Today I get to share with you a new middle school graphic novel. It is about the summer the author went on a three-week tour of Europe and experienced many firsts in his life. The book is A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat. It is recommended for ages 10 to 14.
It has been a long couple of weeks. Our school stops regular classes for two weeks starting with Presidents Day and the high school holds mini courses. Some of my colleagues and I are teaching a science of cooking and baking class. I have to say as fun as it is, it is tiring to teach cooking to fourteen high school students. I have come home most nights and falling asleep between 8:30 and 9:00. It has been crazy and I'm preparing for this coming week. Before I get to sleep early tonight, I want to share a fun new book with you that is perfect for every family of 6 to 12-year-olds. It is 365 Days of Play by Megan Hewes Butler and illustrated by Emily Balsley.
As a child did you ever wonder where the teeth go when the tooth fairy picks them up? I think it is a common thing to wonder about. That is until you find them hidden away in one of your parents' jewelry boxes or dresser. I mean what is a parent to do with all those baby teeth? I know I have Hazel's in my top dresser drawer, and I know my sisters and I found ours in my father's jewelry box. Where do you keep your children's lost teeth?
I am sure you remember the George Floyd murder. It was May 2020. We were in the middle of the worldwide pandemic and yet we watched as a white police officer had his knee on George Floyd's neck for nine minutes. We hear George Floyd utter he cannot breathe. The country broke out into chaos full of horror, anger and more. There were peaceful marches as well as riots. The event brought racism into the forefront of the United States news and mind. It forced white people to think about how Black people are treated and to realize how many innocent Black people (often men) are murdered because of the color of their skin.
One of my goals this year is to bring fractals into my teaching, especially in geometry class. Today I am going to share the fractal tree. It can easily be done on a computer but is also great for practicing measuring with a ruler and protractor. Now a fractal tree is probably one of the most basic fractals and well-known or at least its cousin, the fern is certainly seen as a fractal.
