ICE-YLAND (Kennecott, Day 11)

Root Glacier

Yay! Today we’re going to hike Root Glacier!  A glacier is a large body of ice. A guy from Wild Alpine Tour came to pick us from the metal bridge between McCarthy and Kennecott. It was drizzling. BAD day to hike outdoors. Cold!!! L

Anyways, we stopped at Kennecott, a small but interesting town to start our hike. We hiked a mile and a half or so to the edge of the icy Root Glacier in a muddy trail. Man, it was tough! Plus it’s raining! Phew….

Cramp-ons

Upon reaching, the guide gave each of us a pair of crampons, a metal thing with straps and sharp spikes that attach to your shoes to help walking on and prevent slipping on ice. J

With the crampons, we hike up at down through the glaciers. It’s SO bumpy that I kept twisting my ankle, even with the crampons on. L The ice are white, light blue, and brown with tiny streams flowing down. SO cold!!!

The cave

Finally, after hiking an hour and a half, arrived at THE CAVE, the place Shu Ying and I were waiting for…. The cave was HUGE and magnificent. It has high arcs, and fresh water dripping frequently. I got free fresh water by licking the clean ice walls. Mmm….. We ate a simple lunch there. J

We left the cave and hike much more. The guide showed us a deep, DEEP hole, like a mini waterfall. It’s very dangerous to go near it!!! CREEPY!!!

At 4:00 pm, we took a different route back to Kennecott(still a mile and a half). My feet!!!! OW!!! L

King Salmon, Day One

The Falls at Katmai

Finally, we arrived at Anchorage International Airport, Alaska. We slept there for about 7 hours, waiting for a plane to King Salmon. We boarded a tiny plane that can only fit in 30 persons. After an hour, we reached King Salmon’s small airport. We got lots of information there.

We planned to go to Katmai National Park to look at grizzly bears and the salmon run. We wen there by a float plane within 25 minutes. We spotted a bear wandering around the tall grass. After a Bear Talk, we hiked around, planning to go The Falls, the best platform to watch bears and salmons. After a mile walk, plus a 'bear jam', a jam that causes tourists to stop because of the bears, we arrived. We saw several bears and 3 salmons jumped only. The bears are huge, covered with scars. 

While we walked with a ranger back to the lodge near 5:00 pm, we met a bear 50 ft. away walking down the road. We were kind of nervous (except for the ranger maybe). We made a reverse back and hid at the woods. Luckily, the bear went to the other way. SCARY!!! Tomorrow we’re going to Katmai to watch bears again……

P.S.   If you are going to Katmai National Park, remember to bring binoculars.     

Mini Society

Zoe selling hair clips (5 ea.):3

Audrey selling mustaches (5 or 10 ea.)XP

Today is the last day of Mini Society market day. Mini Society is where you need to make and sell your hand-made product. The Product must be made by each student using their own creativity and inexpensive materials. We can spend up to $10(real money) to make the products for each market day.

I decided to make Japanese doll bookmarks, and it's a hot seller! They cost 15 Mini Society bucks each.


 

Time Lime For Mini Society

April 26-30: Form partnerships for business and brainstorm ideas for products 

                   to make and sell

May 3: Bring in a sample product and conduct market survey on sample 
           product

May 7: Bring all needed supplies to class to begin production of product for 1st                

            market day

May 11: First market day at 2:00 p.m.

May 14: Bring all needed supplies to class to begin production of product for

             second market day

May 18: Second market day

Me selling Japanese paper doll bookmarks (15 bucks ea.)XD

My business partner was Sophia, we named our store Payless Gift Shop. Sophia made key-chains, bookmarks, and bracelets. They were awesome! I made 27 bookmarks for the first market day, and about 45 on the second(lots of classes were invited for the second day).

So, first day-- Lots of parents were invited. I bought a lot of magnets for my 
                     locker next year. They are awesome! I have 3 bookmarks left      
                     and I gave them to Sophia.


Second day-- My booth was in the hallway so we need to pay a hundred bucks     
                    for our booth's location! The rest of the students were setting up                          their booth inside the classroom. Tons of people came to buy so I sold out quickly. Sophia's stuff sold out, too! 
                    
After we sold out, we went to other students' booth to buy stuffs that we like.



I bought 2 flower clips, 3 clips, 2 Hunger Games magnets, 5 slingshots, 8 magnets, 3 clipboards, a duct tape purse, a bookmark, and a pipe cleaner pen. I think I spent a total of 250 bucks or more, but i still have about 650 bucks left.


I hope we can do this again because it's so fun and interesting! I made 72 bookmarks in 2 weeks only. They are so hard to make!

Gabe and Connor selling home made slingshots ( 5 bucks ea.):P

Maya and Bella selling clipboards (20 bucks each):)

     

Sam Houston Museum, Huntsville

Sam Houston's statue

Today, I went to the Sam Houston Museum. Sam Houston was the first and third governor of Texas and the leader of the Battle of San Jacinto. 


Going to Sam Houston's Museum is my school, Buckalew's, field trip. At 8:50, two buses came. We hopped on the bus and we were on the road!


At first, I listened to the i-touch because it's boring. 40 minutes later, I started to half-sleep. -_-  


The bus started to stop. Half of the fourth graders squeezed inside the mini auditorium to watch a video clip about Sam Houston.


After that, the fourth graders were divided into four groups-- two in Sam Houston's house, one in the kitchen, and one in a place called bear house ( I think). 


First, We went into Sam Houston's house. A woman guided us throughout the house. It's pretty, really. Suddenly, we heard a loud 'bam' ! Some of us even screamed (not me)! We realized that the gunfire noise was to remind that we need to switch station.


Next, we were ordered to go to the small, stuffy room-- luckily there are some benches-- the kitchen. Another young woman made popcorn with real coal ( the kitchen was almost burning!), pig fat, and corn. While we waited for the corn to pop, she demonstrated some chores the slave would do. She picked several people to demonstrate carrying two buckets of water, grinding corn, and grinding butter. I got picked to grind the butter for two whole hours! My friends kept saying, " One hour and 55 minutes left!" so I laughed really hard! But of course, I didn't do it for two hours! 


Before we went to another station, and after terribly loud gunshot, the young woman gave each of us a handful of plain, yummy popcorn. Mmmm....... Better than buttered popcorn, but not caramel popcorn ( my favorite)!


Lastly, we went to a small wooden house. Two men told us about the weapons, including axes. They answered the questions we asked and finally, one man took out a gun and told us to watch when he shoots. We yelled "one, two, three!"  and he shoots. ' BAM!!!' Lots of smoke flew towards us students.

Sam Houton's Museum

We went into the Sam Houston's Museum. There are tons of artifacts and paintings. We just went inside for seven minutes because the bus drivers were in a hurry. We went to the gift shop next. There are lots of keychains, necklaces, bracelets, flutes, and even slingshots! I bought a pale pink charm necklace and a tiny pouch with a dream catcher on it. Too bad that the line was long, long, long.


Lunch time! We ate at the gazebo for 15 minutes and were on the road again. We reached Buckalew at 2:10 and watched a movie. Today is such an interesting, full-of-fun, and awesome day!

Sam Houston

The Exciting Tournament in P.E.

Cup stacking

In my P.E. class, I learned many sports, including basketball, hockey, volleyball, football, soccer, jump rope, and cup stacking(I don't think this is a sport). 


Last week, we learned B.A.D.M.I.N.T.O.N.!!! I was extremely excited because I'm OK at it(but I'm a pro in basketball)! :)


The first day--we learned easier stuff, such as serving.   
                     Finally, we played against an opponent.


The second/last day--2 on 2 tournament! My partner         
                                was Sophia. We won all the           
                                games we played!  ^.^  


Badminton is my favorite sport is P.E.(by far)! Wish we could play it again! It would be super fun! 0_0

Badminton

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games movie stars

Last Sunday I went to watch a movie..... Of course it's The Hunger Games! It's the most popular/newest movie in the theater! My sister and her friend went to watch the movie on the first day, and I decided to watch,too.

I read The Hunger Games trilogy less than two weeks because it's fantastic! The first two books are about the games. Two scary and violent games. But still, it's good! 

So I went to watch the movie with my mom and bro. It's kind of scary when a person was killed. >_< I miss the part I'm waiting for--a boy who killed a girl with a large rock by breaking her skull! Only because I went to the restroom! 

Overall, The Hunger Games is a awesome book/movie. I LOVE The Hunger Games! The Hunger Games R.O.C.K.S!!!

The reaping

A Scary Recess =_=

This snake is similar to the snake we saw at the playground

Today is such a scary day! Guess what?! During recess time, my friend Audrey saw a garden snake! Of course, all of the fourth graders crowded around the slides, where the snake kept slithering. 

Playground that the snakes were found

The recess teachers told all of us to stay away from the snake. Finally, the teachers called two of the school janitors, and the janitors brought some tools (I can't name them). Suddenly, two garden snakes peeked out from a hole. TWO!! Surprisingly, all of the students kept standing, watching the janitors catching the snakes. 


After a while, a janitor caught the larger snake! Not with his hands, but with a tool. We clapped our hands loudly as the janitor threw away the snake in the woods down the hill.


Because the other snake is tinier and skinnier, it took a long, long time for the janitor to catch it! It's so scary!


3.29.2012 is a scary and awesome day! I wouldn't want to forget this day because it's the first time I ever saw a snake in such a close distance (there's always a glass between the snake and visitors in the zoos...)! Luckily, the janitor threw the snakes quite far away! Hope they won't bother us anymore!

The woods the janitor threw the snakes away