Book Festival, Science Field Trip, and Paper Rollercoasters

This was my second time at a book festival. It was so fun to spend the day with friends and search for some new books. I was pleased to find some graphic novels about historical events. I also found the book "Landed" that teaches about a child's experience at Angel Island. I was also lucky enough to meet the author of some amazing childrens' books that discuss her journey from poverty to traveling the world as an Air Force Captain. I am looking forward to working with Graciela Tiscareno-Sato to have her visit my classroom next year to talk to children about how education and perseverance can open doors for them no matter their current circumstances. Her books have text in English and in Spanish on each page. I think this will be a great scaffold for my English language learners.  
My loot from the book festival. Three graphic novels (two about history) are my favorite.

Me with Graciela Tiscareno-Sato. She is a bilingual author that "has been honored by the White House as a Champoin of Change", was an Air Force Captain, and is the daughter of immigrants. 

Finding a shady spot was a must on this hot day!

My favorite book spot. I get all my historical graphic novels here.
My upper grade team collaborated to have an engineering challenge where students would make (in teams) paper rollercoasters. Students were provided with instructions, materials, and resources to inspire them. I was impressed with how well students collaborated to create these working masterpieces. This culminated in an event where students displayed their creations in the main quad and got to look at other classes work.
A rollercoaster base decorated with marshmallows and fuzz

One team decorated their rollercoaster with soccer toys

This coaster looks like it would be a fun ride!

What a clever title for a coaster

Another great title

Fidget spinners are popular at my school


This coaster was taller than I am!


I was so happy one of my teams named their coaster the comet. Our class just went on a field trip that focused on comets.

I took my class to the Challenger learning center to experience a flight simulation. They would get to perform jobs in mission control as well as on the space shuttle. Before the simulation I had students work at an ELA, Math, and two art stations to prepare. Parent volunteers were so helpful in running these stations. Students got to make galaxies in a bottle and chalk nebulas.
The galaxy in a bottle that my students made for their field trip

The nebula art project students made on the field trip

Inside the science center I found a friend


Students working together to accurately assess the situation

This life support team had to work to make sure our space ship ran smoothly

Our remote team used joysticks to move robotic arms

Our navigation team works together to complete calculations

Our data team works to send messages to the communications officer



This student is examining a sample collected from a comet

The probe team works together to assemble the probe

Our mission patch designed by a student and chosen by student voting

Listening to instructions at mission control before the mission began

In the planetarium learning about astronauts

In the planetarium learning about our mission objective

All the baby oil needed to make 55 galaxies in a bottle so students could take home their own

In the process of making nebula art

The math station on the field trip had students using coordinate graphing to find a picture of a rocket

The English language arts station at the field trip had students reading informational articles about the Challenger mission and then writing

A student drawing that made me smile while grading

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