From a Teacher in Durham, North Carolina, on the Forced Reopening of Schools
A Durham, NC, public school teacher’s take on North Carolina’s forced reopening of schools for in-person learning, and Durham Public Schools planned response.
Edelweiss and Remembering for Both of Us (ReadAloud)
Years after the book's release, Charlotte continues her involvement in improving our understanding and communication about Alzheimer's Disease, which her husband suffered before his passing. Remembering for Both of Us is *the* book to give a child (or a parent or grandparent) who has a family member suffering from Alzheimer's Disease or Dementia. Every physician/counselor in the field should have a copy of this book in their waiting room.
AJR, Snow, Certitude and Sludge
“We wrote ‘BANG!’ about the weird middle-ground between being a kid and becoming an adult; a time when we’re doing all the things adults are supposed to do, but we don’t yet feel grown up,” says AJR. "The fact is, adulthood is bound to hit us at some point, so the plan we made in the song is to ‘go out with a bang.’" I'm at least twenty years older than these boys, and the sentiment applies to all of us, just the same.
17 Jan 2021- 6 days off Facebook (Peter Gabriel, Watched Pots, and Edible Creations)
I came upon the Peter Gabriel song below for the first time today, when looking up the lyrics to Bon Iver's Holocene (one of my son's all-time favorites), and it melted my heart. I shared the song with my musically voracious son, who surprisingly hadn't heard it; and we agreed that it's crazy that, though hauntingly beautiful in its own right, Bon Iver's version is more well-known than Peter Gabriel's original…
15 January 2021- Weaning off Facebook, Day 4 (Maria Ressa, Ruby Ibarra, and Ginger Dressing)
I heard Ruby Ibarra's A Thousand Cuts for the first time last week, when I watched PBS's Frontline documentary about Maria Ressa, a well-known journalist who is now a top target of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte. I've always felt that everyone has a little God/Jesus in them, some more than others - Maria Ressa definitely belongs in the latter category…
Sustainably 'Wrapping' Your Christmas Presents
Here's a great way to get rid of some stuff that’s accumulated in your house, while saving money and reducing your contribution to the 2020 load of Xmas wrapping paper that will soon be stuffing our landfills. It’s also a great craft project for kids of all ages, and you don't have to worry about what to do with your creations once they're finished…
Fifth Grade Poetry Lesson: Imitating the Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
#TheLoveSongOfJAlfredPrufrock was my 10YO’s and my literary lesson today (‘Wellness Wednesday’ for virtual public school). It just kinda happened because, as we were leaving the house this AM, K said, "Let us go then, you and I." I have been using this phrase for years to signal to the kids that we are finally leaving. It’s probably my favorite stanza, though I’m adding “Oh, do not ask, “What is it?” Let us go and make our visit”…
The Ugly Pumpkin: A Fun and Funny Children's Picture Book for Halloween *and* Thanksgiving
I have been meaning to do a full review of this book all month, and now Halloween has come and gone! No worries, *The Ugly Pumpkin* (by David Horowitz) is an even better Thanksgiving book (and it lets the kids hold on to Halloween a little longer)…
The Ironic Story Behind My Sweet Bessie Van
Eight to ten years ago, back when I lived in a South Durham Home Owner's Association (HOA), my neighbor across the street complained about the chalk drawings on our driveway, then my Obama signs, then our vegetable garden - all of which resulted in violation letters and my presence before the HOA board of directors to defend my actions…
Halgo European Deli and Groceries
“After providing a uniquely Polish experience in Durham, NC, for 12 years, Halgo European Deli has closed it’s doors. In memoriam, I’m reposting my review of them back in 2017. I’m sad not to be able to go through their doors again.”
Celebrate the benefits of Musical Education on World Music Day (June 21)
This June 21, musicians of all skill levels and genres around the world will show off their prowess on World Music Day. Founded 38 years ago in Paris, France, the Fête de la Musique is a public celebration of the musical arts that has blossomed into a beloved international event. As it draws near, it's a good time to learn more about the important role music plays in our children's education…
Teaching Density to Elementary Students: Lesson Plans for Building Lava Lamps Using Materials Found at Home
The craft-store franchise AC Moore went out of business just before the Covid Quarantine was imposed. One of the prizes among the windfall we brought home was a do-it-yourself lava lamp kit. My son followed the first of several recipes provided with the kit and, with the help of his teenage brother, created a lava lamp that garnered the admiration of everyone in the family that evening. What follows is how we constructed more lava lamps using stuff we already had in our kitchen…
Easy Scientific Explorations of Eggs in honor of Easter or Any Time
It's time for another eggs-cellent Science at Home experiment from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences! I received these easy and super fun activities via email and couldn't find a link with the instructions. Therefore, I am posting them here and referencing the NCMNS, which is a wonderful and *free* place to expose your kids (and yourselves) to science…
Elementary Plants Rotation, Days 3 and 4: Roots!
Last week, I introduced our Plants Rotation (for advanced 1st and 4th graders) with two lessons covering the evolution of plants and life, in general. Days 3 and 4 were spent on the parts of the plant, particularly the ROOTS. Here is a pdf of my *Roots* PowerPoint presentation…
Coronavirus Homeschool Week 3: Plants, Days 1 and 2
This week, I am in charge of the 11AM-1PM interactive educational component of our Coronavirus Homeschool each day. The stormy skies of the last two weeks have made all 3 elementary-school kids itchy with cabin fever. After taking a water sample from my miniature backyard pond, I began our Plants rotation with the following 5-minute BBC video about the origin of complex cells and life…
Why is the News always Bad?
I had the radio on this morning when my 9-year-old walked into the kitchen. "Why is the news always about bad stuff?" he lamented (repeatedly). "We all know Coronavirus is taking over the world, and we're doing what we're supposed to do. Why do they have to make us think about it all the time?” For today, John Krasinski’s interview of Steve Carell on “Some Good News” helped.
Teach Electricity (to kids as young as 4) using Elenco Snap Circuits
…While the kids built increasingly complex circuits, including games they could play with one another, I spouted on about Ohm's law and the reasons their circuits were doing the things they were observing. You might think they weren't listening (I did), but when I asked them about Ohm's law during free time at the end of the day, each one of them told me how Voltage, Resistance, and Current are all related; and the two older ones actually remembered the equation…
Children's Picture Book, *I Chalk*, Supports In-School Gardening Program
Purchase my children’s picture book “I Chalk” with a container of sidewalk chalk for a unique birthday, Xmas or "just-because" gift. The Amazon price is $12, but I can ship signed copies for $10 a piece (including shipping) if you contact me at melissarooneywriting@gmail.com. Any proceeds this year will be used to fund the in-school garden club I conduct on a weekly basis at Title-1 EK Powe Elementary School in Durham, NC. …
*Proposal to SAVE THE CATSBURG STORE in Durham, NC*
I first saw the Catsburg Country Store on February 24, 2019, when I was on my way to Eno Valley Elementary School, shortly after we adopted a beautiful and intelligent black cat named Kale from the Durham APS. I pulled over, took a picture of the place, and made it my cover photo on Facebook with the following accompanying text: “At Hamlin and Old Oxford Roads. Someone must open a cat-prioritized local pet store and cat cafe here.”
Taxes provide Practical High School Math and Sociology Assignment
An incredibly practical high-school math (and social studies) assignment would be to do the current year’s taxes based on an income of $150,000 for a family of four with a child in college. Talk about a STEM spin on Hasbro’s game of LIFE! Perhaps the resulting discussion will result in a simpler and more equitable tax system in which the rich cannot avoid paying their intended %age, though it may not happen in my lifetime ;-) …