The Pyramids of 7B!

I posed a question to my 7th graders about two weeks ago:  

"Would you like to earn extra credit by creating a pyramid out of the material of your choice?"

The Pyramids of Giza by Maddie Genskow

Edible 3-layer cake by Amber Yung!  Yum.

Tut's Tomb by Josh Strauss

The excitement and response was electrifying!  I had around 40 students create pyramids of all shapes and sizes.  They used a variety of materials, and many of them worked in pairs.  Some of the pyramids were edible, others used recycled materials, and many of them could be a great vacation home for Barbie!

Students could earn anywhere from 1-10 points.  My rules were that they needed to create the pyramid, not use blocks, or legos, or pre-made toys to build it.  They couldn't just slam some paper together and expecgt to get 10 points. Adding some facts, and information was encouraged.

Kyle Goodell's pyramid of graham crackers.

As I graded these projects this weekend, I was reminded of the movie Field of Dreams and the tagline:  "If you build it, he will come!" I think in this case my tag line would be:  "If you ask them, they WILL build it!"

You think You're old? America's Constitution is 224 Years old on September 17th!

What is Constitution Day?

In 1952 President Truman signed a bill that changed “I Am an American” Day to Citizenship Day and moved it from May to September.  In 1956 it was re-named Constitution Day to coincide with the signing of the Constitution.   In 2005 it was amended as a holiday to celebrate citizenship and to honor the creation and signing of the law.  It was then made into a public law.  In accordance with Public Law 108-477, which requires all schools who receive Federal Funds to hold an educational program for their students.   My 7th grade students are participating in many activities over the next three days to help them learn about and understand our Nation's Constitution.  I am using the following resources:

http://constitutioncenter.org/ncc_progs_Constitution_Day.aspx

http://ratify.constitutioncenter.org/constitution/index_no_flash.php

If you have some time to sit down with your child this week, take a moment to ask them their opinion on our Constitution.  I think you will feel as I have: amazed by their insights, thoughts, and discussions.  Your child will hopefully be able to discuss with you the differences between governments in the Eastern Hemisphere, as well as share their thoughts on how/why our nation has survived for 224 years, despite the good, the bad, and the ugly times.  

As our current Government fights through some tough decisions for our Nation, I am hopeful and inspired by our young citizens.  I hope you are, too!

Where were you when......?

With the 10th Anniversary of 9-11 approaching,  I've had a few friends and colleagues ask me how I plan to explain/teach about this event to a group of students whom were toddlers when it happened.  How do people learn about something they can only imagine?  The authors of the September 11th Education Program would say:  MAKE THIS COME ALIVE FOR STUDENTS.  (As you might expect... Mrs. Barry has plans!)

As a kid, I remember growing up and hearing my parents talk about where they were when they heard important news:
~My grandmother remembers listening to the radio and hearing when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941.  My father was an infant then.  HE didn't experience WWII, but he was able to connect and learn about it because of his parents' experiences.

~In 1959 my dad was lucky enough to have been at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, the night Buddy Holly played for the last time.  Holly's plane crashed later that night.  Every time he hears "That'll Be the Day"  it takes him back.

~My step-mother remembers exactly where she was when she heard that President Kennedy was shot in 1963.  She was 13 and in middle school.  She always felt our nation was robbed of a really great President.

And I have my own experiences:
~I remember hearing that President Reagan had been shot in 1981.  I was in 3rd grade.
~I remember watching the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster on TV in 1986.  I was in 8th grade.
~I remember watching the wall that separated East and West Germany come down in 1989.  I was a junior in high school.
~I remember hearing the news the Twin Towers had been attacked on September, 11th, 2001. I was teaching 4th grade at Bowman Woods Elementary.  I was already at school and had no access to TV.  My students came in and told me what had happened.  I did not get to see a news broadcast until 4:00 p.m. that day. I was nervous all day.  I was 29 years old.
~I remember hearing that Osama Bin Laden had been killed in May, 2011.  I was up late watching the news.  I was 39 years old.  I felt proud of our nation's armed forces for many years of service and sacrifice.

Each event show cases a point in time significant to each individual.  Most of the events are tragic, but a few ended well.  We won World War II, Reagan didn't die, the people of Germany tore down the wall, and Bin Laden was captured/killed.

All these events and many other events not mentioned tend to bring people together.  Whether we are part of the same family, religion, race, community, country, etc.  events like these tend to unite people for a common cause.  Whether it be working in a factory in 1942, mourning outside of an airport in 1959 for a music legend,  crying for an astronaut, or a teacher that died too young, or praying for a stranger that died on the 98th floor of building in New York City one unforgettable September morning--WE became united.  How appropriate our founding father's thought to include that word-UNITED in our nation's name! 

My memories/events may be different than yours.  There are so many events to name, how does one choose the most significant?  And, and yes we can learn ABOUT these events and FROM these events even if we weren't there!  The key is providing meaningful connections for our children so they can understand why things are the way they are post 9/11.   For example, why we have new airport regulations, or what an "Orange Alert" is or why when I rode the Staten Island Ferry in 2005 there was an armed soldier riding on the front of the boat....and why it's important to not stereotype or discriminate others....  So what will we be talking about in our classroom this week:  ALL of THIS and MORE!

Here are some great links we will be using in the classroom to learn about the events of 9/11:
http://onlinelearningexchange.com/content/products/remembering911_hs.html
http://www.learnabout9-11.org/
http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/sept_11/090921_First_Minutes_Of_September_11th_Attacks



This September 11th, I hope you find a moment to honor the citizens who perished in 2001, and I encourage you to play "Where were you when...?" with your families.

Debra Barry

What's in a Box?

WHAT'S IN A BOX?

This past week I asked my students to embark on a journey in time to find some artifacts of their grandparents, parents and themselves.  I am not implying parents and grandparents are so old they are artifacts!  Instead I hoped this would be an opportunity for students to make a connection to our studies on Egypt and how the ways of that civilization were preserved and discovered by archeaologists.      The items were carefully placed in an Artifact Box, and gently layered, and packed in paper and tissue.  We secretly distributed the boxes, turned our room into a "Dig Site," and began analyzing and recording the data.  It was great fun to see students using their higher level thinking skills to figure out what box belonged to which classmate.   

teddybears. toys. movies. jewelry. photos. dolls. articles. silverware. watches. dishes. china. tea cups. clothing. art work. music. books. MEMORIES.

Just a few of the treasures we found!

One of many artifacts uncovered in 7B!

All these things shared and shown give us each a peek into the past.  They give us a small glimpse of those who experienced things we will only get to read about in books and on websites.  My grandmother lived to be 92 years old.  She was born in 1915.  I can only imagine how awesome her life was to go from antique cars to man landing on the moon,  to the end of segregation, to the end of the cold war, to the internet to..... you get the picture.   I once asked my grandmother why she kept so many empty bread sacks in her kitchen.  She answered, "I went through the depression.  We kept everything, just in case."  I have no idea what that event was like.  I can only imagine.  That is how it is for many of my students..... they can ONLY imagine. 

Surviving that experience obviously shaped her character and her future choices in life.  I hope this happens for both my children and your children. I hope my students will discover that the key to truly learning from our past generations cannot JUST be found in a box, or a book, or on a website.  The key to truly finding a connection and understanding to our past generations and the communities they lived in, may be in the relationships we cultivate with the people of those time and places.  I'm so glad I had the conversation about the bread sacks with my grandmother, as well as many other conversations.  Had I found a drawer full of bread sacks in her home and never had the chance to ask.... I might not have ever realized the gravity of the depression, and I might have just thought my grandmother to be a pack-rat! This is Social Studies at its best.... making SOCIAL connections, and using that information to impact lives.

I would like to thank Payless Shoes for donating shoe boxes; the Linn-Mar Volunteers for wrapping the shoe boxes; and the parents, grandparents, and extended family members for helping the students of 7B with this project.  Look what an impact we have already made on our community!