Jurassic Park 2025

 

Surprise!  It was Jurassic Park Day!

Our room had been transformed into Jurassic Park!

Mrs. Wanke shared with us that the evil Victor Hoskins, hacked Jurassic Park's computers.  All the fences were down and we were locked out of the controls.  We had to work on site!  This was a dangerous task, since the dinosaurs were free to roam where ever!  We had to work quickly and quietly!   

Mrs. Wanke gave each of us our Jurassic Park Field Guide and headlamps. 

Our goal for the day was to, solve a series of tasks to obtain numbers. We would write these numbers on the Code Collector page of our Jurassic Park Field Guide.  Mrs. Wanke explained, once we had all the numbers she would input the numbers into a random number generator to see if any of the combinations would unlock Jurassic Park's computer system.  

Task #1: Dino Determination

We had to measure the lengths of the bones and record the lengths in our Field Guide.  Then, use those measurements to determine which dinosaur the bones came from. 

Task #2: Dinosaur Classification

We had to read the information about herbivore and carnivore in our field guides.  Then we had to look at the dinosaurs and determine if the dinosaur was a herbivore or carnivore.  

Task #3 Magnifying Words

We had to use magnifying glasses to read all the words that were hidden in the excavation picture and record them into our Field Guide.

Task #4 Scrambled Up Bones

We had to unscramble the sight words that were on the bone and record them correctly into our Field Guide.

Task #5 Paleontology Grid

We had to read the coordinates of various dinosaur bones that were found at the excavation site.  Then we had to glue pictures onto a grid in our field guide matching the coordinates.

Task #6 Excavating Missing Addends

We had to dig up the missing addend and match them to the correct equation. We had to record the results in our Field Guide. 

Task #7  

We had to read about a top new dinosaur breed that had been created at Jurassic Park.  Then we had to go back into the text and color code specific evidence and answer questions from the passage. 

We had so much fun and we worked SO very hard! 

At the end of the day we had gathered all the numbers.  We input the numbers into the computer.  The computer generated several possibilities and eventually we found a combination that worked.  

Glow Day 2025

Welcome to GLOW DAY!

This is one of my favorite days of the year!  

To start our morning off with writing our Heart Words glow style!  For this we used a highlighter to write our words 3 way, normal, capital, and fancy.  After we warmed up with writing our heart words.  We learned that some Jellyfish glow!  So we read a passage about Jellyfish.    After reading it one time, went back to find evidence in the text to answer questions about the text.  

After becoming Jellyfish experts, we played a Fact or Opinion game.  We had to read a statement about Jellyfish.  We had to determine if the statement was fact or opinion.  To show our answer we would throw 3 glow rings around a stand for face or opinion.  

To end our morning, we did a directed drawing of a GLOWING jellyfish. 

After lunch it was time for Math Glow Games!

Glow Game  #1

Glow Jenga

  

 Each Jenga piece was covered in 1 of 4 colors of neon black light tape.  After a piece was successfully placed on top, the player would take a math question card that corresponded with the color on the Jenga piece.  Students worked together to solve the problem.  

 

Glow Game #2

Glow Measurement 

Students had to walk around to room measuring neon lines with snap cubes.  Once they got the measurement, students recorded their responses on their recording sheet. 

Glow Game #3

Glow Tic-Tac-Toe

Students took turns solving an addition or subtraction equation.  If they solved it correctly, they got to put down an X or O.  If they got it wrong, they didn't get to put a symbol on the board.  

Glow Game #4

Glow Bowling

Students took turns throwing a light-up ball at our 10 glowing pins.  After the pins were knocked down, students would count the number of pins knocked down.  Rather than subtracting from 10...because that is too easy... students had to subtract the number of pins knocked down from 15!

We had so much fun on GLOW day!  

I heard many of the kids say, "This is the best day ever!" and "I love this class!"  This is exactly why I love my job!  They were sad to see this day end, but I told them you just never know when another special day will pop up! I have many more tricks up my sleeve!