passionately curious

Change 4 Cranes

Using a wonderful website called Journey North, my class has been studying and tracking the migration of endangered whooping cranes from Wisconsin to Florida since October.  Inspired by the efforts of another school last year, Operation Migration (the organization that spearheads the reintroduction of these cranes) created a fundraiser called Change 4 Cranes.  Participating classrooms received small cardboard boxes to collect donations.  As happens, our in-school schedule was quite busy and it was hard to find time for one more thing.  So, my students took their boxes home to ask family, friends, and neighbors to ask for donations while teaching others about the importance of this historic conservation effort.

Boxes came back bursting and often extra ziplock bags were needed to hold all the change.  Right before our winter break, we sorted all the coins into baby food jars and then the counting began.  We spent some time talking about the best way to count the different coins (i.e. groups of 10s for dimes, 4s for quarters, etc.) and the children chose the best strategy as they worked with a partner.  We kept track of the number of coins as well as their value.  When all was finished, I realized we forgot to count several jars of pennies (about 2000 pennies in all!).  Somehow I managed to lug a 40+ lb. bag of change to the bank.  Thank goodness for canvas teacher's bags and those amazing coin & bill sorting machines! The grand total came to $568.84!

My class is featured on Operation Migration's Change 4 Crane page and we couldn't be prouder.  It was a wonderful to learn that every penny really does count! 

"Together we are mighty.  Nobody makes a greater mistake than one who does nothing because they could only do a little." - Edmund Burke

The cranes continue to make their way toward Florida in their longest fall migration yet. You can follow their progress at Operation Migration's Field Journal or Journey North.

The Snowflake

Happy New Year and Happy Poetry Friday.  I'm getting back to lost routines and looking forward to a new year full of possibilities (and many more blog posts!).  It's a bright crisp winter's day in Chicago and I'm planning for an upcoming study of snowflakes.  Poetry always offers such inspiration.  This poem will be a wonderful introduction.  Without revealing the title, I'll ask my students to guess what it's about.

The Snowflake

Before I melt,
Come look at me!
This lovely, icy filagree!
Of a great forest
In one night
I make a wilderness
Of white:
By skyey cold
Of crystals made,
All softly, on
Your finger laid,
I pause, that you
My beauty see:
Breathe, and I vanish
Instantly.

Walter de la Mare
from The 20th Century Children's Poetry Treasury
selected by Jack Prelutsky

photo credit: Snowflakes 2 - My Little Angels by flickr member imageining

Reading Resolutions

Thanks to Esme Codell's blog, I discovered a wonderful list of read-aloud resolutions from the Family Reading Partnership.  Life can be hectic, but it's so important to model, inspire, and encourage a love of reading.  As my own children get bigger, I'm excited to make some of these resolutions more a part of my family's routine. It's a great resource for parents. For more inspiration see Mem Fox's Ten Read-Aloud Commandments.

Read-Aloud Resolutions

1. We'll make time for regular read-aloud. 2008 is certain to be as busy as 2007 and family life can be hectic. Of all the activities you take time for with your children, few will be as satisfying and as good for them as reading aloud regularly. The bonding, benefits and memories will last a lifetime.

2. We'll create special reading places. Under a card table, with pillows in a closet, blankets twirled to make a reading nest, even a favorite chair to snuggle in — there are many ways to make special reading nooks for your children.

3. We'll read, write and play with words more. It is important that your children find meaning and pleasure in words. Read riddles, write jokes, memorize poetry and have family poetry slams, tell stories, make lists, compose letters, sing, and talk, talk, talk!

4. We'll give books as gifts. Books increase in value for a child when they come as a gift from someone special, or on a special occasion. Every occasion is the right one for a book gift! A child's own book collection, even if small, is very important.

5. We'll create library traditions. Making routine trips to the library and seeding the love of books go hand in hand. Help your child keep ongoing lists of books he or she might want to check out, or growing topics of interest. Get a special library book bag for your child to fill, and make regular library visits exciting.

6. We'll read more for pleasure and make sure our children see us reading. When was the last time you enjoyed a great book? Every time your children see you take time to read a book, you are modeling reading as a lifestyle, and we promise it is contagious! Talk about the books you are reading, read interesting newspaper articles aloud and make what everyone is reading part of regular family conversation.

7. We'll check out some books on reading-aloud. There are many great books filled with tips and techniques for taking you to the next level of reading to your children. Family Reading Partnership recommends Esme' Raji Codell's, “How to Get Your Kids to Love Reading,” Jim Trelease's, “The Read-Aloud Handbook,” and Mem Fox's “Reading Magic.”

8. We'll consider supporting organizations that promote reading.

For the complete article, see the ithacajournal.com