Time lapse photography is super cool!

What is "time lapse photography"?
Why does it look like everything is happening so quickly in "time lapse photography"?
Why do people use "time lapse photography"?
Why do plants seem to move so much when we see them in videos made with "time lapse photography"?



What can "time lapse photography" teach us about seeds?

The Biggest Leaves in the World!

Smelly Flower (and not in a good way)

We know that flowers try to attract pollinators... But are pollinators always attracted by "nice" smells?

Here is a short video clip about the largest flower in the world.

Giant Pumpkins & a Maize Maze for Halloween

Let's Predict!How much can a pumpkin weigh?
How many pounds do you think a pumpkin can grow in a day?
How many pies can you make with a giant pumpkin?
How many seeds are in a giant pumpkin?
Will a giant pumpkin float?

So you wanted to learn more about coal mining...

After reading about the coal mining industry in the Appalachian Plateau Region of Virginia, our class had so many questions!

Some of our questions about deep mining:
How do they breath underground?
How far underground do they go?
How do they hold up the ceiling of the tunnels?
Isn't it very dangerous?
What kind of machines do they use?
What is it like to be a coal miner?

Some of our questions about surface mining:
Does it create a lot of pollution?
Does it destroy animal habitat?
Does it create an avalanche?
What does it look like?

Fortunately, I was able to find some short videos that will help us understand what coal mining looks and feels like.

This first video shows mines in Virginia, both deep and surface. Listen for how far down they are in the deep mine. Also, keep in mind that this video is a few years old. Coal is more in demand now that oil is so expensive. What do coal and oil have in common?



The mine in this next video ("Quecreek Coal mine") is not in Virginia-- it's in Pennsylvania. But this dramatic video gives us an idea of some of the dangers that go along with deep mining. Did you know that mines could flood?

What is the Great Dismal Swamp like?

Does it really really a dismal place?



How is the Great Dismal Swamp an important part of Virginia history?

Container Ship Being Loaded

This is so cool! Watch this time-lapse video of a container ship being Loaded. Can you see the trucks? Unloading works the same way-- in reverse. Can you imagine how your banana got to the grocery store?

Blade Runner

We read about Oscar Pistorius in our Sept. 19th issue of Time For Kids.

Mr. Baxter Explains the Map in the Lobby

Map in the Lobby from Vincent Baxter on Vimeo.

Topics from TFK September 12th issue

Hurricane Gustav:
How do people prepare for a hurricane?



Hurricane Ike:
What is a "storm surge"?



How much does it cost to fill up a school bus?:



He's your age and he can throw a mean fast ball!:

Booker T. Washington

We read about Booker T. Washington in our Social Studies textbook. Can you find the page in our text that talks about the Booker T. Washington National Monument? Why do you think there is a National Monument named after him?

Can you imagine starting a school without a building?



What do these quotations mean to you?

Time For Kids Connections

Time for kids had two really interesting scientific articles in the September 5th issue!

One was about an invasive species... Turn to that page. What is the title of that article?



Another was about animals sharing-- can you believe it? Which page is it on and what's the title?

Our Read-Aloud Author...

What's her name? And what else has she written?

About Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Questions from kids...

Was writing always a favorite for you?

Why haven't you written a book in a long time (12 years)?

Is there an author that you admire?

Are any of your books based on real life?

Who is your favorite character that you created?

What inspired your writing style?

Beverly Cleary

What does she think about reading?

And how does she go about writing her books?

The New Percy Jackson!

I enjoyed reading the 1st book in the Percy Jackson series (The Lightning Thief) to the kids at Field Camp this summer. Many campers decided to listen to a chapter each day even though they had read the book several times before, which proved to me how beloved this series of books is. Unfortunately, I had to leave camp before we had finished the book! So I still don't know what happens!

Having not even finished the 1st book, I have a lot of reading to do before I get to the 4th... But, I still found this video of Rick Riordan (the author) reading a little taste of book 4, The Battle of the Labyrinth interesting... Check it out:

I love Word Girl and her extensive vocabulary!

Why does Word Girl care about words so much?
And what does "word usage" mean?

How about these words... What do they mean?:
"clarity"
"villainy"
"absconding"
"baubles"
"arduous"