A very unproductive week...

We were in school for a total of one and a half days this week.

Scott came down with a bad cold bug Tuesday morning

complete with sneezing, coughing, stuffy head,

runny nose and a fever.

He was followed quickly by Maya, 

and then Steven as well.

It didn't really hit me until Friday morning,

but, needless to say,

our week was completely unproductive.

I did, however, have a great meeting with 

my Writing Workshop kids on Thursday.

(Maya and Scott hid away upstairs 

with the portable DVD player)

so that was a highlight of the week.
My mom also sent to us
the sweatshirts she embroidered
with our school name
and some very wild little monkeys.
Whoo hoo!
They are WONDERFUL!
I love them.
Of course, there will be a picture soon. :)

The week before last was pretty awesome.

Here's Scotty working diligently on his research paper for science.

We have been studying the animal kingdom

so I asked them to each pick an animal they were interested in

and to write a paper about it.

We went to the library and each of them scoured through books.

Neither one of them could decide at first.

I am going to post Scott's paper first.

It's a bit shorter 

and I don't feel well.

(It takes less time to type something shorter

when you have to take breaks to sneeze.)

Scott was thinking about doing his paper on either

the Komodo Dragon,

sharks,

or snakes.

Snakes won out and he chose the boa constrictor.

Scott found all of his books on his own,

read and took notes,

then wrote his rough draft by himself.

I then helped him reorganize his facts,

then read his paper to him

so he could type it into the computer.

It took awhile to finish,

but I am incredibly proud of him.

Here is his final paper:

Boa Constrictors

by Scott Wing

The boa constrictor is a very interesting snake. Boas are some of the best known snakes but they aren't as dangerous as people think. Boas are different from other snakes because they bear living young. Boas, and giant snakes like the python, are the longest land animals alive today. There are many things to learn about the boa.

Boas aren't as dangerous as people think. They seem scary because of their size. They can grow to be as long as 13 feet, but they rarely attack humans. Boas feed on small animals like rats, lizards and birds. They can swallow much larger animals such as deer, monkeys and pigs. A boa can swallow an animal larger than its own head by opening its double hinged jaws. Boas do not crush their prey. Instead, they use their flexible bodies to tighten around their prey and suffocate it. Their prey usually dies within a few minutes.

Boa constrictors live in South and Central America. They live on land and in the trees and are very strong. They come in many colors like tan, brown, white, gray, silver and red. They each have similar patches down their backs.

Like all snakes, the boa uses its tongue to gather information. It gathers tiny scent particles on its tongue, then moves them to the Jacobson's organ on the roof of its mouth. This organ sends information to the brain so the snake knows if it's near dinner, danger or even a mate.

Boas do not lay eggs but give birth to living young. The female boa will give birth to anywhere from 11 to 60 babies at one time. This usually happens in the late summer or early fall.

Giant snakes like the python and the boa are the longest land animals. Although their size can be scary, the boa is rarely dangerous to people. Because they are so gentle and easy to handle, they are often used in movies along side human actors. These interesting snakes can live 20 years or more. The boa constrictor could be called the gentle giant of the reptile world.

So, did you learn anything? 

I will post Maya's paper in the next few days.

She did an awesome job, as well.

Here's hoping for a much better school week next week!