STEM At the Beach

Yesterday I wrote a little bit about our day trip to the beautiful Donner Lake.

What I didn't mention was the impromptu STEM lesson that happened while we were there.  I guess you can't really turn the teaching brain off even when you are relaxing!

While we were there, a group of boys started digging something.  Then they would grab a bucket of water and run down the line with it splashing it out as they went.  My boys curiosity was peaked!

"What are they doing?"

"What are they making?'

Finally one of them figured it out.  

"They are trying to make a river or stream to the lake."

Then they become doubtful.

"It's not going to work the way they are doing it."

That's when teacher mom arrived on the scene.

"What would you do differently to make it work better?"

"What structural changes would you suggest they make."

The ideas poured out like crazy!

"Maybe they need to make it higher than the lake."

"Maybe they should pour the water in one spot at a time so it has less time to evaporate."

Then I suggested, "Why don't you help them engineer it?"

That has a much better ring to it than "Why don't you go ask them if you can play?"

Have you and your kids been learning this summer?

Top Ten Things I Want To Do This Summer

I am linking up with Deanna Jump for her Top Ten Things I Want to do this Summer linky. I love making to do lists to keep me on track throughout the year, but I think my summer to do list has got to be my favorite to do list each year!

Hanging with these boys!  

It seems like I spend so much time with my students during the year, I don't get quite enough time to spend with my own boys. Although that should change a bit next year (I will have Luke in my classroom!). I am looking forward to lots of quality time with my little men! 

 Especially this one since he leaves for college in August!

VEGAS!  I am super excited to be spending time and getting to meet many of my blogging besties in real life at the Teachers Pay Teachers conference in July.

One of my co-workers talked me into signing up for a STEM training this summer.  Before working at my current school I worked at a Middle School that was a STEM Academy with a major focus on STEM.  My current school is not a STEM school per se, but I know that my students loved any science and math activities we did this year, so I am looking forward to learning some new ways to introduce STEM to my younger students.

Summer is my time to get my read on!  I am excited to be participating in a few book studies this summer, but I will also be squeezing in a few non- PD related reads as well.

I hope to be spending more time here doing this:

I love Body Pump classes but we get so busy during the school year (especially during baseball seasons) that I often have to miss out.  I see a lot of 10 AM sessions in my summertime future.

Every summer Tyler goes to baseball camp at the University I attended.  This year Luke will be joining him as well.

Our school district is switching to a Balanced Literacy program based on Lucy Calkin's work.  I will be attending training at the end of summer.

Re-decorating my classroom! I love matchy matchy things ( I know that is not a word, but I like it anyway).  I want to match my classroom to my blog with an apple theme.  I have done the apple theme in the past, but this year I will change up colors a bit. I've already bought the fabric for my boards and a few pieces from Target.  I can't wait to show you when it's done!

We are going to take a mini-vacation to Monterey.  The aquarium will be one of the spots we visit for sure.

I have never ever been into Ikea.  I have driven by numerous times, but this summer I am going in! LOL!

4 more days and summer is here for me!  Woo hoo!  I can't wait to cross things off my list.  What are your plans for the summer?  Link up and share!