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.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - The word of the day was Demeanor. Demeanor means some one's behavior toward others. Our pilgrim of the day was Frank Thompson. Actually, it was Sarah Emma Edmonds. Sarah was mistreated by her father so she ran away from home. When the Civil War began, she wanted to fight. She disguised herself as a boy and joined the army. Being good at disguises, she volunteered to be a spy making 11 trips into southern territory. Her career as a spy came to an end when she became ill and couldn't risk going to an Army hospital. 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 did so well today, we were able to work 2 problems. The affective lesson had students focused on the understanding that no one is perfect. After watching a video based on the book Leo the Later Bloomer by Robert Kraus, students discussed things they didn't used to be able to do and things they can do now. We started our trip to Crystal Pond Woods with Jordan the Judge, but will have to wait until tomorrow to help the students at Crystal Pond Woods School solve their problem.

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.

Monday, March 28, 2011

4th Grade - The word of the day was Wean. Wean means to withdraw from any type of habit and sounds like Teen. We had two pilgrims today: Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. Robbed of her sight and hearing at a young age, Helen Keller grew more angry as she grew older. Then Anne Sullivan entered her life. Once the door was open, Helen Keller wanted to know everything and shared with others how to be more accepting of people with disabilities. In continuing with that idea, students watched a video called, "Leo, the Late Bloomer." Students then discussed disabilities and how we should handle people who are different from us. Clue #2 of our SOS project dealt with the flora (plant life) where our family has landed. This helped students narrow down even more where to search for their family. For the Exploration lesson, we watched a video on the circulatory system and then tried to put a heart together on the Smartboard.

Firday, March 25, 2011

4th Grade - The word of the day was Swelter. Swelter means oppressed by heat and sounds like sweater. Today's pilgrim was Thomas Jefferson. President Jefferson loved learning. In fact, it wasn't unusual for him to spend up to 15 hours a day studying. His most famous work was the Declaration of Independence. The warm-up activity of the day was 20 questions. No one from this group has figured out what the object is yet. Our affective thinking lesson had students focusing on the understanding that successful people are task committed. Students were given Styrofoam peanuts, toothpicks, five minutes and a positive or negative motivator. When the time limit was reached, students discussed positive vs. negative motivators and intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivators. Students spent time researching the first clue they received from the CSI team. These clues will help lead them to the rescue of their missing family. The final activity of the day focused on the understanding the exploring societal issues may promote solutions to these problems. Today students put veins and arteries into a body outline. Next week, we will discuss the effects of circulatory damage and how to prevent such occurrences.

5th Grade - The word of the day was Underdog. Underdog means a loser or predicted loser in a struggle or contest and sounds like under dog.The pilgrim of exploration was John Walker. While trying to discover a more effective explosive, he accidentally invented match sticks. 75 years later, a Philadelphia lawyer by the name of Joshua Pusey invented match books. These students also played 20 questions. They used more than 20 questions, but were able to identify the item. The affective lesson had students focusing on what difficult choices they may have to make in the future. By discussing those situations now, it is hoped the students will be able to make better choices in the future. The SOS/Journey lesson had students researching information that came from the CSI unit. These students were able to reduce the number of places they will have to search in order to find their lost families. The Exploration lesson had students once again focusing on parts of the body. In order to help us better understand what is happening inside our bodies, students traced a fellow group member. Veins and arteries (blue and red yarn) were added to the outline. Next week, we will discuss the effects of damage to those parts.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

3rd Grade - Today's class, along with the rest of the 3rd graders, performed their music program for the 4th, 5th, morning PreK and Kindergarten classes.

5th Grade - The word of the day was Underdog. Underdog means a loser or predicted loser in a struggle or contest and sounds like under dog.The pilgrim of exploration was John Walker. While trying to discover a more effective explosive, he accidentally invented match sticks. 75 years later, a Philadelphia lawyer by the name of Joshua Pusey invented match books. These students also played 20 questions. They used more than 20 questions, but were able to identify the item. The affective lesson had students focusing on what difficult choices they may have to make in the future. By discussing those situations now, it is hoped the students will be able to make better choices in the future. The SOS/Journey lesson had students researching information that came from the CSI unit. These students were able to reduce the number of places they will have to search in order to find their lost families. The Exploration lesson had students once again focusing on parts of the body. In order to help us better understand what is happening inside our bodies, students wrapped themselves in clear packing tape. Next week, we will add veins and arteries and discuss the effects of damage to those parts.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - After a quick review of Evaluative Thinking and what was needed to develop our criteria, students developed their own criteria for helping the family purchase a new car. Our Discovery lesson started by listening to a book about the Gold Rush, then watching a video. We discussed businesses that sprang up as a result of "supply and demand." We discussed if the prices were fair, why people would pay those prices and what might happen if they didn't have the money to pay.

3rd Grade - These students were practicing for their music program. Good Luck 3rd Graders in you performance!

4th Grade - The word of the day was Swelter. Swelter means oppressed by heat and sounds like sweater. Today's pilgrim was Thomas Jefferson. President Jefferson loved learning. In fact, it wasn't unusual for him to spend up to 15 hours a day studying. His most famous work was the Declaration of Independence. Our affective thinking lesson had students focusing on the understanding that successful people are task committed. Students were given Styrofoam peanuts, toothpicks, five minutes and a positive or negative motivator. When the time limit was reached, students discussed positive vs. negative motivators and intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivators. Students spent time researching the first clue they received from the CSI team. These clues will help lead them to the rescue of their missing family. The final activity of the day focused on the understanding the exploring societal issues may promote solutions to these problems. Today students put veins and arteries into a body outline. Next week, we will discuss the effects of circulatory damage and how to prevent such occurrences.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - The word of the day was Instill. Instill means to put a feeling or idea in someone's mind slowly. There were four pilgrims for us to explore today. They were: Zachary Taylor, Mallard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan. In 1849, the inauguration day for Zachary Taylor fell on a Sunday. Being a very religious man, President Taylor refused to take the oath of office on the "Lord's Day." Since the Vice President could not be sworn into office before the President, the President Pro Tem of the Senate, David Rice Atchison, was put in charge of the United States until Zachary Taylor was sworn in as President. These students played 20 questions as a warm-up activity. It took more than 20 questions, but they finally identified the mystery object. The affective lesson focused on the idea that making and keeping friends may help alleviate stress. Students also learned what the terms assumption and inference meant. The trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students working on Evaluative Thinking and developing criteria to help the make decisions.

5th Grade - The word of the day was Underdog. Underdog means a loser or predicted loser in a struggle or contest and sounds like under dog.The pilgrim of exploration was John Walker. While trying to discover a more effective explosive, he accidentally invented match sticks. 75 years later, a Philadelphia lawyer by the name of Joshua Pusey invented match books. These students also played 20 questions. They used more than 20 questions, but were able to identify the item. The affective lesson had students focusing on what difficult choices they may have to make in the future. By discussing those situations now, it is hoped the students will be able to make better choices in the future. The SOS/Journey lesson had students researching information that came from the CSI unit. These students were able to reduce the number of places they will have to search in order to find their lost families. The Exploration lesson had students once again focusing on parts of the body. In order to help us better understand what is happening inside our bodies, students wrapped themselves in clear packing tape. Next week, we will add veins and arteries and discuss the effects of damage to those parts.

Monday, March 21, 2011

4th Grade - The word of the day was Swelter. Swelter means oppressed by heat and sounds like sweater. The pilgrim of the day was Thomas Jefferson. As a young man, Thomas Jefferson liked to read. In fact, it wasn't unusual for him to spend 15 hours a day studying. Interestingly, President Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of Independence Day. Independence Day was a day President Jefferson helped create by authoring the Declaration of Independence. The warm-up activity of the day was 20 Questions. One student had actually seen one of these unusual items in use and was able to identify it. The affective lesson had students focusing on the idea that successful people are task committed. Students were given packing peanuts, toothpicks and an incentive to get at least five Whatsits completed in 5 minutes. We then discussed positive and negative motivators as well as intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. Our exploration lesson had us exploring veins and arteries in the body. The SOS lesson had students researching the clues discovered by the CSI which we hope will lead us to the rescue of our families. They have been stranded for a very long time.

Friday, March 11, 2011

4th Grade – Since we were making up for missing class last week, these students had two words for today. The first word was Conceal. Conceal means to keep from being seen; put out of sight; hidden and sounds like Con Seal. The second word of the day was Climate. Climate refers to weather conditions; a condition or attitude. The pilgrim of the day was Langston Hughes. While traveling one summer, Langston Hughes went to hear Mary McLeod Bethune (a pilgrim from earlier in the year). She encouraged him to travel and share his poetry with other African Americans. Even though he lived during the Great Depression, many people came to listen to his poetry. We had two warm up activities. The first puzzle was called a Plexer. Plexers are common words or phrases put in picture form and the students have to decipher the phrase. The second puzzle of the day was a Quotation Quizzler. For similar puzzles to do at home go to http://www.allstarpuzzles.com/quotes/index.html. Our affective lesson had us focusing on the understanding that successful people exhibit the traits of creativity, goal setting, intelligence, courage, and kindness. Students were to design a shield or banner like the knights of the Middle Ages in order to communicate something about themselves. Our Journey/SOS lesson had us review what we have learned over the past several weeks and finishing up the density experiment of a couple of weeks ago. Our Exploration lesson had us focusing on the thought that exploring societal issues such as hunger and energy sources may promote solutions to these problems. Students selected a system of the body and brainstormed what effect that damaged system would have on other systems of the body.

5th Grade - Since we were making up for missing class last week, these students had two words for today. The first word was Innate. Innate means possessed at birth, inborn; a natural characteristic and sounds like Hate. The second word of the day was Acclaim. Acclaim means enthusiastic public praise and approval. It sounds like Fame. The pilgrim of the day was Guglielmo Marconi. Mr. Marconi's father thought him to be a foolish dreamer, but Guglielmo was actually experimenting with wireless signals. In 1909, the foolish dreamer won the Nobel Prize for Physics by making comunication among people around the world fast and easy. We had two warm up activities. The first puzzle was called a Plexer. Plexers are common words or phrases put in picture form and the students have to decipher the phrase. The second puzzle of the day was a Quotation Quizzler. For similar puzzles to do at home go to http://www.allstarpuzzles.com/quotes/index.html. The affective lesson had students focused on sticky situations they might face in the future. By thinking about ways to handle those situations now, they may be able to avoid them in the future. The second affective lesson focused on manners. Students completed the SOS lesson on water density due to salt. They then explored various systems of the human body. Students created webs of what could happen to a system if it became damaged. Students then created brochures to share their information with others.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

3rd Grade - The word of the day was Sojourn. Sojourn means a short stay, brief residence. Our pilgrim of the day was Thomas Edison. As a small boy, Mr. Edison had difficulty hearing. His teachers said he couldn't learn. Mr. Edison taught himself to learn by reading books and setting up a laboratory in his basement. He eventually set up a real laboratory. One of his experiments was the electric light. Our warm up activity of the day was a Quotation Quizzler. For similar puzzles to do at home go to http://www.allstarpuzzles.com/quotes/index.html. Our trip to Crystal Pond Woods had us starting Evaluative Thinking with Jordan the Judge. The lesson today had us developing criteria by which to judge ideas in decision making. The criteria for now had to be a fact and end in "st" or "est." The Discovery Lesson of the the day had students discovering as much as we could about ice.

5th Grade - Our word of the day was Innate. Innate means possessed at birth, inborn: a natural characteristic and sounds like Hate. The pilgrim of the day was Guglielmo Marconi. Mr. Marconi's father thought him to be a foolish dreamer, but Guglielmo was actually experimenting with wireless signals. In 1909, the foolish dreamer won the Nobel Prize for Physics by making comunication among people around the world fast and easy. Our warm up activity of the day was a Quotation Quizzler. For similar puzzles to do at home go to http://www.allstarpuzzles.com/quotes/index.html. The affective lesson had students focused on sticky situations they might face in the future. By thinking about ways to handle those situations now, they may be able to avoid them in the future. The Journey/SOS lesson had us reviewing the past several lessons on water denisity. We were also introduced to what we would be studying over the next several weeks. Students continued their exploration of body systems by wrapping themselves in packing tape and cutting the forms off. When we return from Spring Break, the students will place the veins and arteries inside their bodies.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - The word of the day was Exploit. Exploit means a daring or heroic act. Our pilgrim of the day was Elizabeth Van Lew or "Crazy Bet" as she was called. The people of the south thought Ms. Van Lew was crazy because she would mumble to herself, forget what she was saying and wear old, torn clothing. This was actually a disguise, because Elizabeth Van Lew was a northern spy during the Civil War. One of the ladies that worked with her was Elizabeth Bowser whom we studied a few months ago. Our warm up activity of the day was a Quotation Quizzler. For similar puzzles to do at home go to http://www.allstarpuzzles.com/quotes/index.html. After listening to the story Will I Have a Friend? by Miriam Cohen, students discussed different friendship tokens.

3rd Grade - The word of the day was Sojourn. Sojourn means a short stay, brief residence. Our pilgrim of the day was Thomas Edison. As a small boy, Mr. Edison had difficulty hearing. His teachers said he couldn't learn. Mr. Edison taught himself to learn by reading books and setting up a laboratory in his basement. He eventually set up a real laboratory. One of his experiments was the electric light. Our warm up activity of the day was a Quotation Quizzler. For similar puzzles to do at home go to http://www.allstarpuzzles.com/quotes/index.html. Our trip to Crystal Pond Woods had us starting Evaluative Thinking with Jordan the Judge. The lesson today had us developing criteria by which to judge ideas in decision making. The criteria for now had to be a fact and end in "st" or "est." The Discovery Lesson of the the day had students discovering as much as we could about ice.

4th Grade - The word of the day was Climate. Climate refers to weather conditions; a condition or attitude. The pilgrim of the day was Langston Hughes. While traveling one summer, Langston Hughes went to hear Mary McLeod Bethune (a pilgrim from earlier in the year). She encouraged him to travel and share his poetry with other African Americans. Even though he lived during the Great Depression, many people came to listen to his poetry. Our warm up activity of the day was a Quotation Quizzler. For similar puzzles to do at home go to http://www.allstarpuzzles.com/quotes/index.html. Our affective lesson had us focusing on the understanding that successful people exhibit the traits of creativity, goal setting, intelligence, courage, and kindness. Students were to design a shield or banner like the knights of the Middle Ages in order to communicate something about themselves. Our Journey/SOS lesson had us review what we have learned over the past several weeks and introduced us to what the next several weeks would be about as we continue our search for the missing family.

Monday, March 7 and Tuesday, March 8, 2011

The substitute teacher struggled with the lesson plans that were written while I was attending meetings out of town. We will resume our regular schedule after Spring Break.

Friday, March 4, 2011

4th Grade - These students were enjoying the day at the Oklahoma Science Museum.

5th Grade - Classes were canceled when the scheduled substitute was called and I was attending doctor's appointment. We will resume our regular schedule next week.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

3rd Grade - The word of the day was Chaparral. A chaparral is a thicket of shrubs and small trees. Our pilgrim of the day was Alexander Graham Bell. Mr. Bell was his father's assistant teaching deaf students until he landed a job at Sarah Fuller School. In order to help his students learn, he would make strips of drawings. While most of us know Alexander Graham Bell for inventing the telephone, he also invented the comic book. The warm up activity of the day was Plexer puzzles. These are common words or phrases put into picture form and the students have to decipher the word or phrase. Our trip to Crystal Pond Woods had us playing a visual/mathematical game called Numerical Quadrominoes. It was similar to playing scrabble, only playing with number tiles instead of letters. The students then completed their invention research from the week before and shared their discoveries with the class.

5th Grade - The word of the day was Acclaim. Acclaim means enthusiastic public praise and approval and sounds like Fame. The Pilgrim of Exploration was Horace Wells. While attending a show where laughing gas was used to entertain, Horace Wells saw an opportunity to use the gas as a pain reliever. Unfortunately, he was unable to convince other doctors that his idea would work. A student of his by the name of William T. Morton began using ether and is credited with being the first to use anesthesia. These students also completed the Plexer puzzles. Our affective lesson focused on manners. Students completed the SOS lesson on water density due to salt. They then explored various systems of the human body. Students created webs of what could happen to a system if it became damaged. They then created brochures to share their information with others.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - After listening to the story Stevie by John Steptoe, students were to draw a flower or flag. On the flower or flag, they were to write five qualities a friend should have. Our trip to Crystal Pond Woods had us working some more on visual thinking. Students were given a stack of cards with various shapes and were to sort them into different groups. Once the cards were sorted, the students had to name the groups.

3rd Grade - The word of the day was Chaparral. A chaparral is a thicket of shrubs and small trees. Our pilgrim of the day was Alexander Graham Bell. Mr. Bell was his father's assistant teaching deaf students until he landed a job at Sarah Fuller School. In order to help his students learn, he would make strips of drawings. While most of us know Alexander Graham Bell for inventing the telephone, he also invented the comic book. The warm up activity of the day was Plexer puzzles. These are common words or phrases put into picture form and the students have to decipher the word or phrase. Our trip to Crystal Pond Woods had us playing a visual/mathematical game called Numerical Quadrominoes. It was similar to playing scrabble, only playing with number tiles instead of letters. The students then completed their invention research from the week before and shared their discoveries with the class.

4th Grade - The word of the day was Conceal. Conceal means to keep from being seen; put out of sight; hidden and sounds like Con Seal. The pilgrim of the day was Milton Hershey. Mr. Hershey started out as a terrible failure in business. After failing in several major cities, Mr. Hershey returned to Lancaster, PA. A dear friend loaned him some money to start a business selling caramels from a push cart. The caramels were a success, so Mr. Hershey decided to start the Hershey milk chocolate company in a town he decided to build and the rest is history. Students then worked on Plexers/Word Winks puzzles for the warm-up activity. Plexers are common terms or phrases in picture form. Students look for visual clues from different perspectives and look for the interrelationship of the visual clues. Our affective lesson focused on the understanding that successful people demonstrate creativity. After listening to Dr. Seuss's book Hooray for Diffendoofer Day, students had to give their own ideas as to how certain classes should be taught. We reviewed the SOS project experiment from last week on density due to salinity in water. Our Exploration lesson had us focused on the understanding that what happens to one body system causes an effect on the other body systems.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

1st and 2nd Grade - The word of the day was Candid. Someone who is candid is honest and sincere. We had two Pilgrims of Discovery today. The first was John Tyler, who was our tenth president. The second was James Knox Polk, who was our eleventh president. These were both reluctant presidents. Neither was expected to be in the position of leadership, but had it thrust upon them anyway. The warm up activity was a puzzle called Plexers. Plexers are common words or phrases put into picture form. Students then listened to the book Stevie by John Steptoe. They then had to think of what a good friend should be like.

5th Grade - The word of the day was Acclaim. Acclaim means enthusiastic public praise and approval and sounds like Fame. The Pilgrim of Exploration was Horace Wells. While attending a show where laughing gas was used to entertain, Horace Wells saw an opportunity to use the gas as a pain reliever. Unfortunately, he was unable to convince other doctors that his idea would work. A student of his by the name of William T. Morton began using ether and is credited with being the first to use anesthesia. These students also completed the Plexer puzzles. Our affective lesson focused on manners. Students completed the SOS lesson on water density due to salt. They then explored various systems of the human body. Students created webs of what could happen to a system if it became damaged.