Plimoth Plantation!

Five Chaperones and twenty-two third graders ventured on a journey to Plimoth Plantation this week on the yellow Mayflower!  Our students started by touring downtown Plymouth.  They had the chance to hear about Plymouth rock and what it symbolizes for different people in our country.  Our students also had the chance to see a working grist mill.  They learned about how powerful water can be!  They also had the chance to "play" with child-size versions of a grist mill, grind corn with a mortar and pestle, and learn more facts about the grist mill.  Finally, our boys and girls got to tour Plimoth Plantation and all it has to offer.  They saw a mishoon being made in the Wampanoag homesite and they had the opportunity to step inside of a wetu.  They also met Wampanoag Native Americans.  They toured Plimoth Village, stepping into the year 1627.   They even met Governor Bradford in one of the pilgrim houses.  We truly had a wonderful day!

 Grinding grist at the grist mill!

 Plymouth Rock

 Two third grade pilgrims!

 Half of our class in downtown Plymouth.  

Time to ask questions...what was life like for a Wampanoag child in the 1600's?

Answer: Great freedom!

The Common House and its cannons!

A view of the rock!

Governor Bradford tells our third graders his story.  

Grist Mill

Paper Chain Challenge

Today our boys and girls worked very hard on their first STEM challenge of the year.  STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.  STEM challenges encourage our students to work together and use skills within these four areas to solve a problem.  Today our students were posed with the following "challenge":

First, the students worked independently for 10 minutes to sketch and write about their own ideas.  This helped them begin the planning process.  Next, they worked with their groups (2-3 students) to share their own ideas and determine which ideas will work the best.  

Finally, the boys and girls had 30 minutes to build their chains!  They implemented their plans and made adjustments when needed!  At the end, we measured all of our chains.  Check out the pictures below and the final measurements!

The final  paper chains! 

1. 21 feet 4 inches

2. 15 feet 3 inches

3.  9 feet

4. 7 feet 1 inch

5. 4 feet 1 inch

6.  3 feet 11 inches

The challenge proved that every person and group approaches problems differently!  What a fantastic job!

Meet the Callahan Family...Summer of 2018!

 Owen (5)- starting his first day of camp!

 Owen and Mrs. Callahan- hiking at Purgatory Chasm

Owen and Graham (2)- eating ice cream the cleanest way possible...outside without shirts!

 Owen and Graham- proud of their blueberry "pickings" at Tangerini's Farm in Millis

 The Callahan Family

I am looking forward to meeting my new third grade "family" in just a few short weeks!

Living Wax Museum

 Mrs. Callahan's Class

Jack Morrill is the BEST

We have been lucky enough to have Jack Morrill, a senior in high school and my former third grader, work in our classroom.  To celebrate the hard work our students put into the MCAS, Jack got popsicles for our class!  

Thank you, Jack!