The fourth grade Energy Club started February 13. Fourth graders did a mining simulation by “mining” for coal in chocolate chip cookies.

On February 20 they tried to determine which items a magnet would attract. On February 27 we will be working with “batteries and bulbs”.

ENERGY CONSUMPTION by Michael K.

There are many things about energy I bet you haven’t heard of. And you might think that it is just used for electricity, to power your radio and things like that. But, there is more to electricity and energy than you might think. Things like saving energy for later use. This is called energy conservation.

But we could not survive without energy and electricity. And most of us use a lot of it and don’t care for energy conservation. When you are using energy to power an alarm clock or something, this is called energy consumption.

And some people don’t know that you are drawing power when something is plugged in and you’re not using it. And this causes your energy bill to go up. This happens because it has to be ready to turn on right away. And if you keep it plugged in you draw energy and it s costing you money for you’re bill. And this is called energy consumption.

Energy consumption as you can see means the energy you use. Energy is better to conserve then to use it 24/7. Lighting uses the most energy in homes, stores, almost everywhere. There are light bulbs that can help reduce this problem.

Energy efficient light bulbs cans save on your energy bill. A 40-watt bulb CFL bulb can give as much light as a 60-watt bulb but its only 40 watts. And so using these bulbs are better than using more energy hungry bulbs. And an energy efficient bulb can cost less than regular light bulbs to use and they last longer.

So there are many ways to conserve energy. Using energy efficient bulbs can save money and the environment. So try a CFL bulb today.

During the simulation students ate corn bread similar to the type eaten by slaves escaping on the Underground Railroad. After the event was over, students feasted on pizza, vegetable trays, fruit trays and desserts. A good time was had by all.

Students in both classes are studying major events in Black history and are writing newspapers on such topics as the Underground Railroad, Civil Rights, Famous Inventors, etc.). To prepare for this assignment students have been viewing videos and news clips about various events in Black history. They will be displaying their newspapers in the hallway for all to see.

After spending much of the year trying to read all twenty books on the 2008 Monarch list, all kindergarten through third grade classes will be voting for their favorite book. The books have been out on a separate counter since last Spring and available for check-out. While we have read some of them during library class times, students have been encouraged to read as many as possible on their own or with family members. A check-off sheet with all titles listed has been available for record keeping, along with a Monarch Butterfly coloring sheet. We will be voting during the week of February 11 during library class time. Each grade level winner will be posted at school; however only one winner for all the grade levels is allowed for the final tally. Our school winner will then be sent to Canton, Illinois, where votes from all over the state will be tabulated and one winner announced sometime during March. The following books make-up the 2008 Monarch list: