The Power of Poetry: Hink Pinks!

In Mrs. Ranney's Class

we are currently studying poetry.

We have learned that poems can create word pictures 

and are meant to be read aloud.

We have also learned that a good poet can 

say a lot in just a few words!

Speaking of just a few words...

A Hink Pink Poem is a rhyming pair of words that answers a riddle-like question!

Sometimes these are humorous and even silly!

For example,

Q: What do you call a lengthy tune?

A: a long song! 

If it's a Hinkie Pinkie, it has two two-syllable rhyming words!

For example:

Q: What is an improved member of the alphabet?

A. a better letter!

It can even be a Hinkety-Pinkety and have two rhyming, three-syllable words!

Now, that's challenging!

Here are a few Hink Pinks created by students in our class!

Q: What is a non-furry rabbit?

A: bare hare

By: Josh

Q: What is a sick looking man?

A: pale male

By Francesca

Q: What are two quadrilaterals?

A: square pair

By Nate

Q:  What do call baby bears getting together?

A: cub club

By Arielle

Q:  What is hair you put in your head with sticks in it?

A: twig wig

By Sydney

Q: What is an impolite man?

A: a rude dude

By Nicole

Q:  What is a body of water that is a little cold?

A:  cool pool

By  Adam

 

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Do you know the answers to any of the following Hink Pinks? 

1. What do you call a large group of people that are very noisy?

2.  What is something that you can see that glows?

3. What is a twisted penny?

4. What do you call a pig in an earthquake? (Hinky Pinky)

5.  What is believable food? (Hinkety Pinkety!)

* * * * * * * * 

 

Share your answer in a comment, and 

how about submitting a Hink Pink of your own!

Get your family involved too! Family members can answer the riddles and 

compose some Hink Pinks of their own!

Quizzical Quadrilaterals!

In our polygon unit we are learning about four-sided figures called

QUADRILATERALS!

Quadrilateral just means "four sides"
(quad means four, lateral means side).

Any four-sided shape is a Quadrilateral.

But the sides have to be straight, and it has to be 2-dimensional.

Many people were confused about why some shapes have more than one name. Here are some interactive quadrilaterals to help you explore and learn more! 

*     *     *     *     *


What is a trapezoid?

Here is an interactive trapezoid. 




*     *     *     *     *

What is a parallelogram?

Here is an interactive parallelogram.

*     *     *     *     *

What is a rectangle?

Here is an interactive rectangle.

*     *     *     *     *

What is a rhombus?

Here is an interactive rhombus.

*     *     *     *     *

What is a square?

Here is an interactive square.

*     *     *     *     *


Choose a quadrilateral and describe 
its characteristics in your comment!

What quadrilaterals have you seen 
in your house or community?

Valentine's Day Variety!

Today is February 14, Valentine's Day!

Did you know that the tradition of celebrating Valentine's Day

has been around for hundreds of years?

Please enjoy this slide show that shows some of the

ways we observed the day!

Happy Valentine's Day! on PhotoPeach

 


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What is your favorite way to celebrate Valentine's Day?

Do you have any special Valentine facts to share?

CyberSmart Week: Woogi World Login!

CyberSmart week for the school district is February 6-10, 2012!

Many activities are planned.

To kick off the week, we will join Woogi World! 

The district has enrolled every elementary school student in this online education community. Here is a link to their About Us page. Each child will be given a temporary password on Monday. 

For homework, log in with your parents and create a new USERNAME and PASSWORD. Together with your parents, follow the instructions on the paper I'll give you on Monday. Here are some things to think about when generating a USERNAME and PASSWORD:

1.  USERNAMES and PASSWORDS are private. Never share them with your friends.

2. Have your parents write your USERNAME and PASSWORD on a piece of paper. Keep all USERNAMES and PASSWORDS in a private place. 

3. We use several online sites in our classroom.  (Spelling City, vMath Live, Woogi World) Consider using the same USERNAME and PASSWORD for each. Perhaps modify the password to reflect the site.  End the password for Spelling City with SC. End the password for vMath Live with VML. End the password for Woogi World with WW.

4. Although you will be choosing a private USERNAME and PASSWORD, your teacher is the administrator of the program and will have access to your information. 

Cyber experts recommended mixing letters, numbers, and symbols when creating a safe password. 

Do you have any other tips for creating safe passwords?

What did you do in Woogi World?

Beautiful Birds!

Because Mrs. Ranney's class recently read the story
"Nights of the Pufflings,"

we have become interested in the birds around us!

Below is a slide show of photos Mrs. Ranney has taken of birds she has observed

in a variety of places, including her own backyard!

Feathered Friends! on PhotoPeach




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Here is a video taken by Mrs. Ranney of two kites flying! 
A kite is a raptor. 
Do you know what kind of bird a raptor is?
Can you find and share some facts about kites?

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What birds have you observed?

What bird facts can you share?

A great site for identifying birds and learning more about them is

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology!

You might also use 

World Book Online.

Just remember to:

1. Take notes on the facts.
2. Put your notes into sentences of your own creation.
3. Add an opinion of your own!

No plagiarism!

Perfectly Pleasant Puffins!

This week Mrs. Ranney's class is reading  a wonderful story called "Nights of the Pufflings"

by Bruce McMillan.

The story tells about young Halla (HATT-lah) and her friends 

of Heimaey (HAY-mah-ay) Island, Iceland who

rescue stranded pufflings 

and launch them out over the ocean. 

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The Common Atlantic Puffin spends part of its life in Iceland. Iceland is an island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean. Only a little part of Iceland is covered with ice. Iceland has all four seasons of year. In June, the sun is out almost all day and night! 

In winter, there are only about 6 hours of sunshine a day!

Did you know that Iceland has both geysers and volcanoes?

If you find out more facts about these natural wonders of Iceland, please leave us comment!

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We worked together in teams and researched some facts about puffins. Then we put our facts into sentences we created ourselves without plagiarizing!


We grouped our facts into three categories: what adult puffins look like, what puffins eat, and how pufflings are tended.
Finally, we sequenced our facts!


What Adult Puffins Look Like

Adult puffins are black with white bellies and faces. Puffins have waterproof feathers, so they won't get cold! They have large yellow, orange, black, and blue striped beaks. Every spring during nesting season, adults' bills get larger and more colorful. 
After nesting, their bills return to their normal color.


What Puffins Eat

Most adult puffins spend most their lives at seat, so they can catch fish. 

Puffins catch fish by diving and scooping it up in their bills. They devour

sardines, herring, smelt, and capelin.

How Pufflings Are Tended

Pufflings stay safely in burrows until parents come back from bringing fish to eat. Sometimes
puffins have to feed pufflings ten times a day! The parents feed the pufflings for six whole weeks!


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We hope you enjoyed learning about puffins as much as we did!

Please do some research and add some facts in your comments.

Remember to put facts into your own words.

No plagiarism!

It's also fine to add some opinions as well!