week we also had the pleasure of meeting Maria Garcia, a writer for the San Diego Free Press and most well-known for her series on Neighborhood House -- a progressive era settlement house in Logan Heights. She came to our school and talked with us about the transformation of the Logan Heights neighborhood, and the significant role that Neighborhood House played in the area. Maria was recently inducted into the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame.
While at the park, we were greeted by USD Historian Alberto Lopez Pulido, and muralists Victor Ochoa and Armando Nunez who created many of the original murals still on display at the park today. We were given a tour of the park, and then we had some time to do a close study of the murals.
This week we also had the pleasure of meeting Maria Garcia, a writer for the San Diego Free Press and most well-known for her series on Neighborhood House -- a progressive era settlement house in Logan Heights. She came to our school and talked with us about the transformation of the Logan Heights neighborhood, and the significant role that Neighborhood House played in the area. Maria was recently inducted into the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame.
Week 2: Drawing & Documentaries
This week, we began watching a documentary about Chicano Park in order to learn a little bit more about Chicano history in San Diego. We will be visiting the park at the end of next week, and the students are already eager to see the space and murals for themselves.
We also worked on our sketching skills by following along with a YouTube drawing lesson. Many of the kids were wondering if they could work on drawing at home, so I will link the website here.
We also worked on our sketching skills by following along with a YouTube drawing lesson. Many of the kids were wondering if they could work on drawing at home, so I will link the website here.
Week 1: Classroom Community & Comics
Welcome to a brand new school year! I am so excited to be kicking off year three at High Tech Elementary.
During this first week of school, we worked on building community through setting classroom norms, establishing a Morning Meeting routine, and spending some quality time getting to know each other. We also launched our first project of the year! We will be studying our identity as San Diegans by focusing on two aspects of San Diego Culture: the Chicano Movement and Comic-Con. We will be creating original comics based on the historic takeover of Chicano Park in 1970, and eventually giving these comics, as an anthology, to the Chicano Park Steering Committee to help further their efforts to protect and preserve Chicano culture.
We launched our project on Friday with a brief study of comics that involved reading graphic novels, a drawing lesson, and filling in some words and characters in a comic book. We are looking forward to continuing to practice our comic creating skills!
During this first week of school, we worked on building community through setting classroom norms, establishing a Morning Meeting routine, and spending some quality time getting to know each other. We also launched our first project of the year! We will be studying our identity as San Diegans by focusing on two aspects of San Diego Culture: the Chicano Movement and Comic-Con. We will be creating original comics based on the historic takeover of Chicano Park in 1970, and eventually giving these comics, as an anthology, to the Chicano Park Steering Committee to help further their efforts to protect and preserve Chicano culture.
We launched our project on Friday with a brief study of comics that involved reading graphic novels, a drawing lesson, and filling in some words and characters in a comic book. We are looking forward to continuing to practice our comic creating skills!