November...and still 80 Degrees!

Hello Friends,

   It's never easy to start a week with Halloween on a Monday, but we made it through! Thank you very much for the flowers and cards!

 We had an amazing time hosting you for our Writing Celebration! The students were very proud of their work and they are already asking when we can host you again!

Our case studies are in full swing. We have had quite a few exciting activities and expert visitors. In addition to the adaptation stations a few weeks ago, we've learned about Global Warming from our CDC expert. We've also tested the creek (see results below) and talked with Mrs. Ericson and Mr. Blackburn (EPA expert and dad). Last week we hosted Mr. Pope (also from the EPA) and learned about groundwater. AND we are studying air pollution with our pollution catchers!

We are working on how to identify main idea and supporting details in non-fiction text using "boxes and bullets" and we started free choice writing this week! There are lots of comics and songwriters in room 212!

In math we are still plugging away at the relationship between multiplication and division. The students have also decided to make a "sticky note" window with encouraging words right next to our list of NF text features...and we love birthday selfies at recess. 

AND....camping with Cole and Halloween fun!

**Creek Results***

Temperature  60 degrees F /16 degrees C
pH- 7.5- GOOD
Nitrate- 20 ppm POOR
Dissolved Oxygen- 8  - Students can calculate % saturation using dissolved oxygen and temperature  
Phosphate-   3 ppm GOOD
Turbidity- 0 JTU- Excellent

The results for the two bacteria samples taken in the morning and afternoon:

E.coli morning sample:  300 cfu (colony forming unit)

After lunch:    167 cfu

EPA recommends no more than 235 cfu for swimming activities.  So a little high, but pretty normal for an urban stream.  Interesting that the morning sample was higher than the after lunch.