Kidsday: Let's see, past or future?

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to have a time machine? We decided to take a survey on that. Would you rather have a time machine that could only go into the past or a time machine that could only go into the future? You can come back to the present no matter which time machine you choose.

Have you ever thought about what will happen in the future? Will we live on another planet? Are there such things as aliens? Will we be able to bring back the dead?

Do you wonder what really happened in the past -- like who built the Stonehenge? What was Abraham Lincoln really like? Were there humans when there were dinosaurs, or were the dinosaurs long gone? Did the moon bounce off Earth or was it the burping theory? You could also find out if Atlantis actually existed.

We surveyed the fourth- and fifth-graders at our school and found out that it was almost an exact split. Out of the 87 students we surveyed, 44 preferred to travel to the future and 43 preferred to travel to the past. So for now it seems we have to wait for a time machine to be invented and then we can head off on our destination to the past or the future. We hope a time machine is invented soon!

Oceans of learning

The fifth-grade classes at our school are learning about oceanography. Oceanography is the study of our oceans and the living things that call the ocean home.

The classes are researching a variety of topics involving oceanography. Some of the many exciting topics this year are marine biomes, the Titanic, coral reefs, killer whales and sea turtles. After the students complete their research, the fifth grade creates an Oceanography Museum for all to enjoy.

One exciting event for the fifth-graders is "A Day at Sea." We invite our parents in for an exciting series of interactive lessons, all centered around oceanography. In each class, there are a variety of hands-on stations. In one of the stations, we pretend we have been stranded at sea and have to choose the best resources to ensure our survival. Another interactive station takes place in our Oceanography Museum. We are given a scavenger hunt to complete by searching for facts and clues in our projects.

Oceanography is one of our favorite topics to study in fifth grade.

--Kidsday Reporters Jason Chen and Kian Ghazvini

CLASS OF THE WEEK: Valerie Gladd's fifth-grade class, ROBERT SEAMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, Jericho