Many Ways to Concord

Using GoogleMaps, third graders tracked many different routes to get from New Hampton to Concord - straight down Route 93, south on 132 to Route 4, out through Bristol and Franklin...

We discussed how the internet is a lot like the roads to Concord. There are so many different ways to get from the student to the information the student seeks! We learned about effective searching and choosing keywords that will lead to the correct information. We learned about directories and saw how they're set up in categories and subcategories.

We tried out the search engine and directory features for YahooKids, KidsClick, AskKids, and Quintara for Kids. We looked at the number of hits for a keyword using KidsClick and compared it to the same search using Google. Kids' search engines usually only show results that are readable and useful for students, making finding what we want a LOT easier!

Slide Shows

In ICT class, fourth graders chose from a selection of pictures and free music to build an online slide show at the free multimedia site Animoto. Here's an example of one showing the Inuksuks the children made in Mr. McCann's class last fall.

2010 Caldecott

Here's the winner of this year's Caldecott Award - The Lion & The Mouse, a wordless picture book illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. NHCS students looked at the book this week in ICT classes. Through it, children saw that pictures really can tell a story!

If you're interested in reading the story, which is an Aesop's Fable, there are a few online versions here and here!

States & Capitals

Concord, New Hampshire...Boston, Massachusetts...Montpelier, Vermont...

In The World According to Humphrey, students in Room 26 are learning the capitals of the 50 United States. Here are a few games to play if you'd like to practice and learn them yourself! How many can you remember?

Awards Month

January is a big month in the world of children's literature. Two of the most well-known book awards are given out this month - the Caldecott Award for the best picture book of the year and the Newbery Award for the best children's book. This year, the winners will be announced at 7:45 next Monday morning. I will try to order the winning books from Borders as soon as I know them - but I am reading that the winning books sell out of stores within minutes of the announcement!

In ICT class this week, some of us looked at a movie of a book that had won the Caldecott Award in years past. To see more, click right here!

One Book/One School

This weekend, NHCS families begin reading The World According to Humphrey by Betty Birney. This book was chosen because staff thought it would appeal to all ages - doesn't everyone think hamsters are cute and funny? You'll think Humphrey is!

Your family's copy of the book was sent home Friday along with reading calendars and trivia question and answer forms. You can also download the paperwork by clicking on each of the links in this post.

We hope you and your family will have fun reading this book together. And I'd love to hear your comments. Post them below!

A Gift for You!

Christmas week both second and third graders used TuxPaint, a free painting program, to draw a seasonal picture and make a label or a sentence about their work. You can have TuxPaint on your computer at home, too - download it here. Happy Holidays!!