Making Plant and Animal Cells

Students used graham crackers, cookies, icing, cereal, and candy to design plant and animal cells.   They were very creative with cell part representations.   Round cookies were used as the animal cells.  Rectangular graham crackers were used for the plant cells. 

The malted milk balls made the nucleus.  Fiber cereal was the mitochondria.  

These students grouped Kix together to represent chloroplast  in the plant cells.

Broken pieces of graham crackers were used to show the cell wall of the plant cell.  

These students used Kix cereal to show the cell wall and a piece of broken graham cracker to represent the large vacuole.  The best part was students got to eat them!  They loved making and eating these.  

4th Grade Classroom

This is a picture of the chalkboard that Johnny painted black.  I am using it as a vocabulary word wall so the ugly shade of green is now a nice pretty black.  It matches better but is still magnetic!

Classroom Rules

I used cake boards purchased in the cake making section as the background.  I printed the rules on purple paper in the shape of a circle and cut out  Then we taped them on.  Next I made a bow for the top, and hung them on a ribbon.  I love the cake boards.  They match the curtains.

Essential Questions

Instead of "I Can" statements this year, we are using "Essential Questions". I am using the chart and sentence strips to write the Essential Questions for the week.

View from the Back

Hall Passes

I have 4 hall passes for the kids to use.  They place one on their desk before going to the restroom or to get water.

I purchased letters and spray painted them.  Then I used a white paint pen to add details.

Science Table

A fish aquarium is to come later.  

Small Group Table

Filing Cabinet Redo

This filing cabinet started out as an ugly gray that was all scratched up.  First I painted the cabinet with black oil based paint.   Next I used my curtain fabric and mod podged it onto the front of the drawers.  I made two: a 2 drawer and a 4 drawer.  I LOVE how they turned out.  They really add to the room. 

Animal Cell

I purchased plant and animal cell models for my science table. 

I am very please with how my room turned out.  I still have things I need to do but am waiting until I can walk again.  Although this room is small it may be my favorite one yet.  I love it!  

Classroom Design

This is my teaching podium.  Johnny was going to build me a podium to lay my materials on etc. while I am teaching.  Since I am new to 4th grade, I figure I am going to need to keep my TE close by.  It is a small desk my children have both outgrown.  We placed it on bed risers.  Then I put a skirt around the desk.  I made the skirt out of the same fabric I used to make my curtains.  The podium is exactly what I needed!   

I was very pleased with how my curtains turned out.  I just made rectangular panels then I sewed round plastic hooks on the back.  Next we ran string through the hooks and pulled up the curtains to make the shape at the bottom.