blizzard bags - day #1

the school district has been approved for three "blizzard bags". a blizzard bag is a group of assignments that will count as one school day to help limit the number of days the kids will have to make up at the end of the year. they just cancelled school for wednesday too so the kids with have missed eight days this year and there is only an allowance for five days - enter the blizzard bags.

for the first grade, there is a grid of nine assignments that the kids can review and select three for each day approved as a "blizzard bag" day. today madelyn selected the following assignments:

1. math - create and solve addition and subtraction problems. bring a few in to share with your teacher when you return!

2. science - go outside and get a cup of snow. bring it inside and place it on the kitchen counter. record how long it takes the snow to melt when it's inside your house. use a stopwatch or watch or clock to measure how long it takes.

3. free space - build a fort. whether you want to build a fortress for an epic space battle or have tea inside a princess castle made out of blankets, a fort could be a great story starter. what will your story be? feel free to write it inside your fort.

madelyn was super excited about all of the options and had a hard time deciding what to do first. now, finishing the complete assignments was a little less enjoyable. it is hard to do 'work' when everyone else is just playing. one of the neighbors said that her boys (middle school/high school) had been working on their assignments for three hours and weren't halfway done. i told madelyn that it could be worse. i think some of it is just the extra crying they have all had from the prolonged captivity. and we get to do it again tomorrow!

love.