The drill rig came equipped with two types of drill bits for different types of rocks and conditions.  Just looking at them makes me want to bust out the Venn diagrams!   I'll let you save that for your students and focus my discussion of similarities and differences on the printing process.  Both drill bits print well in standard quality with the business end oriented skyward.  Drill Bit One, however, needs some tree-like supports.

We've also provided a mini version of Drill Bit One that fits over the tip of a standard sized pencil turning it into a mini drill rod!  The mini version also needs tree like supports.  A pair of needle nose pliers makes removing the support from the hole in the center an easy task.

If you are still in the mood for those Venn diagrams, simply click the button below for a triple Venn diagram!  Happy comparing!

Pre-bound journals: I really tried to make these work early in my career.  It seemed like the best way to keep random papers from floating about the classroom.  I tried binding them several different ways and they were super cute but I'd always get one or more enthusiastic "writers" who enjoyed filling pages and my system would fall apart.  One student even went through and put a line on each page simply to fill the journal!  With work, I could get many students to fill one page before moving on to the next.   There were always those students with perfectionist tendencies.  If they  "messed up" they could have a hard time moving on without removing the offending page from their journals!

Report Covers:  These worked better than the pre-bound journals as I could add or arrange pages as needed, but the flexible bindings ultimately met with mechanical failure leading to a jumble of pages!  Plus, for kinders anyway, they were not a kid friendly technology so much of the management fell to me.  It was not a great way to foster independence.  

Folders:  Then my district required all students use writing folders organized into a work in progress side and a completed side.  A colleague found some with clear plastic pockets on the cover and inside so I could easily customize the fronts and backs with alphabet strips, writing process supports, mobile word walls, etc.  These worked pretty well.  The kids could more or less manage them and they were durable.  However, it got very challenging to keep more than a week or two of writing in them and maintain any organization.  So once a month each folder required a lot adult attention to keep this system going. 

Single pages:  I also tried having students turn single "complete" pieces into our classroom parking lot so that I could maintain an ongoing file of critical work, but once again that put the task of organization back on me. It was  challenging when kids wanted to use earlier work as a reference.  This ended up working really well for things like writing prompt pieces we were required to collect, but not so well for works in progress.
​
​3 ring binders:  Enter the three ring binder!  These ended up being my personal favorite.  The main challenge was teaching children to insert pages without snapping their fingers but honestly, I think that element of "danger" inspired students to pay closer attention to keeping things ordered!  I'm guessing the real threat of pinched fingers was a motivator.  Like the folders with pockets, I could organize tools using plastic sheet protectors.  I found having references at their finger tips increased productivity and focus for my students.  The rigid backs were helpful as the notebooks could serve as a clip board or privacy screen.  Other tips that help with this were having reinforcing rings handy to patch ripped pages and using a corner shelf unit to store the binders as they can be bulky.

I did switch back and forth across systems depending on my students' needs and some years I used more than one system.  The most unusual system was for one student who ended up writing a twenty three panel comic adventure!  Each panel was a full size sheet of paper, so when taped together (as was deemed necessary for his creative process) his work occupied quite a bit of floor space.  We found the best way to store his work was to roll it up and keep it in a canvas bag!

Like many things in education, meaningful learning gets a bit messy!  I'm looking forward  to reading  your comments about paper management solutions and challenges.

Day 5: How deep can you go?  This lesson is another STEM design challenge!  Giving students opportunities to address these standards in new and novel ways can build flexible thinking and teamwork!  This lesson can help you address the following standards:

• K-ESS2-2. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs. Examples of plants and animals changing their environment could include a squirrel digs in the ground to hide its food and tree roots can break concrete.
• K-ESS3-3. Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment. Examples of human impact on the land could include cutting trees to produce paper and using resources to produce bottles. Examples of solutions could include reusing paper and recycling cans and bottles.
• 2-PS1-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties. Observations could include color, texture, hardness, and flexibility. Patterns could include the similar properties that different materials share.
• 2-PS1-2. Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose. Examples of properties could include, strength, flexibility, hardness, texture, and absorbency.
• 2-PS1-3. Make observations to construct an evidence-based account of how an object made of a small set of pieces can be disassembled and made into a new object. Examples of pieces could include blocks, building bricks, or other assorted small objects.
• K-2-ETS1-1. Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
• K-2-ETS1-2. Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
• K-2-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

First, an announcement!  Our comics are now available in a black and white mini-book format!!!  I'd like to extend a big thank you to our artist, Ben Matsuya, for so providing these so quickly!  Another big thank you goes to super teacher, Kristen Tedesco, for suggesting we provide this format.  We've had some great feedback already!  

Instead of grade level specific tips this time, I thought it would be cool for every grade to stop and think about color and what it communicates.  Try this activity!  Project or print the comic in black and white BEFORE showing students the color version.  Ask them to think about what colors they think Ben might select for each scene.  Why would he choose those colors?  How do different colors make them feel?  If time permits, allow students to color a panel or two but with intention.  Ask them to describe WHY they choose to color the panel as they did.  Finally compare their colored panels or suggestions to Ben's work.  How are they the same or different?

Try extending this exercise to web sites, food packages, or advertising.  Why do they think the people choose the colors they did?  Kids are being marketed to constantly so equipping them with some tools to recognize some non-verbal communication strategies can build an awareness that empowers kids to make choices rather than be manipulated by advertisers.

We were able to scan the resistivity meter that our scientist, Mr Ogara, and his crew used to conduct the resistivity tests.  His crew loved watching the scanning process!  The model is easy to print.  We found it best to auto- generate treelike supports to support the lid during printing.  I think this would be a great file to print out of student view and use as a mystery object before or after the field mission video.  

If you are not familiar with using a mystery box or mystery bag for mystery object games read on!  The concept is simple.  Place an object (such as the 3D printed resistivity meter) in a bag or box.  Don't let students see!  Then one at a time students can reach in and feel the object.  Encourage them to describe one attribute to their classmates.  discourage simply guessing.  If a student does make a guess encourage them to justify that guess based on the attributes they can feel.  It's a quick and easy way to build language and high level thinking skills.

If you reduce the size of the resistivity meter and increase the size of mini Beth and Curtis you can build a small play set your students can use as props during dramatic play opportunities.  We've heard from a couple of kindergarten teachers that Mini Beth and Curtis have had a number of thrilling adventures in their classrooms!

Kindergarten: Focus on upper and lower case letters.
Code It! Project or print one or more panels of this week's comic and challenge students to circle each sound effect and then color code the capital letters using highlighters.  Most of the time we read lower case letters.  Why do they think Ben made some words have all capital letters?  Why did he make some all lower case?  Why might he have mixed others up?  This activity is a great opportunity to reinforce a basic skill while talking about the craft of writing so learning across the whole spectrum can be meaningfully engaged!

Grade 2: Focus on big words!
Break it Down!  Curiosity Cat and Data Dog encounter a Simbakubwa this week!  Wowzers!!!  What a critter!  What a word!  Like many of our bigger words, however, we're provided a help.  Simbakubwa is MUCH easer to decode when broken down into syllables like this: sim-ba-kub-wa.  What do students notice about each of those syllables?  (If needed, give them hints to help them realize each syllable has a vowel. 😉)  Challenge them to find other big words in the comic or classroom books and make their own syllable break downs.  Dinosaur books are often a GREAT place to look for big words!   

As educators we are tasked with teaching young children to learn many things.  We're asked to set learning goals and sometimes even chart progress on DATA WALLS.  (Don't get me started!)  We're expected to have all students reading, writing, and doing math "on grade level."  With all the external pressure it is easy to get tunnel vision and focus on a narrow band of student learning outcomes.  But just for a moment...STOP.  BREATHE.  REFLECT.

First and foremost remember that we teach children.  We merely deliver curriculum.  Children are not just brains or empty vessels.  They are whole people with all sorts of needs and talents.  As educators, it is our job to nurture children to be the best version of themselves they can be.  We can build a child up by celebrating all sorts of successes and we know success tends to multiply.  We can be responsive to their physical needs too.

I recall a transformational moment for me in the classroom.  It was about 20 years ago, so I was experienced but not THAT experienced.  My friend (and awesome educator) Kit was our French teacher.  She'd planned an amazing lesson.  She had puppets and all sorts of fabulous props and had clearly done her homework!  But the kids were just not into it that day.  Some rolled on the floor and even the usually super attentive ones drifted off.  The way Kit responded really impressed me.  She calmly put her things away simply stating this was not the right lesson for right now and got all the kids up on their feet for a French song and dance.  The music organized the chaotic sound and the movement gave kids a way to productively manage their energy in that moment.  I love that she was willing to respond to student needs and let go of all her careful plans.   I love that she understood their need to move!

We do motion breaks to try to address that need.  We can't see into your classrooms, but I've seen enough children over the years to know that 20 minutes of "sit and get" is a tall order for many 4-8 year old students.  Taking time to move helps them learn self-regulation skills and supercharge their thinking.  (It works well for adults too.  Some of my most productive team meetings happened during a brisk walk!)  The types of movements we choose are not by accident!  We try to present a variety of motions for a variety of reasons.  Explosive motions like jumping or running in place can help with energy regulation.  Crossing the midline can help with visual tracking and penmanship.  Working on balance poses can improve core stability which can help kids have an easier time sitting up on the rug.  Inversions can increase blood flow to the brain and improve mood.  

Here are a few strategies that worked for me in the classroom:

• Create a kid-friendly playlist so you are prepared to bust into a one song dance party to refocus your students.
• Grab a set of yoga for kids cards.  The Yoga Pretzels card deck was the inspiration for our motion break cards we use during the livestream.  You can sort out the ones that seem like a good fit for your situation and then let a volunteer pick a card.
• Teach everyone a song, chant, or cheer with motions.  (Or teach a whole bunch!)  This is a lifesaver when you need to refocus everyone in a flash.
• Play a quick game of statues.  Here's how I played: one child is the museum curator.  They close their eyes and count down from ten while the rest of the class silently moves.  They can do almost anything but jump.  When the curator reaches zero, they say "freeze" and their classmates must stop moving and hold their current pose and be a motionless as possible.  While the curator admires the statues.  If the curator sees a "statue" move, that statue becomes the next curator.  Play a few rounds if time permits, but even a single round can be enough to make a difference.  

I found that regular motion breaks in the classroom improved the behavior, focus, and mood of my students.  With short, frequent breaks they are better able  to hold it together in the in-between times and I feel like in spite of (or because of) the breaks we actually got more done!

Day 3: Find the Groundwater  This game-based lesson is a bit like Battleship.  We've included several variations so you can play this game to suit both your available materials and student needs!  You can also use it to address the following DCIs:

• K-ESS3-1. Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and animals (including humans) and the places they live. Examples of relationships could include that deer eat buds and leaves, therefore, they usually live in forested areas; and, grasses need sunlight so they often grow in meadows. Plants, animals, and their surroundings make up a system.
• K-ESS3-3. Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment. Examples of human impact on the land could include cutting trees to produce paper and using resources to produce bottles. Examples of solutions could include reusing paper and recycling cans and bottles.
• 2-ESS2-2. Develop a model to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area.

Day 4: Build a Tower  This lesson is one of five engineering challenges for this mission!  You can use it to help address the following DCIs.

• K-ESS3-3. Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment. Examples of human impact on the land could include cutting trees to produce paper and using resources to produce bottles. Examples of solutions could include reusing paper and recycling cans and bottles.
• 2-PS1-2. Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose. Examples of properties could include, strength, flexibility, hardness, texture, and absorbency.
• 2-PS1-3. Make observations to construct an evidence-based account of how an object made of a small set of pieces can be disassembled and made into a new object. Examples of pieces could include blocks, building bricks, or other assorted small objects.
• K-2-ETS1-1. Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
• K-2-ETS1-2. Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
• K-2-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.