Something I Learned From Mrs. Lu- Judge's Class

Mrs. Judge's class-

Write at least one complete sentence (with a capital letter to start and punctuation to end) about something you learned from Mrs. Lu's presentation to the fifth grade on Tuesday, December 8th. Remember to sign your blog post with your initials and your teacher's name or your first name and last intital and your teacher's name. Try to think of something original to include in your comment that your classmates haven't mentioned yet. Have fun!

Something I Learned From Mrs. Lu- VanderVelde's Class

Ms. VanderVelde's class-

Write at least one complete sentence (with a capital letter to start and punctuation to end) about something you learned from Mrs. Lu's presentation to the fifth grade on Tuesday, December 8th. Remember to sign your blog post with your initials and your teacher's name or your first name and last intital and your teacher's name. Try to think of something original to include in your comment that your classmates haven't mentioned yet. Have fun!

Something I Learned From Mrs. Lu- Schwebel's Class

Mrs. Schwebel's class-

Write at least one complete sentence (with a capital letter to start and punctuation to end) about something you learned from Mrs. Lu's presentation to the fifth grade on Tuesday, December 8th. Remember to sign your blog post with your initials and your teacher's name or your first name and last intital and your teacher's name. Try to think of something original to include in your comment that your classmates haven't mentioned yet. Have fun!

Something I Learned From Mrs. Lu- Piper's Class

Mr. Piper's advisees-

Write at least one complete sentence (with a capital letter to start and punctuation to end) about something you learned from Mrs. Lu's presentation to the fifth grade on Tuesday, December 8th. Remember to sign your blog post with your initials and your teacher's name or your first name and last intital and your teacher's name. Try to think of something original to include in your comment that your classmates haven't mentioned yet. Have fun!

Interview with Shibu Howlader about Bangladesh

One of Mr. Piper's good friends from college, Shibu Howlader, recently traveled to Bangladesh to visit his family. Shibu was kind enough to answer some of our questions and take pictures to help us understand a bit about the geography and culture of Bangladesh. Check out Shibu's answers below and the Animoto video showcasing some pictures he took on his trip. Think about how Bangladesh is similar and different than India?



Have you ever been hit by a cyclone or known anyone who has?
I've never been hit by a cyclone, but my aunt (dad's sister) died in a huge cyclone/hurricane in 1970. I've added the link from Wikipedia outlining the cyclone.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970_Bhola_cyclone

What city is your family from in Bangladesh?
I have family in Dhaka, Barisal, Dasmina, Aurabunia and Bogura. Check out the Google Map below to see Dhaka.

View Larger Map

What is it like in Bangladesh?
It depends. The villages are very simple. Dhaka is very crowded. The country is very very poor.

Do you see many people outdoors in Bangladesh like you see lots of people outside in India?
Oh yeah. People just hang outside all the time.

Who do you like more, Brett Favre or Adrian Peterson? Do you have a different favorite player on the Vikings ?
Adrian Peterson!

How many times have you visited India and Bangladesh?
This was my 4th trip.

Have you ever hit a hole in one in golf?
Nope, still waiting for that elusive ace!

Does your full name have a special meaning in Bangladesh?
Not really. I was named after Shiva, who is a major Hindu god.

What types of wildlife are commonly found in Bangladesh? Owls? Are there cows roaming in the streets in villages there like you sometimes see in India?
Cows, goats. Bengal tigers are very rare.

What sports are popular in Bangladesh?
Cricket, soccer, badminton, field hockey.

Have you ever played cricket? If so, did you like it?
I played a few times when I lived in England. I did enjoy it.

Have you ever seen a pro cricket game?
Yes

Is baseball popular in Bangladesh and India right now? If so, who are people cheering for in the World Series? Who are you cheering for?
Not at all. People don't really know what it even is.

Are your relatives/ancestors from Bangladesh, India or both?
Both.

What religion do you practice? (kids learned that Bangladesh is primarily a Muslim country)
Hinduism

Does it snow in Bangladesh?
Never

Do the people in Bangladesh like movies as much as India?
They do, but Bangladeshi movies are all the same. Poor girl/guy meets rich girl/guy.

Is the culture in Bangladesh more modern or traditional?
Trying to be more modern in Dhaka, but very traditional in the villages. For the most part Bangladesh is a very conservative country, considering it's over 90% Muslim.

Why are you currently traveling in Bangladesh and India?
To see family.

Do you speak any languages other than English? What languages are spoken in Bangladesh?
Bengali

Exploring Mount Everest!

Below are some videos chronicling the trip from Lukla all the way to the summit of Everest. For this week's blog comment, please write at least one sentence about something new you learned about Mount Everest or something you really enjoyed about our virtual climb. Please remember to sign your post with your initials and your teacher's name or your first name and last initial and your teacher's name.

Check out these videos that real climbers put together, showing the different stages of their actual journey to the top of Mount Everest.

Getting to Base Camp:


Life at Base Camp:


From Base Camp to Camp IV:


Summiting Mount Everest:


Want to learn more about Everest, check out some of these cool links:
Mount Everest Fun Facts

Mount Everest Brianteaser Game from National Geographic

Bells From Everest

Other Countries in South Asia Songs

Check out these great songs about the "other countries in South Asia."

Mrs. Judge's Class:


Ms. VanderVelde's Class:


Mrs. Schwebel's Class:


Mr. Piper's Class:

Mr. R's Hindu Folk Tales

Check out these videos of Mr. Raghunathan telling Hindu folk tales from India.

The story of Narasimha:


How Ganesha got his elephant head:


How Ganesha broke his tusk and how Ganesha is wise.

India Revealed: Reflections by Mrs. Judge's Class

This week in class we are going to learn about people in India and explore aspects of India's culture by watching portions of the India Revealed DVD and discussing the characters in it in class. For your blog post, please comment about at least one thing new that you learned or found interesting from the DVD. Think especially about how India has a blend of traditional ways and modern ones.

Please sign your comment with your initials and your teacher's name or your first name, last initial and teacher's name. Do your best to comment on something that your classmates haven't mentioned. Have fun and hope you learn something new about India from the India Revealed DVD.

India Revealed: Reflections by Ms. VanderVelde's Class

This week in class we are going to learn about people in India and explore aspects of India's culture by watching portions of the India Revealed DVD and discussing the characters in it in class. For your blog post, please comment about at least one thing new that you learned or found interesting from the DVD. Think especially about how India has a blend of traditional ways and modern ones.

Please sign your comment with your initials and your teacher's name or your first name, last initial and teacher's name. Do your best to comment on something that your classmates haven't mentioned. Have fun and hope you learn something new about India from the India Revealed DVD.

India Revealed: Reflections by Mrs. Schwebel's Class

This week in class we are going to learn about people in India and explore aspects of India's culture by watching portions of the India Revealed DVD and discussing the characters in it in class. For your blog post, please comment about at least one thing new that you learned or found interesting from the DVD. Think especially about how India has a blend of traditional ways and modern ones.

Please sign your comment with your initials and your teacher's name or your first name, last initial and teacher's name. Do your best to comment on something that your classmates haven't mentioned. Have fun and hope you learn something new about India from the India Revealed DVD.

India Revealed: Reflections by Mr. Piper's Class

This week in class we are going to learn about people in India and explore aspects of India's culture by watching portions of the India Revealed DVD and discussing the characters in it in class. For your blog post, please comment about at least one thing new that you learned or found interesting from the DVD. Think especially about how India has a blend of traditional ways and modern ones.

Please sign your comment with your initials and your teacher's name or your first name, last initial and teacher's name. Do your best to comment on something that your classmates haven't mentioned. Have fun and hope you learn something new about India from the India Revealed DVD.

What I learned about Diwali- Judge's Class

For this week's blog comment, write one complete sentence (remember capital letters and punctuation at the end) about at least one new thing you learned about Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Please sign your comment with your initials and your teacher's name or your first name and last initial and your teacher's name. Try your best to write about something your classmates have not mentioned.

Have fun thinking about Diwali!

What I learned about Diwali- VanderVelde's Class

For this week's blog comment, write one complete sentence (remember capital letters and punctuation at the end) about at least one new thing you learned about Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Please sign your comment with your initials and your teacher's name or your first name and last initial and your teacher's name. Try your best to write about something your classmates have not mentioned.

Have fun thinking about Diwali!

What I learned about Diwali- Schwebel's Class

For this week's blog comment, write one complete sentence (remember capital letters and punctuation at the end) about at least one new thing you learned about Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Please sign your comment with your initials and your teacher's name or your first name and last initial and your teacher's name. Try your best to write about something your classmates have not mentioned.

Have fun thinking about Diwali!

What I learned about Diwali- Piper's Class

For this week's blog comment, write one complete sentence (remember capital letters and punctuation at the end) about at least one new thing you learned about Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Please sign your comment with your initials and your teacher's name or your first name and last initial and your teacher's name. Try your best to write about something your classmates have not mentioned.

Have fun thinking about Diwali!

Mapping India

Check out this video of Mr. Piper as he explains how you can make your body look like the map of India.

A look at India...

Check out Mr. Piper's Animoto video aboout India. Look at the different images in the video. What sorts of things are you curious about? What would you like to learn more about dealing with India and South Asia? Sign your comment below with your initials and your teacher's name or your first name and last initial and your teacher's name.

Do you do a didgeridoo???

Watch Mr. Piper teach you how to play the didgeridoo!




Now, check out Larry Winwinni, a professional didgerdioo player who is considered one of the best in the world.



Here is a video of Grahm Wiggins (aka Dr. Didge) and his former band "Outback." Notice Dr. Didge playing two didgeridoos in the song. Do you think you know why the colors in the music video are all orangey? Think about what we learned about the outback and saw on Google Earth.

What I learned from the Australia Revealed DVD: Judge's Class

Write at least one complete sentence about something you've learned from the Australia Revealed DVD.

Remember to sign your post with your first name and last initial or your initials and your teacher's name.

Do your best to write about something that your classmates have not written about.