rock on

These are the remains of our final rock experiment. The gumdrops were part of our sedimentary rock experiment from yesterday (complete with SweetTart fossils.) The chocolate chips in the corner are left over from the melted-chocolate igneous rock experiment earlier today. Obviously, this is the metamorphic rock experiment, which combines both igneous and sedimentary rocks (chocolate chips and gumdrops) with heat and pressure (melted marshmallows and puffed rice.) The kids were pumped. And sugared up. Thank goodness science class is at the end of the day.

More from the fourth-grade front:

The new computers showed up two weeks into the school year. I decided to keep all five, putting my computer in the office. The new giant screens are awesome for showing off all sorts of graphics for the kids, most recently helping us track Hurricane Ike (who conveniently made his way through the Gulf just as we started the hurricane section of our weather unit.) Unfortunately, the computers are still lacking all of the necessary programs that would make them actually useful in the classroom, but I suppose you can't have everything. At least my network is finally not dropping offline three times a day anymore.

Yes, this is a new rug. My kids finally told me the rug I purchased just for our classroom and thought was so cute was also prone to shedding. Red fibers. All over their clothing. *ugh* I went groveling to the custodial staff, who found a dirty, stained rug with the binding coming apart hiding in storage. I claimed it sight unseen, and it made its way into our room that very day. The new rug has completely transformed the focus problem in my room. My kids now believe I can do anything. I am Superteacher.