Blog Archives

Electric Circuits: Switches

3/31/2013

Switches now allow students to break a circuit at will. By connecting the paper clip (pictured below left) to each brad on the index card, students can turn on a light bulb. Swing the paper clip away from the opposite brad, and the light goes off. The back of the switch (pictured below right) shows the Fahnestock clips where the wires are connected and kept out of sight. This should come in handy in the next lesson - making their own flashlights using the knowledge they have gained.

Front of Switch

Back of Switch

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Tim's Place

3/30/2013

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Chasing a dream is harder for some people, but there may be a secret to their success.

Take three minutes to watch this video:

Now for some questions:

What is the difference between working at a restaurant and owning a restaurant?
How does Tim approach his job every day? Is this different from the way many others approach theirs?
What is different about Tim's restaurant? Is this something that can be replicated in other businesses?
Do Tim's hugs mean more than a person without Tim's disability? How do customers respond?
Is Tim's spirit infectious? How do you think his employees feel about working in his restaurant?
Did Tim allow anything to get in the way of his dream of owning a restaurant? What might have been an obstacle he had to overcome?
Are there any phrases you heard Tim repeat a number of times? What were those phrases, and how did they affect the people who heard them?
Does repeating a phrase make it become a part of your attitude? What phrases might we consider positive influences on our lives?

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Pi(e) in the Eye

3/29/2013

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As an incentive for hard study and applying himself, KADEN and the other members of the Math League were issued a challenge by the two coaches. If any of the team earned first, second, or third place in either the Math Concepts round or the Problem Solving round, they would have the opportunity to shove a pie (Cool Whip) into the face of the teacher of his/her choice. Since KADEN was our second place recipient at the regional competition, a couple of weeks ago, he received his chance on Thursday.

The classes both conspired to plan which teacher would get the pie, and they had convinced the teachers that Mr. Culbertson would be the lucky one. Naturally, that was not the case. With lots of suspense and anticipation, KADEN played it up well, approaching us both with the pie, poised for attack. Suddenly, he lunged. The pie covered my face, and Mr. C thought he had escaped. With half of the pie still in his hand, KADEN then turned on Mr. Culbertson and, with one sweet arch, nailed the second teacher, as well.

I'm not sure what happened next, because when I looked up (sans spectacles), Mr. Culbertson was up and rubbing the pie from his head onto KADEN. That would have been funny, but then KADEN, in retaliation, targeted me a second time, blasting me with the cold soft substance of French Vanilla flavoring - right in the kisser, filling my nostrils with the stuff.

Looking quite proud of himself KADEN turned and smiled at everyone. All day long, he had anticipated perpetrating this act, and now the satisfaction dripped off his face as he left the stage.

Again, we congratulate KADEN for the work it took to get him so far, and we wish him all the best as he continues his mathematical efforts at the state contest.

The first pie - Surprise!

Mr. C fires back while I'm struck a second time.

Looking a little too happy after hitting his target(s)

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No School Friday

3/28/2013

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I know we just had "Spring" Break

(though we might not have noticed as springtime with all that snow on the ground),

but let's take Friday of this week off, as well.

Have a great weekend with your family!

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Request for Supplies

3/27/2013

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We need about 20 clear (not green), plastic two-liter bottles for our upcoming Science unit. Please remove the labels and rinse them out before sending them to school, but do not use soap to wash them. Thank you in advance for your contribution to the unit.

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2013/4 Mark Twain Award Nominees

3/26/2013

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Twelve books have been nominated by Missouri school librarians for the 2014 Mark Twain award.
Find the candidates below, each of which has been linked to its author's page.

Students who read at least four of the books from this list are qualified to vote for the award, next year.

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If I Can Dream

3/25/2013

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I could burden you with the Celine Dion version of this song, or I could post another Barry Manilow video (His version of this song is still the best in my opinion.), but I went back to the original 1968 Elvis Presley presentation instead. When Elvis sang this, Martin Luther King Jr. had assassinated only a couple of months prior. The song even uses some of MLK's words.

Take three and a half minutes to watch this video:

Now for some questions:

What did you think about Elvis's facial expressions while he sang?
What does the song mean when it says, "There must be lights burning brighter somewhere"?
Is it possible to have a "better land where all my brothers walk hand in hand"?
What role do you play in hope "shining on everyone"?
As the song asks, "Why can't that sun appear?"
Are we lost? Trapped? How do we fly instead?
As dark as things get for us, is there always a "burning candle"?
Do dreams ever come true?
Is it possible to have a dream that is too big?

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H.O.P.E.

3/24/2013

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Since the 2011 tornado, the word hope has floated around our community with some regularity. It didn't hurt that the Joplin high school sign was left standing with just the letters O and P from the word Joplin remaining. Someone had the creativity to use duct tape to add the letters H and E to the beginning and end of the sign respectively.

In an attempt to streamline the website, I have only included four tabs at the top of the page. Those four tabs have now been arranged in the order, Homeroom, Orientation, Positivity, and Exploration. You may notice the first letters in those words are H, O, P, and E, clearly spelling HOPE. I didn't intend it to spell anything, but it is indicative of the message I want to convey to my students - that no matter how bad things seem, no matter how poor, how weak, or how ignorant we may feel, there is always hope for better. With hard work and respect, hope is something inspirational. Just as the now iconic sign at the high school encouraged the citizens of Joplin to pull themselves out of their basements and yearn for more, I always want to encourage my students to improve.

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Back to School...Again

3/23/2013

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Even while on Spring Break, I couldn't stay away from school. Pictured below is the "Possum Holler School" which has been relocated to the small museum complex in El Reno, Oklahoma.

I love seeing these old schools, and I would love to see one relocated to our school grounds - something that could be functional for actual lessons of our 21st Century students.

In the meantime, every good thing must come to an end. That is no less true of a good thing like Spring Break, which officially ended at 2:45, Friday. Now, only a weekend separates us from our enlightening classroom and one more quarter of the year in fourth grade.

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What Is That?

3/22/2013

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What is it about different generations that makes it hard to communicate? What is it about fathers and sons that makes it difficult to relate to one another? This video has something to teach us - boys and girls - about relating to our parents and grandparents. It might even say something to the parents and grandparents?

Take five minutes to watch this video:

Now for some questions:

Might endless, repetitive questions irritate a person? Do you have an example to share?
What lesson is the older gentleman trying to convey to the younger man?
Are you ever too busy to give a loving answer to someone?
How many times should you answer a question for someone? Do circumstances make a difference?
Is it worth your energy to lose your temper? What could be done instead?
Do the foreign language and the subtitles add to the mood of this scene?
Is there ever a time when children repay their elders for raising them? When?
If your parents kept a journal about your childhood, what kinds of things would they have recorded?

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Show-and-Tell

3/21/2013

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The photos and videos for this year's class, as well as years past, may be found on our Show-and-Tell links, located under the Orientation tab above. Come back and reminisce whenever, and as often as, you would like.

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Teacher Will Text

3/20/2013

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I have rolled out Remind101 to better communicate with parents. Remind101 is a safe method for teachers to text parents (and students?) with reminders and announcements.

With Remind101, I will not be able to see your phone number, and you will not see mine. You will receive text messages as I send them.

I need your help: if you have suggestions for ways in which I might use this simple tool, please let me know. I foresee sending simple messages like these:

The vocabulary test, formerly scheduled for Friday, has been postponed to Monday.

There is no written homework this week - keep reading 30 minutes each evening!

A note is coming home about the upcoming field trip.

Just follow the simple instructions in the graphic above, or send a blank email to:

[email protected]

Please note that this is not my regular email address. The Remind101 address is strictly to be used to sign up for this service. To contact me with any other questions or concerns, please use the button below:

Email Mr. Hoggatt

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"We Dreamers Have Our Ways..."

3/19/2013

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I've seen Manilow in concert three times over as many decades, officially making me uncool. I have probably seen him in person for the last time. I was very happy to see him perform this version of my favorite song. I love how he connected this song with his passion for music. His treatment of the song, interwoven with his grandpa's encouragement really is endearing.

The song is I Made It Through the Rain. I connected with the song, in the 1980s, when I heard the first lines, "We dreamers have our ways / of facing rainy days." People often accuse the Hoggatt boys of being dreamers due to our high aspirations and wild ideas.

Take six minutes to watch this video:

Now for some questions:

Is dreaming the same as goal setting? Is dreaming the same as having a vision? Or is dreaming something that is unachievable?
What is your dream?
Can you expect to achieve your dream without hindrance? What kind of rainy days might stand in your way?
Who "stands up for you", "refuses to sit down", and encourages you to chase your dreams? How?
What does it mean to protect your dreams from the storm? How might this be achieved?
How does it feel when the sun appears? What does this mean in regards to achieving your dream?
Can you help someone achieve their dreams? Are you more often the storm, the rain, or the sun for the people around you?
Is there an application for the message of this song for our class?

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I Brake (Break) for Spring!

3/18/2013

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How 'bout a long-awaited break?
Take all of this week off, but stay safe,
don't forget what you've learned,
and come back rested and ready to improve!

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Regional Math Contest

3/17/2013

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On Saturday, participants in the Cecil Floyd Math League traveled to Carl Junction, Missouri, to compete in the regional contest sponsored by MCTM (Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics). KADEN excelled in each of the two areas of competition. In Math Concepts, he scored high enough to take home the ninth place ribbon, and in Problem Solving, KADEN made second place, qualifying to advance to the state competition in the spring.

KADEN will also receive an invitation from Mr. Obert (South Middle School teacher) to visit his backyard, in May, for barbecue ribs and ALL the trimmings, including ice cream sundaes for dessert. Of course, anyone who qualifies for state was promised a pie (or is that pi?) to put in a teacher's face. KADEN now has to choose the recipient of that pie. It's between Mr. Culbertson and Mr. Hoggatt (Don't you agree that he should remember who fills in his grade card? I hear that Mr. Culbertson loves pie anyway.).

As expected, our whole team represented Cecil Floyd and Joplin well. They conducted themselves maturely and were respectful.

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Honk If You Love Someone

3/16/2013

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Little things make a difference. Here's one guy, standing with a sign, who made a difference.

Take five minutes to watch this video:

Now for some questions:

Why do some people honk their horns and others do not?
Is it safe to stand beside a busy street distracting drivers?
Would professional signs be more or less effective in delivering this positive message? Why?
Why did such a little effort capture the attention of newspapers and television stations?
What kind of message would you put on a sign to hold up for strangers? For more familiar people? Members of your own family?
Does this video encourage you to do something positive?
Is there a similar project that our class could do to encourage the school? Parents? Our community?

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Apples to Apples

3/15/2013

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Here's a fun game that gets people talking. Apples to Apples is a game of words, causing the players to compare items (red cards) and choose the best match for the adjective (green card) that is drawn from the pile. This is one game where it really doesn't matter who wins - it's more fun just to play it.

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Conference Reminder

3/14/2013

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Here's another reminder for parent conferences on Thursday and Friday, March 14 and 15. I hope to talk to everyone. It shouldn't take very long, and I'll make it as painless as possible. The report cards have been freshly printed and are waiting for your arrival. I also have some little notes to give you, and we can discuss conduct and expectations for the fourth quarter (Yes, we are already in the final weeks of the year.).

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Sportsmanship Rules

3/13/2013

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Sports, these days, could really use an example of good sportsmanship! I've often thought it ironic that sports were expected to show kids how to work as a team and how to treat one another. Perhaps, at one time, they did that, but it doesn't take a long time watching ESPN to see a story of the opposite: infidelity, suicide, assault, vulgarity, bullying, and threats. In fact, the big stories of success, sportsmanship, unselfishness, humility, and growth are so few and far between that, when they do occur, movies are made about them.

Good sportsmanship is more than just a hand slap with the opponent, while mumbling "Good game," after the game. Good sportsmanship, when it happens naturally, is a beautiful thing.

Take three minutes to watch this video:

Now for some questions:

Are things more difficult when you are different from the people around you?
What part does a coach play in guiding a team to victory? In guiding a team to be good sports?
How many chances should you give a person to do the right thing?
Can both teams win? How?
Is this the best thing that will ever happen in Mitchell's life? What else could lie ahead?
What does it mean to "treat others the way you want to be treated"? What does it not mean?
How do you want to be treated?

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Three "Persons"

3/12/2013

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What does it mean when we ask, "From what point of view is the reading passage written?" We might even give three choices for answers:

A. First Person

B. Second Person

C. Third Person

I describe it in simplest terms:

A teacher supervises fourth graders on the playground. Three students approach the teacher.

The FIRST kid tells the teacher, "I was walking across the playground when a ball hit me in the head."

The SECOND kid says, "That's not what happened! You weren't walking across the playground; you fell off the slide because you were walking up the slide instead of sliding down."

The THIRD kid witnessed the whole event. He explains, "Sam was walking across the playground when Scott threw the ball directly at his face. He was laughing when Sam got hit."

Each child tells the story from a different point of view. The first boy is the main character in his own statement; the second talks to the first, using the pronoun you as the main character; and the third kid narrates the story, in which he is not a character, but an observer.

Perhaps that makes point of view easier to understand.

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Bad to the Bone?

3/11/2013

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Over 200 years ago, Lewis and Clark were charged by their president with the task of documenting the plant and animal life in the west. Likewise, our class was charged by its teacher to investigate owl pellets and discover what the owl had eaten.

Owl pellets are the coughed up contents of the owl's stomach that could not be digested. Students discovered that the owls primarily eat rodents called voles - little field mice that need the owls to help control their population. While they were intrigued, they were also a little leery of the idea that they would be handling regurgitated hair and bones. These pellets were harvested and subsequently treated for any harmful substances (bugs, bacteria, and the like), so they are completely safe to handle. After a few minutes, the class became quite comfortable with using their tools of discovery - toothpicks, magnifying glasses, brains, and the power of communication - to discover the hair-wrapped bones, including skulls, of the voles.

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The Book Fair is Coming

3/10/2013

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Our class' first visit to the annual Book Fair will be Monday morning, to browse and create wish lists. Be sure to visit the Book Fair and make a purchase to support our school and our classroom. Many of the finalists for the 2013/4 Mark Twain and Show-Me Awards can be found on the shelves of this year's fair, which is conveniently located on the stage. The PTA does a fine job in setting up, managing, and packing up the Book Fair, each year, so be sure to thank them when you see them.

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Electrical Circuits Investigation

3/9/2013

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The photos above were taken during Tuesday's investigation of 12 "mystery boxes". Students had to use their battery powered light as a "tester" to discover which numbers were connected on the inside of each box by a wire. After testing and recording their findings, groups were allowed to peek inside to confirm whether or not they were correct.

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Superintendent Honored at Reception

3/8/2013

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Photo Credit: NewsTalk KZRG

On Monday, the school board and other sponsors honored Joplin Superintendent Dr. C.J. Huff. Dr. Huff was a finalist for the 2013 National Superintendent of the Year. With all of the superintendents in all the districts in all 50 states, this honor is a source of pride Joplin. In an interview with the NewsTalk KZRG radio station, Monday afternoon, Dr. Huff humbly gave credit for the honor to his "team" at the school and to the community in general.

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"You Raise Me Up"

3/7/2013

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When we had our Video Discussion, Learning from Failure, the class showed appreciation for the music that was used in the background. I was surprised, since the music was You Raise Me Up, sung by operatic tenor Josh Groban.

At first, I heard, "That music is so sad." Then we considered the music a little more closely.

Take four minutes to watch this video:

Now for some questions:

Does everyone need someone else to "raise them up"?
What is a time when you needed someone to raise you up?
Do you sometimes have to wait "in silence" for someone to rescue you?
What does it mean to be supported by strong shoulders?
How does it feel to "stand on mountains" or "walk on stormy seas"?
Would this be an effective song to raise money for needy children?
Would the song be more or less effective with an American children's choir?
What can you do with the support of a team that you can't do on your own?

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