Wednesday, February 29, 2012

4th Grade - Due to the teacher's collaboration schedule, classes were canceled. However, the afternoon class was able to come to class and finish putting paper mache on their Mandan Indian huts.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

1st Grade - In Crystal Pond Woods, students were given the opportunity to finish some drawings demonstrating creativity. Reading activities centered around A Rain Forest ABC.

2nd Grade - Students continued working on visual thinking activities by matching Max's dominoes and fitting tangrams into animal shapes.

5th Grade - Passe-avants, cat-walks on a keelboat (a cat-walk is a narrow platform or pathway), was today's vocabulary word. John Walker, the accidental inventor of the match, was today's investigator. Today's warm-up activity was a creative drawing from Loosen Up. The affective lesson focused on what is important. Students finished the Mandan Huts by putting paper mache on them. The Structure lesson focused on natural structures with an opportunity to build bridges.

Monday, February 27, 2012

1st Grade - In Crystal Pond Woods, students invented a machine to help Isabel the Inventor collect her acorns for the winter. They also invented a way to help Sybil the Scientist cross the pond. Reading activities centered around the book On Meadowview Street by Henry Cole.

2nd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Preliminary which means introductory or opening for something else. The investigator was Franklin D. Roosevelt who overcame the handicaps of polio to become the only president elected to more than two terms. The warm-up activity was a drawing activity from "Loosen Up."

5th Grade - Their vocabulary word was Passe-avants or a cat-walk on a keelboat (a cat-walk is a narrow platform or pathway). John Walker was the investigator who invented the first friction match by accident. The warm-up activity was also from "Loosen-Up." Affective thinking focused on things that are important to us. The rest of the afternoon was spent focusing on structures of animals and building various bridges using K'Nex.

Friday, February 24, 2012

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Chaparral, a small group of trees or shrubs. Our investigator was Alexander Graham Bell. While he is mostly remembered for inventing the telephone, he also invented comic strips/books. The warm-up activity was What in the World or identifying eight close up items. In Crystal Pond Woods, we began studying Evaluative Thinking with Jordan the Judge. Our focus for today was developing observable measureable criteria. The relationship study had students completing a brief research study of a threatened, endangered or extinct animal. For science, students started looking at grasshoppers and how far they can jump.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Chaparral, a small group of trees or shrubs. Our investigator was Alexander Graham Bell. While he is mostly remembered for inventing the telephone, he also invented comic strips/books. The warm-up activity was What in the World or identifying eight close up items. In Crystal Pond Woods, we began studying Evaluative Thinking with Jordan the Judge. Our focus for today was developing observable measureable criteria. The relationship study had students completing a brief research study of a threatened, endangered or extinct animal. For science, students started looking at grasshoppers and how far they can jump.

5th Grade - The vocabulary word was Ornithology which is the scientific study of birds as a branch of Zoology. Today's investigator was Guglielmo Marconi who invented the telegraph. What in the World was also our warm-up activity. The affective lesson focused on making plans for the future. We were able to paper mache the Mandan Indian huts and started studying natural structures such as bridges.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

2nd Grade - Our trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students developing their own colorful patterns.

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Passe-avants which means a catwalk on a keelboat (a cat walk is a narrow platform or pathway). The investigator was Benjamin Franklin, who invented many things. The affective lesson focused on time management. Finally, students began to paper mache the Mandan Indian huts.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

1st Grade - First graders did some more inventing with Isabel the Inventor. Their first assignment was to build a machine that would help Isabel collect her acorns and put them in her nest. The next task was to help Sybil the Scientist cross Crystal Pond, but there's no boat and she can't swim. Our final activities centered around On Meadowview Street by Henry Cole.

2nd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Immerse which means to plunge into something (often water) and be covered completely. Their investigator was Ida Tarbell, a muckracker. This week's warm-up activity was to complete the What in the World puzzle.

5th Grade - Due to the state writing test, our class was shorter than usual. The vocabulary word was Ornithology which is the scientific study of birds as a branch of Zoology. Today's investigator was Guglielmo Marconi who invented the telegraph. We finished the skelton of the Mandan huts, then enjoyed an extra recess.

Friday, February 17, 2012

3rd Grade - The vocabulary word of the day was Inception which means the start or beginning. Oprah Winfry, today's investigator, was too emotional as a news reporter, so they moved her to a morning talk show. And as they say, "the rest is history." Today's warm-up activity was a Stories with Holes problem which students quickly solved. In Crystal Pond Woods students played a number game similar to Scrabble. The relationship lesson focused on threatened, endangered and extinct explaining what those terms mean. Ways insects travel was the focus of the PhD Science lesson.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

3rd Grade - The vocabulary word of the day was Inception which means the start or beginning. Oprah Winfry, today's investigator, was too emotional as a news reporter, so they moved her to a morning talk show. And as they say, "the rest is history." Today's warm-up activity was a Stories with Holes problem which students quickly solved. In Crystal Pond Woods students played a number game similar to Scrabble. The relationship lesson focused on threatened, endangered and extinct explaining what those terms mean. Ways insects travel was the focus of the PhD Science lesson.

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Mineralogy which means the study of minerals, including their distribution, identification and properties. Their investigator was Horace Wells who discovered laughing gas could be used as an anesthesia. They completed a Quotation Quizzler for their warm-up activity. The affective lesson focused on manners. We added a little more to our Mandan Huts, watched a brief video on Lewis and Clark, then recorded a timeline which will be made into a slide show.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

2nd Grade - Students looked for patterns in houses from how they are built to house plans. They were then given the opportunity to design a house.

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary words were: Mineralogy, the study of minerals, including their distribution, identification and properties; Ornithology, the scientific study of birds as a branch of Zoology. The investigator today was Albert Einstein, who although he invented the atomic bomb was really against war. A Stories with Holes problem provided the warm up activity for today. The affective lesson focused on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Students then added some more to their Mandan huts and worked some more on watts, kilowatts and amps.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

2nd Grade - The trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students focusing on visual thinking. Students had to visually manipulate items to find a match.

1st Grade - Students were introduced to Isabel the Inventor who likes to create lots and lots of answers. Everyone was given a worksheet of bubbles and five minutes to turn the bubbles into something. They then had to create a bicycle for a spider. A reader's theatre about the book Little Lost Bat preceded listening to the story. An activity sheet about the story completed their time today.

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Ornithology which means the scientific study of birds as a branch of Zoology. The investigator was Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the telegraph. These students quickly solved the Stories with Holes problem. The affective lesson continued on the theme of manners. After lunch, students added paper mache to their Mandan Indian huts and began a new study on Natural Structures.

Monday, February 13, 2012

2nd Grade - Today's word was Flourish which means to thrive or grow successfully. The investigator was President Herbert Hoover, who fed 10 million people. Students asked questions to solve the Stories with Holes problem for the warm-up activity.

1st Grade - Students were introduced to Isabel the Inventor who likes to create lots and lots of answers. Everyone was given a worksheet of bubbles and five minutes to turn the bubbles into something. They then had to create a bicycle for a spider. A reader's theatre about the book Little Lost Bat preceded listening to the story. An activity sheet about the story completed their time today.

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Ornithology which means the scientific study of birds as a branch of Zoology. The investigator was Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the telegraph. These students quickly solved the Stories with Holes problem. The affective lesson continued on the theme of manners. After lunch, students added paper mache to their Mandan Indian huts and began a new study on Natural Structures.

Friday, February 10, 2012

3rd Grade - The word of the day was Dovetail which means to combine or unite into a unified whole; fit together harmoniously. Their investigator was General George Patton. General Patton didn't learn to read until he was twelve when he decided he wanted to be an army man. The warm-up activity was a Quotation Quizzler. Students then listened to the book "Hey, Al!" by Arthur Yariniks. We spent the rest of the class completing activities around birds.

February 7 - 9

There will not be any Enrichment classes from Tuesday, February 7 through Thursday, February 9, due to a professional development conference and a doctor's appointment.

Please stop by the Enrichment/Art classroom during Open House to see the projects students have completed in Enrichment.

Monday, February 6, 2012

1st Grade - Students today worked with a Venn Diagram to discover who the secret guests were to attend two parties. They also listened to About Arachnids and completed some thinking activities around that story.

2nd Grade - The vocabulary word today was Embellish, which means to make something more beautiful by decorating it. Today's investigator was Ida B. Wells Barnett, a black woman who fought for the rights of African Americans. A Quotation Quizzler finished the activities for today.

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Mineralogy which means the study of minerals, including their distribution, identification and properties. Their investigator was Horace Wells who discovered laughing gas could be used as an anesthesia. The affective lesson focused on manners. We added a little more to our Mandan Huts. The final activity was to demonstrate how their Industrial Revolution topic modified the environment.

Friday, February 3, 2012

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Machinate which means to plot or scheme. The investigator was Sylvester Stallone. Mr. Stallone started out with a speech problem, but became a famous actor. The warm- up activity was 20 questions. Our relationships study focused on the understanding that relationships between members of a food chain are interdependent and differences between producers and consumers. The Entomology study focused on camouflage and mimicry.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Machinate which means to plot or scheme. The investigator was Sylvester Stallone. Mr. Stallone started out with a speech problem, but became a famous actor. The warm- up activity was 20 questions. Our relationships study focused on the understanding that relationships between members of a food chain are interdependent and what are producers and consumers. The Entomology study focused on camouflage and mimicry.

5th Grade - Their vocabulary word was Flora which means plants of a particular region or time. There were two investigators: Richard (Dick) Knerr and Arthur (Spuds) Melvin. Together they invented the Hula Hoop which saved the jobs of hundreds of workers. The fifth graders also played 20 questions. This afternoon, they shared their essays on the Industrial Revolution, then brainstormed how those items changed the environment. The final activity was to beginning a Mandan Indian hut.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

2nd Grade - Today's study of patterns focused on the understanding that some patterns are just meant to be enjoyed. We looked at the art of Piet Mondrain and continued his patterns in our own design.

4th Grade - The word of the day was Flora, which are the plants of a particular region. The day's investigator was Thomas Alva Edison, who invented over 1,000 items. The warm-up activity was 20 questions. We continued the study of electricity by understanding amps, volts and watts. The final project was to begin building a Mandan Indian hut.