Each group of students was an experimental design team. They needed to build a structure out of the newspaper dowels to hold a newly discovered animal that was to enter the Salisbury Zoo. This animal had some strange characteristics.
The animal has:
The activity combined many mathematical concepts. The children needed to
applytheir measurement and geometry skills, as well as their problem solving
and cooperative learning skills to complete the task.
Paul and Jarrell have been writing to our satellite tracking friends in Antarctica all summer and in these letters described their project.
July 24, 1996
Dear Mr. Matt and Mr. Dave,
We had a project. We had to make a cage for this animal. We made it out of newspaper. Me and Paul were partners.
Mr. Matt thank you. You are a funny man. Could you write some funny jokes on my letter too? I really like when you write to me. I wish I could write to you all of the time. Thurday July 25, 1996 is our last day of school. Hope I hear from you soon. I did not like summer school until I wrote to you men. I always wake up in the morning looking forward to write to you men. I would like to see you. If you are in Salisbury could you stop by North Salisbury School and ask for Jarrell Chandler. Well this is my last day writing to you. If I hear from you two I will be so happy. The feeling of not touching these keys again makes me sad. If I could give you something I would for writing back to me. Thank you for all of your letters. You did not have to write to me but you did. I just can't stop saying thank you. The Olympics have started. Well bye!
Your friend,
Jarrell Chandler
July 24, 1996
Dear Mr. Matt and Mr. Dave,
Our classroom did a project last week. We were making a cage for an animal. We made them out of newspaper and tape and it was very fun. We were in groups of four and after we got done we put our projects on the stage.
We only have one more day of school left. I wish I could keep on writing to you all the time. Last night I went to a park I was just riding my bike around there. Last night I rode my gocart and dirt bike. I like riding stuff like that. Sometimes I ride in the road or sometimes I ride in the dirt. I played a little bit of baseball and a lot of basketball. I played a one-on- one with my counsin. Most of my counsins like basketball. I have so many cousins it's not funny. I have about thirty cousins or more but I do not have a brother or sister.
My birthday is August 13, 1984 really I want a trampoline and a swiming pool and a BB gun but my grandparents won't let me get one because they will say that I would shoot my eye out or somebody's eye out. I told them I wouldn't shoot nobody's eye out or mine. If I couldn't get a BB gun I want to get a sling shot. I was getting ready to go bowling last week.
Your Friend,
Paul
Patricia A. Weeg