Monday, April 30, 2012

1st Grade - Students were introduced to Yolanda the Yarnspinner, another friend in Crystal Pond Woods. Today students learned to change ordinary words for more colorful words in order to make a story more visual for the listener or reader.

2nd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Tenacity which means the determination to keep doing what one believes in. Their investigator was Amelia Earhart, the first female to fly across the Atlantic. The warm-up activity was a Plexer word puzzle.

5th Grade - Specimen (an individual item or part representative of a class, genus, or whole instance; a sample) was today's vocabulary word. Today's investigator was Alfred Nobel, the inventor of the Nobel Peace Prize who also invented dynamite. They also completed Plexer word puzzles for their warm up activity. We started thinking about numbers and people for our philosophy question, but had to leave for the Growth and Development lesson. Students also began studying the biomes of the endangered species they are studying for science.

Donor's Choose

Breaking News


In March, our Board of Directors sponsored a Friends & Family challenge. Thanks to the match code they provided, over $787,000 in donations were matched.

This week, a new match code was announced on national television! Check out the news that broke on MSNBC's Morning Joe on Monday. Starbucks, MSNBC, and Morning Joe are offering up to $500,000 in matching funds. To be matched dollar-for-dollar, donors must enter the match code MORNINGJOE at checkout. Spread the word! The match code will double donations through May 8, or until $500,000 is exhausted. Each donor can be matched up to $2,500 for project donations and gift card purchases. Learn how match codes work.

Friday, April 20, 2012

3rd Grade - Vociferous, meaning loud and vehement, was today's vocabulary word. The investigator was Winston Churchill. Mr. Churchill didn't do well in school, but later became a Nobel Prize winner for Literature. Today's warm-up activity was a What in the World puzzle. Our relationship lesson had us focused on cause and effect, and how things would be different if we reacted more positively. After a video on Meteorology, we watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Students then played as if they were meteorologists and predicted the "weather" for the next seven days in Chewandswallow.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

3rd Grade - Due to the Land Run, this class will meet Friday afternoon.

5th Grade - Their vocabulary word was Sine qua non, a Latin phrase meaning an essential element or condition. The investigator was Samuel Morse. Mr. Morse not only invented Morse Code, he was also a well-known artist. Today's warm-up activity was a What in the World puzzle. Our Structures study had us learning about structures caused by erosion. The final activity had students working on various projects for our Lewis and Clark Expedition study.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

2nd Grade - Due to the Collaboration/Professional Development schedule, this class was canceled.

4th Grade classes were shortened today due to the schedule change.

4th Grade - Today's investigator was Milton Hershey, the chocolate king who started out as a failure. The Lewis and Clark vocabulary was reviewed with a Smartboard activity. A What in the World puzzle was today's warm-up activity. We then watched a video about the History of Transportation to cover our study of the Transportation System.

Smart phone apps for kids

Here are some smart phone apps for kids that were forwarded to me from a fellow Enrichment Specialist. I don't know which ones are free.

PBS Kids (app & website) all subjects all grade levels
Sticker Shop (app) Counting coins grades K-3
Rocket Math (app) Math facts all grade levels
Chalkboard (app) spelling all grade levels
Moms with Apps (app) Directory of apps for kids for parents
Frog Dissection (app) Science upper grades
Everyday Math (app) Math all grade levels
All About Sounds (app) Articulation/Speech all grade levels
Presidents vs. Aliens (app) Social Studies upper grade levels
Math Bingo (app) Math facts all grade levels
Jumbline (app) Unscrambling words mid-upper grade levels
Fish School (app) Letters, numbers, & colors lower grade levels
Musical Me! (app) Rhythm, pitch, notes & instruments all grade levels
ABC Pocket Phonics (app) Letter shounds & letter writing Pre K-1st
Weird But True (app) Science facts from Nat'l Geographic all grade levels
Little Patterns (app) Patterns all grade levels
What's that Noise (app) Reading K-3
Montessori Crosswords (app) Phonics, spelling and reading all grade levels
Bump (app) Share free apps all grade levels
Story Builder (app) Reading & writing all grade levels
Graphs (app) Interpreting graphs mid-upper grade levels
Dabbie (app) Spelling & unscrambling words mid-upper grade levels
Blokus (app) Spatial puzzle all grade levels
Glow Burst (app) Positive & negative numbers mid-upper grade levels
Glow Unblock (app) Logical thinking puzzle (Rush Hour) all grade levels
AlphaBaby Free (app) Numbers, letters, & colors Pre-K-lower
Solitare Chess (app) Short chess move challenges grades 2-5
Word Surge (app) Spelling grades 1-5
www.sheppardsoftward.com all subjects all grade levels
Science 360 (app) Science all grade levels
Verbs With Milo (app) Language and speech all grade levels
Brain Pop (app) All subjects all grade levels
Futaba 9app) Reading grades 2-4
ABC Food (app) Health and Reading lower grade levels
Glow Puzzle (app) Spatial all grade levels
Hungry Fish (app) Math all grade levels
School Connect (app) Edmond's district app parents
www.APPitic.com Directory of Apps for all areas all grade levels
www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources Reading and writing all grade levels
http://quizlet.com All (make flash cards and study tools/games to review concepts) all grade levels
Analogies 4 kids (app) Analogies all grade levels
Crack the Code (app) Critical Thinking (Mastermind) grades 2-5
Mypyramid.gov Nutrition parents
http://kidshealth.org/kid Health and body grades 1-5
Cut Deluxe (app) Spatial and math (congruent) all grade levels
ABC Mouse (app) Reading lower grades
Geocaching Intro (app) Geography with family all grade levels
Shake a Phrase (app) Language and writing all grade levels
GeoMaster US States (app) Social Studies-location all grade levels
Factor Samuri (app) Multiplication & prime numbers upper grade levels
www.carnegielibrary.org/kids/storymaker Writing-digital storytelling all grade levels
http://pbskids.org/zoom/games/indes.html Science upper grades
www.revolutionarywaranimated.com/ Social Studies-American Revolution upper grade levels
Brain2Fit (app) Spatial reasoning all grade levels
www.coolmath.com Math all grade levels
www.funbrain.com all subjects all grade levels
www.abcya.com all subjects all grade levels
Blob Chorus Ear Training (app) Music all grade levels
www.mrsrenz.net all subjects upper grades
Fraction Basics 9app) Math-teaching videos upper grades
Howie Finding Vowel 9app) Reading/spelling lower grades
Chicken Coop Fractions (app) Math-fractions/decimals upper grades

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

1st Grade - Students completed some more grouping and observing activities in Crystal Pond Woods. They then completed a Reader's Theater on Bees, Snails, and Peacock Tails by Betsy Franco.

2nd Grade - In Crystal Pond Woods, students used considerations in order to determine which bugs should be allowed to live in the world.

5th Grade - Their vocabulary word was Sine qua non, a Latin phrase meaning an essential element or condition. The investigator was Samuel Morse. Mr. Morse not only invented Morse Code, he was also a well-known artist. Today's warm-up activity was a What in the World puzzle. Our Structures study had us learning about structures caused by erosion. The final activity had students working on various projects for our Lewis and Clark Expedition study.

Monday, April 23, 2012

1st Grade - Students completed some more grouping and observing activities in Crystal Pond Woods. They then completed a Reader's Theater on Bees, Snails, and Peacock Tails by Betsy Franco.

2nd Grade - The vocabulary word this week was Bristle which means to react by showing anger. They played a brief review game using words they have had each week. Their investigator was President John F. Kennedy who had been a war hero in World War II.  Their warm-up activity was a What in the World puzzle.

5th Grade - Their vocabulary word was Sine qua non, a Latin phrase meaning an essential element or condition. The investigator was Samuel Morse. Mr. Morse not only invented Morse Code, he was also a well known artist. Today's warm-up activity was a What in the World puzzle. Our Structures study had us learning about structures caused by erosion. The final activity had students working on various projects for our Lewis and Clark Expedition study.

Friday, April 20, 2012

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Pernicious which means dangerous, deadly. The Wright brothers, the inventors of the airplane, were today's investigators. Students completed a Stories with Holes problem as their warm-up activity. We discussed the relationship of cause and effect especially the difference between how we act with adults as opposed to other children. Our study of Meteorology began by overlapping with the ending of Entomology. Students researched various types of spiders.
We also learned an interesting way of obtaining fishing worms called "worm fiddling" as we were reading about our young friend Encyclopedia Brown.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Pernicious which means dangerous, deadly. The Wright brothers, the inventors of the airplane, were today's investigators. Students completed a Stories with Holes problem as their warm-up activity. We discussed the relationship of cause and effect especially the difference between how we act with adults as opposed to other children. Our study of Meteorology began by overlapping with the ending of Entomology. Students researched various types of spiders.

5th Grade - Due to the 5th grade field trip today, Enrichment was canceled.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

2nd Grade - We continued finding patterns in the arts by writing our own plays.

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary words were Poultice and Sine qua non. Poultice means a moist, soft mass of bread, meal or clay or other adhesive substance, usually heated, spread on cloth and applied to warm, moisten or stimulate an aching or inflamed part of the body. Sine qua non is a Latin phrase meaning an essential element or condition. The investigator today was Matthew Henson, one of the first men to reach the North pole. Students completed a Stories with Holes problem for their warm-up activity. The philosophy question was, "How do you know who your friends are?" Our system study had students investigating the metric system and writing a story about being one centimeter tall.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

1st Grade - Today in Crystal Pond Woods, students were comparing and contrasting common items. They then listened to the book My Name is Not Isabella by Jennifer Fosberry and completed activities about the book.

2nd Grade - In Crystal Pond Woods today, students continued with Evaluative Thinking, using considerations in making decisions and supporting their point of view. They have also been trying to solve this Stories with Holes problem. See if you can help them solve Joanne's diet.

Joanne could eat lobster, but not shrimp. She ate pears, but not apples, Turnips were allowed, but never spinach. Even crab would suffice, but not potatoes, corn or even lamb.

Monday, April 16, 2012

1st Grade - Today in Crystal Pond Woods, students were comparing and contrasting common items. They then listened to the book My Name is Not Isabella by Jennifer Fosberry and completed activities about the book.

2nd Grade - The vocabulary word of the day was Prototype which means an original or early version of something on which later versions are based. Bessie Coleman, the first black female pilot was today's investigator. We started work on a Stories with Holes situation for our warm-up activity.

5th Grade - Due to continued testing, today's Enrichment class was canceled.

Summer Opportunities

Here are a few summer opportunities that are currently avaliable for gifted kids:

Summer opportunities for gifted kids

Summer Institute for the Gifted!
For more than a quarter century, the Summer Institute for the Gifted (SIG) has offered challenging programs for gifted students, providing a diverse curriculum blended with creative and fun summer camp recreation. Students accomplish meaningful goals with other gifted students at prominent universities and schools nationwide including Princeton University, Dartmouth College and Yale University. (866) 303-4744

Youth/Teen Summer Programs at Tulsa Community College
A video that will tell you all about Summer Youth Programs
Call 918-595-7200
Gifted and Talented Lyceum East Central University, Ada (580) 332-8000 ext. 457 (age 11 to 14)
Horizons Unlimited Gifted and Talented Academy University of Oklahoma, Norman (grade 6 to 8)
Summer Quest
Enrollment begins Monday, April 2.
Our Summer Quest program offers students the opportunity to take fun and exciting classes during the month of June.
Students can take up to two classes per day starting at 8:30 A.M. and ending at 3:00 P.M., Monday - Friday
General Information
All classes will be held on the Rockwell Campus, located at 12777 N. Rockwell Ave, OKC.
$69 per class - and $64 for each additional class (that's a $5 savings for each additional class enrollment). Phone: 405.717.4900
These classes are filling up fast. If you are interested, be sure to get signed up as soon as possible.

April 9 - 13

All Enrichment classes have been canceled this week for OCCT testing. Enrichment classes will resume on April 16.

Friday, April 6, 2012

3rd Grade - This week's vocabulary word was Schlep, which means a foolish or clumsy person. Their investigator was Louis Pasteur, the Father of Microbiology. Today's warm up activity was 20 questions. The relationships study had students listening to the book The Hundred Dresses. Students then discussed bullying issues.

Thursday, April 28, 2012

Classes were canceled today. Third grade students were practicing for the OCCT tests next week. In the afternoon, fifth grade students joined the rest of the third through fifth grade students who were watching Rumble.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

2nd Grade - These students found patterns today in the performing arts. They participated in a Reader's Theatre reading of Henny Penny which also included completing tangram shapes of the characters.

4th Grade - Students watched several segments of the PBS video Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corp of Discovery.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

1st Grade - These students expanded their analytical skills with Sybil the Scientist by sorting and classifying some unusual creatures. This was followed by reading activities surrounding the book Senses in the City by Shelley Rotner.

2nd Grade - In Crystal Pond Woods, students continued their evaluative thinking practice. After listening to the story Ira Sleeps Over, students had to consider whether Ira should take his bear or not. They were then given three more decisions and asked what they had to consider when making those decisions.

Exciting news! DonorsChoose.org has been selected to compete in the program Starbucks Community Card: Vote.Give.Grow. Between April 1st and April 30th Starbucks invites Starbucks card holders to vote for one of four charities to receive funding. DonorsChoose.org could receive up to $1.8 million - all of which would directly support teachers and kids.

How you can help:

Are you a Starbucks Card Reward member? If so, go to step 2. If not, you can still participate by going to Starbucks and purchasing a $5 Starbucks card (good for $5 of Starbucks treats!)
Make sure you've activated your card (follow the printed instructions), then go to www.votegivegrow.com.
Sign in to turn your Starbucks Card into a Community Card.
Vote for DonorsChoose.org each week in April.
The more votes we get from your community, the more local classrooms Starbucks will support. So vote weekly and spread the word!

Monday, April 2, 2012

1st Grade - Students continued their scientific thinking with Sybil the Scientist. They had to compare and describe how objects are alike or different. This was followed by a Reader's Theater of the book My Name is not Isabella.

2nd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Palpable which means something that can be easily felt. Their investigator was Dwight David Eisenhower, an eloquent speaker as well as the 34th President of the United States. This week's warm-up activity was 20 questions.

5th Grade - Students watched several segments of the PBS video Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corp of Discovery.