Outdoor Classroom - 3 Sisters Garden

One of the wonderful resources we have at RES is the Outdoor Classroom.  It is located behind the library and is constantly busy with students who are as busy as the bees themselves.   

Mrs. Beth Daigle, a retired fifth grade teacher, has done a wonderful job of finding lessons that enhance the state standards students are learning.  

Today, our class went to learn more about the 3 Sisters Garden which is a combination of squash, corn, and beans.  The students have been investigating what resources the Native Americans had and discovered this was exactly what some of them may have planted.  Mrs. Daigle read a legend about how the garden came to be and the process that Native Americans may have gone through to grow these vegetables.  Then we picked some beans ourselves.  

In the coming weeks, we will also use the garden to extend our learning of earth science and plants.  

This is How We Research

Do you know how Native Americans adapted to their environments?  We are currently researching how  the regions in which they lived played in part in the resources they used.  For example, Native American tribes in the Plains region would have used buffalo hide to make shields and even blankets.

Students used atlases (maps), a textbook, and Discovery Education online tech book to gather information and determine which artifacts belonged to a specific region.  

Geography is important because...

This week we spent our class time making sure we knew where on this earth we are!  Students labeled continents, oceans, latitude, longitude, and other physical features of earth.  All week long as we discussed these features, we tried to think of how these features could have played a role in some of the most important roles in history.  Next week we will continue this discussion as we research the first people to settle America.  We will focus on how the physical features shaped cultures.  

               

Can you save Fred?

Scientists like to solve problems. Today, Fred, had a big problem. Our students were glad to help. Using only paper clips they were able to figure out ways to get Fred back into his life preserver. How would you save Fred?