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September 2011

Plant Power

Submitted by Joann on Mon, 2011-09-19 21:13


Autumn doesn’t officially start until next week, but thesigns that the season is imminent are all around us. The nights have becomenoticeably cooler, and the days shorter. Trees are beginning to change color,and will soon begin shedding their leaves. For many plants, the lifespan of their hardworking leaves has come to anend; they will soon color, shrivel, and finally die. In some parts of thecountry, many plants will remain dormant for the winter, and only graduallyre-animate in the spring, when they unfurl new leaves.

Resources mentioned in this post: 
But What IS Photosynthesis?
Photosynthesis, Trees, and the Greenhouse Effect
Photosynthesis: Unit Plan

9/11

Submitted by Joann on Fri, 2011-09-16 16:09


This week marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11. For me, the only day that was worse than September 11, 2001 was September 12, 2001. By then, the shock of what had happened was starting to recede, and the grim reality of the utter devastation was sinking in. Most of our K-12 students are too young to remember much, if anything, about that day, but it remains a watershed event in American history.

Resources mentioned in this post: 
Lesson MV-11: Civil Rights in the Age of Terrorism
The Post 9/11 Landscape

Repeat After Me….

Submitted by Joann on Sun, 2011-09-04 22:19


It’s always fun to do something unexpected in the classroom, and to watch the kids’ reactions. It’s especially gratifying when the event furthers a curricular goal, or makes subject matter more palatable to the students.

Resources mentioned in this post: 
Exploring Tessellations
Medieval Tessellations
Let’s Tessellate