Week 32

This week we had ARMT testing for 3 days. There wasn't too much excitement but we did manage to have a little bit of fun.

We started by reviewing concave and convex lenses. The kids were having a hard time remembering the light path so I came up with 2 brain dumps to help them remember.


I also set up an Edmodo account for the class. As you can see below, it is set up like Facebook but it isn't open to the public. It is just for our class. Make sure to check your e-mail for information about signing up. I thought it might be fun for us to use this to see how we might be able to use it for the classroom.



Class Dojo is another technology tool we started using. Each kid has an icon and I can add +1 for positive behavior and -1 for negative behavior. It was amazing to see how it helped those off task to be able to focus on the lesson.



Ms. Robison, our student teacher, had a great lesson planned for us about the gold rush. Timothy was the first to discover gold. The kids were assigned times to "arrive" to search for gold. Justin and Nick were shop keepers where the students had to buy food and tools. Andrea was Levi and everyone had to purchase jeans to be able to mine for gold.


We started with just a few miners. When mining for gold the students would squat down to pick it up and then stand all the way back up before getting another piece.

 

As you can see, things started to get a little crowded and it was harder to find gold, just like the real goldrush!


Thomas got be to the bandit. He could go to different people and "rob" them of some of their gold. He didn't have to work near as hard to get his gold. As you can see, he enjoyed getting to play the bandit.



To conclude the activity, the students were asked to write a journal entry as if they were at the real gold rush. Here are a few of the entries:

The Gold Rush of August 1849

Today is August of 1849, my job is a miner. I just heard about the discovery in California. August was the busiest time of the year because everyone came to California. It's just because the president announced that there really was gold in California. I had to first purchase all the supplies I needed then head down to where the gold was. I think January was the worst month ever because most of the gold was gone by then, but the best month to go mining for gold was June. I got 36 pieces of gold I had more though, it's just because people bumped me and shoved me. The prices for supplies started to raise up to $10 instead of $5. So I guess I'm not that rich after all. In August though there came a bandit who was taking peoples money, but he didn't even come near me. So that day was a busy day for me, but it was worth it. I'm just glad it's over.

Anna Lee

i was a miner in august 1849 I've got a lot of gold i got 299 pieces i did not run out of any food tools or jeans or anything and I am glad i did not get robbed people were pushing me so i dropped gold i am and glad i got gold it was fun even though there was a lot of people and I am glad we did fun things like that

Talia

I was miner in July, 1849. My name is Lindsey. The Gold Rush was good for me. I got a lot of gold until the bandit came and stole gold from people. The bandit came to me I told him I have no gold. But when you ran out of money you had to use gold. I broke my tools, ripped my pants and, I ran out of food. I arrived in California in July, 1849. I got pants from Levi Strauss. Once I heard about the discovery of gold in California, I decided to sell everything and get rich. Before I moved to California I used to live back East. I was very happy that I heard about the Gold Rush. I became very rich. When I was done purchasing supplies I kept mining gold until I couldn’t stop. We had to work and get gold but Levi Strauss and the store owners didn’t work as hard as we did. The worst time was January, 1850. Best time was June, 1849 because everybody heard about. It was worth it going to California to get some gold.

Tatiasha J. Webster

When I was in California I was a miner. It was worth it I guess. I got 101 pieces of gold! My only problem was I needed more food and had to pay for it with ten pieces of gold. Then the worst thing happened. A bandit came! He took 15 pieces of gold right out of my hand! I tried to get it back but I couldn’t. Then the people became angry mobs for gold. They were falling all over the place! They were pushing and shoving and pushing and shoving. Yah……..that probably wasn’t smart because one by one their jeans were ripping and tools were breaking. Sadly I was close to those crazy people and got 10 pieces of gold knocked right out of my hand:( !  It was chaotic but it was worth it I guess. Like I said I got 101 pieces of gold. Well…..see you later.

                                                                                   Megan McNabb

Well today we did the gold rush reenactment. It was crowded and people were pushing. Did I mention I was a miner? I found a lot of gold. I riped my pants one time, too. I had to pay for food and tools two times. It was very fun, because we fighting for paper that was yellow. I felt kinda stupid for fighting over yellow paper, but on the bright side I found 201 pieces of gold.

Thank you for this fun project!

Aviana

I was a miner. I came in early June 1849. You had to by tools, food, and jeans to go and collect gold. My tools only broke once, and I didn’t rip my pants, or run out of food. At the End I collected 135 pieces of gold. I THINK. .We each had a name well some of us did. Mine was Emily. The more people who came the prices went up, and luckily I didn’t have to buy anything after that. I also got robbed 2 times so the second time I got robbed I gave him an extra piece of gold so he wouldn’t come back. I’m glad I didn’t rip my pants.

By Dakota (DR. DJ JR.)

James Marshall’s log

It’s been worth the trip for me. I am one of the wealthiest people. People were getting frantic and bumped me so hard most of my gold it took months to get fell. I now have 151 pieces of gold which is $151. Those miners sure were brutal with all there pushing and shoving especially one in a brown sweater, one in a stripped black shirt, and one in a marvel superheroes shirt. It was a good run I’m proud to be the first miner forty niner. I had fun even though I broke my tools. Then a bandit showed up but didn’t steal from me I hid and prospected as fast as I could but all I could do was watch as my friends as they got robbed but better them then me I guess. I finally struck it rich working for my boss even if my boss’ company is ruined and I’m out of work I can find a new job. Now year’s later kids will know who I am the man who discovered and prospected in January 1849 I’m James Marshall and I’m the first miner forty – niner.

August 9, 1849 California

By: Timothy Byrd

The Gold Rush- Miner in August 1849

 The gold rush happened so fast.  I made $50 in profit.  I had to use $20 of my money to buy pants, food, tools and more pants.  It was so crowded in August when everyone came.  People cheated other people.  There were bandits. A bandit stole 15 pieces of my gold.  It was hard work and my legs and back hurt.  It was rough and sometimes people dropped their gold into the water and they could not get it back. 

The pants used to made of wool, but someone invented pants made out of burlap and they were a lot cooler and these lasted longer.  The wool pants were very hot.  It was worth going to California.  It would have been better to become a store worker or shop owner because all the people needed supplies.  The worst time to come to California was January 1850; people who came then did not get much gold. 

Alyse

STUDENTS: This week we took the reading and first part of the math ARMT. Is there a section where you believe you got all the answers right? We have to take the math and science sections next
week. Are you ready? What was your favorite part of this week?