Friday Fun Fact! May 29th

Did you know...?

image from Shutterstock

May 29th is National Paperclip Day

You may not even think about the paperclip, but we use it a lot!  According to the National Day Calendar website:

"While many may have claimed earlier invention of the paperclip, according to the Early Office Museum, Samuel B. Fay received the first patent for a “bent wire paper clip” in the United States in 1867. The original intention of Fay’s clip was to attach tickets to fabric. However, U.S. patent 64,088 recognized that it could also be used to attach papers together."  

For something so small and insignificant, it makes a big impact on our lives, especially if we run out of them, lol!

Here are so other uses for a paperclip besides clipping items together:

A paperclip can replace a zipper tab.
A paperclip can  unclog a spray bottle.
A paperclip can hold up a hem on a dress, pants, whatever needs to be shortened!
A paperclip can act as an emergency hook for a broken necklace.

What other uses can a paperclip do for you?



That's all for today.  Have a great weekend!!

Monday Fun Fact! May 25th

The Mbira!

image from iStock

Today's fun fact is about the Mbira.  The mbira is an African musical instrument which has a wooden base with metal tines attached to it.  The tines are staggered to make different sounds, and it is played with the thumbs and right forefinger. The mbira is Zimbabwe's national instrument.  It has a unique sound which you can hear if you go to the Google doodle homepage at:

https://www.google.com/doodles/celebrating-mbira

Have fun playing the mbira and learning some songs!

Happy Memorial Day!

Be sure to go to the Shepard homepage for links to summer reading!

See  you on Friday for another fun fact!

Aloha!

"Aloha"

People in Hawaii say "Aloha!" when they meet someone new.  Little Yoda is saying "Aloha" to Astronaut Snoopy who just joined him for today's post.  Astronaut Snoopy was also a gift from Ms. Salmons to continue celebrating our theme of space exploration in the computer lab this year *huzzah!* Astronaut Snoopy traveled with our classes this year throughout the solar system, experiencing Digital Citizenship, Keyboarding, Word Processing, Coding, Spreadsheets, ST Math, Research, Multimedia Tools, and Distance Learning (Pluto!)  It has been quite the experience!!

(Little Yoda is no doubt quite fascinated by Astronaut Snoopy's adventures, and I'm sure they will have a lot to talk about.)

  Aloha

Hawaiians also say "Aloha" when they are saying goodbye.
Today is an "A" day, so for the last time this school year we will say a special "Aloha" to the students in these classes:

Ms. Wilcox 3rd grade, 
 Ms. Shaw's 5th grade,
 Ms.Sicht's Kindergarten, 
Ms. Snyder's 1st grade, and 
Mr. Smith's 2nd grade!

Aloha
Aloha also means Peace, Love, and Compassion.  They are guidelines of how to live.  "A life of Aloha is one when the heart is so full it is overflowing with the ability to influence others around you with your spirit" according to the website Makana Charters and Tours. 
I find that quite beautiful, and that is what I wish for you this summer:  a heart so full of peace, love, and compassion that you change the hearts around you for the good. 
 I plan to continue using this blog to keep in touch this summer, so be sure to check in for Fun Fact Monday and Fun Fact Friday! If you want to email me, I am at LHostetler@cpsk12.org

Specialist Newsletter

Here is this school year's last issue of the Specialist Newsletter for you:       

 https://www.smore.com/k3w4n

Aloha!

For My 5th Graders: a personal note

It is so hard to say goodbye, so let's say "Aloha" instead!  This Aloha means "I wish you well until we meet again."  Please come back and visit Shepard school when you can!  You are loved and always welcome here, even you go to another school for a while.  You will find amazing friends and teachers at other schools, and you will love the worlds you discover.  Just remember:  Shepard was your first "school home", and we are always here supporting you.  Always!

This is a song I learned when I was in school.  It is an Irish blessing, and we sang it to all the classes who graduated and moved on to other schools and adventures.  It was very special when students sang it for me when I left.  I would like to share it with you.  It comes with my love and my heart:

May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon  your face.

May the rain fall soft upon your fields,

And until we meet again,

 may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Aloha!

Strawberries!!

National Pick Strawberries Day

image from Dreamstime

Is there anything more beautiful than a strawberry patch?  Dark green leaves, bright white blooms, and spots of red berries peeking out.  Strawberries are coming into season about now, and the joy of picking them and eating them is so ... summery!  Today is National Pick Strawberries Day, so go pick some strawberries or "pick" a box of them up from the store and make strawberry shortcake.   Here are three fun facts about strawberries according to National Day Calendar:

1.  Strawberries are members of the rose family.

2.  Strawberries are the only fruit with their seeds on the outside.

3.  Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C. 

Today is "D" Day

This is the last "D" of our school year.  So, here is a special shout out to the students in these classes:

Ms Davis 3rd grade, 

Ms Hassemer 4th grade,

 Ms Cummings 5th grade, 

Ms. Blume Kindergarten, 

Ms Johnson 1st grade, 

and Ms Heath 2nd grade!

Wednesday Website

Never Ending Science at https://www.neverendingscience.com/ is a website created by the Science Department at Columbia Public Schools.

Friends, this is an AWESOME website!!

Here you will find science lessons for all grade levels.  There is a special Great American Camp-In that you can participate in.  There are live webcams of eagles, beehives, and kittens.  There are virtual tours of museums and national parks.

You can spend hours on this website exploring whole new worlds!

See you tomorrow.

I miss you!

Yoda's Peeps

Learn About Making Peeps, You Will!

Say "Hello" to Little Yoda!  He was a gift to me from Ms Salmons, and he sits in my window while I create these blogs *smile*!  He wanted to sit in the geranium for his photo today, so I obliged him, lol!

Little Yoda is here to explain how things are made.  Today, he will share how the sugar confection Peeps are created.  But first . . . .

Today is a "C Day"

That means that for the last time this school year, here is a special shout out to students in these classes:  

Ms Fitzpatrick 3rd grade,

 Ms Kolkebeck 4th grade, 

Ms Buddemeyer 5th grade, 

Ms Floyd Kindergarten, 

Ms Sharp 1st grade, 

and Ms Johnson 2nd grade!

How Peeps are Made

They may be your favorite holiday treat!  Marshmallow chicks, bunnies, and other assorted characters covered in sweet colorful sugar are called Peeps.  According to the JustBorn.com website, Peeps have been around since 1953. Peeps are created at the Just Born Factory in Bethlehem, PA.  They are made of five ingredients, according to the Just Born spokeswoman, Caitlin Servian:   sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, air and love!  The mixture is formed into the chick or bunny shapes and go through a conveyor belt to be sprinkled in a colorful "sugar shower".  Eyes are added to the Peep, and then special workers inspect each Peep.  The candy confections are then loaded into boxes, wrapped in cellophane, and shipped to stores.
  
Peeps used to be marshmallow flavored only, but today you can choose from 60 flavors including sour cherry, lemon line, pancakes & syrup, and a "mystery flavor".   
5.5 million Peeps are made each day in the factory. 

image from Clipart Library

Information on Peeps was found at JustBorn.com website and the following YouTube videos:

"How It's Made: Peeps"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5ep1yt4QDE 

"How Peeps are Made and Where They Come From Before Landing in Easter Baskets"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjbQ7YT2yfg 

Please remember to be safe when viewing YouTube videos.

It is wonderful to be able to think "I wonder . . ." and be able to find the answer to your question!  This is truly an information-rich era, but remember: use good digital manners and practices when searching online.  You want information that is appropriate, current, and correct!

That is all for today.  See you tomorrow.
I miss you!

Cheese Souffle and Space Observation

Fun Fact:

Today is 

National Cheese Souffle Day!

image from iStock

"Souffle"  (soo·flei)  is a French dish made of egg yolks and beaten egg whites which can be either savory or sweet, depending on the other ingredients you add to it.  

"The word souffle is the past participle of the French verb, souffler, which means “to blow up” or “puff up.”  Combine egg whites with custard, and it will puff up into a fine, golden souffle when baked.

The base provides the flavor, and the egg whites provide the lift.  The base is commonly made up of cheese, jam, fruits, berries, chocolate, and lemon. This day is dedicated to the cheese-based souffle."

- National Day Calendar.com

You can celebrate today by eating or making a cheese souffle.  Here is a link to a recipe that you might use: https://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/cheese-souffle-recipe.html 

  

Bon appetit!

Psst!  February 28th is National Chocolate Souffle Day!

"B Day"

Today would be a "B" day if we were in the classroom.  For the last time this school year, here is a special "HELLO!" to the students in these classes:

Ms Hager 3rd grade,

 Mr O'Connell 4th grade,

 Ms Roper 5th grade, 

Ms Johnson Kindergarten,

  Ms Simon 1st grade,

 and Ms Krueger 2nd grade!

My Chandra X-Ray Space Observatory Presentation

I hope that you have an opportunity to create a Google slide or a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation of a topic that interests you.  I created a Google Slides presentation that was quick and fun to make, using the outline of facts about my research on the Chandra Space Observatory. Here is the link to that presentation:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/141BYkLwlC7IsHjaDENHMBbuyeSv7IiR_sIZ1ilxtsTg/edit?usp=sharing

Here are slides from that presentation:

 The entire presentation can be found by following the link above.  

This last week of school we would have been sharing our Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint or Microsoft Word documents with our class.  If you would like to share your presentations with me, I would love to see them!  You can email me at LHostetler@cpsk12.org

That is all for today.  See you tomorrow.
I miss you!

Packing Up

Shepard Love

I had the opportunity to go back to the computer lab classroom this morning to pack up.. Golly, I miss you all!  It has been fun keeping in communication with you through this blog, but of course it is not the same as seeing you in person!!
I did find a nice surprise of notes from some of you on my desk :)

Thank you Barry Fraser for letting me know that you are reading my blog!
If you would like to say "hello" or comment on my blog, please email me at 
LHostetler@cpsk12.org 
I would love to hear from you!

Today is an "A" day, so let's say a big "Hello" to the students in the following classes:

Ms. Wilcox 3rd grade,  Ms. Shaw's 5th grade, Ms.Sicht's Kindergarten, Ms. Snyder's 1st grade, and Mr. Smith's 2nd grade!

Classroom Pictures here

This year we traveled through the solar system as we worked on Digital Citizenship, ST Math, Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Research, and (through this blog) Media Presentations. Remember how I said that we would keep Pluto for a special assignment?  Well, I had no idea that we would not be here at school to decide on what assignment Pluto should be!  However, there is a perfect assignment for Pluto:  Distance Learning! 

You can go to BrainPop in your CPS portal and watch a video about Distance Learning.  Type in "Distance Learning" in the search bar and enjoy the video.  You will be reminded to use proper digital etiquette when you are online.  There are great videos in BrainPop about this:  choose the blue Engineering and Tech button and then choose the Digital Citizenship button.  There you will find video subjects about Digital Etiquette, Online Safety, Information Privacy, etc.

Congratulations to our 5th graders who completed levels in Typing Club!
Congratulations to all Shepard students who worked hard while in our computer lab!  You achieved success!

Fun Fact:

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is a national park in the Ozarks of southern Missouri.  One of the spots that you can visit on the Ozark National Scenic Riverways is Alley Spring.  My husband introduced me to Alley Spring several years ago, and it is one of my family's favorite places to go! There is a red mill there that used to grind wheat and corn for farmers.  The big water wheel that turned the gears for grinding grain was powered by the power of the water rushing out of the spring nearby.

The spring has an average daily flow of  81 million gallons! 

 Alley Spring also has lots of rocks to build rock towers! Those are my kiddoes Katie and Jacob having fun *smile*

AND . . .   I saw one of my favorite 5th graders at Alley Spring!  So good to see you, Brooklyn!

Today is National Pizza party Day!


That is all for today.  Enjoy your weekend!
I MISS YOU!!

Presentation Ideas and Chicken Dancing

Today is National Dance Like a Chicken Day

image from Clipart Library

Have you danced the "Chicken Dance"?  It is a favorite dance that has an oom-pah beat and was composed by Swiss accordion player Werner Thomas in the 1950's.  Originally titled "Der Ententanz" (The Duck Dance), the name changed to The Chicken Dance when it arrived in America in the 1970's.  This information was found on the National Day Calendar website.

Enjoy doing The Chicken Dance sometime today! 

Before we go any further, today is a "D" day!  
Here is  a special shout out for the students in these classes:

Ms Davis 3rd grade, Ms Hassemer 4th grade, Ms Cummings 5th grade, Ms. Blume Kindergarten, Ms Johnson 1st grade, and Ms Heath 2nd grade!

I Wonder, wonder, wonder....

Yesterday's featured website, Blue Sky Science, has videos of questions from students answered by scientists.  Another wonderful website for finding answers to your "I wonders..." is the website Wonderopolis.  "Who was Galileo Galilei?   How are Jelly Beans made?  Can birds fly in the rain?"  These are questions that are answered on Wonderpolis!   This website is found on the Student Resource page of the Shepard website.  

Presentation Choices

We are now ready to jump into presentation options! (I love learning about presentation options!)  You have used RADCAB to find trusted sources for your research; you have gathered your information and noted where you found that information; and you have created an outline to organize your thoughts as you create a presentation to show others.  You are ready to create that presentation.

CPS students in Shepard's computer lab class have the choice to use Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint to create a media presentation. Both options will allow a student to create a group of slides that can be presented on a Smartboard to allow the rest of the class to see.  Each slide can have images and words to display information.  The slides will change from one to the next with a "transition".  This means that the first slide will change into the next slide in a variety of ways. For example,  the slide may dissolve into the next slide; it may fade away; it may spin around; or it may just turn into the next slide.  The transition used is decided upon by the student.

  Microsoft PowerPoint has many features and special effects to work with. It's transitions are especially fun!

  Google Slides has fewer transitions and animations, but it is web based.  That means that you can work on your presentation on another device, and the file is always current and up-to-date. 

Kindergarten and First Grade:  Here is my finished document:

What is a Kinkajou?

A Kinkajou is a small mammal that weighs 3 to 7 pounds.  They live in the tropical forests of Central and South America in trees.  They have a strong tail that they can use to grip.  The kinkajou's tail allows them to hang upside down.  Kinkajous eat fruit, small mammals, and honey.  I hope to see a real kinkajou someday!

That's all for today.  See you tomorrow.

I miss you!

Website Wednesday

Where Did Mozzarella Come From?

Do you like pizza?  Yummy!  Pepperoni pizza, Cheese pizza, Canadian Bacon pizza - there are so many choices!   Most pizzas have mozzarella cheese on top.

"Mozzarella is considered the best cheese for pizza for a few reasons: its delicate, milky flavor, its smooth, elastic texture, and its fabulous meltability."  (from The Wisconsin Cheeseman website)

Mozzarella cheese originated in Italy.  There is a region where cows cannot thrive, but water buffaloes do.  Humans there took the milk from water buffaloes and created the mozzarella cheese.

This fun fact can be found on the website that is being shared today:

Blue Sky Science 

at 

https://morgridge.org/news/blue-sky-science/

Videos about various topics are found here:  "Why is the sky blue?", "How are gummy bears made?", How do fireflies glow?"  Students ask the question, and a scientist gives the answer!  Exploring Blue Sky Science is a wonderful way to spend a rainy day. Or a sunny one, too!

Today is a "C" day

A big "Hello" to the students in these classes!

Ms Fitzpatrick 3rd grade, Ms Kolkebeck 4th grade, 

Ms Buddemeyer 5th grade, Ms Floyd Kindergarten, Ms Sharp 1st grade, and Ms Johnson 2nd grade!

Presentations

Tomorrow we will examine Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides.  Now that our outlines are done, we are ready to create our presentations!

Kindergarten and First Graders:  Here is what my paragraph about kinkajous looks like:

What is a Kinkajou?

A Kinkajou is a small mammal that weighs 3 to 7 pounds.  They live in the tropical forests of Central and South America in trees.  They have a strong tail that they can use to grip.  The kinkajou's tail allows them to hang upside down.  Kinkajous eat fruit, small mammals, and honey.  I hope to see a real kinkajou someday!

I want to add an image of a kinkajou to my document:

Isn't it cute?  When I use Microsoft Word (which is what we would use in class), I can use the Insert button to look for images online.  I want to be sure to say where I got the picture from.  Here I got the picture of a kinkajou from Shutterstock.

We'll put it all together next!

Don't Forget!

The Stallion Story Time can be found on Flipgrid at:

https://flipgrid.com/edwards5739

The user ID is 2020.

Well, that's all for today.  See you tomorrow.

I miss you!

National Limerick Day

There was an Old Man with a Beard

"There was an Old Man with a beard,

Who said, "It is just as I feared!

Two Owls and a hen,

Four Larks and a Wren,

Have all built their nests in my beard!"

Happy National Limerick Day!  That was a famous limerick written by Edward Lear, an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet who made limericks very popular.  To my delight, as I was looking up limericks today, I just discovered that a favorite book of my childhood was written by Edward Lear, An Alphabet.  I heard it read to me, but I was so little that I did not pay attention to the author's name.  Here are some lines from An Alphabet by Edward Lear:

"A was once an apple pie,

Pidy, Widy, Tidy, Pidy,

Nice insidy

Apple Pie!

B was once a little bear,

Beary! Wary! Hairy! Beary!

Taky cary!

Little Bear!

Some books just stay with you all of your life.  This was one of them :)

Today is B day

Here is a special "Hello" to students in these classes:

Ms Hager 3rd grade, Mr O'Connell 4th grade, Ms Roper 5th grade, 

Ms Johnson Kindergarten,  Ms Simon 1st grade, and Ms Krueger 2nd grade!

Cite Your Sources

You have your outline complete; now you need to record all the places where you found your information.  This is called citing your sources.  "To cite a source means to give credit for the original source of information ...."   

library.uaf.edu

"Citing/Documenting Resources/ Elmer E. Rasmuson Library"

For my research on the Chandra Space Observatory, I found information on the following websites:

Chandra X-Ray Observatory at  https://chandra.harvard.edu/

                    NASA Chandra X-Ray Observatory at  https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/main/index.html

I will include this information in my presentation.

You can go to BrainPop in your CPS portal and watch the video "Citing Sources".

You can also go to Student Resources and find Digital Passport.  The game 

"Mix N Mash"  is a wonderful chance to practice citing your sources while having fun!

Kindergarten and First Grade:  BrainPopJr's video "Writing a Paragraph" gave us some great tips on how to start writing.  Annie and Moby told us that a paragraph is a set of sentences about a topic.  The topic that I chose is the Kinkajou. They suggested writing a topic sentence first.  Here is my topic sentence:

What is a Kinkajou?

Next, they suggested that we give details to support the topic sentence.  Here are my details:

A Kinkajou is a mammal that weighs 3 to 7 pounds.

Kinkajous live in trees in the tropical forests of Central and South America.

Kinkajous have a strong gripping tail that lets them hang upside down.

Kinkajous eat fruit, small mammals and honey.

Finally, Annie and Moby suggested that we write a closing sentence.  Here is mine:

I hope to see a kinkajou one day.

 I used the following websites for information:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/k/kinkajou

https://wildlifelearningcenter.org/animals/central-south-america/kinkajou/

Tomorrow, we'll put the whole paragraph together and find an image of a kinkajou.

Did you notice?

When you went to your CPS portal to find BrainPop and BrainPopJr, did you see that the watering can on the bottom left of the page had changed to something else? So fun!

That is all for today.  See you tomorrow!

I miss you!