Have You Seen Our Gingerbread Man?

First Grade Students have been searching for their runaway Gingerbread Man! Their gingerbread project is an extension of their language arts and social studies lessons. Students have been learning about different states/regions of the United States.

Earlier this year, the following letter was sent around the U.S. in hopes of finding their lost friend! 

Hi,

I am the Gingerbread Man.  My friend, _______________, was reading a story about me in first grade.  I decided to jump out of the storybook and come to visit you!  I know my friends back at Missouri Valley Elementary are wondering where I have run off to.  Please help them by sending a postcard depicting something about the area where you live.  I have included our mailing address to write on the card.  This postcard will be posted on a large map of the U.S. in the classroom.  This will help the children with their study of the United States by showing them different parts of our great country!   I know my friends will enjoy hearing from you and learning where I have run to! Thank you for your help.  Got to go!

Sincerely,

The Gingerbread Man

First grade students have been receiving postcards from across the U.S. and have been so excited each time a postcard arrives. 

Some of our students students weighed in on this experience...

"I like the Gingerbread Man the best! He is cute! I like doing it because the project is fun!"

"I liked making the Gingerbread Man and I liked giving it to my grandma and grandpa." 

"I have learned that some people speak different languages!"

"My Gingerbread Man went to Alaska! I like learning about different states!"

Standards

Language Arts:

• Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.         
• Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.

Social Studies:

•  Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand the use of geographic tools to locate and analyze information about people, places, and environments. 

9th Grade World History Students Were "Puzzled" About Maps

While studying the Age of Exploration, Mr. Wieme's 9th grade World History students, were put in groups and each group was given sections of a large map. Each small group discussed what they saw on the map, what they were sure of, and what they didn't know. Then, all the groups came together into one large group and put the pieces of the "puzzle" (which is a world map) together and tried to decide what it was, who may have created it, and why it was created.

At the end they learn that the map is a called the Wallseemuller map, and is the first map to ever use the word "America". Then, we discussed how this critical thinking activity is very similar to what historians do when they find important artifacts, such as a map like this, and reach conclusions about its origins and significance.

Social Studies Standards: Critical Thinking and Interpretation and Chronology

Mr. Cihacek Combines Laughter and Invention with his Rube Goldberg Activities

 Mr. Cihacek's 6th grade science students spent time during the first semester creating simple machines based on Rube Goldberg projects. Rube Goldberg was a Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist. These lessons are designed to bring laughter and invention together in STEM activities. 

The Rube Goldberg projects aligned with Physical Science Motion, Forces, and Energy standards!

The string and pulley will drop on the car to roll down ramp/inclined plane. 

The string and cup works as a pulley which will will drop the ball to create the domino effect. 

Kindergarten Students Love Math!

MVE kindergarten students continue to learn and grow through their daily math work. They have been busy building number trains, building numbers of 'one more' (stair steps with the blocks), sorting bears by color, creating patterns, and counting all of the bears in the line. 

Students have also been busy learning in their math stations. 

Brayden is figuring out numbers that are one more and one less with snowmen.

 McKenna is finding numbers on a 100s chart.

 Lilly is coloring the same shapes the same color.

Students have been matching numbers in different forms. 

 These students have been finding 3D shapes around the room (cone, cylinder, sphere, and cube).

Two Missouri Valley Teachers Receive Iowa Space Grant

The Iowa Space Grant Consortium (ISGC) recently announced the recipients that were chosen to attend a NASA workshop at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Missouri Valley educators, Carla Christensen and Jenny Stessman, were one of four teams that were selected to attend from the state of Iowa.

Applications were reviewed and schools were selected on the following criteria:

• Application completed accurately
• Essay Response
• Need
• Professional development plan

Marshall Space Flight Center is the birthplace of the Saturn V Rocket that carried America to the moon in the late 60’s and early 70’s and is currently working on the next generation of rockets. It is at the heart of the International Space Station and advanced propulsion programs. This workshop will provide teachers with the opportunity to interact with actual mission scientists and design engineers as they work on current space exploration projects.

“This training is a great opportunity for us to get new ideas for our staff and make new connections with people who work in the STEM field. I want our students to have as many opportunities to be exposed to people in these careers as possible.” ---Mrs. Stessman

“As the ELP curriculum broadens and we delve more into STEM avenues, I wanted the acronym STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to “come to life” for myself and for the students.  This hands-on professional development opportunity sponsored by NASA is a great step in that direction.  I look forward to providing students and staff with new insights and lessons for learning upon our return.”  ---Mrs. Christensen

Mrs. Christensen and Mrs. Stessman are excited for this opportunity and MVCSD looks forward to utilizing the knowledge and resources they gain through the NASA workshop!

MVE Celebrates and Spreads Joy

MVE students and staff gathered yesterday for an annual assembly that signifies the half-way point of the 2016-2017 school year. More importantly, the elementary's holiday assembly is a way for the teachers and staff to give back to the students and let them know how much they are valued and cared about as part of the MVE family. 

Students were welcomed to the assembly by some of the sweetest elves in Missouri Valley. Several fourth grade students greeted each student and teacher as they entered the gym. Once in the gym, students were able to enjoy Mr. Meeder and his third grade class playing guitar and singing. 

The Masters of Ceremony for the assembly were MVE's own Ms. Arneson and Ms. Larson serving as comic relief in between acts. 

Ms. Spears playing the Piccolo

Zippy the Elf returns in "Name That Reindeer" written by Mr. Caddell. Zippy is a North Pole Elf who is undefeated in his game show abilities! (See Video Below)

Students and staff also attempted their first whole school Mannequin Challenge. 

Mrs. Barry was awarded with a 5 lb chocolate bar for winning the festive (and slightly ugly) sweater contest. Students and staff voted and Mrs. Barry was named the winner! 

Finally, students watched a video about Lily and the Snowman. MVE staff wanted all of the students to know that they are loved, they are valued, we believe in their abilities, and more than anything else, we love spending time with them every day. 

From our MVE family to yours, we wish everyone a relaxing winter break and we can't wait to see our students in 2017! 

 

Students participated in the Hour of Code this week as part of Computer Science Education Week. 

Mrs. Barry's Second Graders

What does it mean to Code? Coding is a process that makes it possible for people to create software, apps, and websites. Coding has four basic principles: creating algorithms, understanding conditionals, utilizing looping (repeats) and demonstrating how to use functions when creating visual coding scripts.

What is the Hour of Code?

The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code", to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities but expanding to all sorts of community efforts. 

One group of students participating in the Hour of Code were the MV ELP students. These students have been focusing on STEM projects over the course of this school year.  One major undertaking has been learning more about coding. During the One Hour Code, students worked on various programming skills by working through a series of games and activities. 

For additional information visit www.code.org.