Great Depression

This morning the first thing my students did was to check on their polymer mixes from yesterday's lab.  Most of them had oozed over the piece of paper they were on.  A few of them were getting crispy (the white glue mixes).  Surprisingly, the blue glue mixes were still rubbery, the consistency of Silly Putty.  Oh we had good conversation about what kinds of cross-links they had and if they were linear or branched polymers!  They made them into balls and could actually bounce them around the room!  So that's what entertained them most of the day.  We did make a set of rules for them: only playing with them at read aloud/recess, and if they bounce away from the desk or are out at any other point of the day, Miss H. gets to take them.  We didn't have any problems with them after that.


My kids were in the zone for MN history!  We started by talking about the Roaring 20s and moved onto the Great Depression... we only made it through four slides of the powerpoint, but man did they ask some good questions!  We talked about what happened after soldiers came home from WWI and how the stock market works and how banks work and why the Great Depression happened.  Oh it was good stuff.  I can't wait to continue this lesson tomorrow.


Chapel was at 9:30 today since Camp Omega came to visit.  I didn't get the memo on the late chapel start until yesterday when Mrs. B told me during lab.  The memo didn't get passed around either, because both Mr. D and Mrs. B (1st and 2nd) walked out the door at 8:35 to get to chapel.  One of my kids ran out to tell them chapel wasn't until 9:30.  Crisis averted!  Mr. E called later that morning to say the Camp Omega guy was running a little late and chapel would be pushed off to 9:45.  After chapel, we practiced the song we're singing tonight for church.  The bells are going to play first and then we sing.  As an added complication, Mrs. E (our normal director) is in Florida right now.  Mr. E is going to be directing.  I got a call this morning from a 6th grader's mom; he has swimming lessons after school tonight that he can't miss... so is it okay if he misses bells?  Well what am I supposed to say?  At practice we found other people to play his bells, so it's fine.  But really, why are we playing bells if no one shows up to play them?! 


Last night I did get my sauerkraut made.  Cabbage flakes were all over the place!  And I forgot to write down how much each cabbage weighed so I'd know how much salt to include.  But I think I estimated right.  I mixed them all together and the juice came up to the surface, so I'm thinking it will be okay.  Water bags are on top, plastic wrap and plastic bag covering everything else.  And the crock has found a home in my guest bathtub.  Now we wait five-six weeks for it to ferment!  And what do you know, it will be done on my birthday!  How's that for timing?


I'd better get working on my lesson for tomorrow.  1st and 2nd Mrs. B and I are going over to eat at 5:45 which gives me about an hour to get everything ready for tomorrow.  Not a lot to do... just finish a geography powerpoint (but those take the longest for me to make).  I'm caught up on everything else!  Well, except putting grades in the grade book, but I can save that for tomorrow.