Thank You Langa Friends!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am writing today to say "Thank You" to my friends in South Africa.  I am thankful to Mr Amani and his class for helping make a dream a reality.  Last year, I really wanted to take on a final PBL driving question, "How can we learn about the world through math story problems?" The 5th graders spent countless hours creating problems and investigating San Francisco so that they could share their city with others. While we did have an opportunity to collaborate with an international school in China, I really was hoping to find more partners.  While traveling in Cape Town this August, I did just that.  Mr Amani is an enthusiastic, committed math teacher at Moshesh Primary School in Langa.  You can read about my visit to Langa, and Moshesh here.

I continue to be reminded of the struggles we face trying to create partnerships with schools across the globe.  In the case of this project, timing is a small issue that i hope to work to overcome in the months to come. You see, Moshesh Primary School just sent us their problem set, BUT they are heading out on summer holiday.  Mr Amani and I have connected and established that this is just the start of something special.  Connectivity.  Technology.  Language.  Those are hurdles that we have overcome.  In the future we both hope to push the boundaries of what we have accomplished thus far and create a lasting and authentic relationship between Town School and MPS.  I so look forward to it.  

Today, the day after Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the experiences, support, excitement and the energy around global learning at Town School.  And, "Thank You" Mr Amani and your 6th and 7th grade math classes.  We can't wait to solve these problems!   

Here's to Another Year. Further Exploration. KIVA.

"Returning was a weird thing. You can never visit the same place twice. Each time, it's a different story. By the very act of coming back, you wipe our what came before.” -The Last Little Blue Envelope

I have to admit, their are moments where it is challenging.  Moments where I struggle to find the energy the boys deserve. Through the experiences I have been through with the 6th graders the past two years, it is increasingly more difficult to return as if I haven't been down the path.  Biting my tongue and not allowing myself to give up too much, too soon.  Or coming across as "been here, done that, don't do that".  These are often occurrences. Because it is the exploration and modeling that is most important to me after all.  The development of truly empathetic global citizens through a year long, real life simulation/experience with microlending.  They need me to be not only as excited as last year, but even more so and more intentional due to my personal growth and education.  

So where are the boys from the garage now?  

For the past week I was able to work alongside the humanities teachers.  In doing this, the boys worked on business plans (group business plans linked to our LIVE page below) in humanities class.  The goal was to concentrate on transition words, mechanics and critical thinking.  I hadn't collaborated across the disciplines in the past so this was an exciting addition to the program.  By giving the leadership of these plans to Dave I was able to fully concentrate on the mathematics that goes into starting a business.  With the help of Justin at Kiva Zip, I also created a borrower application that allowed us to revisit the financial literacy terms of credit, debt, and interest rates, alongside the math skills of unit rates, percent and graphs.  The boys processed these in math class, had meetings with their field partners and some of the groups are currently LIVE AND READY TO GO! CHECK IT OUT.

While being live is exciting, having a visit from Justin from Kiva Zip and giving our first loans this week was even more exciting. Having connected with Justin at KIVA U Summit, I decided to take up Justin's offer to come visit Town School.  I am so thankful I did.   Justin was able to articulate the differences between Kiva and Kiva Zip, talk about the potential growth of both programs, give advice to the boys and lend an ear to their thoughtful and crazy ideas.  It was a lot of fun!  And...

Justin's trip was a great kick off to the boys making their first loans as well.  The day after his visit I explained to the boys that they had been given a $25 gift card from the current Kiva Council.  I informed them that it was up to them as a class to decide who this person was.  I let them know that we would reflect on this person throughout the year and compare our experience with micro lending to theirs.  Immediately 6B suggested that they might want to lend to a local borrower through Kiva Zip and that they definitely wanted to work alongside an entrepreneur as opposed to an education or home improvement style loan.  I was happy to hear them get "there" without my assistance. I had them fill out our Kiva Council Loan Decision Worksheet so that they could start to determine what was important to them, and then each group had 45 seconds to "sell" their person to the rest of the class.  Heads down voting and we had our first 6B loan.  Garry.  The great part of this?  We get to communicate with Garry and who knows, a real LIVE meeting?

6A walked in with a different agenda.  While they believe in the importance of Kiva Zip they felt passionate about lending more globally.  Secretly I smiled, I liked the balance.  The 6A boys ranked their class top 4 priorities as "Lending to Women, Lending to people with children or families, lending to countries in turmoil and lending to people who had been discriminated against in the past".  The boys went off to discover that it was overwhelming at first to pick a loan and many of the groups got distracted and only hit on 1 or 2 of the priorities they had named themselves.  Just when I thought we were going to have it delay the lending a day or two, one of the boys suggested Maria.  Maria.  Woman. 7 Children. Philippines.  Woman.  Hit all FOUR if you ask me.  The boys started to discuss the importance of lending to the Philippines given the state of the country post storm.  WOW.  They were really doing it:)  

The discussion we have had in class and outside of class on Edmodo have been amazing.  In an effort to get them to understand how hard it may be for people to fill out applications if they struggle to read or write I wrote my posts in Edmodo in German at first and then asked them to reflect on statistics about literacy.  It was interesting to see their reactions.  

So what now?  We wait.  We wait for the rest of the borrower applications to arrive. We wait for loans from our faculty.  We wait to bring more excitement into the garage, one lesson after another.  This is bigger than us.  This is why I am in education. This is why I find the energy even when it's tough.   

Advisory: Celebrating Global Relationships and Community Inclusion

Early in the morning and things got interesting in advisory this week.  At the beginning of the year we made a decision to incorporate a global issues day into our weekly advisory plan.  This was exciting for me from the start as it would give me an opportunity to further pursue ideas and concepts that don't necessarily fit into my math curriculum.  Global Issues Day was introduced as an alternative to current events.  As an advisory team we felt that current events often led the boys to bring up topics that had to do with sports and other local news that was hard to move beyond the surface with.  I was hopeful that Global Issues Day would allow us to take current events to the next level as we expanded on issues, celebrations and news.  

Examples of Global Issue Topics?

• 9/11 Memorial
• International Day of Peace
• The Government Shut Down
• Children's Favorite Possessions Around the World
• The History and Cultural Rituals of Halloween
• Celebrating Diwali
• Beginning talks and relationship building with Zim Kids. 

So what did we do this week?  We made the whole week Global in the Garage.  A visit from Zimkids Dennis and Tinashe and a celebration of Diwali.  So what's this whole ZimKids thing?  Let me share.  

At the end of last year, I was introduced to Dennis Gaboury through Ric at school.  At the time, a lot was going on and I knew that in my heart if I tried to force a relationship or program that it would be a disaster.  I needed to work on something that was more intentional and therefore I had to ask for forgiveness with the promise that next year would work out better.  And so we moved forward this fall.  As I stated to my parents: 

"Learning about ZimKids has allowed the boys to get a small glimpse of what life is like in Zimbabwe.  We introduced the program to the boys by sharing this  video  and looking at Zimbabwe compared to the US before matching the boys up with "Buddies" who we learned about through online profiles.  The boys have spent some time writing up their own biographies which will be shared with the boys in Zimbabwe too.  When Dennis and Tinashe return to Zimbabwe the plan is for our boys to connect by sending short emails and do a skype call together.  The partnership was created so the boys can learn about a different culture, work on various styles of communication and sharing skills, and work towards becoming more global citizens."

Dennis and Tinashe joined us on Monday and Tuesday morning during advisory to share more about ZimKids, their own lives, and about the interests and personalities of the buddies.  The boys listened intently to stories about life in Zimbabwe as they warmed up to our visitors.  It was intense, but then again so is life in Zimbabwe.  The boys then asked questions about their buddies, learning about how much they like school, or how they like to rap and dance like elephants etc... Despite the different cultures and upbringings the boys began to truly realize, kids are still kids.  The boys inquired how they could help and some even bought the dolls that traveled from ZimKids and were made by our buddies.  So many elements of this brief time with Dennis and Tinashe will stay with me.  I look forward to our next "meeting".  

While it was hard to transition from ZimKids, I couldn't pass up a celebration of Diwali given that it is an important holiday for some of our community members.  Global Education and Diversity/Community Inclusion go hand in hand and so on Wednesday we planned a Diwali morning meeting.  In order to do a proper celebration and lesson on Diwali, I decided to contact one of the families to help with the history and traditions. So what did our morning meeting look like?  

Greeting:  Have the boys greet each other using the word Namaste.  The word Namaste means “Salutations to you” and is used to greet and say goodbye.  In India and Nepal a non contact form of greeting is preferred and therefore it is often used with a slight bow and hands pressed together (prayer position.)  

Share:  Read the story of Diwali . 

Activity:  Share what else we know about Diwali.   

• Light many candles or diwas all over a clean house to welcome the goddess laxmi into your home.  
• Playing Cards or gambling is done during Diwali because if two reasons.  Because goddess Parvati played cards with Lord Shiva on Diwali and because people believe they will win because the goddess Laxmi is visiting and we are sure to win because the goddess Laxmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity.
• Gifts are also given during this time of the year.
• Bhai dooj or Bhai beej is also significant. It's when lord Yama, lord of the dead, visited his sister. It is said that when a sister welcomes her brother into her home in this day and puts a Tilak, a red dot, on his head she vows to protect her brother from evil and lord Yama has vowed not to let harm fall on them.
• The day between Diwali day and Bhai dhuj, we bend and touch our elders feet asking for their well wishes for the coming year.  

Conclusion:  As suggested by the family, the boys bowed to me with their hands together and I put my hand on their heads wishing them long life and happy new year.  

Oh and let's not forget the sweets.  While we didn't have access to Indian sweets, we did have Halloween Candy so we celebrated with that.   Diwali, our festival without much light (fire hazard), was pretty fun.   

Let's Launch. Trust Groups, One Hen, Financial Literacy & Global Issues

It's been an exciting few days in the garage as we have entered into the land of micro lending leading up to PBL. While I may be quoted as saying, "the structure of the 6th grade project doesn't need any work, I will just roll with it and put the effort into the hands-on time with the boys" I didn't exactly leave everything as is either.  Having just walked away from an incredible few days at Kiva U Summit and having had the chance to work through some of the materials KIVA U has put forth, I wanted to work towards my goal of making the math concepts deliberate/intentional.  

So, without much change, I read the book ONE HEN to the boys on Monday in class. The boys are always pretty interested in the reading and I had them reflect on Edmodo afterwards. Some of their responses are here:   

On Tuesday we spent some time going through the One Hen simulation about trust groups.  Having gone through this simulation a few times, I personally didn't want to get bored and needed to make sure that I helped inspire great conversation.  I gave the boys the information on trust groups and compared and contrasted them to the less formal model that is shown in One Hen.  I did this before giving them role play cards.  The boys then spent a few minutes understanding who they were and making decisions about their lives. After they introduced themselves to the group we brainstormed community issues that we noticed in this village.  

• Lack of food and nutrition
• Access to healthcare
• Large families with limited resources
• Access to loans and/or money
• Access to clean water and electricity
• Confined living space
• Limited transportation opportunities
• Limited access or financial means for education
• Women's rights and gender inequality

One of the questions that resonates with me is:  "If the cost of uniforms is preventing kids from going to school, why do they need uniforms?" I don't have a lot of answers about poverty and lack of access to essential needs but this one really did make me think.   I am looking forward to peoples thoughts and responses on this.  

After talking about our community issues, we moved onto the second part of our role play, problem solving.  One member is always unable to pay back the loan and we have to deal with how we can assist as a community.  During the simulation the person who couldn't pay back had issues with collecting payments from their business.  Above and beyond the idea of helping this individual payback the loan-immediate help- we talked about how we could support their business in the future.  From buying products to helping them with collection process, all of this will be relevant as we consider launching our own businesses in the days to come.  Of course, anger and emotional distress did lead the conversation at one point as they discussed collecting money from the people who hadn't paid up.  Violence is not the answer is the message I had to send. So we had a small discussion on why violence may happen in these communities. Being able to reflect back on the poverty simulation they did in 5th grade really helped.  I will also have to remind them of how they sometimes act when emotion is involved as we work on collaboration and other life skills in the coming months.  

It was amazing how I was able to tie in a few stories from my travels so naturally this year, and giving myself the time to do it as well. Empowerment of women with loans led to conversations about my friends in Chilamate, while lack of access to needs lent itself to the townships of South Africa.  These were ways that I was able to work my own empathy and better understanding of the developing world through travel into meaningful classroom conversations.  It felt great to have these experiences in my toolkit and I continue to be thankful for the experiences Town has helped me have. 

After the simulation it was time to bring in the math.  So we talked about loans, both traditional and non traditional.  The conversation started using KIVA U materials (grades 6-8), and we talked about the difference between cash, checks, credit, and debit. We also talked a little about bartering, which is obviously more common in other parts of the world.  The boys were extremely interested and engaged. They wanted to talk about credit reports, the lesson of "never give your social security number to anyone" and using your credit card to gain air miles.  We also talked about the banks as a business.  All great lessons for these 12 year olds!

When it came to credit and loans, I introduced the formula for simple interest:

Interest = Principal x Rate x Time

We talked about interest rates as they pertain to credit scores the students were interested in fluctuating rates and why people with less money may have to take on higher rates.  Made me smile inside when one student said, "Does't that mean the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? It should be the exact opposite".  I like that they have exposure to what happens in this world in terms of financial access and opportunity.  

In conclusion, the boys looked at rates here in San Francisco, before extending our conversation to Kiva.  I had to explain what kiva really means when it says 0% interest and how that looks/is different at the lender vs field partner/borrower level.  It's pretty well explained on the Kiva website and is an extension since last year in terms of teaching the concept. In fact, KIVA U materials on better lessons really helped me investigate the concept of Interest with the boys and may provide a few more twists in our modeling micro finance process this year.  Time will tell.  

It's been an exciting start and the energy is really amazing. The boys are on the edge of their seats waiting to hear the driving question... It's coming!! 

“6B Towns School for Boys math class experience micro financing for themselves! #microfinance #math #loaning #poverty #yolo$wag”

— -Jake

Are You Ready to Take the Plunge-Join the 1 million Alongside Town School

During the past two weeks, the boys have been busy creating advertisements for Kiva.org.  This was a PBL that began with, "As employees of Goggin Advertising how can we best represent Kiva and convince new and existing customers to loan to particular geographic areas."  Unlike last year, a few groups decided to do print ads as well.  I made it my priority to focus on feedback and revision (1 of 8 essential elements) which worked wonders for some of the groups.  You will see an example of this below.  

Overall it was a successful journey through PBL with a new class of boys.  While we adapt to projects at our school, I think I had forgotten about how much the boys grow in one year. While I know that the boys don't know the particular rules of our classroom, expectations etc... I think I forgot that the level of inquiry, urgency and motivation to move swiftly through things and more also needs to develop alongside new teachers and their expectations.  

As I prepare for a weekend at Kiva with motivated educators, high school and university students all dedicated to using micro finance in their classrooms I smile.  I hope that these ads make you smile too, and why not make a loan?  #KivaU Summit.  Let's Rock it!  

Middle East Kiva Sami and Holden

South America Tom, Kyle and Ben

Kiva Zip Pierce Thompson Benjamin Grant Carson Levit

Central America Henry Connor

Check out the Revisions to the left!

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

The 6th graders have been entering my classroom the past few days knowing that a project was on the horizon. Is it Kiva they ask?  Will we start selling products they wonder?  This is where a project with a large public audience becomes a bit more challenging.  Do the students know too much when they enter my classroom?  Will the "need to know" die out?  Will students not need to participate in "inquiry"? Will it just turn into a project and not a pbl? 

In order to gauge where they were on the toic I started class with a thinking routine called Think Puzzle Explore.  With a few minutes of solo thinking time and then a partner share before coming back to our circle up they asked themselves the following questions.  What do you THINK you know about this topic?  What questions or PUZZLES do you have?  How can you EXPLORE this topic?  The topic-KIVA.

Of course some kids started thinking about KIVA as the project they saw from the outside and not as a non for profit in San Francisco at all.  Yes, some of the students wrote that they think "Kiva" is us starting a business and selling to the other students. And sure that has been a product of a driving question PBL, "How can we model micro financing in our own community?".  But I quickly redirected them to thinking about the company as a whole.  Kiva isn't about Town School. It's about something much bigger, I reminded them.

What do they think?   

They think Kiva is a company that loans money to businesses and or people in need. They think the need base is from education and/or money. They think it is micro financing but they don't really know what that is.  They think people may not pay back their loans. They think kiva is a non profit.  

What PUZZLES them?   

How do you know what Kiva is doing is good?  real?  They wonder if Kiva is a big or small company/organization?  How do they find people to loan to?  Does Kiva profit? Do they make money? How do the borrowers actually get the money/How do the lenders get the money back?  How does Kiva keep track of the money coming in and out? What's the chance of getting the money back?  Are other schools in San Fran working with Kiva? Is interest involved in the loans?  Who was it founded by?  How many loans has Kiva made?

How will they EXPLORE? 

While today was an investigation of Kiva using these puzzles and some vocabulary, the boys also hope to talk to people from Kiva and the current 7th and 8th graders.  The boys hope to have access to people at Kiva to answer their bigger questions. They also hope to explore the concept of Donate vs Lend.  And lastly, they hope to do a project often referred to around here as KIVA.  

 So in the end when they ask, "Are we going to do Kiva?" I just have to laugh.  They have no idea what that looks like on the inside.  They have no idea how investing in micro financing, working through the struggles of modeling it and "connecting" with the greater world will transform them in the end.  Fingers crossed, it's worked so far.  

A Little Extra Work Goes A Long Way-Global Math Stats Class

Today's blog is highlighting a class period that I had this week with my 7th graders.  With the demanding curriculum of my 7th grade class, alongside it being a little more "new" to me, in years past I have had a hard time making it global. The statistics unit comes up in the first week of school and I am often caught off guard. Thankfully I got ahead of things this year... 

If you haven't visited the site www.ifitweremyhome.com you should.  It's a great place for students to check out how countries compare to one another.  We had the website setting on "comparing to the US" and in particular the country of comparison was physically compared to San Francisco, CA. and the Bay Area.  

The boys began the day by using the globes in the classroom to investigate 6 countries in their assigned geographic regions. Some of the boys had personal interests in countries, others chose based either because they felt they knew something about the country or they knew absolutely nothing about it.  One particular conversation, after I suggested South Africa (thought this would be nice as I could speak a little about the country)  came about when a student said, "I don't want to choose South Africa, it's a lot like here".  Further probing led to me discover that the reason he said that was because he has met South Africans, including our Leap School friends and didn't believe based on those interactions that our worlds could be much different.  I told him to take a look, that he would be surprised.  He was.  "I wonder if the HIV/AIDs problem is getting worse" he asked after discovering you are 30.2 % more likely to have HIV/AIDs in South Africa.  The boys discovered that and more as they spent time on www.ifitweremyhome.com and discovered a little about their countries of interest.  The boys had the task of acknowledging and writing down two things that really made them think, "jaw dropping" stats and one I wonder.  The website is so easy to use that the boys were able to quickly discover a whole lot about their countries and they started to really think about the differences between those countries and how we live. I really enjoyed their "I wonders".  

Togo- I wonder if their healthcare is good,

Benin- I wonder what their min. wage is.

Kenya- I wonder why they die so much sooner.

Djibouti- I wonder what they die from.

China- I wonder why their country can be so big but they don't use very much oil compared to us.

Japan- I wonder how much the earthquake effected the country. 

India-8 times higher chance of dying in infancy, I wonder how tough life can be in parts of Inida. 

Venezuela- I wonder if they had better healthcare would they have a lower HIV/AIDS rate. 

Panama- I wonder how many people leave country. 

Costa Rica- I wonder if they had more access to resources would they use more electricity.  

Columbia- I wonder how many people complete their schooling.

After some discovery time we gathered and shared some of our findings before venturing over to the Unicef site to gather more statistics to play with.  I never knew that Unicef had customizable statistic tables that easy allows for one to draw statistics out and use them in excel.  While this week we didn't put them into excel, I wanted them to practice computing mean, median, mode and range without the help of the computer, I am certainly going to use these stats in the future as we learn to create graphs from spreadsheets in 6th and 7th grade.  This is such an easy way to use real world stats!, math teachers must try it!

The boys decided that they wanted to look at GNI per capita (Gross National Income) , life expectancy at birth, and primary school net enrollment ratio.  Their curiosity was high.  We had the opportunity to talk about the birth lottery, as it is often referred to. The idea that where we are born determines our opportunities in life.  The boys were intrigued and thoughtful and I am hopeful that they will bring not only their data landmarks with them to class on Monday, but an open mind and a level of empathy for others in the world.  

9/11 Never Forget

As we move through the years something strange has happened for me as a teacher on this day.  While it is easier to "talk" about-as time heals wounds and likely makes us less anxious as a whole as well, it's harder because our audience has changed. What do I mean by that?  As I gathered my students this year, not one had even the faintest memory of the day, in fact only 2 of them were actually alive.  In years past, I recall having students talk about seeing their parents cry while watching the tv, or being told that the tv would be off for the day.  They had some memory, no matter how faint.  But now it's different, and forever will be.  

Just because students don't recall the actual events, doesn't mean we shouldn't teach it and acknowledge it. That would be the equivalent of cutting history from our curriculum, right?  9/11 might not even be in the books yet.  So what did we do?  

The boys came to advisory this morning and were asked to check in by acknowledging someone or some people who they consider heroes.  Awareness that it was 9/11 certainly put a spin on their responses as they were all related.  Firefighters, military persons, military veterans, SEAL teams, office "guards"...  When we do this activity non related to 9/11 we tend to get a few others such as family members, and historical figures (and the occasional sports figure).  But I would imagine that somewhere in the last 24 hours they were reminded by someone that the world changed 12 years ago on this day.  

After checking in we talked about qualities that make heroes, whip-sharing our thoughts (brave, courageous, thoughtful, putting their own needs behind the needs of others) before watching a brainpop on 9/11.  The boys listened as they were led through the attacks of 9/11 in an age appropriate cartoon style movie.  In conclusion, I asked "What are some other situations where communities have come together based on tragedy, where people have down courageous acts, where communities have come out stronger because of it?"  Dark Knight Movie Shooting in Colorado, Newtown Ct shooting, Boston Marathon Bombing, recent fires in yosemite, earthquakes and house fires... they named a few.  

It was simple, it was thoughtful, and it led to an age appropriate discussion.  I just hope the students and parents know know that we don't teach 9/11 to scare them, but that we teach 9/11 to let them know that our country is full of strong people that do our best to keep them safe, no matter what.  

Never forget. 

Lucky 16!

While summer has just started here in San Francisco (it's 80 degrees and sunny today), this week is the start of my 16th school year.  Refreshed from an amazing summer of family, friends and travel (see my professional adventures page to learn more about my amazing summer) , I am ready to take on my 55 new students and discover not only mathematical algorithms, concepts and challenges, but also how we can apply them to make us and the world a better place.  

In my 6th and 7th grade classrooms this first week, we discussed team work. In my early days of teaching I simply thought kids should just work together, know how to communicate effectively while doing so and be able to self regulate.  However, the more I study alongside my students and peers, incorporate practices of Developmental Designs and learn more about 21st Century Skills (which by the way we all needed in the 20th Century) I understand that we need to teach our students what being part of a team, partnership, community, really is.   

Given that I have some background in outdoor education-thanks to a solid few summers at Sanborn Western Camps and Wilderness Ventures , I decided an activity that was less academic but could provide a physical representation of our TEAM would be a good place to start.   

Bring on the learning web.  Using a ball of string, I started by throwing the ball to a person in our group while holding the end of the string.  The student then used one hand to hold the string and then throw the ball to the next person.  This went on until all students were a part of the web. Our learning WEB.  During this process a few things occurred.  Students held their part of the web in different ways.  From wrapping their finger til it turned blue, to using two hands, to experimenting with putting it behind their head, each student experimented with being a part of the web in different ways.  With this creativity came some judgement. Students commented that it wasn't safe, or that it wasn't a good way to do it etc... and others just learned on their own whether it was working or not.  I let the conversation go.  In fact, the kid that was using his head to hold the string commented, "hey it may not be for everyone, but it's working for me".   

Learning WEB

And... so we engaged in conversation right alongside that comment.  We talked about how this web represented our community, and by asking one of the students to drop their part of the web we then discussed what happens when someone in the community lets us down.  And another... and another...  the boys discussed that if one students lets us down or is having a bad day we can likely get him back up and going.  What happens if three or four let us down? I asked.  It becomes more difficult, they quickly responded.  We discussed that sometimes it will hurt and be hard, just like when someone yanks at the string of our web and the others are effected.  The different learning styles of our community were related to all the different ways we were holding onto our string-our web.  Respect each of them, I reminded them, differences are to be appreciated in our classroom.  

In conclusion, we talked about the times we try something new and it doesn't work (the blue finger), and the multiple approaches to solving our problems, doing our work, and communicating with others.  We are certainly not planning on being a one size fits all community.  Interested in how our learning web works it way through mathematical concepts in the coming months?  Follow us here.  Lucky Number 16 is bound to be an interesting one.  

With Gratitude to Our First Grade Friends...

Dear First Graders, 

We are so appreciative that you and your teachers have been so dedicated to helping us out this year.  We enjoyed visiting your classrooms and having you visit our sales. Your excitement for our products was contagious and we loved when you lined up out the door on fair day to support us too.  Your teachers have been so generous and have purchased some of our remaining goods as an end of the year gift. This enabled us to finish the year strong and make a few loans.  In all, this year we were able to mKW 78 loans.  We earned a total of $1483 and lent it through kiva and kiva zip!  Because of our paybacks, we have currently lent $2000 this year.  This would not be possible without your support.  

In your honor we have made the following loans:   

Joyce from Kenya

Brigida from Timor Leste

David Antonio from El Salvador

Mujeres Unidas Group from Paraguay

If you are considering joining Kiva on your own, we would love you to join our community.  As a final push we created a Town School Friends and Family Lending Community.  Please consider joining today by clicking HERE!  

Thanks,  

6th Grade Boys and Ms Goggin

Celebration of Learning and Annual Report

The past 2 1/2 weeks have been very busy in the garage as the boys prepared for their celebration of learning and annual report.  After creating essential/driving questions for their groups, the boys got busy making infographics, explaining their year and getting creative.  I had no idea what to expect.   

While it is unfortunate that every essential question wasn't able to be completely addressed, the boys have plans that they will bring with them to Kiva Council in the fall.  We are sure to share their passion with the Town School lower school, other schools in the bay area and Town School friends and family in the coming year.   

Quick Stats for the 2012-2013 School Year as of June 7th

• $1433 in deposits.  That's their profit!
• $1825 in loans.  
• Loaned to 33 out of 65 countries. 
• Have recruited 10 people to join the Town School Friends and Family Community.  

 Without further delay this is how each company decided to present in front of their classmates, peers and parents at the Annual Report and Celebration of Learning on June 4, 2013.  Drum Roll... Please!   

Big Time Bouncy Balls

Big Time Bouncy Balls Infographic

Big Time Bouncy Prezi

Frisbee's For Freedom

Frisbee's for Freedom Infographic 

Frisbee's for Freedom Prezi

Slap Bands for Kiva Fans

Slap Bands for Kiva Fans Infographic

Slap Bands for Kiva Fans Prezi 

Town School Spirit

Town School Spirit Infographic

Town School Spirit Prezi

Town School Style

Town School Style Infographic

Town School Style Prezi

Watches for Wonder

Watches for Wonder Infographics

I am very proud of the boys and excited to continue and watch them grow in the years to come.  Through debrief, I established with the boys that next year may require more time.  I would love to get them to practice their presentation with their classmates, get feedback and then move on to the larger group.  But all in all... WELL DONE BOYS.  You have inspired me:)   And you inspired KIVA.  Here's what they sent to us:)  

Let's Dance!

It's been an exciting week in the garage as we wait for word problems from across the globe to arrive, work through essential questions and annual reports and skype call with some new friends.  Despite having to be flexible through a failed skype call with Uganda and not receiving word problems from other classrooms the boys remained positive.  Wednesday was a highlight in many ways.  Who would have thought "dance" would be the word of the day in math class?  

Knowing that the boys were disappointed that they had not yet received any word problems from other schools, Jennifer Klein (Global Education Consultant with World Leadership School) and I worked together to create a few word problems from places she considers home.  Colorado and Peru.  The powerful part of this meeting for me was that I was learning about the world through these problems.  I was experiencing what the students were soon to experience themselves as we discovered statistics and used 360 cities to put ourselves in the locations.  

I didn't know that Denver had a controversial 6 story sculpture called "The Dancers", did you?  25 tons and continuously playing music composed by the artist called "Let's Dance"?  Visit it here.  Perhaps it is there to inspire Colorado to dance? I also didn't know about the 12 angled stone in Cusco, Peru either.  Visit it here.  The boys began working through their new problems and learning about the world.  They are still waiting to hear from others.  

Do you or your class have even one problem to share?  Let us know!

The fun didn't end there.  6th grade had recess/lunch skype call with the Kiva Ninja's planned.  ​Diana Williams and her 3rd graders ROCK!  We introduced ourselves to their class, told them about how we use Kiva in our class, and informed them of the loans we made.   We also had an opportunity to ask and answer questions.  Every 6th grader gave up recess for this opportunity.  If Kiva can compete with recess we are definitely on to something.  

Diana's class sat quietly in their chairs as they participated in the conversation.  But towards the end their was one moment when the children started doing their Kiva Ninja moves.  What it led to?  6th graders at Town Dancing too.  The moment was priceless.  Dancing can bring people together and break down cultural barriers.  Smile, laugh and forget what's different about us?  We could all dance a little more often don't you think?  

People dance because dance can change things. One move, can bring people together. One move, can make you believe like there's something more. One move, can set a whole generation free.​ -Adam G. Sevani

As we reflect on our skype call the boys commented in the following ways:  

I was surprised...

• at how good their questions were. 
• at how interested they were in Kiva at such a young age. 
• at their knowledge of Kiva and lending requirements.​
• ​that they can only have 1 or 2 bake sales a year.  
• by their knowledge about poverty.  ​

I would still like to know...​

• what their net/gross profit is?
• any struggles they have gone through?​
• what your business strategy is and why you chose this path?​
• how you feel about Kiva?​
• will you continue this project in 4th grade?​

​We are looking forward to making more connections with both projects in the weeks to come.  Join us!  

Even I Know More About San Francisco Now

To begin this project, we all sat in a circle and whip shared a place in the world that we considered to be on our "bucket list". The responses were varied and somewhat conventional so I asked them in a second whip to dream big, and they did.  Then I let them loose to discover a little about those places.  ​

​Using the app 360 Cities, the boys took off on their digital airplane and landed close to their places of interest.  Here are some of their responses to "I notice" and "I wonder"...

(if you don't have time to read about our experience but want to cut to the chase you can find our word problems here)​

I have traveled to Vietnam, Phnum Bokor national park, the dam of the Kanchay hydropower station. I notice cranes, a dam, water trees, and hills. I wonder if if I can go there or is it blocked off? I wonder where the nearest city is? Lastly I wonder where the nearest airport is? 

 I traveled to the country of Japan and visited Chiba station. I notice lot of people, stores,lights, buses, bus stops, some plants, and buildings. I wonder what all of the buildings are for, what are the stores selling, and was this taken before the tsunami or after.

 I traveled to FiJi and the place I visited was called moon reef. I noticed that the water was very blue, I saw some other people in the water, I saw the island was very big, I also saw a bunch of clouds above the island, and I can the reef from above the water. I wonder if swimming in the reef is dangerous? I wonder who discoverd FiJi. Also I wonder if I can go to FiJi.
​

I have traveled to Skolio Summit Mount Olympus Greece. I noticed that there where three people looking at the view. The view was made up of ranges of mountains. The people where next to a sign saying that that was the top. There were broken rocks and patches of grass. I wonder why were the rocks broken? Why is the mountian called Mount Olympus? How come there are so many parts of the mountains?

 I have travelled to Nussuaq hilltop Greenland. I noticed houses, mountains, snow, lakes, and rocks. I wonder what the name of the village is. I wonder if there is a fisher man's wharf by the lakes. I wonder what the houses look like. I wonder what the village name is.
​

​After this exercise I posed the question, How Could We Learn About the World Through Math Story Problems? The boys immediately began to brainstorm. And they determined that the first step would be to teach others about our city through math story problems.  The boys brainstormed places, landmarks, sports, weather, and much much more.  When it was all said and done 23 boys created these problems.  Enjoy! Tempted to share?  We would love to hear what your world is like.  Only have time to write one? We don't mind! 

​HERE ARE OUR WORD PROBLEMS!  ENJOY.  WE MAY ADD MORE:) 

From One Borrower to Another...

I sat down with the boys and asked, "If you could ask one of the people you loaned to this year any question you want, what would you ask?"  I was hoping this would lead to thoughtful questions.  Questions that they consider asking of themselves in the weeks ahead as they plan their quarter 4 components to the "Kiva Project".  ​And you know what?  It did. Here goes...

How has Kiva influenced your life the most?​

Was your business a lot better after your loan?  What did your loan truly enable you do to do?​

Were you scared that you wouldn't be able to maintain or start your business before your loan?  ​

How did the loan improve your life?​  What was it's impact on your daily life?

Any mistakes you wish you could redo?​

How did you find Kiva and Microfinancing?​

How did you feel when you were able to repay your loan?​

If you could change anything about the kiva lending process what would it be?​

How did you feel when you got your loan?​

What is the net and gross profit ​of your business?

What % has your business grown since the loan?​

Will you apply for another loan? For what specifically?​

What are you future goals?  ​

What is your job like? How many hours a week are you working?​

Would you recommend kiva wholeheartedly to others in your community?​

Do other members of your community use kiva or micro-lending?​

What is your relationship with your field partner like?​

How did it feel to have to ask for a loan?​

​If you become successful enough, how will you give back to others in the world?  

The boys are busy asking the lenders in our community what they want to know about their year long micro lending experience.  Stay tuned...​we have Annual Reports, Essential Questions with Action Projects and Presentations in our future.  One month and a whole lot to be done!  

“It’s not just a simulation, it’s not just textbook work, it is real life scenarios and it’s teaching us math involved in the real world. We are also loaning to people across the world and helping them start a business and we are actually making a difference!” -Henry Class of 2015”

A Thank You Card to Inspire...

It's been 3 weeks since my last blog entry. Not to say I have nothing to say, that's never been a problem, but between vacation and outdoor education trips I have had reflection and planning time and not a lot of student action.  ​

Perhaps my lack of writing is also because I have spent the last two weeks reading the new and therefore was not inclined to write or share.   I've spent the past year trying to teach empathy to my students.  I have been trying and get them to understand what it is like in other parts of the world and/or in other social classes here in San Francisco.  To feel it.  To know it.  And yet for the past two weeks my own empathy has been far from poverty, it been more terror based, Boston based.   As I recall the final miles of my own Boston Marathon years ago I can't help but empathize with the people of Boston that day and the international running community.  It knocks the wind right out of me just thinking about it.   

But this blog isn't about Boston. It is #bostonstrong though, don't get me wrong. And on this week as I plan launches of some new projects ideas, sometimes it's a sweet email that reminds me that we have still have 7 1/2 weeks left.  We will continue working towards alleviating poverty one small step at a time.  We will continue making others smile glocal and global.  Thanks for this Project Night Night...

​Dear Ms Goggin and 5th Graders

We are flattered and honored that your research led you to Project Night Night.  Please know that we will use the boys' donation wisely.  Over 95% of every dollar raised goes directly to the homeless children whom we serve -- a statistic about which we are immensely proud.

If you wouldn't mind, below is a link to a short 3 minute video that we revised recently.  It features many of the children whom we help as well as those children who volunteer their time for us.  I think that the Town School 5th grade might enjoy seeing it.

http://animoto.com/play/UAS51dU7Nk7Nifil9fB18w

Finally, I wanted to share with you a story from a recent Night Night package delivery that I made to Homeless Prenatal in Potrero Hill.

"When I distributed the Night Night Packages in the childcare room of Homeless Prenatal, most of the children ran right up to me, saw their favorite stuffie and requested a specific bag that caught their eye.  When the hubbub had subsided, I noticed a little boy over by the train table who had not participated.  I took four Night Night Packages over to him, each with a different furry friend peeking out.  I asked him if he would like to choose one.  Silence.  I asked if he had a favorite animal.  Silence.  I told him that the dog with the floppy ears holding the heart was my favorite.  Silence.  I explained that I would leave it on the chair beside him.  If he wished to take care of the doggie, that would be wonderful.  If not, he could leave it there, and I would come back to get the doggie later.  Silence.

I went back to my car to get the remaining Night Night Packages to take the to intake area for distribution.  When I returned I passed the little boy in the hallway.  He was hugging the dog with the floppy ears so tightly.  The tote bag with the blanket and book was on his shoulder.  When I saw him again, he broke out into a big smile and held up the dog, "This is Samuri, my new best friend!   I'm going to take good care of him.  I love him."

Thank you Town School 5th Grade for helping to make the lives of these children so much brighter.

Very sincerely,

Kendra

Kendra Robins | Founder and Executive Director | Project Night Night

How Can We Learn About the World Through Math Story Problems?

As I look forward into May, I am hoping to launch another project that has both local and global products.  The project, Discovering our World, (needs new name) will include writing math story problems that will help my students learn about the city of San Francisco and hopefully other places around the world.  ​This will be a 5th grade project.  

My example question:  ​

The Golden Gate Bridge is approximately 3 miles long. If you walk at a rate of 3.7 miles per hour, how long will it take to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and back?  Please place your answer in minutes.  You may need to use the formula Distance = Rate x Time. 

Fact about the Bridge:  The Golden Gate Bridge is in San Francisco, CA.  The first passenger car was allowed on the bridge May 28, 1937.   

My idea is to use an app/e-book of some kind and share these word problems with other schools around the country/world.  I think it would be interesting for the students to learn about new places while also practicing math facts.  Landmarks? Sports? Weather? Gps location/coordinate planes?  ​Real costs of products such as gas, cell phone bills, food?  

The opportunity to learn about new places through these real life story problems are endless.  Join me?  Please contact me through twitter or at goggin@townschool.com

I Kiva Because...

Challenged the other day to think about why I Kiva , I decided to ask the boys to answer the question before I came up with my own response.  

Kiva

Verb  to give micro loans for as little as $25 to individuals all over the world that are unable to get loans through traditional banking systems.  

So Here we go...

I kiva because it helps people in need. Also, I kiva because anyone can get way more successful from just one small loan.- Frederick

I kiva because it feels good to see people achieve their goals. -Robbie

I kiva because I love to make people happy. -Sam

I kiva because I want to make a difference.-Nicolas

I kiva because I know that when I kiva I am changing someone's life with as little as $25. I also kiva because I want to help people in need. -Isaad

I kiva because i think people should have a good life too.  -Jorge

 I Kiva because I realize that people work just as hard as us and receive the opportunities that we get divided by 100. All they need is money, and in the real world, money represents opportunities. I feel that their work should pay off.- Noah

I kiva so that less fortunate people get a chance to succeed.- Will K

I Kiva because I know I can help people for so little.- Reid

I kiva because not all people are better off and simply require a boost to get going. -Nicholas

I Kiva because I want to give people a chance in a new career and help them succeed in life. -McCarthy

I Kiva because a little chunk of my money can change a person's life who is not as fortunate as us. - William

I Kiva because I believe in education and shelter for all. -Ben H

I Kiva because there are people out there who just need $100 or $200 dollars, and I can help them. - Davis

I kiva because I know it helps someone in need who maybe in poverty. -Ryan

I Kiva because every time I make a loan, it helps someone in need. -Adam

I kiva because it helps make the world a better place one loan at a time. - Spencer

Why do I Kiva in the classroom?  I Kiva with my students because of the impact that it makes on not only the borrowers, but the young global citizens in my classroom.

​

PI Day for Purpose=WOW what a success!

During the 5th grade poverty unit the boys expressed an interest in a bake sale to support the non profits they had discovered here in San Francisco.  As we continued our global unit, our glocal focus was never far from our minds and hearts.

​Inspired by their commitment to make a difference, I looked ahead in the month of March and recognized that Pi Day was approaching.  Traditionally, in my classroom, Pi Day was a day of debauchery.  Chanting Pi Songs, Eating Pi, feeling sick and forgetting about it all the next day.  So what could we do?  Let's give it purpose?!

​Announcement:  On March 14, 2013 (PiDay), we will be selling homemade circular treats throughout the afternoon. Having previously learned about the working poor in the United States, your boys investigated local charities and created commercials to advertise the need for these organizations using statistics. But, it doesn't stop there. Students are excited to bake and create circular treats on PIDay which will be on sale at designated times that afternoon. All proceeds will go to SF Food Bank, Glide Memorial, SF Food Runners, Project Night Night and a surprise global project.

The boys went home last week and gathered a recipe that they would be able to bake at home.  They then took trips to the grocery store or shopped online for their ingredients.  This led to discussions and lessons on unit price, organic vs non organic food options, and choices that fit our budgets and our values.  The lessons were endless and I was proud of the boys the whole way through.  

​Parents expressed enthusiasm for baking with their sons.  "We bake all the time, but it will be fun to talk about the reason for these treats, " one mother said. Another smiled, "we used to bake so much together when he was younger, it will be nice to do it again".  And lastly,   "I am making him go to the grocery and seeing what things cost, it's important!"   

The boys came in this morning, goods in hand and smile on their face.  Shop was open to all 400+ Town School boys, as I coordinated time slots in the afternoon for each of the classes to visit our garage sale.  ​One baked good per student during the school day, choose wisely:)  Remaining goods were for sale afterschool.  

​You can measure the success of the day by the smiles on faces, the laughter in the room, the line out the door after upper school dismissal and the eyes that were glaring into the garage all day long.  And likely, that would have made me happy.  They were so proud of themselves, and I was so proud of them.  But one of my favorite moments...  when the door was closed and only the 5th graders remained, and I was rushing them to clean up so I could get off to my next meeting, I heard a student say, "let's take a minute to give a round of applause to us for accomplishing this" ... oh and the $888.00 we raised.  That's pretty awesome too.  

So how do you wrap this up?  First, the boys estimated what they believed would be the revenue from the sale.  ​Then, they counted the funds.  After that the boys calculated what percentage of the funds came in from each of the sections, and then what percentage each of the boys treats brought in (just for fun-and math), and now we consider how we split up the funds.  This is fun.  

 Sf Food Runners, Project Night Night, SF Food Bank, and Glide Memorial will be happy... oh and that family with a Goat thanks to Heifer International.  

As I reflected with the boys, we popcorn shared one to two word about our day.  They reflected on the community spirit, money, two kinds of "dough", making money, helping others in need.  Baking, donuts, goods, etc... Most impressive to me was their reflections on the happiness that it brought to our community and then of course the happiness that our contributions will bring to others. 

So what's next... good question? ​

When I was 10 I wanted a pony. These boys want a GOAT!

As we prepare for the final part of our global poverty unit, Pi Day for purpose, the 5th graders traveled down to the 1st grade classroom for a reading of Beatrice's Goat.  ​They sat on the carpet and listened to every word that Ms. Zimmer read to them.  And in the end, we had a whip share.   

The boys were thoughtful, empathetic, and intrigued. "Can we really buy a goat?" they asked still deep in wonder. They didn't doubt the impact of a single animal but rather wanted to be involved in the process in some way.  ​A goat on the way?  I think so...

​We invited a few administrators in for the reading, their thoughts are below:  

I was speechless when I heard the fifth grade express their thoughts.  The level of understanding and empathy was unbelievable. They had an understanding that went beyond the book and they were able to express it in a way that the first grade could understand.  They are truly role models for the younger boys.  I was most impressed by their empathy.  They are making a giant leap in your class in learning to be world citizens and coming together as a community.  It is becoming obvious that they will leave Town with a sense of being a part of the world and with the desire to make the world a more equitable place.  They are going to be able to come up with ideas for equity, not just talk.  I was watching the first grade boys listening intently not only to the story, but also to what the fifth grade was saying.  I was deeply moved by what I saw today. -Rae

I observed a group of boys make a paradigm shift in stepping out of their world as they know it, and into the life of a young girl whose whole life depended on a goat. I heard empathy instead of pity, wonder instead of worry as to how this goat made such a profound impact. I saw the fifth grade students make connections from a previous math lesson and the 1st graders who were just as eager to formulate their own. I see a world in which our boys with guidance, support and exposure to different cultural backgrounds will help foster a sense of community and cultural competency in the years to come. I was and I am inspired.- Flora

​Want to see the story on 60 minutes?  Considering a goat?  

Some 5th Grade Tweets:​

• I was happy that her friend as next to get a goat. #happy
•  Beatrice is so lucky to have a goat #money
• Girl Gets Chance Of A Lifetime With Help Of Goat
• Amazed that goat can change persons life#amazed
• I loved the love she had for her goat. #Loveanimals
• I love how she wanted to still help here mom! #lovingmoms

Going Global with 5th Graders-Crunching Numbers, Living Life and Graphing

As I reflect on the last few weeks of math class, I think about the amazing conversations I have had with my 5th graders and the energy they bring to class each day in the name of global poverty.  However after all these years, I still find myself wondering how 5th and 6th graders can be so different.  A little more literal and harder to push beyond the surface but interesting none the less.  

Unable to grasp what another PBL would look like in my curriculum at the moment, my plan is to spend 10 days investigating global poverty with the boys a little differently.  While I am hopeful that in the years to come we can incorporate PBL into this part of the poverty unit, I am quite positive that the boys have looked at life through a different lense for nearly two weeks and are more empathetic to how people live outside of their own San Francisco world.  

Speaking of...  I started the unit by asking the boys the question, "If San Francisco was a bubble, and you only knew what existed in this city (you had no US or Global News etc...) How do you think ou would view the world?  What things do you have to assume would exist everywhere?"

I wanted them to think about how we may view the world if we were not able to travel out of San Francisco, if we didn't have news or internet, etc... I was having them imagine a world that is a lot less "flat" if you will.  Here are some responses:  Cars on everyblock.  Everyone would recycle.  Houses are expensive. Every city has a diverse population.  Everyone lives on/near a bay.  A lot of wealth.  Homeless people sleep on the streets.  Everywhere has lots of stores and restaurants.  Everyone's minimum wages is $10.24.  A lot parks in cities.  Everyone has an iphone.  Everywhere has a beach, but you don't really swim in the water because it's really cold.  It's always around 60 degrees and the worst weather is fog, we wouldn't know about snow.  Everyone in the world speaks english.  

This question will play a vital role in our wrap up as I ask the boys to compare and contrast the different thoughts they have about local and global poverty having watched the movies "30 Days on Minimum Wage" and "Living On One".  

So, WHAT DID WE DO FOR NEARLY 2 WEEKS!?!  Let's take a look!

Day 1:  Boys wandered around the class to do a silent chalk talk.  I enjoyed their responses but this was a big day for me in recalling how literal they still are.  But, I also started to realize how compassionate and empathetic they are as well.  

Day 2:  The boys participated in Global Mall and Take A Step for Equity from www.facingthefuture.org.  These activities were taken from their book Engaging Students Through Global Issues.  While Take A Step for Equity is an activity where they are randomly placed into an economic status and I read them what life is like, the Global Mall activity challenges the boys to make some hard decisions with their money.  

Here are some responses about the activity:  

I had 1000 dollars to spend. I bought fire wood no cost. Water 200. Food 150. luxury items radio 50. And education 400. I did education 400 because I could get a better job and get richer and richer and soon would be able to get all of the better items like maybe go on a vacation

 In the Global Mall I had 1,000 dollars to spend. I chose, Good healthy food, Indoor plumbing, Coal from a local market, Elementary Middle and High school, And Good medical care available 1 hour away. I chose these because I don't have to worry about getting food poisoning, parasites, and also will have an ok career. I didn't get any luxury items at the end because if I had I couldn't get plumbing.

In the global mall I had 200 dollars to spend. I bought rice and beans, untreated water collected from the village, firewood from a local forest, the crowded school for one hour per day, and then I had no more money to get anything else. I bought rice and beans because i think it is a pretty good way to sustain you and also because if I went any higher I would only have $50 left. I bought the untreated water from the village because it was the best water I could afford to buy and it isn't carried for 2 miles. I bought the fire wood from a local forest because it had no cost and it was affordable. And I bought the crowded school for an hour a day because it was all I could afford. 

The global marketing gave me $200 dollars. I spent my $200 dallors on: 1)rice beans once twice a day. $75. 2)heat/ fuel. $0. 3)untreated water. $75. 4)education. $50. And I had $0 dollars left. I thought it was hard choosing all the things I need.

I got 500 dollars to spend. First I would by the cheapest food so I don't have to spend a lot of money. Then I would trade for water and other liquid sources. After that I would chop up some fire wood for heat. I would by a sleeping bag and a cheap pillow so I could sleep. I would get a good education so when I get older i would get a higher chance of getting a better job. I would buy fuel and gasoline for the fire. Pay for a monthly check up for the doctor so I could stay healthy. Then buy a refrigerator to keep my food clean. And keep a water filter to keep me from getting sick. Etc... 

Day 3:  Unfortunately I wasn't here this day. The boys began class with a global stats workout as a warm up.  The boys are used to warm ups that don't have much life relevance or real life problems so they found it interesting to work with real numbers.  I had assigned the boys each a geograpic area to investigate following the warm up.  I gave them a worksheet that allowed them to gather similar stats.  I encouraged them to choose places that they were not familiar with, but again I wasn't here and many of them chose 1st and 2nd world countries. 

Day 4:  I placed the information they gathered into a spreadsheet and we discussed our findings.  The boys realized that with few exceptions all the statisictis were similar. I then passed out a card to each boy with a country on it from the following list.   I sent the boys back to invesigate these countries.  They were astounded at what they discovered.  This led to a conversation about gathering statistics, sample size, and outliers. It also gave us real life stats to consider graphing. 

Day 5: I recognized that it was going to be hard for the boys to graph the information we gathered appropriately.  I wanted to teach them how to use graphs and tables, but I also wanted it to be age and technologically appropriate.  So using this website, I created the following worksheet.  The boys had to choose which kind of graph would be most appropriate for each of the data sets, give titles and labels and were given one of them to graph by hand.  Lastly, the boys created them using the internet site create a graph for kids.   Here are some of their graphs:)  

Day 6 & Day 7  The boys watched "Living On One"'s Video Blog. Amazing.  I will share more about this in a later blog as move forward next week.  

Upcoming Activities: A reading of Beatrice's Goat with First Grade Buddies and a Service Project Pi Day!  Watch out:)