Brisbin Crew News   
9.14.11

Welcome to the 2011/2012 Brisbin Crew page. This will be your go to site for information and pictures of the Brisbin Crew happenings. Please check it regularly to be kept up to date.

We have had an amazing start to our year. Our new crew already fits together beautifully in a cohesive unit. All of the students are working hard and having fun. They make me smile every day!

 

Language Arts

We have spent our first few weeks introducing and refining literature circles. As a group we have been studying By the Great Horn Spoon, by Sid Fleishman. Ask your child to describe our different literature circle roles.

 

Mathematics

Fourth graders are exploring both multiplication and division concepts. Fifth graders are exploring connections in math by learning how different mathematical concepts fit together.

 

Expedition – Treasure Hunters – Overnight Fieldwork

We kicked off our California Gold Rush Expedition by going on an internet treasure hunt. Students researched Gold Rush questions by visiting various Gold Rush websites.

Our next expedition experience was our overnight fieldwork to Malakoff Diggins and Empire Mine. We first stopped on our way to Malakoff to view the Diggins from above. The children could see the “big picture” of the destruction that hydraulic mining creates. We then went to mining town of North Bloomfield where students went on a scavenger hunt and experienced living in a mining town. They visited the stable, general store, apothecary shop, saloon, museum, and an old homestead. Next, we got to gold pan in a nearby creek. One of our students even found two gold flakes! Our evening ended with a visit from Alkali, the last of the 49ers, who told stories and played music for our entertainment.

The next morning, we headed to Empire Mine, to learn about a different type of mining. The children got to be miners and muckers, and realized that all of the jobs that the mine had to offer were pretty difficult and miserable. We even went down a mine shaft and went on a simulated “ride”.

Check out this link for fieldwork photographs: https://plus.google.com/photos/101324029023407348440/albums/5652389552278274401?gpinv=AGXbFGwMo-sO-TxMEYJ_wFsMQB4HyYBtAuDhF-7mOY3Pysy2OCpWSrf88B0av_iE9zMIvVi3FahB9fQioNNdEuMCqarJfHKOTvMHTnjTlmGNf2H1h18iItE&hl=en

 

Thank You

I wanted to send out a very special thank you to our drivers and overnight chaperones. I know that many of you had to sacrifice something (taking time off work, juggling children), in order to go. It is only because of you that we were able to go on this memorable trip. Next time you see Marcy, Cristina, Cindy, Crescent, Stephanie, and Mike, please thank them!

Dates

Monday, September 19th, is picture day.