The Paw Print
Earth Day 2020 Issue
Check it Out at the Library
Hey McLean Wildcats! Earth Day is April 22nd!
I have a couple of ideas to keep you reading while we are away from McLean:
1. Read a recipe and make some yummy sugar Earth Day cookies with a family member.
2. Read an article about Earth Day from National Geographic for Kids:
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/celebrations/earth-day/
Earth Day Sugar Cookie Recipe
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease 2 cookie sheets.
2. Cream together 1 ¼ cups white sugar and 1 cup of butter. Beat in 3 egg yolks and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
3. Add 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon cream of tartar. Stir.
4. Split dough into parts, put each part into a separate bowl, add green food coloring to one bowl and mix, add blue food coloring to the other bowl and mix.
5. Grab a spoon full of green dough and blue dough and roll together into 1 ball. Place balls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10-11 minutes.
Attention 3rd-5th graders:
If you read at least 2 William Allen White books this year, you may click the link below to cast your vote on which book you think deserves to be the winner. You may vote only once and be sure enter your name on the top of the form.
Voting link: https://forms.gle/sXGsWQJvRCfKBvgx9
Take Care,
Mrs. Daniels
Art Studio News
Earth Day will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary on April 22nd. Here are some art activities you can do to join in the celebration!
- Collect recyclable objects around your house and make an art collage; cardboard, plastic containers, caps/lids, paper, paper towel rolls, cartons, etc…
- Make a work of art out of nature by gathering items from outdoors; leaves, rocks, sticks, grass , etc…
- Color or paint an Earth Day Poster and display it in a window.
Theme Ideas:
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
- Less Plastic Will Be Fantastic!
- Save our Earth!
Mrs Adams
jadams1@usd259.net
Science News
Hi McLean Wildcats! Happy Earth Day! This Wednesday, April 22, is the 50th birthday of what we call Earth Day – which is a day to focus on taking care of the planet we live on!
Here are a couple of ways you can participate and give the Earth a birthday present!
1. Take a litter walk! Take a bag with you and walk around your neighborhood to pick up any pieces of trash or recyclable materials you find laying on the ground. Be sure to recycle the recyclable materials when you get home.
2. Make a recycle robot! Use any empty containers or cereal boxes you have around home to create your very own recycling robot. Pretend your robot will move around your house collecting the recyclables! What would your robot say if you could program him to talk?
3. Watch a video about what actually happens to the materials we recycle when they go to a recycling plant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4LZwCDaoQM
4. This video shows how plastic bottles are recycled into clothing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyF9MxlcItw
Take care!
Mrs. Oelze
Tech Bytes
Ms. Schaper
Music Notes
Hi Everyone! It’s almost Earth Day, and it’s the 50th Anniversary of this special day. There is music in the sounds of the Earth, so next time you take a walk, make notes about what you hear. The wind, branches clicking, dogs barking, train whistles, birds chirping, squirrels chattering, the rhythm of your feet and so much more! Try to make a list of 10 things YOU hear as you listen to the music of the Earth.
One of the things Earth Day helps us remember is to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle! If you have access, here’s a link to a simple rap called, “Recycle”, that Kindergarten and First Grade might like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyhbovE5lrk
You could try and create your own rap about the Earth or Recycling! I’d love to hear it.
Can you recreate at home any of those Earth sounds you noticed on your walk? If so, you might be on your way to becoming a Foley Artist! These people create sound effects for the movies and shows you watch. Here’s a video about a Foley artist and how he creates animal sounds for animations and movies. They spend time talking about how he created various sounds, including the Mammoth’s feet from Ice Age! Then he creates sounds to a video of a lion cub to show how the process works. Grades 2 – 5 should get a kick out of this. Paying attention to the sounds of the Earth around you could become a career!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2WCrXc7J-I
Take care and have a musical day!
Mrs. Johnson
P.E. Shorts
Hope everyone is doing great and trying to take some time to get outside and be active in some way or at least get out and enjoy some fresh air.
With Earth Day coming up, here are some PE activities you can do at home to help celebrate.
1. Trash Balls and Plastic Bottle Target Activity: You’ll need some old plastic bags, rubber bands or twist-ties, Styrofoam packing or newspapers, duct tape, and plastic bottles for targets. Fill a plastic bag with Styrofoam packing or wadded-up newspapers. Tie the bag closed with a rubber band or twist-tie. Tape around the ball so that it forms a shape that suits you. Do not feel limited to round balls. A not-so-perfectly-round ball can add a challenge! Make balls in a variety of sizes and densities. Are you ready for a game of catch or some throwing practice?
2. Tin Can Stilts Activity: For each pair of stilts you will need two large cans (juice or coffee), punch-type can opener, duct tape, and about 10 feet of light-weight rope. Rinse and dry the cans. Turn both cans upside down so that the open ends are at the bottom. With the can opener, punch two holes opposite each other at the closed end of each can. Carefully cover the sharp edges of the holes with duct tape. Cut the rope in half. Loop one 5-foot length of rope through the holes in the can. Adjust the lengths of rope so that you can reach them easily and hold them taut when you stand up on your stilts. Knot the rope in place. Now take a walk!
3. Balloon Badminton Activity: For each racquet you will need a strong wire coat hanger, one nylon stocking or leg of panty hose, and duct tape. Bend the coat hanger into a rectangular or square shape. Straighten or bend the hook of the hanger to form a handle. Pull the foot of the stocking over the top of the hanger and work it down so that a bouncy surface is formed. Wrap the stocking around the handle to give some protection for the hand. Tape it into place. Cut off any bulky excess. Use your racquet for a fun game of balloon badminton!
I have also included a flipgrid activity you can do.
Coming Soon FIELD DAY info!!!!!!!!!!
Mr. Doornbos