Journeying West! Our Lewis & Clark Projects

Some highlights from our Lewis & Clark expeditions earlier today: 

Olive, Jose, Solva and Danea created a role play to convey their project's historical content. We learned much about how the Native Americans and Lewis & Clark may have interacted with each other. To learn about some of the tribes the expedition team encountered, go here!

Nika, Gabby and Cielo embraced the dress of the 1800's and their flare contributed greatly to their presentations!

Let's all gather round Pomp, Sacagawea's baby boy.

Besides collaborating on an amazing video, Ethan helped create an informative booklet about some of the tools and survival gear Lewis & Clark and the Corps. of Discovery used. Check back for a link to Ewan, Jada and Ethan's wonderful video.

Andres, Steele and Mollie created an awesome Lego puppet show that humorously highlighted many of the animals the explorers came to, as Steele puts it, "discover." Check out their videos here!

Justina, Ethan M., Anna and Maria squeezed so many facts on their biography poster!

What a delight to learn resident historian Nika has a stockpile of historical clothing! I just had to break out the retro Gunnes Sax to join the party.

The Documentary Lunch Club

Investigating nutritional information, price and selection, the food activists look into some popular snacks at the neighborhood Met Food.

"How much sugar is this cereal?" Dasha wonders.

5-316: What People Are Wearing

Zander, Steele and Ewan rock their Darth Pineapple shirts.

We're The Experts: Ending Our Unit in Non-fiction Reading

Let us know if you need to know anything about...

Labrador Retrievers...

Leonardo Da Vinci...

Sharks...

Snakes and reptiles...

Wolves...

Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson...

Women's Rights (Mollie not pictured.)...

Lizards...

World War II...

Elephants...

"Big" cats

5th Grade Bistro: January 21 at 5:30

This coming Friday is Bistro time! Please join 5th grade parents and students in helping raise much-needed money for our grade... and have a great meal and entertainment at the same time. With so much going on at your final year at P.S. 58, we are hoping to give students a truly wonderful senior trip, yearbook and graduation dance. Your joining us will help! The cost is $5.00.

Movie selection: The Cat Returns

After helping a cat, a young girl finds herself involuntarily engaged to a cat prince in a magical world where her only hope of freedom lies with a dapper cat statuette come to life. [imdb]

Dinner: Gourmet Mac 'n Cheese

To sign up for the event, please click here.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I Have a Dream

Please click here to view/listen to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s historical speech once again. Let his words guide your "quilt" creations. Remember this is due Tuesday, January 18. We trust you will put great effort into creating something unique that can be shared with the entire school! For more information please see the hand-out. Please let Sandi or me know if you have any questions.

UPDATE! Non-fiction Reading & Writing Celebration

PLEASE NOTE! IF WE HAVE OURSELVES A SNOW DAY TOMORROW, THIS CELEBRATION WILL TAKE PLACE THURSDAY, JAN. 13 AT 9:15 AM.

We will be celebrating our non-fiction reading and writing together on 


Wednesday, January 12!


Please join us at 1:30 in our classroom as students share their expertise on their chosen research topics and their personal essays.


See you then!

5-316: What People Are Wearing

Poetry Break

We are excited to announce that we will have a brief poetry break in writing workshop! Before starting our next official writing unit we will have a chance to practice our poetic skills and create poems of our own.

Afterschool Special [Shameless self-promotion]

I hope you're all enjoying your break... and are staying safe and warm in the blizzard. :)

I'm very excited to be running my first afterschool program! Starting in late January, Wednesdays after school will be CRAFT TIME. We'll be making stuffed animals, cross-stitching our (or borrowed) witticisms into fabric and upcycling a variety of materials to create unique crafts. If you're interested, be on the look-out for the winter session afterschool program guide.

Below are some sample crafts I've made through the years.

See you next Monday!
♥, Karen

❆ Holiday Cheer, 5-316 Style! ❆

On the first day of our winter break, it already seems like a distant dream.

{Que the flashback harp}


Students decorated cupcakes with an assortment of candies and gumdrops...

...while others promoted their entrepreneurial endeavors.

Cupcake art by Jada.

Ethan S.'s gingerbread men, sans heads.

Jose smears on the frosting; the animated Grinch plays on the Smartboard.

Gabby shows off her gorgeous cupcake.

In the forecast: a chance of sprinkles.

The treats were a-plenty.

Candy cane time!

Cielo's cupcake creation.

Yannique gets in the spirit...

Striped shirt #3 and more candy cane fun!

Justina takes a break from cupcaking.

Zander tries out the camera.

Merry Christmas! Happy Break! And a wonderful New Year!

See you in 2011!!

5-316 Takes Manhattan!

Today we went to the Museum of Modern Art! Spending the day in bustling Manhattan, we visited the MoMA on a day it wasn't even open to the public. Though there is no photography in the exhibit space there was plenty of fun to catch in our reserved dining room!

We saw many artistic interpretations of line and got to make our own with pencil and paper, pliable wire and wikki sticks. Here is Ethan and his line portrait.

Issy's wire sculpture stays warm with his gloves.

Andres and Anna wear their art!

Yannique and Justina make art in the great activity books we received. Our very special thanks to Wendy who helped us learn that there are no mistakes in art, only opportunities!

We want to thank Wendy so much for helping us visit this amazing museum. Thank you!!!!

On our way to the MoMA we made a quick stop at the world-famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree!