BEN FRANKLIN VISITS THIRD GRADE
Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was vividly alive with our third-graders on Feb 8. The gifted actor from Young Audiences Historical Perspectives took students through the life of Benjamin Franklin- from his youthful experiments, questions and challenges, into his printing apprenticeship and growing political awareness, his move to Philadelphia and entrepreneurial impact on reading, writing, education, finance and government, through his family life and scientific exploration, finally leading to saving lives and property with the invention of the lightning rod- what he called his gift to the world. Throughout the costume changes and high-energy performance, filled with interesting facts and wise quotations, the students were enthralled! Ask a third-grader what he or she learned about the amazing person that Ben Franklin was. Huzzah!
“FRIENDSHIP DETECTIVES” IN THIRD GRADE
Looking for clues in a setting. Learning social strategies. Good sportsmanship. On Feb 5, Educational Speaker Stephanie Meegan spoke to third-graders during their guidance Team Time about how to be “friendship detectives” and to communicate in ways that encourage friendly relationships. Ask a third-grader how to meet a new friend, or what to say to the players on the other team after your team loses.
“STAR LAB” LANDS IN FIRST GRADE
We crawled through the doorway into the dark dome of the inflated Museum of Science StarLab, which landed in the Cole gym for our first-graders on Jan 29. Inside, looking up and around at the projected stars and images we learned how stars are formed, which stars are brightest– and their colors, how to tell the difference between a planet and a star, how to recognize some well-known constellations like Orion and the Big and Little Dipper, and the names of stars like Betelgeuse, Sirius, and Polaris. Ask a first-grader to show you what he or she learned under a real night sky– find Orion’s belt and the Big Dipper yourselves!
“NATIVE AMERICAN NATURE TALES” ~ STORYTELLER CAPTIVATES THIRD GRADE
Imagination. Expression. Creativity. Voice. Stories. On Jan 23, Storyteller Diane Edgecomb performed several engaging stories, including pictures, drumming, a loon’s song, and student interaction. Every child was enthralled ~ laughing hysterically, gasping in awe, and hanging on her every word. Ask a third-grader what happened to the Wind Eagle, what happened when the sky turnip was dug up, or which animal was picked as the leader: loon, raven, osprey, deer, mole, or bear. And why!
“PHYSICAL CHANGES OF MATTER” ~ EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN SECOND GRADE
Melting. Freezing. Watching. Feeling. On Jan 2, Second-Graders had an exciting visit from the Discovery Museum, where they learned first-hand about how different types of matter respond to temperature changes. They experimented with water and ice, dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide), liquid nitrogen, and instantly freezing objects such as a carnation, a banana, and a rubber band. Ask a second-grader to describe what they saw!
Boxford PTO 