Washington Irving Enrichment: 2011

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

2nd Grade - Our trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students once again comparing and contrasting items.

5th Grade - Today's word, ethnology, means the anthropological study of socio-economic systems and cultural heritage, especially of cultural origins and of factor influencing cultural growth and change. Benjamin Franklin, who invented several items, was today's investigator. The affective lesson focused on speaking the truth. The warm-up activity was a problem solving activity where students had to build a Christmas tree from the provided materials. Our structure study has taken us to the industrial revolution. The rest of the afternoon was spent watching another segment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition video.

Monday, December 19, 2011

2nd Grade - Today's word, deter, means to discourage or prevent. The investigator was William Howard Taft, our 27th president.

5th Grade - Today's word, ethnology, means the anthropological study of socio-economic systems and cultural heritage, especially of cultural origins and of factor influencing cultural growth and change. Benjamin Franklin, who invented several items, was today's investigator. The affective lesson focused on speaking the truth. The warm-up activity was a problem solving activity where students had to build a Christmas tree from the provided materials. Our structure study has taken us to the industrial revolution. The rest of the afternoon was spent watching another segment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition video.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Thursday, December 15, 2011

3rd Grade - Ligature, bonds used to tie or bind, was today's vocabulary word. Whoopi Goldberg, a famous actor, was today's investigator. Our warm-up activity was called What in the World from a National Geographic Kids magazine. Students had to identify 7 magnified items and state what country the items were from. The trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students coloring maps using only four colors-a famous mathematical puzzle. Our relationship lesson focused on self confidence. The science lesson focused once again on hypothesis and added observation.

5th Grade - Today's word was diplomacy meaning the art or practice of conducting international relations, as in negotiating alliances, treaties, or agreements. Our investigator was Conrad Hubert, who invented the flashlight and started the Ever Ready company. They also played the What In the World puzzle. The affective lesson today focused on knowing right from wrong. Students then designed the web pages for their Exploravision project.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

2nd Grade - Today we took our weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods. Sybil the Scientist had students comparing and contrasting items.

4th Grade - The word for today was diplomacy which means the art or practice of conducting international relations, as in negotiating alliances, treaties, or agreements. The investigator today was Roberto Clemente who was a hero on the baseball field as well as off. Today's warm-up activity was a What in the World puzzle from a National Geographic Kids magazine. The affective lesson focused on stress, procrastination, perfectionism, potential, isolation, leadership, risk-taking and motivation. Students then evaluated the alien directions we received from the other school. We began a study of language systems and watched some more of the Lewis and Clark Expedition video.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Monday, December 12 and Tuesday, December 13, 2011

2nd Grade - Today's word was subside meaning to decrease or become less. Nellie Bly, who traveled around the world in 72 days back in 1889, was today's investigator. The warm-up activity was a What In the World puzzle taken from a National Geographic Kids magazine. Students then shared a little about what they learned from interviewing their classmates.

5th Grade - Today's word was diplomacy meaning the art or practice of conducting international relations, as in negotiating alliances, treaties, or agreements. Our investigator was Conrad Hubert, who invented the flashlight and started the Ever Ready company. They also played the What In the World puzzle. The affective lesson today focused on knowing right from wrong. Students then designed the web pages for their Exploravision project.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Thursday, December 8, 2011

3rd Grade - Today's word was Rapacious which means raptor-like, preying on others. George Gershwin, who composed Rhapsody in Blue, was today's investigator. This group's warm up activity was a Stories with Holes problem which the students were able to solve. The trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students practicing Divergent thinking or brainstorming by using a web. We observed the results of our experiment with steel wool, water and oil. Today's science lesson focused on Hypothesis. We predicted what would happen to a penny rubbed with salsa.

5th Grade - Depression, the condition of being sad or dejected was today's word. Thomas Alva Edison, who invented gummed paper, was today's explorer. The warm-up activity was a Stories with Holes situation which the students were unable to solve. Students wrote their final essays for the Exploravision project. The final activity was watching more of the Lewis and Clark Expedition video by PBS.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Dear Friends,

My last post regarding the Donor's Choose program had a glitch in it. That problem has been resolved. My students and I would greatly appreciate it if you would take the time to view our project. I am trying to get Kindles for the students so we can have more resent encyclopedias from which to do our research. Research is one of the most effective ways of differentiating curriculum for academically gifted students.

Sincerely,
Marcia Rains

P.S. Our IT department will be doing some work today and this will be my last post until tomorrow afternoon.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

2nd Grade - These students finished interviewing their class neighbor and wrote up the information in a short story. Next week we will share what we learned.

4th Grade - With classes having to be canceled the last couple of weeks for Thanksgiving and teacher collaboration time, there were four words today: Court-martial, culinary, dalles and depression. Today's investigator was Mary Cassatt, known as America's Great Impressionist. A Quotation Quizzler was the warm-up activity for today. The affective lesson focused on pet peeves and thick skin. Students were then given directions of an alien built by another school. They were to follow the given directions hoping to replicate the other school's creature. The morning class enjoyed the 5th grade program while the afternoon class finished off the day by watching another episode of the Lewis and Clark video by PBS.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

2nd Grade - Today we took our weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods where students were introduced to analytical thinking. Students were given some creatures that Sybil the Scientist found in the woods. The students then had to sort and classify their groups.

5th Grade - Depression, the condition of being sad or dejected was today's word. Thomas Alva Edison, who invented gummed paper, was today's explorer. The warm-up activity was a Stories with Holes situation which the students were unable to solve. Students wrote their final essays for the Exploravision project. The final activity was watching more of the Lewis and Clark Expedition video by PBS.

Monday, December 5, 2011

2nd Grade - Today's word was Finesse. Finesse is the ability to handle a delicate situation. Theodore Rossevelt, who led a group of calavary in Cuba's fight for independence against Spain, was today's investigator. We then played 20 questions for the warm-up activity which the students were able to determine the answer.

5th Grade - Depression, the condition of being sad or dejected was today's word. Thomas Alva Edison, who invented gummed paper, was today's explorer. The warm-up activity was a Stories with Holes situation which the students were unable to solve. Students wrote their final essays for the Exploravision project. The final activity was watching more of the Lewis and Clark Expedition video by PBS.

Researching on Kindles

Hi Friends,

I hope you are having a wonderful fall! I am busy finishing up the first half of the school year (time flies!), and there are not a lot of extra resources lying around for us teachers for the second half of the year! So what I've done is created a classroom project request on a 501(c)3 charity website called DonorsChoose.org.

I'm writing to ask for any donations possible for my students - no matter the size, it will help my kids. This week only, any donation you make to my project will be doubled! If you know anyone that is passionate about education, please pass this along. Your tax-deductible donation will have a direct impact on at least 30 students (and many more in the future), and you'll hear back from our class about your impact on our learning!

To learn more or donate:

Visit my Teacher Page, http://www.donorschoose.org/we-teach/569531
Choose one of my projects, enter the amount of your donation, and click "Give"
During check-out, enter the word SPARK where it says "I have a gift or match code" field, and your donation will be matched dollar for dollar.
The SPARK match code will double your donation until the end of the day on Monday, December 12th. So exciting!

Feel free to send me any questions. I appreciate your support more than words can say! As do my students!

Happy Holidays!

Marcia Rains

Friday, December 2, 2011

Thursday, December 1, 2011

3rd Grade - The word of the day was Sedulous which means industrious. Today's investigator was Harrison Ford, who rescues people in real life as well as on the big screen. Our warm-up activity was a Quotation Quizzler. The trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students practicing their Divergent Thinking by trying to build a structure 9" tall that would hold a set of encyclopedias. Our science activity focused on chemistry and what happens to steel in water or water and oil. The rest of the morning was spent finishing brochures about the island students researched.

5th Grade - Their word was Dalles. Dalles are steep precipices forming the sides of a gorge or narrow valley, usually having rapids at the bottom. The investigators today were the Smith Brothers, the inventors of the cough drop. The warm-up activity was a Quotation Quizzler. Affective thinking focused on rules and beliefs. The rest of the afternoon was spent correcting essays for the Exploravision project and brainstorming pros and cons of the new inventions.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

2nd Grade - Today's investigator was Mary Harris Jones who protested labor laws of the late 19th and early 20th century.

4th Grade - Due to the teacher's professional development schedule, classes were canceled for the rest of the day.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

2nd Grade - Several students were still working on a classroom project and didn't come to Enrichment today. Those who did attend, worked on their ABC books or today's quote puzzle.

5th Grade - Their word was Dalles. Dalles are steep precipices forming the sides of a gorge or narrow valley, usually having rapids at the bottom. The investigators today were the Smith Brothers, the inventors of the cough drop. The warm-up activity was a Quotation Quizzler. Affective thinking focused on rules and beliefs. The rest of the afternoon was spent correcting essays for the Exploravision project and brainstorming pros and cons of the new inventions.

Monday, November 28, 2011

2nd Grade - Today's word was envision. To envision means to imagine or picture something in one's head. Several students were working on a classroom project and didn't come to Enrichment today. Those who did attend, finished their ABC books.

5th Grade - Their word was Dalles. Dalles are steep precipices forming the sides of a gorge or narrow valley, usually having rapids at the bottom. Today's warm-up activity was a Quotation Quizzler. The investigators today were the Smith Brothers, the inventors of the cough drop. Affective thinking focused on rules and beliefs. The rest of the afternoon was spent correcting essays for the Exploravision project and brainstorming pros and cons of the new inventions.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

2nd Grade - These students were having special activities today so they didn't come to Enrichment.

5th Grade - This week's word was Culinary. The investigator was Ada Lovelace, who developed a computer program in 1843. These students tried to solve a Stories with Holes problem that they hadn't finished in the past. This group was able to solve the problem. Students wrote another component for the Exploravision project. They started watching a video about the Lewis and Clark expedition last week. Today, we watched some more of that video.

Monday, November 21, 2011

2nd Grade - These students were having special activities today so they didn't come to Enrichment. Last week, the word was Discrepancy, the investigator was Benjamin Harrison and the warm up activity was a logic elimination puzzle.

5th Grade - This week's word was Culinary. The investigator was Ada Lovelace, who developed a computer program in 1843. These students tried to solve a Stories with Holes problem that they hadn't finished in the past. They were stumped again today. Students wrote another component for the Exploravision project. They started watching a video about the Lewis and Clark expedition last week. Today, we watched some more of that video. Since this is a short week, the Thursday 5th grade group joined the Monday group in the Enrichment/art room.

Up ane Running

My apologies for not posting the last few weeks. For some reason, the school filtering system was not allowing me to access this page. We are up and running again. Thank you for being patient.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

3rd Grade - Due to all of the activities that have postponed the Friday 3rd Grade groups, this group took a break from our regular curriculum to study birds today. The word for today was Dovetail which are interlocking pieces that form a joint. Today's investigator was General George Patton, who had been a struggling reader. Students then listened to the story "Hey, Al." This was a story about a discontent man who went to live on an island until he started turning into a bird. Students then researched birds. Then wrote about what they would use bird parts for if they lived on that island. They were then given some materials and had to build a bird.

5th Grade - Today's word was Compensation which means the "pay" one receives for an act. Our investigator was Ruth Wakefield, the inventor of the chocolate chip cookie. The warm up activity was a Surprise in the Middle activity which was an exercise in creativity and following directions. The affective lesson focused on things we learn the hard way and "truisms." Students spent some time researching their inventions and working on Lewis and Clark projects.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

4th Grade - There were two vocabulary words today. Celestial = of or pertaining to the sky or the heavens. Compensation = the "pay" one receives for an act. The investigator was Rachel Carson, who was an activist against pesticides. Our warm-up activity was an exercise in creativity and following directions called Surprise in the Middle. The affective thinking lesson focused on our strengths and weaknesses and what we can say to ourselves during situations to help get through that time. The rest of the afternoon was spent building the model cooperative creature and writing directions to send to the other schools.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Students spent today working on their ABC books so we have something to share for parent/teacher conferences.

5th Grade - Our vocabulary word today was Compensation. Compensation is the "pay" one receives for an act. Today's investigator was Ruth Wakefield who accidentally invented the chocolate chip cookie. The warm-up activity was Surprise in the Middle, an exercise in following directions and creativity. Attitudes were the focus of today's affective thinking lesson. Students spent some time developing their idea for the Exploravision contest. They also spent some time researching the history and current technology of their idea. The rest of the afternoon was spent working on Lewis and Clark projects.

Monday, October 31, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Coax was the word of the day. It means to persuade gently. Today's investigator was Grover Cleveland. He is the only President to be elected to the office that weren't successive terms. Did you know that he had a rubber jaw? This morning's warm-up activity was Surprise in the Middle, an exercise in creativity and following directions.

5th Grade - Due to a meeting, there will be no Enrichment this afternoon. Today's afternoon class will come tomorrow.

Friday, October 28, 2011

3rd Grade - The third grade classes are off enjoying a field trip to the zoo today.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

3rd Grade - The word for today was Diaphanous which means translucent, transparent. Today's investigator was Tom Cruise, a struggling reader who has become a famous movie star. The warm-up activity was from the back of an old National Geographic for kids magazine. Students were given nine very close up photos of items along with a clue from which they were to determine the object. Our friends in Crystal Pond Woods focused once again on Divergent Thinking. This time students were given simple drawings and were to make up a caption for the drawings. More time was spent researching a Polynesian island. Our final activity was observation of various types of lids.

5th Grade - Today's word was Celestial. Celestial means of or pertaining to the sky or the heavens. Tom Adams, the inventor of chewing gum, was the investigator. A Plexer was the warm-up activity. Our affective lesson had students writing down what was important to them and why. The rest of the afternoon was spent working on Lewis and Clark projects.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Enrichment classes were canceled today for the classroom teacher's collaboration time. I was able to share enriching math ideas.

Next Tuesday evening, November 1st and Thursday evening, November 3rd Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held. I would like for parents to stop by and view some of the students' work. Fourth grade will have their Munracks and aliens to share while fifth grade will have artifacts from the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Today, we took our weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods. Isabel the Inventor had us creating a way for Sybil the Scientist to cross Crystal Pond without a boat. She then had students create a way to get the acorns off the ground so she could store them for the winter.

5th Grade - Today's word was Celestial. Celestial means of or pertaining to the sky or the heavens. Tom Adams, the inventor of chewing gum, was the investigator. A Plexer was the warm-up activity. Our affective lesson had students writing down what was important to them and why. The rest of the afternoon was spent working on Lewis and Clark projects.

Monday, October 24, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Today's word was Banter. To Banter means to speak playfully or teasingly. Charlie Parkhurst, a stage coach driver for over 50 years was today's investigator. Since she lived her life as a man, she was the first woman to vote in California. The warm-up activity for today was a Plexer, a common word or phrase put in picture form.

5th Grade - Today's word was Celestial. Celestial means of or pertaining to the sky or the heavens. Tom Adams, the inventor of chewing gum, was the investigator. A Plexer was the warm-up activity. Our affective lesson had students writing down what was important to them and why. The rest of the afternoon was spent working on Lewis and Clark projects.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

4th Grade - This week's word was Cartographer. A Cartographer is someone who makes maps or charts. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first American female doctor, was today's pilgrim. The warm-up activity was a Quotation Quizzler. Today's affective lesson finished off the family traits lesson. Students then completed an exercise in creativity and listening to directions so they could get a feel for listening to directions without seeing the finished product as well as developing directions. A similar activity followed with the See-Run-Do poster. We had a discussion about what we learned from both activities. Students then designed the robot the class would be building and writing directions for to send to the other schools.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Today started off by designing a cycle for Yolanda the Yarnspinner, who is a spider. Students then explored patterns in rhymes and music. Our science lesson focused on observation by studying a variety of lids.

5th Grade - Cartographer was the 5th grade word of the week. A cartographer is someone who makes maps or charts. The investigator was George Washington Carver, who invented over 300 uses for the peanut. A Quotation Quizzler was the warm-up activity. Our affective lesson focused on Tolerance and Empathy. We began a new study in structures: Expansion of Technology. With this study, students will be participating in the Exploravision competition put on by Toshiba. The remainder of afternoon was spent working on projects for the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Monday, October 17, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was a repeat from last week: Dexterous. Someone who is dexterous is nimble and flexible. There were two investigators today: Chester A. Arthur the 21st president and Calvin Coolidge the 30th president of the United States. Our puzzle for today came from the back of an old National Geographic for kids magazine. Students were given nine very close up photos of objects along with a short clue and were to identify the item. Our trip to Crystal Pond Woods introduced us to Isabel the Inventor who is a Divergent Thinker. Students brainstormed what to do with bubbles on a paper.

5th Grade - Cartographer was the 5th grade word of the week. A cartographer is someone who makes maps or charts. The investigator was George Washington Carver, who invented over 300 uses for the peanut. A Quotation Quizzler was the warm-up activity. Our affective lesson focused on Tolerance and Empathy. We began a new study in structures: Expansion of Technology. With this study, students will be participating in the Exploravision competition put on by Toshiba. The remainder of afternoon was spent working on projects for the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Thursday, October 13, 2011

3rd Grade - Sequester was the word of the day. It means to remove and hold in isolation. Today's investigator was Cher. The warm up activity was a Quotation Quizzler. Our affective lesson focused on caring. Our friends at Crystal Pond Woods played a divergent thinking game called Word Wiz. Finally, we revisited our Polynesian Island and started a research project that will take us several weeks to complete.

5th Grade - Cartographer was the 5th grade word of the week. A cartographer is someone who makes maps or charts. The investigator was George Washington Carver, who invented over 300 uses for the peanut. A Quotation Quizzler was the warm-up activity. Our affective lesson focused on Tolerance and Empathy. We began a new study in structures: Expansion of Technology. With this study, students will be participating in the Exploravision competition put on by Toshiba. The remainder of afternoon was spent working on projects for the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Today, students visited Crystal Pond Woods and helped Dudley find under which tree he had hid his bones by using a Venn Diagram.

4th Grade - The word of the day was Cache. Our investigator for today was Mary McLeod Bethune. She was an African-American female who strove to get equality for blacks through education. Today's puzzle was a logic elimination puzzle. The affective lesson focused on our family traits. The rest of the day was spent beginning work on our cooperative alien project.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Students spent today editing each other's ABC rough drafts. After each child finished editing their work, they could start writing their ABC books.

5th Grade - The word of the day was Cache. Luther Burbank, the Father of the Idaho Potato, was today's investigator. A logic elimination puzzle made up the warm-up activity. The affective lesson focused on self-control. The afternoon was split working on the Bridge Across America project and Lewis and Clark activities.

Classroom Discussions

I have set up a classroom discussion forum through Collaborize Classroom. There are rules set up that students should read before getting involved in a discussion.

http://collaborize.collaborizeclassroom.com/portal/portal/collaborize/site/window?publishUrl=washingtonirvingenri&action=e&windowstate=normal&mode=view&javax.portlet.as=F39086070A52E29B0C0FE89A55E064C7&org.springframework.web.portlet.mvc.ImplicitModel=true&actionEvent=homeWithoutSuggestionBox

Monday, October 10, 2011

2nd Grade - Dexterous was the vocabulary word today. It describes someone who is nimble, skillful, and clever. Today's investigator was Nellie Cashman, a woman who traveled to mining towns feeding the hungry and nursing the sick. The warm-up activity was a Quotation Quizzler.

5th Grade - The word of the day was Cache. Luther Burbank, the Father of the Idaho Potato, was today's investigator. A logic elimination puzzle made up the warm-up activity. The affective lesson focused on self-control. The afternoon was split working on the Bridge Across America project and Lewis and Clark activities.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Thursday, October 7, 2011

3rd Grade - The word of the day was Solicitous. Solicitous means attentive, concerned. The warm-up activity today was to complete a logic elimination puzzle that had been difficult for students to complete. Jim Carrey was today's investigator. Today''s affective lesson focused on Courage. In Crystal Pond Woods, students had more logic elimination puzzles to complete. Today's puzzles were not the usual pencil and paper variety, but students were given puzzle pieces to manipulate into the proper holes in order to solve the problem.

5th Grade - The word of the day was Cache. Luther Burbank, the Father of the Idaho Potato, was today's investigator. A logic elimination puzzle made up the warm-up activity. The affective lesson focused on self-control. The afternoon was split working on the Bridge Across America project and Lewis and Clark activities.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Today we took our weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods where we worked with a Venn Diagram.

4th Grade - Due to the 4th grade program, Enrichment classes were canceled for this week.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - In order to help the classroom teachers with Thunder Time, several new students joined our class today. Students worked on developing ABC's about themselves.

5th Grade - These students enjoyed a field trip today.

Monday, October 3, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Impetus was the word of the day. It means something that spurs one to move, change, or speed up. We had two investigators today: James Garfield and William McKinley. The death of both former presidents was hastened by their doctors who did not know about germs. A logic elimination puzzle was the warm-up activity for this week.

5th Grade - Both the Monday and Tuesday groups met today since 5th grade will be taking a field trip tomorrow. The word of the day was Structure. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, was today's investigator. A round of twenty questions made up the warm-up activity. The affective lesson focused on dependability. The afternoon was split working on the Bridge Across America project and Lewis and Clark activities.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Friday, September 30, 2011

Thursday, September 28, 2011

3rd Grade - Pejorative was the word of the day and means disparaging/to lower rank or reputation. The investigator of the day was Lucille Ball. Stories with Holes was the warm up activity of the day. These students were also stumped by the problem. The affective lesson focused on Task Commitment. Along with task commitment, the class discussed motivators. Our friends in Crystal Pond Woods had us working on several logic elimination puzzles.

5th Grade - Cache is the word of the day. A Cache is a hole or similar hiding place used by pioneers or explorers for storing provisions and other necessaries in the wilderness. Today's investigator was Levi Strauss - the inventor of the blue jeans. This class was also stumped by the warm-up activity which was a Stories with Holes problem. The character word of the day was Dependability. The rest of the afternoon was spent working on activities for the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the Bridge Across America project.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Classes were canceled today due to teacher collaboration times.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Students spent today reviewing several different types of ABC books. They then began developing an ABC book about themselves.

Classes for the rest of the day were canceled due to meetings.

Monday, September 26, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - The word for this week was Hybrid. A Hybrid is a mix of different breeds or varieties. Calamity Jane was this week's investigator. The warm-up activity was a Stories with Holes problem which has so far stumped the students.

5th Grade - With several schedule conflicts this week, Monday's class was joined by the Tuesday group. The word of the day was Cache. A Cache is a hole or similar hiding place used by pioneers or explorers for storing provisions and other necessaries in the wilderness. Today's investigator was Levi Strauss - the inventor of the blue jeans. This group was also stumped by the Stories with Holes problem. Our character word was Dependability. The afternoon was split between the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the Bridge Across America project.

Friday, September 23, 2011

3rd Grade - Today's word was Pejorative. Pejorative means disparaging/to lower rank or reputation. Lucille Ball was today's investigator. A Stories with Holes problem was the warm up activity. The study of Competent Kids focused on Task Commitment. More complex logic elimination grid puzzles were given to us from our Crystal Pond Woods friends. Our science experiment focused on developing a hypothesis.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

3rd Grade - Pugnacious was the word of the day. Pugnacious means quarrelsome. Dr. Seuss was our weekly investigator. Word Winks got our minds warmed up. These are common words or phrases put into picture form. Our study of Competent Kids focused on Creativity. The puzzler's of Crystal Pond Woods gave students an opportunity to further develop their convergent thinking skills while playing a game similar to Master Mind. The Relationships study had students studying fears and beginning a research project on a Polynesian island.

5th Grade - Their word was Structure. Structure means something built or something made up. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, was the investigator. These students warmed their minds up by playing 20 Questions. Respect was the focus of their affective lesson. The Structures lesson has students studying the "Bridge Across America" or westward expansion. Students are developing a timeline that includes places to stop, hardships these people faced and items they took on the trail. The Lewis and Clark Expedition had students beginning projects associated with that study.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - These students looked for patterns in Shel Silverstein's book, A Giraffe and a Half. Before class next Wednesday, it would be nice if they could write their own version of the poem. Their science experiment focused on developing a hypothesis and observation.

4th Grade - The word of the week was System. A System is a group of units so combined to form a whole. Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, was the investigator of the day. A Mystery Object/20 Questions was the warm-up activity. Students spent time developing their research questions and getting started searching for answers. The Lewis and Clark Expedition had students developing their latitude and longitude skills.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Today we continued the "What's Bugging You" lesson by making caterpillars and talking about bugging people in a good way. Our trip to Crystal Pond Woods this week had us working with Attribute blocks. As students moved from one spot to another they were to make changes from one block to another based on certain attributes.

5th Grade - Botanical was their word of the week. Botanical means of or pertaining to plants or plant life. Our investigator was Earle Dickson, the inventor of the Band aid. The puzzle of the week was a "Mind Wink." Students are given a common word or phrase written in picture form. They have to decipher the word or phrase. The affective lesson focused on Honesty. Our study of the Lewis and Clark Expedition had us learning about Latitude, Longitude and finding locations on a map. The Bridge Across America project had students shopping for items to take with them on the Oregon Trail.

Monday, September 19, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - The word of the day was Coherent. Someone who is coherent is clear and easy to understand. Our investigator for this week was Rutherford B. Hayes. His presidency is most noted for moving the annual Easter Egg Roll, which Congress wanted to cancel, to the White House lawn the Monday after Easter. He was also the 19th President. The weekly puzzle was a Mystery Object. Students are given an unusual object that they have to determine it's name before reaching 20 questions. Tomorrow we are going to "bug" each other in a friendly way.

5th Grade - Botanical was their word of the week. Botanical means of or pertaining to plants or plant life. Our investigator was Earle Dickson, the inventor of the Band aid. The puzzle of the week was a "Mind Wink." Students are given a common word or phrase written in picture form. They have to decipher the word or phrase. The affective lesson focused on Honesty. Our study of the Lewis and Clark Expedition had us learning about Latitude, Longitude and finding locations on a map. The Bridge Across America project had students shopping for items to take with them on the Oregon Trail.

Welcome Back!

We have now been back in Enrichment for four weeks. Updates to the school technology blocked this site, so there was no access for updates. That situation has been corrected and I hope to begin making daily updates again this week except for Wednesdays.

I am looking forward to a great year of working with your students in Enrichment.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

3rd Grade - These students were having a special activity and chose not to come today.

This is my last post for this school year. Have a great summer! I'll see you all again in August.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - These students did a couple of activities around the Journey theme as well as shared a snack. It was a fun way to end the year.

3rd Grade - Students reviewed this year's vocabulary words by playing with balls on the Smartboard. The pilgrim of the day was Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln was part of a militia group formed to keep the Sac Indians from reclaiming their lands from the settlers. His particular group voted him to be captain, but military orders never came and the men returned to their farms. Mr. Lincoln then joined the regular army as a private, eventually serving his country as president as well. Students then built and raced a puffmobile. The final activity was learning about different games and playing Mancala.

4th Grade - Due to the brief class session, students shared their cultural snacks and played 20 Questions. After recess/lunch, the winning team enjoyed an ice cream treat and everyone had to draw a survival house that they would live in for one year as they studied the depths of the Mariana Trench.

Have a great summer, I will see you again in September!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Today students finished decorating their interest inventory hats today. We also discussed the importance of what students want to be when they grow up matching their interest inventory results. Successful people are happy in the jobs they do. Second graders had their year book signing party, so students left class early.

Monday, May 23, 2011

4th Grade - This was the final week of Enrichment. There were several activities regarding the idea of survival. One activity was a drawing, then a hands on activity of building a survival structure, and finally building a puffmobile.

Have a great summer. I'll see you again in September.

Friday, May 20, 2011

4th Grade - The word of the day was Harsh. Harsh means unpleasant to the senses; unpleasant conditions and sounds like Marsh. Our pilgrim today was Abraham Lincoln. While there are many stories about Abraham Lincoln, one that is little known is about a letter a little girl wrote to him. During the 1860 campaign, a little girl wrote Mr. Lincoln a letter suggesting he grow a beard. From that time on, every picture of President Lincoln shows him sporting a beard. The warm-up activity was a Plexer puzzle. Plexers are common words or phrases put into picture form that students have to decipher. Students then took an inventory to determine their style of learning. Presentations were then given and fellow students voted in order to determine if enough evidence was given in order to send a rescue team after the missing family.

5th Grade - These students had a brief class due to the Science Fair. They were able to present the information they learned about their missing families. After a brief celebration, they said their good-byes and left.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

3rd Grade - Ruminate was the word of the day. It means to meditate, muse. The pilgrim of the day was John F. Kennedy. During his growing up years, John felt he had to compete against his older brother John, who seemed to be the best at everything. During World War II, when his boat was destroyed, Mr. Kennedy showed he could be tough when the going got rough. Eventually, he became president of the United States. The trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students evaluating game boards developed by Max the Magician. After a brief assessment of the Discoveries unit, students listened to the story of Pompeii. Then acting as archaeologists, students developed stories about the people of Pompeii from the artifacts that have been found.

5th Grade - The word of the day was Zeal. Zeal means showing great enthusiasm or devotion to a goal and sounds like Seal. George Crum the inventor of potato chips was the pilgrim of the day. As a cook for the Moon Lake Lodge in Saratoga Springs, NY, George would get quite upset when people sent food back to the kitchen. When Cornelius Vanderbilt came to visit, he didn't like the way his potatoes were sliced and sent them back to the kitchen. Knowing that Mr. Vanderbilt was an important customer, George tried to control his temper. He sliced the potatoes paper thin, then fried them until they couldn't be eaten with a fork. That is how potato chips came to be. The warm up activity was a Plexer puzzle. Plexers are common words or phrases put into picture form that students have to decipher. The afternoon was spent completing several hands on problem solving activities.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - These students took an inventory of what they learned about Discoveries this year. We then talked about the multiple intelligence inventory we took last week. Each student made a paper hat and decorated it with symbols that represented their style of learning. We began looking at different jobs we may want as a result of that inventory, but we will have to finish that next week.

3rd Grade - The word of the day was Vociferous. Vociferous means loud and vehement. Winston Churchill was the pilgrim of the day. While he was not a good student in school, Mr. Churchill became a gifted Prime Minister leading Great Britain through World War II. The warm up activity today for this group was a make up activity from last week. These students did the Surprise in the Middle activity which is a following directions/creativity lesson. Students are to follow specific written directions that are not repeated in order to come up with the desired picture. These students also took an inventory of what they learned about Discoveries this year. We took another trip to Crystal Pond Woods with Max the Magician. He had us playing a game that is kind of like checkers where students had to plan careful strategic moves in order to win the activity. The final activity was to look at some artifacts from Pompeii. Students were then to look at the articles and write a story about the family that owned those items similar to an archaeologist.

4th Grade - The word of the day was Harsh. Harsh means unpleasant to the senses; unpleasant conditions and sounds like Marsh. Abraham Lincoln was the pilgrim of the day. One little known fact about Abraham Lincoln was that he didn't have a beard until the 1860 campaign. A little girl wrote him a letter suggestion he grow a beard and he had one until he died. The activity of the day was a Plexer puzzle. Plexer puzzles are common words or phrases put into picture form that students have to decipher. These students had several post assessments to finish that determined what they learned this year in Enrichment. The final activity was to present the evidence they found and the other team voted if they would send a rescue team to get the family.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Reiterate was the word of the day. It means to repeat or say something again. The pilgrim of the day was Lydia Darragh. The Darragh house was chosen by the British to be used as a headquarters. They would make the Darraghs go to bed while they held their meeting. However, Lydia, would sneak down the stairs and listen in on their conversations. In the morning, she would meet one of General Washington's men and pass along the information while getting supplies in town. The warm up activity was a Plexer puzzle. Plexers are common words or phrases put into picture form that students need to decipher. The rest of our time together was spent listening to a book about Pompeii.

5th Grade - The word of the day was Zeal. Zeal means showing great enthusiasm or devotion to a goal. George Crum was the pilgrim of the day. Mr. Crum was a chef for the Moon Lake Lodge in Saratoga Springs, NY. One thing that really made him mad was for people to return food to the kitchen. One evening Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of the world's most wealthy men came to dine, but complained about how thick his potatoes were sliced. George Crum sliced the potatoes paper thin, then fried them until they couldn't be picked up with a fork. The potatoes were a hit. George eventually went on to own his own restaurant where potato chips were a staple. The warm up activity was a Plexer puzzle. Plexers are common words or phrases put into picture form that students need to decipher. The students then took a post test on the Explorations unit. After lunch, students presented their information about their research to the class who decided if the families should be rescued. Since the theme for this year was Journey to the Vast Unknown, students built a vehicle from straws, paper, life savers and tape that could be powered only by blowing on it. Students then drew pictures of a shelter their families might have had to stay in while they were shipwrecked.

Monday, May 16, 2011

4th Grade - The vocabulary word of the day was Harsh. Harsh means unpleasant to the senses; unpleasant conditions and sounds like Marsh. Abraham Lincoln was today's pilgrim. We have all heard many stories about President Lincoln however, here is one you may not have heard. During the 1860 campaign for the presidency, a little girl wrote a letter to Mr. Lincoln suggesting he grow a beard. Every picture of him after the campaign shows him with a beard. The warm-up activity was the Plexer puzzles. These are common words or phrases put into picture form that the students have to decipher. The students took an inventory to discover their particular learning style. Those will go home with students next week. Students also took a post test covering the SOS and Explorations units. The rest of the morning was spent developing the presentations to make to the G.E.T.U. team in order to rescue the missing families.

Friday, May 13, 2011

4th Grade - Qualm was the word of the day. It means a feeling of illness; a disturbing feeling and sounds like Calm. Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and Sacajawea aka The Corp of Discovery were the pilgrims today. After purchasing the Louisiana Territory from the French, President Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore it. Sacajawea was a pregnant teen when the explorers hired her French-born husband to help guide the expedition. Their venture into the West opened new chapters in our nation's history. The warm-up activity was called Surprise in the Middle. This is a following directions and creativity lesson. Given simple directions, students are to draw what they hear from the verbal instructions. Students then took a post test to determine what they learned from the SOS project and from Explorations. The rest of the morning was spent developing the presentation for the G.E.T.U. so they can send a rescue ship to save our families.

5th Grade - Abound was the 5th grade word of the week. Abound means very numerous and sounds like Around. The pilgrim of the day was Andre Garnerin, the inventor of the parachute. While stuck in prison, Andre Garnerin invented the idea of the parachute as a way to escape. He was released before the parachute was developed. Once out of prison, he actually built the parachute and would put on demonstrations. It was 100 years later, with the invention of the airplane that the parachute became a lifesaver. The warm-up activity was a Surprise in the Middle drawing. This is an activity in following directions as well as creativity lesson. Given some directions, the students are expected to draw the picture without erasing or hearing the directions more than once. Students then took a post test to determine what they learned from the SOS project and from Explorations. During the few minutes they had before recess, students were to draw an escape proof prison.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

3rd Grade - The word of the day was Vociferous. Vociferous means loud and vehement. Winston Churchill was the pilgrim today. While he was not a very good student, the world remembers Mr. Churchill as a gifted Prime Minister who led Great Britain through its darkest hours in World War II. The warm-up activity was Surprise in the Middle. Given verbal directions, students are to follow those instructions hoping to create the instructors desired picture. Due to the book club parties, this class was shorter today.

5th Grade - Abound was the 5th grade word of the week. Abound means very numerous and sounds like Around. The pilgrim of the day was Andre Garnerin, the inventor of the parachute. While stuck in prison, Andre Garnerin invented the idea of the parachute as a way to escape. He was released before the parachute was developed. Once out of prison, he actually built the parachute and would put on demonstrations. It was 100 years later, with the invention of the airplane that the parachute became a lifesaver. The warm-up activity was a Surprise in the Middle drawing. This is an activity in following directions as well as creativity lesson. Given some directions, the students are expected to draw the picture without erasing or hearing the directions more than once. Students then took a post test to determine what they learned from the SOS project and from Explorations. During the few minutes they had before recess, students were to draw an escape proof prison. The afternoon was spent giving SOS project presentations trying to convince the G.E.T.U. to send a rescue ship.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Students finished taking their multiple intelligence inventories. If you would like to know your child's learning style, you may email me for that information. We then discussed the difference between an archaeologist and a paleontologist. The final activity was for students to act as archaeologists and "dig" in some dirt to find an artifact.

3rd Grade - These students were enjoying the Indian Heritage Day with the rest of the 3rd Grade.

4th Grade - Qualm was the word of the day. It means a feeling of illness; a disturbing feeling and sounds like Calm. Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and Sacajawea aka The Corp of Discovery were the pilgrims today. After purchasing the Louisiana Territory from the French, President Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore it. Sacajawea was a pregnant teen when the explorers hired her French-born husband to help guide the expedition. Their venture into the West opened new chapters in our nation's history. The warm-up activity was called Surprise in the Middle. This is a following directions and creativity lesson. Given simple directions, students are to draw what they hear from the verbal instructions. We spent a few minutes during our affective lesson trying to answer the question, "Will having fun make you happier than studying?" We finished the morning by getting our presentation to the G.E.T.U. finished.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - The word of the day was Sublime. Something that is sublime is impressive and puts one in awe. George Washington was the pilgrim of the day. While President Washington is recognized as the first president of the United States, most people don't know that he was first under the Constitution. Mr. John Hanson was the very first president of the United States under the Articles of Confederation. The warm-up activity was a Surprise in the Middle drawing. This is an activity in following directions as well as creativity lesson. Given some directions, the students are expected to draw the picture without erasing or hearing the directions more than once. The affective lesson had students completing a multiple intelligence inventory which we will finish tomorrow.

5th Grade - Abound was the 5th grade word of the week. Abound means very numerous and sounds like Around. The pilgrim of the day was Andre Garnerin, the inventor of the parachute. While stuck in prison, Andre Garnerin invented the idea of the parachute as a way to escape. He was released before the parachute was developed. Once out of prison, he actually built the parachute and would put on demonstrations. It was 100 years later, with the invention of the airplane that the parachute became a lifesaver. The warm-up activity was a Surprise in the Middle drawing. This is an activity in following directions as well as creativity lesson. Given some directions, the students are expected to draw the picture without erasing or hearing the directions more than once. Students then took a post test to determine what they learned from the SOS project. During the few minutes they had before recess, students were to draw an escape proof prison. The afternoon was cut short due to the Career Fair, so we spent what time we had finishing up the SOS presentations for next week.

Next week will be the final Enrichment classes for all 5th Graders. They are to bring a snack to share, preferably something from the country where their family was found.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Friday, May 6, 2011

4th Grade - The word of the day was Hoax. Hoax means a practical joke; something intended to deceive and sounds like Jokes. Today's pilgrim was Robert E. Lee, "The General from Virginia." As southern states began seceding from the Union, President Lincoln was looking for a man to lead his troops if military force was necessary. He wanted Colonel Lee, however Colonel Lee wanted to be faithful to his family and state. He led the southern army throughout the Civil War. While the idea of surrender was difficult for him, General Lee felt it was worse to send more men to die in battle. The warm-up activity was a Stories with Holes problem which the students were able to figure out. The affective lesson had students focused on the question, "Should a person try to be perfect?" After listening to the story Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days by Stephen Manes, students decided it would be better to just be themselves. The rest of the morning was spent starting the presentations that would lead to the rescue of their families.

5th Grade - The word of the day was Prototype. Prototype means an early or original example upon which later examples are based and sounds like Toe Type. Alfred Nobel was the pilgrim of the day. While many people associate him with the Nobel Peace Prize, many do not know that he is also the inventor of dynamite. Mr. Nobel had developed dynamite as a safe way to build bridges and roads through mountains. He never intended it to be used against people. The warm-up activity was a Stories with Holes problem. Students quickly determined the situation. The affective lesson had students discussing the question, "If many people believe that something is true, is it true?" The afternoon was spent finishing presentations to convince the G.E.T.U. to rescue the family from our researched locations.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

3rd Grade - This group has missed a couple of weeks of class due to testing and the Land Run activities, so today was spent trying to catch up. There were two vocabulary words: schlep means a stupid or clumsy person, and pernicious means dangerous or deadly. The Wright brothers were our pilgrims. A gift of a toy helicopter that ran on rubber bands started the two boys on their quest to build a flying machine for men. That dream was fulfilled on December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Quotation Quizzlers were the warm-up activity. For more puzzles to practice at home go to http://www.quotepuzzles.com/index.jsp. Some students needed to finish up the potato chip evaluation activity, then everyone evaluated themselves as to how well they can think like our friends from Crystal Pond Woods. We then listened to the story Rare Treasure by Don Brown. This book helped us understand that discoveries may impact the behavior of people and influence history. Students then got to dig in containers of dirt to look for artifacts which would determine if they were archaeologists or paleontologists.

5th Grade - The word of the day was Prototype. Prototype means an early or original example upon which later examples are based and sounds like Toe Type. Alfred Nobel was the pilgrim of the day. While many people associate him with the Nobel Peace Prize, many do not know that he is also the inventor of dynamite. Mr. Nobel had developed dynamite as a safe way to build bridges and roads through mountains. He never intended it to be used against people. The warm-up activity was a Stories with Holes problem. Students quickly determined the situation. The affective lesson had students discussing the question, "If many people believe that something is true, is it true?" The afternoon was spent developing presentations to convince the G.E.T.U. to rescue the family from our researched locations.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - The trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students finish up identifying why a particular creature should have a certain name. We reviewed the difference between a paleontologist and an archaeologist. Rare Treasure by Don Brown led to a Reader's Theatre activity about famous archaeologists.

3rd Grade - Pernicious was the word of the day. It means dangerous or deadly. The Wright brothers were the two pilgrims for today. One day, their father brought them a helicopter type toy that ran on rubber bands. This caused them to study and work hard to develop a flying machine that could carry men. Today was the final trip to Crystal Pond Woods. The students used their evaluation skills to determine how well they can use the different types of thinking we have learned during our weekly visits to CPW. Our discovery lesson had us focused on the understanding that discoveries may impact the behavior of people and influence history. Today's focus was on Pompeii. Our final activity was to draw a picture of a boat we might have discovered as archaeologists from 3000 years ago.

4th Grade - The word of the day was Hoax. Hoax means a practical joke; something intended to deceive and sounds like Jokes. Today's pilgrim was Robert E. Lee, "The General from Virginia." As southern states began seceding from the Union, President Lincoln was looking for a man to lead his troops if military force was necessary. He wanted Colonel Lee, however Colonel Lee wanted to be faithful to his family and state. He led the southern army throughout the Civil War. While the idea of surrender was difficult for him, General Lee felt it was worse to send more men to die in battle. The affective lesson had students focused on the question, "Should a person try to be perfect?" After listening to the story Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days by Stephen Manes, students decided it would be better to just be themselves. The rest of the afternoon was spent working on presentations that would lead to the rescue of their families.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - The word of the day was Lapse. Lapse is a temporary pause or interruption. Today's pilgrim was Nancy Hart. Nancy sold vegetables and eggs to the soldiers in the Union camps and would pass on what she heard to the Southern generals. She was finally caught and put in "prison" in a house on the second floor. Miss Hart convinced the guard to open the window for her. She jumped out of the window, took a colonel's horse and ran away. A week later she was part of Jackson's Cavalry that raided Sumersville. One of the prisoners they took was Colonel Starr and Nancy Hart was sitting on his horse. The warm up activity was a Stories with Holes problem. These students were able to discern the solution to the problem.

5th Grade - Their word of the day was Prototype. A Prototype is an early or original example upon which later examples are based and sounds like Toe Type. The 5th grade pilgrim was Alfred Nobel. While Alfred Nobel wanted to write poetry, his father expected more from him. At a school in Paris, Alfred trained to be a chemical engineer. He went on to invent dynamite hoping it would be used to make tunnels and roads. He left his fortune to be donated every year to someone who does the most to bring about world peace. These students also had to solve the Stories with Holes problem which they quickly completed. The affective lesson centered around the question, "If many people believe that something is true, is it true?" After lunch, students worked on a presentation they will make to their classmates (the G.E.T.U. team) who will decide if we should spend thousands of dollars to search for the missing family in that particular area. The rest of the afternoon was spent researching world hunger.

Monday, May 2, 2011

4th Grade - Hoax was the vocabulary word of the day. It means a practical joke; something intended to deceive and sounds like Jokes. The pilgrim of the day was Robert E. Lee. As the Southern states began seceding from the Union, Abraham Lincoln was looking for someone who could lead the army if military force was necessary and he wanted Mr. Lee. Unfortunately, Mr. Lee was a loyal Virginian who chose to go with the South. The affective lesson today had students understanding that no one is perfect. After reading the book Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days by Stephen Manes, students decided that being perfect would actually be boring. We then began exploring hunger in the United States.

Friday, April 29, 2011

4th Grade - The word of the day was Dread. Dread means to be in terror of; to anticipate with distaste or reluctance. Dread sounds like Bed. Tecumseh was the pilgrim of the day. Tecumseh tried to unite the Native American tribes understanding that through unity they could keep the white settlers at bay. Unfortunately, as his name means shooting star, the unity of the tribes could not keep the white settlers from expanding into Indian territory. The warm-up puzzle was a Quotation Quizzler. For more puzzles to work on at home go to: http://www.quotepuzzles.com/index.jsp. We spent the rest of the day trying to decide who really sank the Lusitania.

5th Grade - The word of the day was Fetch. Fetch means to go after and bring back; to get as in a price and sounds like Stretch. Samuel Morse was the pilgrim of the day. While many people remember Mr. Morse for the invention of Morse Code, few people know that he was also a famous painter. Quotation Quizzlers were the warm-up activity for this afternoon. For more puzzles to do at home, go to http://www.quotepuzzles.com/index.jsp. The affective lesson was spent discussing "Is it always easy to tell what causes things to happen?" Students spent about half of the afternoon beginning a presentation to convince the G.E.T.U. to resecue their missing family. We also spent a few minutes looking up information on hunger in the United States.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

3rd Grade - Today was spent celebrating the Oklahoma Land Run.

5th Grade - Students were on a field trip to the state capitol.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Our morning started out by finishing up the story of How to be Perfect in Just 3 Days. We then discussed why it isn't necessary to be perfect, just be yourself. The trip to Crystal Pond Woods had us studying Evaluative Thinking once again. Students used webs to help them think of the positive and negative results of decisions they make. Our final activity was to study the power of ice. We also observed different chemicals on ice to see what happens.

3rd Grade - The word of the day was Schlep. A schlep is a stupid or clumsy person. The pilgrim of the day was Louis Pasteur. As a student, Louis Pasteur spent a lot of time doodling. It looked like he was destined to be an artist. Upon entrance to Ecole Normale, he discovered his love of science and became known as the "Father of Microbiology." Our trip to Crystal Pond Woods also involved Evaluative Thinking. Students played three similar games and had to evaluate the different boards using the things they learned about criteria. The final activity was to finish our study of the difference between paleontology and archaeology. After listening to the story "Rare Treasure," students had the opportunity to "dig" for a fossil.

4th Grade - The word of the day was Dread. Dread means to be in terror of; to anticipate with distaste or reluctance. Dread sounds like Bed. Tecumseh was the pilgrim of the day. Tecumseh tried to unite the Native American tribes understanding that through unity they could keep the white settlers at bay. Unfortunately, as his name means shooting star, the unity of the tribes could not keep the white settlers from expanding into Indian territory. We spent the rest of the day trying to decide who really sank the Lusitania.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - The word of the day was Precision. Precision means exactness or accuracy. Andrew Johnson, our 17th president, was the pilgrim of the day It wasn't until he married a school teacher that Andrew Johnson learned to read, write or do sums. The warm up puzzle was a Quotation Quizzler. For more puzzles to do at home, go to http://www.quotepuzzles.com/index.jsp. Our affective lesson had us listening to the story Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days! by Stephen Manes. Since it is a lengthy book, we will have to wait until tomorrow to see if Milo becomes a perfect person.

5th Grade - Class today was abbreviated due to testing, but here is what we were able to accomplish. The word of the day was Fetch. Fetch means to go after and bring back; to get as in a price and sounds like Stretch. The pilgrim of the day was Samuel Morse. While most of us remember him as the man who invented Morse Code, Samuel Morse was also a well known painter. When he had difficulty selling his art work, he invented the Morse Code and the single wire telegraph. The warm up puzzle was a Quotation Quizzler. For more puzzles to do at home, go to http://www.quotepuzzles.com/index.jsp. The rest of our time was spent developing a presentation to convince the G.E.T.U. that our family is where they are in order to be rescued. Students also received a gift for participating in the ExploraVision project.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Mrs. Rains was sick today. See you all next week.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Tuesday - Friday, April 19 - 22

Due to OCCT testing, there will be no Enrichment classes meeting the rest of the week.

Monday, April 18, 2011

4th Grade - The word of the day was Dread. Dread means to be in terror of; to anticipate with distaste or reluctance and sounds like Bed. The pilgrim of discovery today was Tecumseh. As the colonists became unified under the Articles of Confederation, they grew stronger. Tecumseh tried to do the same with the numerous Native American tribes knowing that the white settlers were wanting more and more land. Despite its unity, however, the confederation was still unable to halt the westward movement of white settlers. Just like a shooting star that streaked across the sky the night Tecumseh was born, the Shawnee confederation shone brightly, brilliantly, for a moment. The affective lesson had students focused on the understanding that successful people exhibit the traits of creativity, goal setting, intelligence, courage and kindness. Specifically today, we focused on caring and how words can hurt for a long time. Due to OCCT testing this week, no other Enrichment classes will be meeting, so this class explored what really happened to the Lusitania.

Friday, April 15, 2011

4th Grade - The word of the day was Transpire. Transpire means to happen; to become known and sounds like Vampire. John Glenn was the pilgrim of the day. In 1962, John Glenn made the first man made orbit of the earth from space. He went into space again at the age of 78. Quizzles were the warm up puzzle for the day. For more puzzles like the one we did today, go to http://www.puzzles.com/projects/AllLogicProblems.html. Logic puzzles are also a great test practice skill. They teach students to look for problems, search clues, put clues together and draw a conclusion. The Exploration lesson had students completing an experiment to understand Tectonic plates. Students completed the afternoon by researching information from the final clue sent by the CSI team. When we return to Enrichment after testing, students should be able to locate their missing family. 5th Grade - The word of the day was Parapet. A parapet is a low wall or railing and sounds like Pair of Pets. Anton Leeuwenhoek was the pilgrim of the day. Mr. Leeuwenhoek was a Dutch storekeeper who didn't want to keep a store. He enjoyed making lenses in order to study everything he could. People thought he was crazy, but his lenses led to the development of the microscope. Unfortunately, he didn't share his lenses with anyone and it would be another hundred years before the first really useful microscope was created. The SOS lesson had students searching the 4th clue provided by the CSI team to find their lost family. Once state testing is complete, students should be able to find their lost families. Students ended the day by completing an experiment that helped them gain an understanding of Tectonic plates. There was a little confusion about an icecream party for the 5th grade. With the extra time, we designed methods of crowd control that wouldn't harm people.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

3rd Grade - Occlude was the word of the day. Occlude means to obstruct or block. Bill Gates was the pilgrim of the day. Mr. Gates was often bored in school. When he got bored, he would daydream and when he daydreamed, he would rock. His parents realized he was bored with school and sent him to a private school where his love affair with the computer began. And as the saying goes..."the rest is history." The trip to Crystal Pond Woods for these students had them working on Evaluative thinking again. This time they had to develop criteria and evaluate potato chips. Paleontologists were the focus of the Discovery lesson. Students spent time researching well known bone hunters. 5th Grade - The word of the day was Parapet. A parapet is a low wall or railing and sounds like Pair of Pets. Anton Leeuwenhoek was the pilgrim of the day. Mr. Leeuwenhoek was a Dutch storekeeper who didn't want to keep a store. He enjoyed making lenses in order to study everything he could. People thought he was crazy, but his lenses led to the development of the microscope. Unfortunately, he didn't share his lenses with anyone and it would be another hundred years before the first really useful microscope was created. The affective lesson had students discussing why the word "because" is so important. The SOS lesson had students searching the 4th clue provided by the CSI team to find their lost family. Once state testing is complete, students should be able to find their lost families. Students ended the day by completing an experiment that helped them gain an understanding of Tectonic plates.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

It was great to be back with the Washington Irving Enrichment students. Wednesday was a little hectic, but we quickly fell back into our normal routine. 1st and 2nd Grade - The students took their weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods where they continued to work on Evaluative Thinking. Several students brought their backpacks for today's activity. After developing their criteria, as if they were purchasing a new backpack for school, students evaluated the bags in order to decide which would be the best to purchase. The Discovery lesson had students focused on the concept that discoveries may impact the behavior of people and influence history. A short discussion on how ice is considered strong led to a simulation of how icebergs are formed and how powerful they can be once they begin to move. We ended the morning by watching a video about icebergs which we will finish next week. 3rd Grade - Occlude was the word of the day. Occlude means to obstruct or block. Bill Gates was the pilgrim of the day. Mr. Gates was often bored in school. When he got bored, he would daydream and when he daydreamed, he would rock. His parents realized he was bored with school and sent him to a private school where his love affair with the computer began. And as the saying goes..."the rest is history." The trip to Crystal Pond Woods for these students had them working on Evaluative thinking again. This time they had to develop criteria and evaluate potato chips. Paleontologists were the focus of the Discovery lesson. Students spent time researching well known bone hunters.
4th Grade - I was away from school Monday, but a wonderful lady was with the students. From the note I received everything went well and the lesson plans were followed. Here is what students learned: The word of the day was Transpire. Transpire means to happen; to become known and sounds like Vampire. John Glenn was the pilgrim of the day. In 1962, John Glenn made the first man made orbit of the earth from space. He went into space again at the age of 78. Quizzles were the warm up puzzle for the day. For more puzzles like the one we did today, go to http://www.puzzles.com/projects/AllLogicProblems.html. Logic puzzles are also a great test practice skill. They teach students to look for problems, search clues, put clues together and draw a conclusion. The Exploration lesson had students completing an experiment to understand Tectonic plates. Students completed the afternoon by researching information from the final clue sent by the CSI team. When we return to Enrichment after testing, students should be able to locate their missing family.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

I was absent again on Tuesday, but classes were covered by an experienced substitute teacher. From student comments and the sub's notes, everything was covered in the lesson plans. 1st and 2nd Grade - Robust was the word of the day. A person who is Robust feels healthy and strong. Rose Greenhow was the pilgrim of the day. Mrs. Greenhow had learned as a girl how to be a good hostess and many people wanted to attend her parties. Even though she lived in Washington D.C., she was a southern sympathizer. As she entertained Northern officers, she would gain information to pass on to Southern officers. After a brief stay in prison for spying, she was sent south where she became a blockade runner. During a rainstorm, Rose begged the Captain to let her go ashore on a lifeboat. The lifeboat turned over, Rose could not swim, and in her attempt to save some gold for the South, she sank to the bottom of the sea. The warm up activity was a Quizzle puzzle. For more puzzles to practice at home go to http://www.puzzles.com/projects/AllLogicProblems.html. The affective lesson had students understanding that being gifted means different things to different people. Students discussed various expectations people had for them since they had been identified as "gifted." 5th Grade - The word of the day was Parapet. A parapet is a low wall or railing and sounds like Pair of Pets. Anton Leeuwenhoek was the pilgrim of the day. Mr. Leeuwenhoek was a Dutch storekeeper who didn't want to keep a store. He enjoyed making lenses in order to study everything he could. People thought he was crazy, but his lenses led to the development of the microscope. Unfortunately, he didn't share his lenses with anyone and it would be another hundred years before the first really useful microscope was created. The affective lesson had students discussing why the word "because" is so important. The SOS lesson had students searching the 4th clue provided by the CSI team to find their lost family. Once state testing is complete, students should be able to find their lost families. Students ended the day by completing an experiment that helped them gain an understanding of Tectonic plates.

Monday, April 11, 2011

4th Grade - I was away from school Monday, but a wonderful lady was with the students. From the note I received everything went well and the lesson plans were followed. Here is what students learned: The word of the day was Transpire. Transpire means to happen; to become known and sounds like Vampire. John Glenn was the pilgrim of the day. In 1962, John Glenn made the first man made orbit of the earth from space. He went into space again at the age of 78. Quizzles were the warm up puzzle for the day. For more puzzles like the one we did today, go to http://www.puzzles.com/projects/AllLogicProblems.html. Logic puzzles are also a great test practice skill. They teach students to look for problems, search clues, put clues together and draw a conclusion. The Exploration lesson had students completing an experiment to understand Tectonic plates. Students completed the afternoon by researching information from the final clue sent by the CSI team. When we return to Enrichment after testing, students should be able to locate their missing family.

Friday, April 8, 2011

4th Grade - Shoddy was the word of the day. Shoddy means of poor quality or make; dishonest and sounds like Body. Jackie Joyner-Kersee was the Pilgrim of Exploration. When she was born, her grandmother insisted that she be named Jackie after Jacqueline Kennedy (then First Lady), because grandma knew she would be first lady of something. By overcoming asthma, and with hard work and determination, Jackie Joyner-Kersee won several Olympic gold medals for the heptathlon. The warm up activity of the day was a Plexer Puzzle. Plexers are common words or phrases put into picture form. Students have to use visual clues in order to determine the puzzle answer. The affective lesson had us focusing on the fact that successful people exhibit the traits of creativity, goal setting, intelligence, courage and kindness. Today we focused on kindness. After dissecting the Pledge to the American Flag, students wrote pledges they could keep to those around them. The Exploration lesson had us studying the point that explorations of new frontiers may impact advancements in other fields of study. With the recent earthquakes in Japan, we will be studying the earth's tectonic plates over the next couple of weeks. We watched a brief news cast of flotsam from the Japanese sunami and where scientists predict will will go over the next five years as it follows the ocean currents. Finally, the CSI team provided students with another clue for helping find their families. 5th Grade - Colossal was the word of the day. It mean enormous, gigantic; huge in size, extent or degree and sounds like Fossil. Percy Spencer was the Pilgrim of the day. One day, while working for the Ratheon Company, Percy spent too much time near some magnetron tubes. Later, when he remembered he wanted to eat the candy bar in his pocket, he found that the candy bar had melted. He started asking for food from his coworkers to see what would happen. This was the beginning of microwave ovens. These students also worked on the Plexer puzzles. Trying to be more empathic or understanding was the focus of the affective lesson. After lunch, students visited the idea of moving continents. This will prepare students for the experiment they will explore next week. They then received the third clue that would help them search for their lost family in the SOS project. We watched a brief news cast of flotsam from the Japanese sunami and where scientists predict will will go over the next five years as it follows the ocean currents.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

3rd Grade - Spurious was the word of the day. Spurious means false, counterfeit. The pilgrim of the day was Henry Ford. While many are under the impression that Mr. Ford invented the car, there were 50 companies producing automobiles when Henry Ford started the Ford Motor Company. Mr. Ford thought that the people building the car should be able to afford to own one. In order to build them for less, Henry Ford invented the assembly line. The first Model T off the assembly line sold for $850. Seven years later, Ford vehicles were selling for $290. Plexer Puzzles were the warm-up activity of the day. Plexers are common words or phrases put into picture form. Students use visual thinking skills to solve the problems. Our trip to Crystal Pond Woods focused once again on Evaluative Thinking with students continuing the development of criteria to solve problems. Students were given thirty minutes of free time. By using the Problem Solving Matrix and using their criteria, students spent their free time learning and experimenting with flight. The Discoveries lesson had students focused on the fact that discoveries may impact the behavior of people and influence history. Just as the Gold Rush brought an influx of people into California, the discovery of dinosaur bones created a frenzy among scientists and they rushed to the west coast of England. Next week, we will research some well known dinosaur hunters. 5th Grade - Colossal was the word of the day. It mean enormous, gigantic; huge in size, extent or degree and sounds like Fossil. Percy Spencer was the Pilgrim of the day. One day, while working for the Ratheon Company, Percy spent too much time near some magnetron tubes. Later, when he remembered he wanted to eat the candy bar in his pocket, he found that the candy bar had melted. He started asking for food from his coworkers to see what would happen. This was the beginning of microwave ovens. These students also worked on the Plexer puzzles. Trying to be more empathic or understanding was the focus of the affective lesson. After lunch, students visited the idea of moving continents. This will prepare students for the experiment they will explore next week. They then received the third clue that would help them search for their lost family in the SOS project. The final activity of the day was to add more pieces to our invisible men.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Today, we finished up the card game with Max the Magician and Jordan the Judge. Students were to use good factual criteria as they selected a card to match the rest of the stack. Serendipity was the guide for the Discovery lesson today. Serendipity is a discovery by accident. Just as the Gold Rush was begun by accident, hundreds of other products were discovered by accident. Students researched different products many of which came about through Serendipity. 3rd Grade - Spurious was the word of the day. Spurious means false, counterfeit. The pilgrim of the day was Henry Ford. While many are under the impression that Mr. Ford invented the car, there were 50 companies producing automobiles when Henry Ford started the Ford Motor Company. Mr. Ford thought that the people building the car should be able to afford to own one. In order to build them for less, Henry Ford invented the assembly line. The first Model T off the assembly line sold for $850. Seven years later, Ford vehicles were selling for $290. Plexer Puzzles were the warm-up activity of the day. Plexers are common words or phrases put into picture form. Students use visual thinking skills to solve the problems. Our trip to Crystal Pond Woods focused once again on Evaluative Thinking with students continuing the development of criteria to solve problems. Students were given thirty minutes of free time. By using the Problem Solving Matrix and using their criteria, students spent their free time creating games. The Discoveries lesson had students focused on the fact that discoveries may impact the behavior of people and influence history. Just as the Gold Rush brought an influx of people into California, the discovery of dinosaur bones created a frenzy among scientists and they rushed to the west coast of England. Next week, we will research some well known dinosaur hunters. 4th Grade - Shoddy was the word of the day. Shoddy means of poor quality or make; dishonest and sounds like Body. Jackie Joyner-Kersee was the Pilgrim of Exploration. When she was born, her grandmother insisted that she be named Jackie after Jacqueline Kennedy (then First Lady), because grandma knew she would be first lady of something. By overcoming asthma, and with hard work and determination, Jackie Joyner-Kersee won several Olympic gold medals for the heptathlon. The warm up activity of the day was a Plexer Puzzle. Plexers are common words or phrases put into picture form. Students have to use visual clues in order to determine the puzzle answer. The affective lesson had us focusing on the fact that successful people exhibit the traits of creativity, goal setting, intelligence, courage and kindness. Today we focused on kindness. After dissecting the Pledge to the American Flag, students wrote pledges they could keep to those around them. The Exploration lesson had us studying the point that explorations of new frontiers may impact advancements in other fields of study. With the recent earthquakes in Japan, we will be studying the earth's tectonic plates over the next couple of weeks. Finally, the CSI team provided students with another clue for helping find their families.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - The vocabulary word of the day was Spry. Someone who is Spry is nimble or lively. Abraham Lincoln was the Pilgrim of the day. During their years at the White House, the Lincoln children provided a lot of entertainment and challenges for those visiting as well as the staff. President Lincoln's reply was that they would only be young once. Plexers were the warm up activity of the day. These puzzles are visual renditions of common phrases that students have to decipher. The affective lesson centered on the idea that no one is perfect. After reading No, David and David Gets in Trouble, both books by David Shannon, students discussed telling the truth and whether some of David's problems were caused by accident or on purpose. We then began our trip to Crystal Pond Woods. Jordan the Judge was playing a type of card game with Max the Magician. We will finish this story tomorrow. 5th Grade - Colossal was the word of the day. It mean enormous, gigantic; huge in size, extent or degree and sounds like Fossil. Percy Spencer was the Pilgrim of the day for 5th Grade. One day, while working for the Ratheon Company, Percy spent too much time near some magnetron tubes. Later, when he remembered he wanted to eat the candy bar in his pocket, he found that the candy bar had melted. He started asking for food from his coworkers to see what would happen. This was the beginning of microwave ovens. These students also worked on the Plexer puzzles. Trying to be more empathic or understanding was the focus of the affective lesson. After lunch, students visited the idea of moving continents. This will prepare students for the experiment they will explore next week. They then received the third clue that would help them search for their lost family in the SOS project. The final activity of the day was to add more pieces to our invisible men.

Monday, April 4, 2011

4th Grade - The word of the day was Shoddy. Shoddy means of poor quality or make; dishonest and sounds like Body. Jackie Joyner-Kersee was the Pilgrim of Exploration. When she was born, her grandmother insisted that she be named Jackie after Jacqueline Kennedy (then First Lady), because grandma knew she would be first lady of something. By overcoming asthma, and with hard work and determination, Jackie Joyner-Kersee won several Olympic gold medals for the heptathlon. The warm up activity of the day was a Plexer Puzzle. Plexers are common words or phrases put into picture form. Students have to use visual clues in order to determine the puzzle answer. The affective lesson had us focusing on the fact that successful people exhibit the traits of creativity, goal setting, intelligence, courage and kindness. Today we focused on kindness. After dissecting the Pledge to the American Flag, students wrote pledges they could keep to those around them. The Exploration lesson had us studying the point that explorations of new frontiers may impact advancements in other fields of study. With the recent earthquakes in Japan, we will be studying the earth's tectonic plates over the next couple of weeks. Finally, the CSI team provided students with another clue for helping find their families.

Friday, April 1, 2011

4th Grade - The word of the day was Wean. Wean means to withdraw from any type of habit and sounds like Teen. Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan were the pilgrims of the day. When an illness robbed Helen Keller of her vision and hearing at the age of two, Helen Keller felt trapped and became very angry. When Anne Sullivan entered her world, Miss Sullivan taught Helen to see, hear and speak using what available senses she had. Helen then wanted to explore everything. She became an author and activist in teaching people how to interact with the disabled. Stories with Holes was the warm-up activity. Students quickly solved two Stories with Holes problems. Continuing the idea of caring for the disabiled, our affective lesson had us watching Leo the Late Bloomer. We then discussed various disabilities and how people whether disabled or not should be treated. Our exploration lesson had us learning more about the circulatory system and discussing what could happen if there was a problem. Students spent the rest of the afternoon researching information to help them find clues to where their family may be stranded.

5th Grade - The word of the day was Retrieve. Retrieve means to recover; to find and bring back; to get back and sounds like Retriever. The pilgrim of the day was Elijah McCoy. Mr. McCoy worked hard to become a fully qualified engineer. Unfortunately, due to his skin color, the only job he was able to get was as an oilman and fireman for the railroad. While working for the railroad, Mr. McCoy developed an oil can with a tube that would allow machines to be oiled without stopping them. This is how we got the term "the real McCoy." Our warm-up activity was Stories with Holes. This activity is similar to 20 Questions, except instead of looking at an object, students are given a short problem and have to decipher the situation. These students were able to figure out the problem with only a few questions. The affective lesson had students focusing on things that are important to them and why. The afternoon was spent researching the information for the SOS project clue #2 and exploring the circulatory system.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

3rd Grade - The word of the day was Osicitant. Osicitant means inattentive. Albert Einstein was the pilgrim of the day. Mr. Einstein's teachers thought him to be dull because he disliked school. He though learning should be about fantasy which meant he wanted to be looking for things he didn't know instead of memorizing facts. The warm-up activity of the day was 20 Questions. It took several attempts and hints, but these students finally determined the identity of the object. Their trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students solving problems using a Problem-Solving Matrix. The discovery lesson had us once again learning about the power of ice through a video on icebergs. 5th Grade - The word of the day was Retrieve. Retrieve means to recover; to find and bring back; to get back and sounds like Retriever. The pilgrim of the day was Elijah McCoy. Mr. McCoy worked hard to become a fully qualified engineer. Unfortunately, due to his skin color, the only job he was able to get was as an oilman and fireman for the railroad. While working for the railroad, Mr. McCoy developed an oil can with a tube that would allow machines to be oiled without stopping them. This is how we got the term "the real McCoy." Our warm-up activity was Stories with Holes. This activity is similar to 20 Questions, except instead of looking at an object, students are given a short problem and have to decipher the situation. These students were able to figure out the problem with only a few questions. The affective lesson had students focusing on things that are important to them and why. The afternoon was spent researching the information for the SOS project clue #2 and exploring the circulatory system.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - Our trip to Crystal Pond Woods had us focused once again on Evaluative Thinking. Today, students solved problems using a Problem-Solving Matrix. We then revisited the Gold Rush by digging for "gold" ourselves in chocolate chip cookies. 3rd Grade - The word of the day was Osicitant. Osicitant means inattentive. Albert Einstein was the pilgrim of the day. Mr. Einstein's teachers thought him to be dull because he disliked school. He though learning should be about fantasy which meant he wanted to be looking for things we didn't know instead of memorizing facts. The warm-up activity of the day was 20 Questions. It took several attempts and hints, but these students finally determined the identity of the object. Their trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students solving problems using a Problem-Solving Matrix. The discovery lesson had us once again learning about the power of ice through a video on icebergs. 4th Grade - The word of the day was Wean. Wean means to withdraw from any type of habit and sounds like Teen. Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan were the pilgrims of the day. When an illness robbed Helen Keller of her vision and hearing at the age of two, Helen Keller felt trapped and became very angry. When Anne Sullivan entered her world, Miss Sullivan taught Helen to see, hear and speak using what available senses she had. Helen then wanted to explore everything. She became an author and activist in teaching people how to interact with the disabled. Stories with Holes was the warm-up activity. Students quickly solved two Stories with Holes problems. Continuing the idea of caring for the disabiled, our affective lesson had us watching Leo the Late Bloomer. We then discussed various disabilities and how people whether disabled or not should be treated. Our exploration lesson had us learning more about the circulatory system and discussing what could happen if there was a problem. Students spent the rest of the afternoon researching information to help them find clues to where their family may be stranded.