Hardtack - A tasty treat on an explorer's ship

          My 5th graders were learning about early exploration of the 1440 and 1500s.  We read about the food that was eaten on these long voyages.  I found a very easy recipe online for hardtack.

Today I am linking up with Doodlebugs Teaching for a Five for Friday Linky Party.
www.doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com 

 Hardtack

The recipe for Hardtack is very simple!
       4- 5 cups of flour
       2 cups of water
       3 tsp. salt
Mix the three ingredients into a dough. The dough will be on the  side.  Roll out dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch.  Shape into a rectangle.  Cut into 3X3 inch squares.  I cut mine a little smaller.  Poke holes into both sides.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Turn each piece over and bake for another 30 minutes.   You are done!  Let the hardtack sit out all day until it is dry.  It will be hard as a rock.  Store in an airtight container.

       Parents and students made the hardtack at home and sent it in to school.  I soaked the hardtack in milk for a few hours in class.  Everyone  had a taste test or two with butter. Yum! It tasted a bit like Saltine Crackers only much harder.  Some of the kids enjoyed the treat.  Some were not as excited and put it in the trash after a bite or two. 

     I couldn't help myself when I saw some gummy worms in the candy isle one day.  I told the kids that sometimes bugs and worms got into the food supply on the sailing ships. The sailors would soak the hardtack in water so the bugs and worms would float to the top.  The these unwelcome friends could be removed.  So I handed out the gummy worms to get the point across.   It was a big hit.


         I received an email from a parent.  She said her son had been watching a post- Civil War series on AMC.  Hardback was mentioned.  Her son was so excited that he knew about the hardback and how it tasted.  It brought history to life.
    I guess that is why we are teachers.

Thanks for reading my blog. I hope this article can help you in some little way. Please leave a comment and come back again soon.

Enjoy the rest of this glorious day.

Beti

No more name tags!

      I found this idea on Pinterest.  I used a Sharpie Paint Pen.  This was the best idea since sliced bread!  The names stayed on the desks, even with daily washing with Clorox wipes.  The only way the kids could get the name off was to scratch the paint.  The name was easily repainted or painted over in a minute.
At the end of the year the paint was removed with an EXPO marker.

     Many of my teaching buddies are using this again this year. This is no stickiness or ragged edges from tape. If the name begins to wear off, you can paint over the letters and it is as good as new! 

     Give this idea a try!

      Have a great school year!

Drop me a note if you like this idea. I'd love to hear from you!

 Beti  

Beginning the year

    
           I love this statement, so it is next to the door when you enter my room.

 I put a crossword on the bulletin board.  I always have those students who need  the little extra personal challenge.

I'm so sorry that these pictures are blurry.


This year I added Boggle, Suduko, and Jumble for Kids to my room.  Hopefully, one of these will stir someone's interest.

Hopefully, these will get the 5th graders thinking and discussing. Educational conversation is a big part of my day.


    This is the back of my room.  The pink curtains cover the coat closet.
I want my students to know that they can do amazing things this year.

Have a GREAT YEAR!

 Beti

Snoopy Theme

        Each year we want to have some theme in our rooms.  This year, one of the teachers had placed a pile of various and sundry classroom items in the Teachers' Lounge.  A piece of paper said "FREE". 

I LOVE FREE!!!!

     So I looked (dug) through the pile.  I found this cute Snoopy banner.
  I found my theme. yeah!

 Today I am linking up with Forever in 5th Grade for Show and Tell Tuesday.
www.foreverinfifthgrade.blogspot.com

This is the hallway just outside my classroom.

  SCHOOL IS COOL!

     I found a cute Snoopy clip art with Snoopy holding a sheet of paper similar to the one on the banner.  A simple red maker was used to write the A+ on each one.  I added each students' name to the little papers.  

                             Here is my desk with the cute little Snoopy.

       
      Since this a dog related blog post, I have to include  pictures of Barkley.  He makes me SMILE!  Summer is almost over! Make the most of your free time!

 
Please leave a comment if you have time.  I always enjoy reading your thoughts.

Let's make this the best year ever for the kids we have!

 Beti

Birthday Banner

  Birthday Banner

  Today I am Linking up with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics for 
Monday Made it. 
www.4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com 
    

        To celebrate each of my students' birthdays I make Birthday Banner.
I found a roll of white paper in the storeroom.  I thought it would be perfect size for a personal banner for my students.  As you can see it is a very simple project. I write "Happy Birthday" in bubble letters and the child's name on the banner.  After each is finished. I roll the banner up, write the child's name and birthday on the end of the paper, and secure it with a rubber band.  All the rolls are neatly stored in a book bin.  A student can easily find the birthday banner for the student who is celebrating their birthday.

 

       The special addition to the banner comes when each student in my homeroom decorates the letters and signs their name on the  banner. Markers and crayons come out and the kids sit on the floor to decorate the banners.

   At the end of the day, the Birthday Boy or Girl get to pick something from the Birthday Box.  Inside they may find an assortment of toys, pins, necklaces, picture frames, wallets, pencils, etc.  The contents of the box is always changing.


  






 
  I hope someone will be able to use this Birthday Banner in their classroom.
I'd love to read your comments on this activity.

  The Birthday Banner is linked to Teachingblogaddict.com   Freebie Friday.

 Beti

A Lizzy Blankie

     

 LIZZY BLANKIE

 

                          4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com

  My son and  daughter-in-law have a dachshund named Lizzy.

I saw a Doxie Blankie pattern by Jenna Wingate on Pinterest. The name was Dog in A Sweater.  It can be found on ravelry.com.

     I thought it was so cute and looked just like Lizzy.  This was my inspiration piece.   I knit and crochet for fun.  

      So... when my son and daughter-in-law said they were having a baby the wheels in my head started turning.   A Lizzy Blankie would be a fun gift for our granddaughter. 

"Tummy Time" for Lizzy!

                     

Please leave a comment if you like Doxies.  I'd love to hear from you.

Come back and visit my blog again some time.

 Beti

Solar Oven

                Today I am linking up with 4th Grade Frolics and 

Monday Made It.

www.4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com 

      The warm weather and the sun shine has returned to Michigan.  So I decided to make a solar oven to make recycled crayons. 
     
              Solar Oven  SCIENCE EXPERIMENT!!!   

        All we would need was a shoe box, tin foil, and a large ziplock bag.  An addition of a  thermometer would make this an educational project.     I cut a large window in the top of a shoe box.  The next step was to glue tin foil to the entire inside of the box and lid.   I cut a zip lock bag slightly larger than the window and glued the plastic to the inside of the lid to cover the hole. 
     We were all set to start melting old broken crayons.By the end of the year you always have plenty of broken crayons!
    

           You notice the little sign on top of the Solar Oven.  It was placed outside on the playground near the school building.  But everyone knows how inquisitive students are. 

      I decided to use recycled individual creamer cups to hold the crayon pieces.

This worked fairly well.

   

We tried using an ice cube tray. Not too bad.

This is a popsicle mold I found at the Dollar Store.  The kids liked this one.  

Candy mold made cute bunny crayons. 

        We were feeling pretty good about our solar oven and new crayons.  
But ...... science experiments don't always work out they way you plan.  I placed the solar oven on a trash can in the school parking lot so no one would step on it during dismissal at 3:00.  While standing right next to the solar oven, a gust of wind came and blew the oven over.  The oven was on its side on the ground.

130 degrees, liquid crayons, and a little wind.

What do you think of the art work?

                      Have you had a science experiment that didn't turn out as expected?

Please leave me a comment.  I enjoy reading ideas and comments from you.


 Beti