See the World with Sparks

What is the weather like there?  What animals sometimes wander onto your playground?  What sports do you play?  What music do you listen to?  Does it ever stay dark all day long?  Are you affected by the melting polar ice caps?  We took a break from our Landmark Research to answer those questions when we got a surprise phone call from Mr. Terry today.  The students were thrilled as we Skyped with a 4th grade classroom in Anchorage, Alaska. The picture below shows Mr. Terry with a student in Barrow, Alaska.  To follow Mr. Terry online, go to Ontheroad.to and search for dragonmark.  The password is Alaska (with a capital A).  Enjoy!!

On Monday, several classes had the unique opportunity to use Skype in the classroom. Two of my classes Skyped with a solider who is a sniper in the U.S. Army and is currently stationed in Afghanistan and the third class Skyped with our Principal, Mr. Terry who was in a classroom in Barrow, Alaska.  With the soldier, we were able to discuss how the military is currently protecting the rights we enjoy as American citizens as well as the responsibilities we have here at home.  The solder also shared what the schools and children of Afghanistan were like. Mr. Terry took us to a classroom full of children and the students were able to ask questions to better understand what it might be like if they were a 6th grader in a remote Alaskan village.  I am hoping to post a picture of the classroom soon! I look forward to more Skyping experiences during the year!