Sunday, February 20, 2011

We are Activists!

The end of our unit in Social Studies marks another Social Action Cycle! This is our chance to spread word about a social issue we're passionate about. Our cycle 2 presentations informed all of us of some of  the many, many injustices happening right under our noses. And now we share them with the world. Please take a look at our action pieces and help us spread the word about these important issues.

Animal Rights:
Mollie's video on horse racing was so informative. She challenges us to express our outrage on this abusive "sport" to inspire change.


Nika's heartfelt video made the class aware of the many horrors of puppy mills. Nika gives Lucy, her rescued poodle, and all abused puppies a strong voice.


Olive created a revealing flyer to inform us of some of the shocking practices of puppy mills. After reading her flyer it is hard to see why anyone would support the hidden horrors of puppy mills.

Solva created a t-shirt to spread her message! What a fantastic idea! Her slogan is "All men are created equal, including animals".


Issy's bumper sticker really gets the point across. Animals are not entertainment. Let's continue to spread Issy's message by posting our stickers where all can see.


Cielo also joined the fight against animal cruelty. With Lucy (Nika's dog) and Luna as the stars, we learn the pains of animal abuse.


Gabby's presentation, highlighting state laws regarding animal abuse, was yet another example of how we can spread the word and speak up for the animals.


The Environment:
Jose's flyer let's us know how important it is to recycle. If that is not motivation enough, check out this site for a ton of more reasons and get recycling!
Ethan S. is passionate about keeping this world clean. Let's help him by wearing his slogan proudly. 

Alexander spreads his message about the importance of recycling in his presentation. He reminds that the responsibility of caring for Earth falls on all of us. 

Violence:
Jada's bumper sticker has a strong and clear message.

Food Issues:
Anna's response to McDonalds will be sent shortly. After receiving a response from her first letter, sent during our first action cycle, Anna found there was still much to say.


Dasha and Ethan M. also chose to take action on food issues. They both wrote letters to the other fast food superpower, Burger King.














Freedom of Religion:
Maria created a great bumpersticker to voice her message to the world. 


Television Addiction:
Jack's letter to Panasonic was a great idea! As televisions get bigger and bigger, more productive options for our free time get smaller and smaller.

Steele created a powerful public service announcement on television addiction. His passion for the issue is clear and his message is strong!

Workers' Rights:
Last but certainly not least is Ewan's informative video on the horrible business practices of Wal-Mart. Ewan's reporting is well-researched and his passion is clear. 



Smoking:
Andres created an informative flyer to inform others about the hazards of smoking.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Our Next Social Studies Unit... Latin America!

We are so excited to launch our next Social Studies unit... 
Latin America!


Please help us bring this unit to life! If there are items or artifacts your child can bring in to share with the class that are related to many countries within Latin America, we would love to include them in our Social Studies center. We look forward to celebrating with all of you in a cultural showcase of Latin America's rich history. 

Monday, February 7, 2011

Grammar Launching in 3...2...1!

On Thursday, February 10, we will start our Grammar Unit! 
Types of grammar in this simple posting: prepositional phrase, an appositive, plural subjective pronoun, future verb tense, verb, possessive pronoun, proper noun, end punctuation... 
Yes, it can get complicated real fast! Please help us by reviewing grammar at home.

Middle School Preparation

Sandi will be holding the second Middle School Interview Skills Workshop tomorrow, Friday, February 11th during recess! Please join to practice to best prepared during this very important time. 


We encourage you to practice with your child using the list of questions handed out during the first session.