Expedition Express: Bills and Gills
Students in the Brisbin and Akers Crews have completed their final studies in learning “What makes a fish a fish,” and “What makes a bird a bird” by completing a final draft of their scientific drawing of a local bird or fish species, and by completing a nonfiction narrative focusing on that species. When learning about scientific drawings, students completed multiple drafts of the same drawing, and also completed a peer critique for each draft. The growth from first draft to last is astonishing! Students learned about drawing to scale and proportion, shading and blending, and the anatomy of their species. Our nonfiction narratives spanned the greater part of the month of school, with students focusing on setting the “scene” for the reader in their first paragraph by using words that engage the five senses, and show rather than tell. Then students followed plot diagram specifics by establishing a behavioral adaptation that their species engaged in, and creating a storyline that had rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

For our final product, students presented to the SELS PTC, requesting funds to provide two interpretive signs for our school. Information on the signs would include the chosen nonfiction narratives students vote as exemplars within our Crew, as well as the scientific drawing and taxonomy of the species.

Questions to Ask Your Child:
What did you learn about the behavioral adaptations of your Sierra Nevada Species?
What about the physical adaptations of your species?
What was the most difficult piece to your nonfiction narrative?
What was the most difficult piece to your scientific drawing?
Why are scientific drawings so important?
What are some of the criteria that scientific drawings should include?

Crew News
Celebration of Learning was a huge success! Students worked so hard to get their work turned in on time and made sure the craftsmanship was of high quality. Our final product was a nonfiction narrative about a native bill or gill. We would like to highlight a few sentences from those amazing writing pieces:

“Dawn, just before sunrise. The ski, painted with dark navy grey colors, illuminates a desolate tree on which Red Tailed Hawk alights, silently observing it all.” -Marion Snideman, 5th grade

“….Drip, drip, drip, The last rain droplets from a recent spell of stormy weather fall to the ground through the sturdy pine tree branches. Cool breezes send their refreshing whiffs through the forest as blue, gold, and pink sunset fades away into black darkness.” -Keira Scott, 5th grade

“It is midnight in Silver King Creek, and the clouds vigorous breath causes the moonlit water to swirl female Paiute Cutthroat Trout believes a storm is on the way, so she checks on her eggs.” -Maeve Kristian, 4th grade

“The frigid evening wind ruffles the female Clark’s Nutcracker’s wings as she soars side by side with her mate looking for the perfect spacious branch in a conifer to hold their young.” -Kaya Hainsworth, 4th grade

“It is a hawkish morning, in a conifer forest that bridges all the way to the amethyst mountains. Male White Headed Woodpecker is going to find insects while female White Headed Woodpecker guards the nest and its offspring inhabitants.” -Ayden Davern, 4th grade

“The dewy morning slowly arises as the sun begins to peek up from behind the high and mighty Sierra Nevada Mountains. The air was brisk and the sky a foggy grey. Reflecting off Silver King Creek, the sun wakes Paiute Cutthroat Trout from its rest.” -Sarvinoz Hasanova, 4th Grade

“Darkness fades to dawn. The eternal squall of Mountain Chickadee echoes off the monstrous alpine trees. “Chick-a-dee!” Her song welcomes the first light of spring. Mountain Chickadee’s hatchlings emerge for their first taste of the breeze; their song warning the prey of the Sierra.” -Riley Omar, 5th grade

“The rocky banks rush by while Golden Trout is sucked into a calm, small backwater. Golden Trout passes underneath a gathering of water striders, then expertly swirls around and cleaves through the mob. Catching many of the insects in his mouth, Golden Trout sluices the water out through his gills midway through his small leap.” -Kellen Gallagher, 5th Grade

Bridges 4th Grade Math: We completed our year with a geometry unit. The 4th graders were excited to work on their math project called Design a Town Map. This project highlighted their geometry skills as they had to have specific quadrilaterals, angles, and lines incorporated into their town map. They also worked on double digit multiplication. I would encourage all math students to keep up their math skills this summer by continuing their quick math multiplication and division skills, using fractions, and doing some addition and subtraction problems with carrying and borrowing. It as been a successful 4th grade math year and I have truly loved working with this math crew!

Bridges 5th Grade Math: Students wrapped up their knowledge of multiplying and dividing of decimals, Unit 7 this past week. Hooray for all of their hard work with the Bridges Math Program this year!

Our 5th Grade Community Service Project was an overwhelming success! Students presented their proposals to their peers, pitching their ideas for a sustainable structure that would help a chosen community in need. For this project, students were expected to create a budget with precise calculations, aerial architectural sketches, a model, and a proposal.

ELA: Students completed their Newbery Challenge masterpieces this past week, and assembled their folders for Celebration of Learning. Students wrote Book Reviews on their title of choice, and demonstrated proficiency in responding to literature. Students also worked diligently on completing their Book Club matchbook summaries as another example of RTL.

Special Brisbin Crew Parent Shout Out:
We would like to thank our Wonderful Wednesday Volunteers!
Shauna Ronzone is a rockstar Brisbin Crew Volunteer who never misses a Wednesday to help out in the classroom! Thank you, Shauna for volunteering your time and extra help- you are so appreciated!

Kerri Flaherty has been our Wednesday Akers Crew Volunteer for the past four years! I will miss your help and smiling face! I truly appreciate your commitment to volunteering in our crew! Thank you!