The Rookery

We had a wonderful day in the Herons today.  This morning started with a pileated wood pecker working for its breakfast steps from our front door.  We watched in awed silence for more than five minutes then hurried to our birds class.  The Herons put their knowledge of adaptations to…

Here's Day 2.  We're having a great time!  

We arrived in high, high spirits today.  And, while it was cold, we all had the gear we needed and the energy to keep us warm.  Here are the highlights as shared by the kids:    

A few days ago, a letter arrived at school for Charlemagne's Caravan.  It was encoded in Chinese characters and a crew of students set to work deciphering it.  Today they read it to the class: Ni Hao Visitors, I am writing to you in great secret.  From rumors in the…

Remember – often the best way to use a web resource is to print the pages that are most key to your topic.  Record the webpage carefully on your resources sheet.  Include the information you’ll need to get back to the page if necessary. Bermuda Triangle http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/earth/bermudatriangle.html http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/videos/bermuda-triangle-mystery/ http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/bermuda-triangle.htm Gold…

Yes, the Wall came tumbling down…but not before it had snaked out of the Herons, down the stairs, by the office, back up the other stairs, down the elevator, along the concourse, into the gym and out the front door. The Herons have been thinking for a week about how…

We Made it Xi'an! Last Wednesday, we mounted the camels one last time and headed through the Jade Gates to Xi'an.  We passed through the Gobi desert and faced only one sandstorm (a roll of 1 on our 20 sided die) and then saw a long wall rising on the…

Today was a special day in the Herons.  For weeks the fifth graders have been pestering me, "When will you give us our mentees?"  Last year, they were guided through their personal projects by a fifth grader and now they were eager to pass on the knowledge they learned. I…

  A magic square from Albrecht Durer's Melencolia Special Persons' Day has a fragmented schedule.  Students are either performing or serving or giving tours (or giddiliy anticipating one of those things).  Visitors drift in and out.  It's wonderful but it is not usually a day when we do our highest…