Friday, December 19, 2014

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Pulchritude which means beauty. Time was spent completing brochures for the Munracks. Then students wrote directions for building their robots. These directions will be sent to another school where groups there will try to build our robots. Class was shortened due to the holiday activities.

5th Grade - These students came to Enrichment on Thursday because of the holiday parties this afternoon.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

3rd Grade - Students learned that Prospect means the possibility that something that will happen in the future and Demand means the ability and need or desire to buy goods and services. Students learned that James Earl Jones, a well known actor, stuttered as a child. A logic elimination puzzle was solved for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on historical gifts we have in the United States in particular The Star Spangled Banner. Students then completed math problems about the flag. In Crystal Pond Woods, students were given the opportunity to use divergent thinking to solve the problem of the Great Paper Tower Building contest. Each team was given three 9 x 12 sheets of construction paper and approximately 36 inches of tape from which they had to construct a structure that would hold a set of encyclopedias.

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Soporific which means sleep inducing. Their explorer, Thomas Alva Edison, not only invented the electric light bulb but several other useful items as well. These students also completed the What in the World puzzle for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on how students would react in different situations. The final activities were to finish up the E.coli presentations and continue developing their Exploravision projects.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

3rd Grade - Students learned that Prospect means the possibility that something that will happen in the future. The explorer for today was Michael Jordan, who didn't make his high school basketball team at first but later became an NBA star. Students completed a What in the World puzzle for the warm up activity. We learned a little bit more about our national treasures and how we need to protect them. The final activity was learning how to brainstorm using a web.

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Soporific which means sleep inducing. Their explorer, Thomas Alva Edison, not only invented the electric light bulb but several other useful items as well. These students also completed the What in the World puzzle for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on how students would react in different situations. The final activities were to finish up the E.coli presentations and continue developing their Exploravision projects.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Pulchritude which means beauty. The explorer, Frederick Douglass, was taught by his master's wife to read which led to his desire for freedom and the freedom of other slaves. Students completed the What in the World puzzle for the warm up activity. Time was spent completing brochures for the Munracks. Then students wrote directions for building their robots. These directions will be sent to another school where groups there will try to build our robots. The final activity was to finish up the E.coli Prezis.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Mrs. Rains was gone today, but Mrs. Hart was available to teach Enrichment today. Here are some things that happened.

1st Grade - Students learned that Calamity Jane (Martha Jane Canary), risked her life to save others. She was the explorer for today. A What in the World puzzle was the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, students learned about attributes. The final activity was to look for patterns in literature and around the room.

2nd Grade - The vocabulary word for today was Appearance which means the way that someone or something looks. The explorer was James Monroe, who gave so much to his country that when he retired his daughter had to support him. These students also completed the What in the World puzzle for the warm up activity. Students learned that successful people are creative. They were given some materials and told to create a creature. Once the creature was built, students had to write a story about it.

Friday, December 12, 2014

4th Grade - Today, students learned that Gloat means people who gloat are happy about other people's failure. The explorer was Walt Disney who believed in himself when other people said it wouldn't work. Students completed a logic elimination puzzle for the warm up activity. In order to prepare for the construction of the robots, students completed a See, Run, Do poster where they couldn't see the finished product as they worked. After the activity we discussed their frustrations with the project and how that information could help us as we write the directions for the robots. The final activity was to construct the robots and begin writing the directions for construction.

5th Grade - These students learned that Ligature means bonds used to tie or bind. They also learned that James Smith purchased the idea of cough candy for a meal and $5. A logic elimination puzzle was solved for the warm up activity. Students spent the rest of the day researching and beginning essays for the Exploravision contest.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

3rd Grade - Mrs. Rains had to cover for another teacher this morning so this class was canceled.

5th Grade - These students learned that Ligature means bonds used to tie or bind. They also learned that James Smith purchased the idea of cough candy for a meal and $5. A logic elimination puzzle was solved for the warm up activity. Students spent the rest of the day researching and beginning essays for the Exploravision contest.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

3rd Grade - Students learned that Demand means the ability and need or desire to buy goods and services. James Earl Jones, a well known actor, stuttered as a child. A logic elimination puzzle was solved for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on historical gifts we have in the United States in particular The Star Spangled Banner. Students then completed math problems about the flag. In Crystal Pond Woods, students were given the opportunity to use divergent thinking to solve the problem of the Great Paper Tower Building contest. Each team was given three 9 x 12 sheets of construction paper and approximately 36 inches of tape from which they had to construct a structure that would hold a set of encyclopedias.

5th Grade - These students learned that Ligature means bonds used to tie or bind. They also learned that James Smith purchased the idea of cough candy for a meal and $5. A logic elimination puzzle was solved for the warm up activity. Students spent the rest of the day researching and beginning essays for the Exploravision contest.

Tuesday, December 10, 2014

4th Grade - Today, students learned that Gloat means people who gloat are happy about other people's failure. The explorer was Walt Disney who believed in himself when other people said it wouldn't work. Students completed a logic elimination puzzle for the warm up activity. In order to prepare for the construction of the robots, students completed a See, Run, Do poster where they couldn't see the finished product as they worked. After the activity we discussed their frustrations with the project and how that information could help us as we write the directions for the robots. The final activity was to construct the robots.

Monday, December 8, 2014

1st Grade - Students started off today's class by learning that a young lady (we called her Miss X) saved her school during the Civil War by waving her petticoat in surrender. A logic elimination problem was presented and solved for the warm up activity. More logic problems and detective work was used in completing projects in Crystal Pond Woods with our friend Dudley the Detective.

2nd Grade - Today, students learned that Predict means to say that (something) will or might happen in the future. They discovered that Sybil Luddington rode her horse for 40 miles one night to warn the colonists in her area that the British were burning the town.Students completed a logic elimination grid puzzle for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, Yolanda the Yarnspinner encouraged students to use colorful words to write stories. We were then able to borrow the school iPads and transfer our stories onto these wonderful tools.

Friday, December 5, 2014

4th Grade - Today, students learned that Aversion means a strong dislike toward something. Roberto Clemente, today's explorer, was a humanitarian as well as a great baseball player.Students solved the Stories with Holes warm up activity. The affective lesson had students reviewing at a project they had completed in the past and determining how to use the success of that project to plan for future success. Students had an opportunity to create a Prezi about E.coli for younger students.Clips from the video Apollo 13 were used to help students think about the robots they will be building next week and brochures were made for the Munracks.

5th Grade - These students added Sedulous, which means industrious, to their vocabulary today. The explorer was Samuel Colt who invented the revolver. They solved the Stories with Holes puzzle for the warm up activity. Their affective lesson focused on making plans to combat peer pressure in the future by setting goals. The afternoon was spent creating Prezi presentations about E.coli. Students also researched the history of their topic for the Exploravision project.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

3rd Grade - Today's learning began by adding the word Aghast to our vocabulary. Aghast means shocked; frightened; terrified; taken back. The explorer was George Gershwin who hated music as a child but became a world famous composer. Students had difficulty solving the Stories with Holes problem for the warm up activity. King Tut's gifts were the focus of the affective lesson. After reading a story about the gifts Tutankhamen gave his people when he became king, students wrote what they would give people if they were king. Students were challenged in Crystal Pond Woods to come up with a question that matched a given answer. During the Discovery segment, students explored crayons.

5th Grade - These students added Sedulous, which means industrious, to their vocabulary today. The explorer was Samuel Colt who invented the revolver. They solved the Stories with Holes puzzle for the warm up activity. Their affective lesson focused on making plans to combat peer pressure in the future by setting goals. The afternoon was spent creating Prezi presentations about E.coli. Students also researched the history of their topic for the Exploravision project.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

3rd Grade - Today's learning began by adding the word Aghast to our vocabulary. Aghast means shocked; frightened; terrified; taken back. The explorer was George Gershwin who hated music as a child but became a world famous composer. Students had difficulty solving the Stories with Holes problem for the warm up activity. King Tut's gifts were the focus of the affective lesson. After reading a story about the gifts Tutankhamen gave his people when he became king, students wrote what they would give people if they were king. Students were challenged in Crystal Pond Woods to come up with a question that matched a given answer. During the Discovery segment, students explored crayons.

5th Grade - These students added Sedulous, which means industrious, to their vocabulary today. The explorer was Samuel Colt who invented the revolver. They solved the Stories with Holes puzzle for the warm up activity. Their affective lesson focused on making plans to combat peer pressure in the future by setting goals. The afternoon was spent creating Prezi presentations about E.coli. Students also researched the history of their topic for the Exploravision project.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

4th Grade - Today, students learned that Aversion means a strong dislike toward something. Roberto Clemente, today's explorer, was a humanitarian as well as a great baseball player.Students solved the Stories with Holes warm up activity. The affective lesson had students reviewing at a project they had completed in the past and determining how to use the success of that project to plan for future success. Clips from the video Apollo 13 were used to help students think about the robots they will be building next week. After the clips, students drew the blueprint for the robot. They then had an opportunity to create a Prezi about E.coli for younger students.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Welcome back after a great break. Here are the things we did in Enrichment today:

1st Grade - We learned that Ulysses S. Grant, our eighteenth president didn't want to be a soldier but his father got him into West Point. The Stories with Holes problem was solved after some detective work. Speaking of detectives, Dudley the Detective started teaching students to look for clues in order to solve a problem. We also learned that we want to think about the problem for a while and not to jump to conclusions. A pretest was taken to discover what we already know about patterns.

2nd Grade - This afternoon, students learned that Character means on of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual. Our fourth president, James Madison was so small he didn't enlist in the Continental Army. These students completed some Plexer puzzles for their warm up activity. We started studying the five characteristics of successful people for the affective lessons. In Crystal Pond Woods, students began working on divergent thinking and brainstorming.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Due to the short week and other activities, Enrichment classes were held in classrooms today.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Due to the short week and other activities, today's Enrichment class was canceled.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Mrs. Rains was gone and Mad Scientist Day canceled classes for today.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

3rd Grade - Today's learning began with our vocabulary word which was Depression. A depression is a period of time in which there is little economic activity and many people do not have jobs. The explorer was Whoopi Goldberg who was a make-up artist in a funeral home before she became a movie star. Students solved the Plexer puzzles for the warm up activity. The affective lesson had students write down what they thought of when they heard the word "gifts". The "gifts" were then sorted into group as students learned that the word gifts has many meanings. Students continued to learn about divergent thinking in Crystal Pond Woods. Today they learned about chain reaction contraptions. Rube Goldberg a famous cartoonist developed these projects and students created their own to help Isabella the Inventor crack open acorns. The final activity was to write a final chapter for Abel's Island.

5th Grade - These students learned that Rapacious means raptor-like, preying on others. The explorer was Ada Lovelace who developed a computer program in 1843. They also solved the Plexer puzzles for the warm up activity. They continue to think about what makes them unique in their affective lessons. Students put their E.coli presentations into a Prezi program and more research was completed for the ExploraVision project.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

3rd Grade - Today's learning began with our vocabulary word which was Depression. A depression is a period of time in which there is little economic activity and many people do not have jobs. The explorer was Whoopi Goldberg who was a make-up artist in a funeral home before she became a movie star. Students solved the Plexer puzzles for the warm up activity. The affective lesson had students write down what they thought of when they heard the word "gifts". The "gifts" were then sorted into group as students learned that the word gifts has many meanings. Students continued to learn about divergent thinking in Crystal Pond Woods. Today they learned about chain reaction contraptions. Rube Goldberg a famous cartoonist developed these projects and students created their own to help Isabella the Inventor crack open acorns. The final activity was to write a final chapter for Abel's Island.

5th Grade - These students learned that Rapacious means raptor-like, preying on others. The explorer was Ada Lovelace who developed a computer program in 1843. They also solved the Plexer puzzles for the warm up activity. They continue to think about what makes them unique in their affective lessons. Students put their E.coli presentations on paper and more research was completed for the ExploraVision project.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Due to Mad Scientist Day on Friday, all of the 4th graders had Enrichment today.

Their learning started with the vocabulary word: Predilection which means a preference for something. The explorer was George Washington who told people that wanted to make him king "no" because he felt the United States needed a different/better government. Students solved the Plexer (word) puzzles for the warm up activity. The affective lesson is having students breakdown a successful project they completed in order to help with future projects. Time was spent developing a presentation about E.coli. Students then gained an understanding about listening to directions without pictures because when they build their robots, there won't be any pictures. The final activity was to create a brochure for the Munracks of Veltzar.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Classes were canceled today due to icy road conditions.

Friday, November 14, 2014

4th Grade - Our learning activities began by increasing our vocabulary. Students learned that Sullen means a person who is  is sulky or quietly in a bad mood. Today's explorer, Mary Cassatt, broke with 19th century tradition and became an artist. The warm up activity required students to listen to directions and explore their creative abilities as they drew a Surprise in the Middle picture. The affective lesson had students analyzing their activities outside of school and determining how balanced those activities are in perspective. After reviewing what we have learned about E.coli, the last activity was to draw an eight fool Munrack from the planet Veltzar according to the story.

5th Grade - Students learned that Opprobrious means shameful, infamous. John Pemberton's popular "brain tonic" later became Coca-Cola. These students also drew a Surprise in the Middle picture for the warm up activity. The affective lesson had students thinking about things they learned that no-one had to teach them along with more introspective thinking. They also laid out a plan to create a presentation for the first or second grade classes about E.coli. Our final activity was to learn how to write a bibliography for the ExploraVision competition.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

3rd Grade - Today, students learned that Foundation means a usually stone or concrete structure that supports a building from underneath. Harrison Ford, today's explorer, performs real life rescues with his personal fleet of planes. Students drew a Surprise in the Middle picture for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on Kindness. Students were challenged to complete one act of kindness each day for the next seven days and keep a record. In Crystal Pond Woods, students continued to develop their divergent thinking skills as they created captions for simple drawings. Since we have been following Abel's Island and how Abel survived, students were given a survival challenge to complete.

5th Grade - Students learned that Opprobrious means shameful, infamous. John Pemberton's popular "brain tonic" later became Coca-Cola. These students also drew a Surprise in the Middle picture for the warm up activity. The affective lesson had students thinking about things they learned that no-one had to teach them along with more introspective thinking. They also laid out a plan to create a presentation for the first or second grade classes about E.coli. Our final activity was to learn how to write a bibliography for the ExploraVision competition.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

3rd Grade - Today, students learned that Foundation means a usually stone or concrete structure that supports a building from underneath. Harrison Ford, today's explorer, performs real life rescues with his personal fleet of planes. Students drew a Surprise in the Middle picture for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on Kindness. Students were challenged to complete one act of kindness each day for the next seven days and keep a record. In Crystal Pond Woods, students continued to develop their divergent thinking skills as they created captions for simple drawings. Since we have been following Abel's Island and how Abel survived, students were given a survival challenge to complete.

5th Grade - Students learned that Opprobrious means shameful, infamous. John Pemberton's popular "brain tonic" later became Coca-Cola. These students also drew a Surprise in the Middle picture for the warm up activity. The affective lesson had students thinking about things they learned that no-one had to teach them along with more introspective thinking. They also laid out a plan to create a presentation for the first or second grade classes about E.coli. Our final activity was to learn how to write a bibliography for the ExploraVision competition.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

4th Grade - Our learning activities began by increasing our vocabulary. Students learned that Sullen means a person who is  is sulky or quietly in a bad mood. Today's explorer, Mary Cassatt, broke with 19th century tradition and became an artist. The warm up activity required students to listen to directions and explore their creative abilities as they drew a Surprise in the Middle picture. The affective lesson had students analyzing their activities outside of school and determining how balanced those activities are in perspective. After reviewing what we have learned about E.coli, the last activity was to draw an eight fool Munrack from the planet Veltzar according to the story.

Monday, November 10, 2014

2nd Grade - Mrs. Rains was gone for the day and didn't communicate with the substitute teacher that she needed to pick up students for class. My apologies! We will have class next week.

Friday, November 7, 2014

4th Grade - Lessons started by learning that Excessive means something that goes beyond the usual limit. George Washington Carver, who found over 300 uses for the peanut, was today's explorer. Students completed a quotation Quizzler Puzzle for the warm up activity. Personal security systems such as personal space boundaries were the focus of today's affective lesson. For the Mystery Disease lesson, students had to write a letter to the editor explaining what we know so far about E.coli and who is responsible for the disease. Our final activity was to begin a series of lessons in space exploration.

Part of the space exploration lessons will be to have the students build a "robot" from recycled materials. Here are some more details:

Beginning October 27, the 4^th grade Enrichment students from Angie Debo and Washington Irving will be working together to build an alien. Each class will build a creature, write a description of what they have made, and then send the description to the other school. The other school will build the creature based on the directions given to them. By the end of January, the students will have completed the aliens and will share the pictures with the other classes. The goal is to have all of the aliens looking similar. We will be in need of a few materials. Please do not feel the need to go out and purchase any of these items just send what you have available.

Items needed:

3 oz paper cups

Duct tape

Masking tape

Paper plates

If you could help us in any way, we would greatly appreciate it.

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word, Tantamount, means equivalent to, virtually the same. We discovered that chocolate chip cookies were an accident as we studied our explorer of the day Ruth Wakefield. These students also solved the Mystery Object puzzle for the warm up activity. The affective session had students designing a t-shirt that described themselves. Students were introduced to the ExploraVision project and brainstormed an idea they could develop for the contest. Finally, students reviewed what they learned about E.coli, how it is spread and how it can be treated.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

3rd Grade - Today, students learned that Depth means the degree of intensity. Clint Eastwood, the explorer this week, was fired from Universal Studios because they said he couldn't act. Students discovered the Mystery Object that was today's warm up activity. The affective lessons that focused on the five traits of successful people came to a conclusion today. Students evaluated the program and were given a certificate of completion. Starting next week, the affective lessons will focus on Gifts. In Crystal Pond Woods, students started learning about divergent thinking and brainstorming. The Discoveries lesson compared Abel (from Abel's Island) before he was stranded on the island to his appearance after as they discussed the terms primitive and civilized.

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word, Tantamount, means equivalent to, virtually the same. We discovered that chocolate chip cookies were an accident as we studied our explorer of the day Ruth Wakefield. These students also solved the Mystery Object puzzle for the warm up activity. The affective session had students designing a t-shirt that described themselves. Students were introduced to the ExploraVision project and brainstormed an idea they could develop for the contest. Finally, students reviewed what they learned about E.coli, how it is spread and how it can be treated.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

3rd Grade - Today, students learned that Depth means the degree of intensity. Clint Eastwood, the explorer this week, was fired from Universal Studios because they said he couldn't act. Students discovered the Mystery Object that was today's warm up activity. The affective lessons that focused on the five traits of successful people came to a conclusion today. Students evaluated the program and were given a certificate of completion. Starting next week, the affective lessons will focus on Gifts. In Crystal Pond Woods, students started learning about divergent thinking and brainstorming. The Discoveries lesson compared Abel (from Abel's Island) before he was stranded on the island to his appearance after as they discussed the terms primitive and civilized.

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word, Tantamount, means equivalent to, virtually the same. We discovered that chocolate chip cookies were an accident as we studied our explorer of the day Ruth Wakefield. These students also solved the Mystery Object puzzle for the warm up activity. The affective session had students designing a t-shirt that described themselves. Students were introduced to the ExploraVision project and brainstormed an idea they could develop for the contest. Finally, students reviewed what they learned about E.coli, how it is spread and how it can be treated.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Morning 4th Grade - Students were at Santa Fe High School this morning practicing for their music program this evening.

Afternoon 4th Grade - Since this group is ahead of the other classes, students took time away from their current studies. They learned today that Sequester means to remove or hold in isolation. Their explorers for the day, the Wright brothers, didn't receive a high school diploma. Students solved the Mystery Object puzzle for the warm up activity. The rest of class was gaining a little knowledge about the Salem Witch Trials.

Monday, November 3, 2014

2nd Grade - Students started the day by learning that the word Trail means a test of the quality, value, or usefulness of something. Today's explorer, Lydia Darragh, was a spy for General George Washington and kept secrets very well. Students discovered the Mystery Item for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, students solved some more logic puzzles that added attributes to the challenge.

Friday, October 31, 2014

4th Grade - Due to the music program practice this morning, class was canceled.

5th Grade - Due to the Fall Celebrations, this class met with the Thursday group this week.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

3rd Grade - All third grade classes met on Wednesday due to schedule changes this week.

5th Grade - Due to the Fall Parties tomorrow, the Friday afternoon Enrichment class join the Thursday group. Today's lessons started by learning that Diaphanous means translucent or transparent. They also learned that General Santa Anna (of The Alamo) assisted Thomas Adams in creating chewing gum. The affective lesson had students reflecting on themselves. During the Mystery Disease lesson, students had to write a letter to the editor of the Barrow County Sentinel explaining to the public what they knew about the problem, how they plan to stop the spread of the disease and how the public can protect themselves. The final activity was to introduce the ExploraVision project.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

3rd Grade - Due to some schedule changes this week, all of the third grade Enrichment students came to class this morning. Students learned that Personality means a set of emotional qualities, ways of behaving, etc. that makes a person different from other people. The explorer for the day was Walt Disney who's cartoons were rejected by the Chicago Tribune. Students completed a Quotation Quizzler for the warm up activity. We are drawing to a close with the affective lessons for third grade so students evaluated where they currently stand with the five characteristics of successful people and set goals for where they hope to be by the end of this school year. The rest of the morning was spent trying to figure out manipulative versions of logic puzzles.

5th Grade - Today's lessons started by learning that Diaphanous means translucent or transparent. They also learned that General Santa Anna (of The Alamo) assisted Thomas Adams in creating chewing gum. The affective lesson had students reflecting on themselves. During the Mystery Disease lesson, students had to write a letter to the editor of the Barrow County Sentinel explaining to the public what they knew about the problem, how they plan to stop the spread of the disease and how the public can protect themselves. The final activity was to introduce the ExploraVision project.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

4th Grade - Changes to our regular schedule changed the Enrichment schedule for this week. Lessons started by learning that Excessive means something that goes beyond the usual limit. George Washington Carver, who found over 300 uses for the peanut, was today's explorer. Students completed a quotation Quizzler Puzzle for the warm up activity. Personal security systems such as personal space boundaries were the focus of today's affective lesson. For the Mystery Disease lesson, students had to write a letter to the editor explaining what we know so far about E.coli and who is responsible for the disease. Our final activity was to begin a series of lessons in space exploration.

Part of the space exploration lessons will be to have the students build a "robot" from recycled materials. Here are some more details:

Beginning October 27, the 4^th grade Enrichment students from Angie Debo and Washington Irving will be working together to build an alien. Each class will build a creature, write a description of what they have made, and then send the description to the other school. The other school will build the creature based on the directions given to them. By the end of January, the students will have completed the aliens and will share the pictures with the other classes. The goal is to have all of the aliens looking similar. We will be in need of a few materials. Please do not feel the need to go out and purchase any of these items just send what you have available.

Items needed:

3 oz paper cups

Cardboard tubes

Cereal boxes

Duct tape

Masking tape

Paper plates

Shoe boxes

If you could help us in any way, we would greatly appreciate it.

Monday, October 27, 2014

4th Grade - Changes to our regular schedule changed the Enrichment schedule for this week. Lessons started by learning that Excessive means something that goes beyond the usual limit. George Washington Carver, who found over 300 uses for the peanut, was today's explorer. Students completed a quotation Quizzler Puzzle for the warm up activity. Personal security systems such as personal space boundaries were the focus of today's affective lesson. For the Mystery Disease lesson, students had to write a letter to the editor explaining what we know so far about E.coli and who is responsible for the disease. Our final activity was to begin a series of lessons in space exploration.

Part of the space exploration lessons will be to have the students build a "robot" from recycled materials. Here are some more details:

Beginning October 27, the 4^th grade Enrichment students from Angie Debo and Washington Irving will be working together to build an alien. Each class will build a creature, write a description of what they have made, and then send the description to the other school. The other school will build the creature based on the directions given to them. By the end of January, the students will have completed the aliens and will share the pictures with the other classes. The goal is to have all of the aliens looking similar. We will be in need of a few materials. Please do not feel the need to go out and purchase any of these items just send what you have available.

Items needed:

3 oz paper cups

Cardboard tubes

Cereal boxes

Duct tape

Masking tape

Paper plates

Shoe boxes

If you could help us in any way, we would greatly appreciate it.

2nd Grade - These students learned that Civilized means marked by well-organized laws and rules about how people behave with each other. Sylvia Earle, an under water explorer, was today's explorer. Students completed a Quotation Quizzler puzzle for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on goal setting. In Crystal Pond Woods, students played a card game that helped them develop their observation skills as they looked at attributes. We were able to finish watching the video Abel's Island and discuss a little bit about the story.

Friday, October 23, 2014

4th Grade - Today's lessons began by having the students learn that Benevolent means kind and caring. The explorer for the day was Jimmy Carter a former U.S. President and peacemaker. Students drew pictures for Loosen Up the warm up activity. Confidence and insecurity were the focus of today's affective lesson. Students learned that cultural borrowing means the transferring parts of one culture to another. We are still working to solve the situation with our fictitious village and E.coli.

5th Grade - Today, students learned that Sequester means to remove and hold in isolation. George Washington Carver, who developed more than 300 uses for the peanut, was today's explorer.. Students drew pictures for Loosen Up the warm up activity. Tolerance and empathy were the focus of today's affective lesson. Students learned that cultural borrowing means the transferring parts of one culture to another. We are still working to solve the situation with our fictitious village and E.coli.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

3rd Grade - Our learning today began with a new vocabulary word. Conclude means to stop or finish: to come to an end: to end in a particular way or with a particular action. Today's explorer, Tom Cruise, was a struggling reader as a child. Students completed drawings for Loosen Up which was the warm up activity for the day. The affective lesson reviewed all five characteristics of successful people. Students then thought about different famous people and wrote about how that particular person became so successful. In Crystal Pond Woods, students developed their own logic elimination puzzles that they shared with the other students. The discoveries lesson focused on what went wrong with Abel trying to get off the island he was stranded on due to the hurricane. Students then had to build their own watercraft from materials they were given that would hold the weight of a mouse and float on water.

5th Grade - Today, students learned that Sequester means to remove and hold in isolation. George Washington Carver, who developed more than 300 uses for the peanut, was today's explorer.. Students drew pictures for Loosen Up the warm up activity. Tolerance and empathy were the focus of today's affective lesson. Students learned that cultural borrowing means the transferring parts of one culture to another. We are still working to solve the situation with our fictitious village and E.coli.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

3rd Grade - Our learning today began with a new vocabulary word. Conclude means to stop or finish: to come to an end: to end in a particular way or with a particular action. Today's explorer, Tom Cruise, was a struggling reader as a child. Students completed drawings for Loosen Up which was the warm up activity for the day. The affective lesson reviewed all five characteristics of successful people. Students then thought about different famous people and wrote about how that particular person became so successful. In Crystal Pond Woods, students developed their own logic elimination puzzles that they shared with the other students. The discoveries lesson focused on what went wrong with Abel trying to get off the island he was stranded on due to the hurricane. Students then had to build their own watercraft from materials they were given that would hold the weight of a mouse and float on water.

5th Grade - Today, students learned that Sequester means to remove and hold in isolation. George Washington Carver, who developed more than 300 uses for the peanut, was today's explorer.. Students drew pictures for Loosen Up the warm up activity. Tolerance and empathy were the focus of today's affective lesson. Students learned that cultural borrowing means the transferring parts of one culture to another. We are still working to solve the situation with our fictitious village and E.coli.

Tuesday, October 22, 2014

4th Grade - Today's lessons began by having the students learn that Benevolent means kind and caring. The explorer for the day was Jimmy Carter a former U.S. President and peacemaker. Students drew pictures for Loosen Up the warm up activity. Confidence and insecurity were the focus of today's affective lesson. Students learned that cultural borrowing means the transferring parts of one culture to another. We are still working to solve the situation with our fictitious village and E.coli.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

3rd Grade - Today's lessons began by learning that Infer means to form (an opinion) from evidence: to reach (a conclusion) based on known facts.Cher, today's explorer, did not become an immediate success as a singer. Students discovered the eight mystery objects to the What in the World? puzzle for the warm up activity. Caring was the focus of today's affective lesson. In Crystal Pond Woods, students worked to complete the logic elimination puzzles that they have been struggling with the past few weeks. The final activity was to discover why people can not survive on salt water.

5th Grade - Today students learned that Sequester means to remove and hold in isolation. The Wright brothers, today's explorers, never went to high school but they were life long learners. These students also solved the What in the World puzzle for the warm up activity. Since Fall Break begins tomorrow, these students took a break from what we have been studying to learn a little bit about the Salem Witch Trials. The fifth grade students have been studying colonial America in their regular classrooms and this lesson provided a different perspective to the way of life during that time period.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

4th Grade - In order to get everybody on the same page through Fall Break, all of the 4th grade groups had Enrichment today. They started class by learning that the word Loquacious means someone who talks too much. Three other words were added to the Fourth grade vocabulary list that we will be interacting with over the next several weeks: Potential means capable of being or becoming, Motivation means willingness of action, and Isolation means a feeling of being disliked or alone. Rachel Carson, an environmentalist who had the pesticide DDT removed from usage, was today's explorer. Students discovered the eight items to the What In the World? puzzle that was the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on developing a thicker skin to deal with things that bug you. Students also learned that Marco Polo traveled through many different countries that were uncivilized as well as civilized. Time was spent searching for items that would determine if the culture of the United States was civilized. The final activity to to spend time looking through the interviews to determine the source of the E.Coli outbreak in our Mystery Disease simulation.

Monday, October 13, 2014

2nd Grade - Today was a great day to learn that Watercraft is a craft for water transport: ship, boat. We also learned that Thomas Jefferson, today's explorer and our third President, kept a couple of grizzly bears on the White House lawn. Students figured out the What in the World picture puzzle for the warm up activity. Last week in Crystal Pond Woods, students began working on logic elimination puzzles with only pictures for clues. They were able to finish those puzzles today. We also had a chance to see more of the Able's Island video. Over the next several weeks we will complete activities surrounding that book.

Friday, October 10, 2014

4th Grade - Students discovered the word Infallible is a person who never makes a mistake. Elizabeth Blackwell, the explorer for the day, was the first American woman doctor. Students solved a logic elimination problem for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on several entities (stress, procrastination, perfectionism, potential, isolation, leadership, risk-taking, and motivation). Students visualized how each of those entities affected their lives and created a house floor plan using those thoughts as rooms.

5th Grade - Their vocabulary word was Solicitous which means attentive or concerned. Luther Burbank, inventor of the Idaho potato and many other varieties of plants, was the week's explorer. Students began working to solve the logic elimination puzzle for the warm up activity. Self-discipline and goal setting were the focus of the affective lesson. The culminating activity for the case of Marco Polo vs. the City/State of Venice was to develop a newspaper headline letting the public know the final results of the case.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

3rd Grade - Today's activities began by learning that Primitive means of, belonging to, or seeming to come from an early time in the very ancient past. Today's explorer, Jim Carrey, was a straight A student but had to drop out of school to support his family. A logic elimination was solved for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on Courage. Each student had to deliver a one minute impromptu speech. We have been completing activities around the book Abel's Island. Today's focus was on Natural Disasters and why people can't survive with salt water to drink.

5th Grade - Their vocabulary word was Solicitous which means attentive or concerned. Luther Burbank, inventor of the Idaho potato and many other varieties of plants, was the week's explorer. Students began working to solve the logic elimination puzzle for the warm up activity. Self-discipline and goal setting were the focus of the affective lesson. The culminating activity for the case of Marco Polo vs. the City/State of Venice was to develop a newspaper headline letting the public know the final results of the case.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

3rd Grade - While Mrs. Rains was attending a conference, these students learned that Primitive means of, belonging to, or seeming to come from an early time in the very ancient past. Today's explorer, Jim Carrey, was a straight A student but had to drop out of school to support his family. A logic elimination was solved for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on Courage. Each student had to deliver a one minute impromptu speech. We have been completing activities around the book Abel's Island. Today's focus was on Natural Disasters and why people can't survive with salt water to drink.

5th Grade - Their vocabulary word was Solicitous which means attentive or concerned. Luther Burbank, inventor of the Idaho potato and many other varieties of plants, was the week's explorer. Students began working to solve the logic elimination puzzle for the warm up activity. Self-discipline and goal setting were the focus of the affective lesson. The culminating activity for the case of Marco Polo vs. the City/State of Venice was to develop a newspaper headline letting the public know the final results of the case.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

4th Grade - Mrs. Rains was attending a conference today, but while she was gone students continued to learn. They discovered the word Infallible is a person who never makes a mistake. Elizabeth Blackwell, the explorer for the day, was the first American woman doctor. Students solved a logic elimination problem for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on several entities (stress, procrastination, perfectionism, potential, isolation, leadership, risk-taking, and motivation). Students visualized how each of those entities affected their lives and created a house floor plan using those thoughts as rooms.

Monday, October 6, 2014

2nd Grade - Today's activities started off by learning that Disaster means something (such as a flood, tornado, fire, plane crash, etc.) that happens suddenly and causes much suffering or loss to many people. Molly Pitcher, who kept running to the well for drinking water for soldiers in the Revolutionary War, was today's explorer. Quizzles or Logic Elimination puzzles were the warm up activity for this week. Students then listened to the book I'm Gonna Like Me by Jamie Lee Curtis. They then told several things about themselves they liked. That was followed by some more logic elimination puzzles in Crystal Pond Woods only this time there were not written clues, just silhouettes.

Friday, October 3, 2014

4th Grade - We started the day by learning that Benign means something is harmless. Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of a school for African-American children, was today's explorer. Students struggled to solve the Stories with Holes warm up activity. We will have to discover the solution to that problem at a later date. Since both sides of lawyers have presented their evidence in the case of Marco Polo vs. the City/State of Venice, jurors today had to present evidence that would convince the rest of their friends to vote their way in determining if he is guilty or innocent.

5th Grade - The new vocabulary word for this week was Pejorative which means disparaging or negative. Levi Strauss, inventor of blue jeans, was today's explorer, After quite a struggle, students managed to solve the Stories with Holes warm up problem. Since both sides of lawyers have presented their evidence in the case of Marco Polo vs. the City/State of Venice, jurors today had to present evidence that would convince the rest of their friends to vote their way in determining if he is guilty or innocent.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

3rd Grade - Learning that Prioritize means to list or rate (as projects or goals) in order of priority was the first lesson we learned today. That was followed by learning that our explorer, Lucille Ball, was told by her instructors at John Murray Anderson Drama School that she had not acting talent. Students solved the Stories with Holes problem for the warm up activity. The third characteristic of successful people, Task Commitment, was the focus of today's affective lesson along with learning about motivators. The rest of the morning was spent completing some larger, more challenging, logic elimination puzzles with our friends in Crystal Pond Woods.

5th Grade - The new vocabulary word for this week was Pejorative which means disparaging or negative. Levi Strauss, inventor of blue jeans, was today's explorer, After quite a struggle, students managed to solve the Stories with Holes warm up problem. Since both sides of lawyers have presented their evidence in the case of Marco Polo vs. the City/State of Venice, jurors today had to present evidence that would convince the rest of their friends to vote their way in determining if he is guilty or innocent.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

3rd Grade - Learning that Prioritize means to list or rate (as projects or goals) in order of priority was the first lesson we learned today. That was followed by learning that our explorer, Lucille Ball, was told by her instructors at John Murray Anderson Drama School that she had not acting talent. Students solved the Stories with Holes problem for the warm up activity. The third characteristic of successful people, Task Commitment, was the focus of today's affective lesson along with learning about motivators. The rest of the morning was spent completing some larger, more challenging, logic elimination puzzles with our friends in Crystal Pond Woods.

5th Grade - The new vocabulary word for this week was Pejorative which means disparaging or negative. Levi Strauss, inventor of blue jeans, was today's explorer, After quite a struggle, students managed to solve the Stories with Holes warm up problem. Since both sides of lawyers have presented their evidence in the case of Marco Polo vs. the City/State of Venice, jurors today had to present evidence that would convince the rest of their friends to vote their way in determining if he is guilty or innocent.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

4th Grade - We started the day by learning that Benign means something is harmless. Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of a school for African-American children, was today's explorer. Students struggled to solve the Stories with Holes warm up activity. We will have to discover the solution to that problem at a later date. Since both sides of lawyers have presented their evidence in the case of Marco Polo vs. the City/State of Venice, jurors today had to present evidence that would convince the rest of their friends to vote their way in determining if he is guilty or innocent.

Monday, September 29, 2014

2nd Grade - These students learned the words Tropical Cyclone means a cyclone originating in the tropics; specifically a hurricane. John Adams, who had to live in an incomplete White House, was the explorer for the day. Students solved the Stories with Holes mystery for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on the fact that being gifted means different things to different people. Students solved more logic elimination problems as they combined deductive reasoning and analytical thinking in Crystal Pond Woods. In order to study the book Abel's Island more thoroughly, we started watching the video version. Over the next several weeks, we will complete several activities around that book.

Friday, September 26, 2014

4tn Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Interminable which means something that seems forever, as if there's no end in sight. Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross was today's explorer. Family characteristics was the focus of the affective lesson. In the case of Marco Polo vs. the Citystate of Venice, the defense presented their case. Students then reviewed interviews of the people involved in our mystery disease along with new information that the doctor presented to them.

5th Grade - Their learning began with a new vocabulary word also. The word was Pugnacious which means quarrelsome. Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, was today's explorer. Respect was the focus of the affective lesson. In the case of Marco Polo vs. the Citystate of Venice, the defense presented their case. Students then reviewed interviews of the people involved in our mystery disease along with new information that the doctor presented to them.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Various activities changed today's schedule.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

3rd Grade - A schedule change brought students from all five third grade classes to Enrich ment today. Their first activity was to learn the vocabulary word of the day which was Contaminate. Contaminate means to soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association. Dr. Seuss, whose first book was reject 27 times, was today's explorer. Students completed several Plexer (or visual word) puzzles for the warm up activity. The affective focused on creativity. Students were given a sheet of white paper along with a black circle and had to create something from them. In Crystal Pond Woods, students learned a new version of the game Master Mind where you have to analyze the clues in order to deduce the correct answer. The Discoveries study had students quickly learning about hurricanes and completing an experiment.

5th Grade - Their learning began with a new vocabulary word also. The word was Pugnacious which means quarrelsome. Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, was today's explorer. Respect was the focus of the affective lesson. In the case of Marco Polo vs. the Citystate of Venice, the defense presented their case. Students then reviewed interviews of the people involved in our mystery disease along with new information that the doctor presented to them.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

4tn Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Interminable which means something that seems forever, as if there's no end in sight. Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross was today's explorer. Family characteristics was the focus of the affective lesson. In the case of Marco Polo vs. the Citystate of Venice, the defense presented their case. Students then reviewed interviews of the people involved in our mystery disease along with new information that the doctor presented to them.

Monday, September 22, 2014

4tn Grade - Due to a slight Enrichment schedule change, Mrs. Roan's students attended Enrichment today. Their vocabulary word was Interminable which means something that seems forever, as if there's no end in sight. Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross was today's explorer. Family characteristics was the focus of the affective lesson. In the case of Marco Polo vs. the Citystate of Venice, the defense presented their case. Students then reviewed interviews of the people involved in our mystery disease along with new information that the doctor presented to them.

2nd Grade - These students started the afternoon by learning that Proper means strictly decorous or genteel. Their explorer was Deborah Sampson who disguised herself as a man so she could fight in the Revolutionary War. The focus of the affective lesson was on the understanding that being gifted can mean different things to different people. In Crystal Pond Woods, students learned how to categorize things according to their attributes.

Friday, September 19, 2014

4th Grade - Today's activities started with the daily vocabulary. Overt means something that is open to view; not secret. The explorer was Susan B. Anthony who campaigned for women's rights to vote. A surprise in the middle drawing was the warm up activity. The affective lesson exposed students to vocabulary terms specific to understanding their social and emotional constructs. In the case of Marco Polo vs. the City/State of Venice, the prosecution presented evidence for their side. Students determined the illness that has affected Burrow County. They are now "interviewing" residents to determine the source of the illness. The main focus today was to learn not to jump to conclusions, but to look at all of the evidence before drawing a conclusion.

5th Grade - Prognosticate, which means to predict, was today's vocabulary word. The explorer, Earle Dickson, invented the Bandaid because he had a clumsy wife. Students drew pictures for Surprise in the Middle as the warm up activity. Today's affective lesson focused on honesty. In the case of Marco Polo vs. the City/State of Venice, the prosecution presented evidence for their side. Students determined the illness that has affected Burrow County. They are now "interviewing" residents to determine the source of the illness. The main focus today was to learn not to jump to conclusions, but to look at all of the evidence before drawing a conclusion.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

3rd Grade - These students started class by learning the word Anthropomorphis means to give something not human human characteristics. Their explorer was Charles Dickens who came up with stories as he pasted labels on bottles for a living. A Surprise in the Middle drawing was the warm up activity. Understanding Above Average Ability was the focus of today's affective lesson. In Crystal Pond Woods, students focused on completing logic elimination puzzles. Elimination grids help students to organize clues in order to complete a problem. We discussed how the author of Abel's Island used anthropomorphism to transform Abel into a mouse who acted like a human.

5th Grade - Prognosticate, which means to predict, was today's vocabulary word. The explorer, Earle Dickson, invented the Bandaid because he had a clumsy wife. Students drew pictures for Surprise in the Middle as the warm up activity. Today's affective lesson focused on honesty. In the case of Marco Polo vs. the City/State of Venice, the prosecution presented evidence for their side. Students determined the illness that has affected Burrow County. They are now "interviewing" residents to determine the source of the illness. The main focus today was to learn not to jump to conclusions, but to look at all of the evidence before drawing a conclusion.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

3rd Grade - These students started class by learning the word Anthropomorphis means to give something not human human characteristics. Their explorer was Charles Dickens who came up with stories as he pasted labels on bottles for a living. A Surprise in the Middle drawing was the warm up activity. Understanding Above Average Ability was the focus of today's affective lesson. In Crystal Pond Woods, students focused on completing logic elimination puzzles. Elimination grids help students to organize clues in order to complete a problem. We discussed how the author of Abel's Island used anthropomorphism to transform Abel into a mouse who acted like a human.

5th Grade - Prognosticate, which means to predict, was today's vocabulary word. The explorer, Earle Dickson, invented the Bandaid because he had a clumsy wife. Students drew pictures for Surprise in the Middle as the warm up activity. Today's affective lesson focused on honesty. In the case of Marco Polo vs. the City/State of Venice, the prosecution presented evidence for their side. Students determined the illness that has affected Burrow County. They are now "interviewing" residents to determine the source of the illness. The main focus today was to learn not to jump to conclusions, but to look at all of the evidence before drawing a conclusion.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

4th Grade - Today's activities started with the daily vocabulary. Overt means something that is open to view; not secret. The explorer was Susan B. Anthony who campaigned for women's rights to vote. A surprise in the middle drawing was the warm up activity. The affective lesson exposed students to vocabulary terms specific to understanding their social and emotional constructs. In the case of Marco Polo vs. the City/State of Venice, the prosecution presented evidence for their side. Students determined the illness that has affected Burrow County. They are now "interviewing" residents to determine the source of the illness. The main focus today was to learn not to jump to conclusions, but to look at all of the evidence before drawing a conclusion.

Friday, September 12, 2014

4th Grade: Our day started by learning the Oblivious means a person who does not know or is not aware of what's happening. Today's explorer was Jane Addams, who was the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The affective segment was an introductory lesson regarding topics of concern to fourth graders. These will be things we discuss in detail throughout the year. Students have been sequestered as jurors in the case of Marco Polo vs. the State of Venice. Mr. Polo has been charged with fraud. Another case we are working on is the power of one germ. Students have learned that several students in a midwestern town have become ill. Their assignment for the next several days is to look up what illnesses have those symptoms.

5th grade - Today began by having students copy the vocabulary word (Quid Pro Quo - a Latin phrase meaning an equal exchange) while listening to a short story. Nicholas Cugnot, the first recorded attempt at inventing a horseless carriage was today's explorer. Students discovered the answers to visual puzzles for the warm up activity. The affective segment introduced students to understand what's important to them and explore qualities that most people hold dear. These will be things we discuss in detail throughout the year. Today's focus was courage. Students have been sequestered as jurors in the case of Marco Polo vs. the State of Venice. Mr. Polo has been charged with fraud. Another case we are working on is the power of one germ. Students have learned that several students in a midwestern town have become ill. Their assignment for the next several days is to look up what illnesses have those symptoms.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

3rd grade - Third graders started with discovering the definition of Stressful which means full of or tending to induce stress. Their explorer was Roald Dahl, who struggled in school yet became a famous author. These students worked to decipher the visual thinking puzzles for the warm up activity. Studies have shown that successful people have five basic characteristics in common . Those five characteristics will be the focus for the affective segment of third grade enrichment classes. Students traveled to Crystal Pond Woods to finish working on puzzles they started last week. The Discovery lessons for the next few weeks will center around the book Abel's Island. Since this is a chapter book and Enrichment is only a couple of hours a week, students watched the movie today.

5th grade - Today began by having students copy the vocabulary word (Quid Pro Quo - a Latin phrase meaning an equal exchange) while listening to a short story. Nicholas Cugnot, the first recorded attempt at inventing a horseless carriage was today's explorer. Students discovered the answers to visual puzzles for the warm up activity. The affective segment introduced students to understand what's important to them and explore qualities that most people hold dear. These will be things we discuss in detail throughout the year. Today's focus was courage. Students have been sequestered as jurors in the case of Marco Polo vs. the State of Venice. Mr. Polo has been charged with fraud. Another case we are working on is the power of one germ. Students have learned that several students in a midwestern town have become ill. Their assignment for the next several days is to look up what illnesses have those symptoms.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

3rd grade - Third graders started with discovering the definition of Stressful which means full of or tending to induce stress. Their explorer was Roald Dahl, who struggled in school yet became a famous author. These students worked to decipher the visual thinking puzzles for the warm up activity. Studies have shown that successful people have five basic characteristics in common . Those five characteristics will be the focus for the affective segment of third grade enrichment classes. Students traveled to Crystal Pond Woods to finish working on puzzles they started last week. The Discovery lessons for the next few weeks will center around the book Abel's Island. Since this is a chapter book and Enrichment is only a couple of hours a week, students watched the movie today.

5th grade - Today began by having students copy the vocabulary word (Quid Pro Quo - a Latin phrase meaning an equal exchange) while listening to a short story. Nicholas Cugnot, the first recorded attempt at inventing a horseless carriage was today's explorer. Students discovered the answers to visual puzzles for the warm up activity. The affective segment introduced students to understand what's important to them and explore qualities that most people hold dear. These will be things we discuss in detail throughout the year. Today's focus was courage. Students have been sequestered as jurors in the case of Marco Polo vs. the State of Venice. Mr. Polo has been charged with fraud. Another case we are working on is the power of one germ. Students have learned that several students in a midwestern town have become ill. Their assignment for the next several days is to look up what illnesses have those symptoms.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

4th Grade (both classes): Our day started by learning the Oblivious means a person who does not know or is not aware of what's happening. Today's explorer was Jane Addams, who was the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The affective segment was an introductory lesson regarding topics of concern to fourth graders. These will be things we discuss in detail throughout the year. Students have been sequestered as jurors in the case of Marco Polo vs. the State of Venice. Mr. Polo has been charged with fraud. Another case we are working on is the power of one germ. Students have learned that several students in a midwestern town have become ill. Their assignment for the next several days is to look up what illnesses have those symptoms.

Monday, September 8, 2014

2nd Grade - Today's activities started out by listening to a story while students wrote their vocabulary word down. The word was Discover which means to see, find, or become aware of (something) for the first time. George Washington, who was the first President of the United States under the Constitution not the first President of the United States, was today's discoverer. Students discovered the Mystery item for the warm-up activity. Together we came up with a Code of Conduct to follow for the year while in Enrichment. A pre-assessment was taken to discover what students already know about "discoveries". Finally, we took a trip to Crystal Pond Woods and learned how to use a logic elimination grid to solve problems.

Friday, September 5, 2014

4th Grade: Today's vocabulary word was Confound which means to confuse or mix up. The individual who made a difference that we studied today was Bill Cosby. Mr. Cosby grew up poor, but when he became famous he gave to others so they could have a better life. Together the students created a code of conduct to follow while in Enrichment. Our theme this year is: The Power of One. We talked about different heroes. Each student then examined a time when they were a hero. Another topic we will be studying is Explorations. Today, students took a pretest to demonstrate what they currently know about the topic.

5th Grade: Today's vocabulary word was Admonish which means a mild cautionary rebuke or warning. The individual who made a difference that we studied today was Archimedes. Archimedes discovered water displacement when the king wanted to know if his crown was all gold (the students are to look him up to find out more about his discovery). Together the students created a code of conduct to follow while in Enrichment. Our theme this year is: The Power of One. We talked about different heroes. Each student then examined a time when they were a hero. Another topic we will be studying is Explorations. Today, students took a pretest to demonstrate what they currently know about the topic.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

3rd Grade: We began the day by learning about the word Discover which means to see, find, or become aware of (something) for the first time. The discoverer we studied was Hans Christian Anderson who never learned to spell but became a famous storyteller. As a class, the students created a code of conduct to follow while in Enrichment. We took our first trip to Crystal Pond Woods this year and reviewed the characteristics of convergent thinking by completing several puzzles. We will also be studying Discoveries. Today we took a pretest to share what we know about Discoveries at this time.

5th Grade: Today's vocabulary word was Admonish which means a mild cautionary rebuke or warning. The individual who made a difference that we studied today was Archimedes. Archimedes discovered water displacement when the king wanted to know if his crown was all gold (the students are to look him up to find out more about his discovery). Together the students created a code of conduct to follow while in Enrichment. Our theme this year is: The Power of One. We talked about different heroes. Each student then examined a time when they were a hero. Another topic we will be studying is Explorations. Today, students took a pretest to demonstrate what they currently know about the topic.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

3rd Grade: We began the day by learning about the word Discover which means to see, find, or become aware of (something) for the first time. The discoverer we studied was Hans Christian Anderson who never learned to spell but became a famous storyteller. As a class, the students created a code of conduct to follow while in Enrichment. We took our first trip to Crystal Pond Woods this year and reviewed the characteristics of convergent thinking by completing several puzzles. We will also be studying Discoveries. Today we took a pretest to share what we know about Discoveries at this time.

5th Grade: Today's vocabulary word was Admonish which means a mild cautionary rebuke or warning. The individual who made a difference that we studied today was Archimedes. Archimedes discovered water displacement when the king wanted to know if his crown was all gold (the students are to look him up to find out more about his discovery). Together the students created a code of conduct to follow while in Enrichment. Our theme this year is: The Power of One. We talked about different heroes. Each student then examined a time when they were a hero. Another topic we will be studying is Explorations. Today, students took a pretest to demonstrate what they currently know about the topic.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Enrichment classes were up and running today. Here are the highlights.

4th Grade (both classes): Today's vocabulary word was Confound which means to confuse or mix up. The individual who made a difference that we studied today was Bill Cosby. Mr. Cosby grew up poor, but when he became famous he gave to others so they could have a better life. Together the students created a code of conduct to follow while in Enrichment. Our theme this year is: The Power of One. We talked about different heroes. Each student then examined a time when they were a hero. Another topic we will be studying is Explorations. Today, students took a pretest to demonstrate what they currently know about the topic.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Shamble which means a scene or condition of disorder or destruction; to walk or go awkwardly. The ponderer was Whoopi Goldberg who dropped out of high school and became a drug addict. She realized that drugs were not the answer and checked herself into a rehab center. Students discovered the Mystery Object for the warm up activity. While eating a snack, students heard about the Merlakkans of Doolmathon and drew the creatures according to the text. Time was spent completing a Reader's Theatre story with tangrams. The final activity was to wonder about bugs.

This was the final Enrichment class for this school year. For those student who will be moving as well as the 5^th graders, I wish you the very best and encourage you to continue searching for challenging curriculum in whatever school you attend. For the 1^st through 4^th graders, I look forward to seeing you all again in September with a whole new set of exciting challenges.

Have a great summer!

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

2nd Grade - The word of the day was Wary which means to be alert, cautious, on guard, watchful. Lydia Darragh, who was a spy for George Washington during the Revolutionary War, was today's ponderer. Students identified the Mystery Object for the warm up activity. Students wrote and illustrated stories about themselves using their thumbprints to demonstrate that they are "thumbody". We have been studying Change this year. The final activity was to watch The Lorax by Dr. Seuss while eating our snacks, because if we aren't careful with how we change our environment it could look like the Oncler's town.

3rd Grade - Due to AR parties this afternoon, we will have our final Enrichment class for this year on Thursday, May 22.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

4th Grade - Precision which means exactness or accuracy was today's vocabulary word. The Corps of Discovery (Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and Sacagawea) who bravely faced the unknown for our country were today's ponderers. Students solved the Mystery Object for today's warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on the understanding the successful people demonstrate courage. The final activity was to finish and share the cultures each group created.

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was A Priori which is a Latin phrase based on untested assumptions or theory. The ponderer was Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press. Students discovered the Mystery Object for the warm up activity. After lunch, students shared information about a philosopher they researched. Since our main study was structures, students designed a large house where they could invent while watching the original Lorax video.

Monday, May 19, 2014

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was A Priori which is a Latin phrase based on untested assumptions or theory. The ponderer was Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press. Students discovered the Mystery Object for the warm up activity. After lunch, students shared information about a philosopher they researched. Since our main study was structures, students designed a large house where they could invent. The final activity was to complete a reader's theatre with tangrams.

Friday, May 16, 2014

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Robust which means a person who is robust feels healthy and strong. Robert E. Lee, who had to choose between Virginia or the Union, was today's ponderer. A What in the World? puzzle fulfilled the warm up activity for the day.The affective lesson focused on Responsibility and Respect. Students took a post assessment regarding the Systems study. The rest of the morning was spent working on creating a culture.

3rd Grade - Their vocabulary word was Zeal which means showing great enthusiasm or devotion to a goal. General George Patton, who didn't learn to read until he was twelve, was today's ponderer. Students solved the What in the World picture puzzle for the warm up activity. An assessment regarding the Relationship study had students sharing what they learned this year. In Crystal Pond Woods, students evaluated different potato chips, then how well they learned critical thinking skills.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

5th Grade - Kibitzer which is an onlooker who offers advice, was today's vocabulary word. The ponderer was George Crum, an angry cook who invented the potato chip. Students solved a What in the World? puzzle for today's warm up activity. Since this was the final Enrichment class for this year, students brought snacks. Then after some time finalizing research on philosophers, students shared their learning with the rest of the class. The final activity was to take a post assessment of what was learned through the Structures lessons.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

2nd Grade - The word for today was Adjacent which means adjoining, next to; near or close. George Washington, who was the first President of the United States under the Constitution was today's ponderer. There was a man who served as President under the Articles of Confederation. Students matched words with pictures for the What in the World puzzle as the warm up activity. Students demonstrated what they learned about Change in the end of the year assessment. The final activity was to create new Celebrations.

3rd Grade - Their vocabulary word was Zeal which means showing great enthusiasm or devotion to a goal. General George Patton, who didn't learn to read until he was twelve, was today's ponderer. Students solved the What in the World picture puzzle for the warm up activity. An assessment regarding the Relationship study had students sharing what they learned this year. In Crystal Pond Woods, students evaluated three game boards and then how well they did in learning critical thinking skills.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Robust which means a person who is robust feels healthy and strong. Robert E. Lee, who had to choose between Virginia or the Union, was today's ponderer. A What in the World? puzzle fulfilled the warm up activity for the day.The affective lesson focused on Responsibility and Respect. Students took a post assessment regarding the Systems study. The rest of the morning was spent working on creating a culture.

5th Grade - Kibitzer which is an onlooker who offers advice, was today's vocabulary word. The ponderer was George Crum, an angry cook who invented the potato chip. Students solved a What in the World? puzzle for today's warm up activity. Time was spent finalizing research on philosophers for the Symposium next week. The final activity was to take a post assessment of what was learned through the Structures lessons.

Monday, May 12, 2014

1st Grade - Today's ponderer was Franklin Delano Roosevelt who overcame the effects of polio to become the only president elected for three terms.Students used their visual thinking to solve the What in the World? puzzle for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, students practiced using considerations for making a decision. For the Pattern, students read different versions of Cinderella comparing how they are alike and different looking for patterns through all of the stories.

5th Grade - Kibitzer which is an onlooker who offers advice, was today's vocabulary word. The ponderer was George Crum, an angry cook who invented the potato chip. Students solved a What in the World? puzzle for today's warm up activity. Time was spent finalizing research on philosophers for the Symposium next week. The final activity was to take a post assessment of what was learned through the Structures lessons.

Friday, May 9, 2014

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Spry which means someone who is nimble or lively. John Glenn was the ponderer today. Not only was he the first man to travel in space, he was also the oldest. A Surprise in the Middle drawing was today's warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on creativity. After listening to Hooray for Diffendoofer Day, students had to develop a creative lesson plan for teaching weather systems.

3rd Grade - Abound, which means very numerous, was today's vocabulary word. Abraham Lincoln, our ponderer for today, volunteered to be a militia captain. That position was dissolved when no orders arrived for his company. Mr. Lincoln then joined the army and started out as a private. Students drew pictures according to the Surprise in the Middle directions for the warm up activity. In the Relationships study, students researched the environments of different animals.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

5th Grade - Trenchant which means incisive or forceful, was today's vocabulary word. The ponderer was Andre Garnerin, the inventor of the parachute. Students practiced their listening skills and following directions as they completed the Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. Time was spent researching a famous philosopher for the affective lesson. The Structures lesson had students learning about naturally created landforms. Prizes for participating in the Exploravision contest were then distributed.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

2nd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was harsh which means unpleasant to the senses; unpleasant conditions. Nancy Hart, a southern spy during the Civil War, was today's ponderer. Students followed directions to complete the Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on things we liked. Some students shared their stories with the rest of the class. In Crystal Pond Woods, students continued to develop observable, measurable, factual criteria to come to a problem solution.

3rd Grade - Abound, which means very numerous, was today's vocabulary word. Abraham Lincoln, our ponderer for today, volunteered to be a militia captain. That position was dissolved when no orders arrived for his company. Mr. Lincoln then joined the army and started out as a private. Students drew pictures according to the Surprise in the Middle directions for the warm up activity. Students had to develop the criteria for evaluating potato chips in Crystal Pond Woods. In the Relationships study, students finished watching The Lorax by Dr. Seuss then researched the environments of different animals.

Tuesday, April 6, 2014

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Spry which means someone who is nimble or lively. John Glenn was the ponderer today. Not only was he the first man to travel in space, he was also the oldest. A Surprise in the Middle drawing was today's warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on creativity. After listening to Hooray for Diffendoofer Day, students had to develop a creative lesson plan for teaching weather systems. The System for today was weather. We practiced predicting the weather using the edheads.org program.

5th Grade - Trenchant which means incisive or forceful, was today's vocabulary word. The ponderer was Andre Garnerin, the inventor of the parachute. Students practiced their listening skills and following directions as they completed the Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. Time was spent researching a famous philosopher for the affective lesson. Part of problem solving is to redo a project that didn't work well. We took time to rebuild buildings that could be tested for stability during an earthquake. The Structures lesson had students learning about naturally created landforms. Prizes for participating in the Exploravision contest were then distributed.

The Final Enrichment Classes for the 2013-2014 School Year are Quickly Approaching

With the end of the school year quickly approaching, there are only a few more Enrichment classes left.  Since we have been focusing on “Wisdom begins in Wonder” our final class period will also center on “Wonder” with the students bringing a “Wonderful” snack or something they have researched (cookbook, internet, etc.) and generated.  Students may bring a snack of their choice along with the recipe.  They should bring enough to share with their entire Enrichment class. Since our school system is promoting healthy snacking, please encourage your student to look for snacks that include fruits, nuts, whole grains, etc.

The final class will be during your child’s normal class. Here are the final class dates:

Thursday afternoon, May 15 – Mrs. Bryant and Mrs. Hudkins’s classes (11 students)

Friday morning, May 16 – Mrs. Cook and Mrs. Roan’s classes (16 students)

Friday afternoon, May 16 – Mrs. Britton, Mrs. Crocker and Mrs. Walker’s classes (13 students)

Monday morning, May 19 – 1^st grade (3 students)

Monday afternoon, May 19 – Mrs. Cable’s 5^th grade Class (8 students)

Tuesday morning, May 20 – Miss Agee, Mrs. Holbrook and Mrs. Tarpley’s 4^th grade    classes (22 students)

Tuesday afternoon, May 20 – Mrs. Branch and Mrs. Wood’s 5^th grade classes (12 students)

Wednesday morning, May 21 – 2^nd grade (19 students)

Wednesday afternoon, May 21 – Mrs. Crampton, Ms. Keller and Mrs. Gramling’s 3^rd grade classes (13 students)

Monday, May 5, 2014

1st Grade - Ida Tarbell,  a muckracker (a newspaper reporter who exposed the graft and corruption of government), was today's ponderer. Students completed a Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. Our trip to Crystal Pond Woods had us visiting Jordan the Judge's courtroom where he taught students to list both good and bad considerations when having to made a decision.

5th Grade - Trenchant which means incisive or forceful, was today's vocabulary word. The ponderer was Andre Garnerin, the inventor of the parachute. Students practiced their listening skills and following directions as they completed the Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. Time was spent researching a famous philosopher for the affective lesson. The Structures lesson had students learning about naturally created landforms. Prizes for participating in the Exploravision contest were then distributed.

Friday, May 2, 2014

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Demeanor which means someone's behavior toward others. One of the world's greatest female athletes, who overcame racism and asthma to become an Olympic champion, Jackie Joyner-Kersee was today's ponderer. Students solved two Stories with Holes problems for the warm-up activity. Motivators were the focus of today's affective lesson. Students then spent time reading folktales and creating one for their team's culture which they are developing.

3rd Grade - The word for today was Prototype which means an early or original example upon which later examples are based. John F. Kennedy, who tried to compete against his brother, was today's ponderer. Students quickly the Stories with Holes problem for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, students continued working on developing criteria to choose the best answer.  For the Relationships lesson students watch the original Lorax movie by Dr. Seuss as they learned that members of a food chain are interdependent.

Thursday, May, 1, 2014

5th Grade - Their vocabulary word was Ruminate which means to mediate or muse. Today's ponderer, Alfred Nobel, who not only developed the Nobel Peace Prize, he was also the inventor of dynamite. Students were challenged by the quote puzzle for the warm up activity. For the affective lesson, students began researching different philosophers. The afternoon was spent studying the structure of the earth and how to build structures that are better able to sustain an earthquake.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

2nd Grade - Qualm which means a feeling of illness, a disturbing feeling, was today's vocabulary word. Andrew Johnson, our 17th President, was today's ponderer. Students quickly solved the Stories with Holes warm up problem. The affective lesson focused on "bugging" each other by telling a little bit about ourselves through story writing. The evaluative thinking lesson had students considering the good and bad results of an idea before making a decision. For Change, students gained a better understanding of the water cycle and the idea that based on past information, people can predict change.

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Prototype which means an early or original example upon which later examples are based. John F. Kennedy, who had difficulty competing against his brother but became our 35th president, was today's ponderer. In Crystal Pond Woods, students used their problem solving skills and ability to develop criteria to solve the problem of "What To Do In Class Today?". In the Relationships study, students completed a quick research activity on different types of animals and discussed the relationship between the animals and how people are treating the earth.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Demeanor which means someone's behavior toward others. One of the world's greatest female athletes, who overcame racism and asthma to become an Olympic champion, Jackie Joyner-Kersee was today's ponderer. Students solved two Stories with Holes problems for the warm-up activity. Motivators were the focus of today's affective lesson. Students then spent time reading folktales and creating one for their team's culture which they are developing.

5th Grade - These students were enjoying a field trip to the state capitol today.

Monday, April 28, 2014

1st Grade - Herbert Hoover, who was instrumental in feeding over 10 million Belgians after World War II, was today's ponderer. Students solved the Stories with holes problem for the warm up activity. For the visual/critical thinking lesson in Crystal Pond Woods, our friend Max the Magician brought out his trangrams and students had to fit the seven different puzzle pieces into several shapes.

5th Grade - Today's students had time to reconstruct a building that would withstand an earthquake before heading back to class for a special lesson taught by the school nurse.

Friday, April 25, 2014

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Instill which means to put a feeling or idea in someones mind slowly. There were two ponderers today: Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. Together they changed the way people thought about handicapped people. Students were able to solve the quote puzzle used for the warm up activity today. The focus of the affective lesson was goal setting. For the Systems study, students wrote two stories that they had heard from their families. The final activity was to begin putting all of the various systems together to create a new culture.

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Fetch which means to go after and bring back; to get as in a price. Winston Churchill was their ponderer. Mr. Churchill was not a gifted student but became a Nobel Prize winner in Literature. Students went to spend time with their Kindergarten testing buddies so will be bringing their warm up puzzles home. Parents are allowed to help them solve the puzzles. Those who bring them back help their team. Students learned about developing criteria in Crystal Pond Woods as a well to help them solve problems. The Relationships study focused on the understanding that relationships between members of a food chain are interdependent as we did an experiment with water and cups.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

5th Grade - Due to a meeting Mrs. Rains had to attend, today's class was canceled.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

2nd Grade - Hoax which means a practical joke; something intended to deceive was today's vocabulary word. Today's ponderer was Rose Greenhow, a southern spy during the Civil War who died trying to save gold for the Confederacy. Students completed a Quotation Quizzler for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on mistakes and what we can learn from them. Our friends in Crystal Pond Woods had us selecting a backpack based on measurable, observable, factual criteria. We also learned that using past information can help people predict change such as weather.

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Fetch which means to go after and bring back; to get as in a price. Winston Churchill was their ponderer. Mr. Churchill was not a gifted student but became a Nobel Prize winner in Literature. Students quickly completed the warm up activity which was a Quotation Quizzler. Students put into practice the development of criteria and evaluative thinking as the decided where their family would spend a summer vacation. The Relationships study focused on the understanding that relationships between members of a food chain are interdependent as we watched the original version of The Lorax.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Instill which means to put a feeling or idea in someones mind slowly. There were two ponderers today: Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. Together they changed the way people thought about handicapped people. Students were able to solve the quote puzzle used for the warm up activity today. The focus of the affective lesson was goal setting. For the Systems study, students wrote two stories that they had heard from their families. The final activity was to begin putting all of the various systems together to create a new culture.

5th Grade - Their vocabulary word was Ruminate which means to mediate or muse. Today's ponderer, Alfred Nobel, who not only developed the Nobel Peace Prize, he was also the inventor of dynamite. Students were challenged by the quote puzzle for the warm up activity. For the affective lesson, students began researching different philosophers. The afternoon was spent studying the structure of the earth and how to build structures that are better able to sustain an earthquake.

Monday, April 21, 2014

1st Grade - Warren Harding, the 29th President of the United States who had a special cabinet chair for his dog, was today's ponderer. Students figured out a Quotation Quizzler puzzle for today's warm up activity. They didn't let Max the Magician fool them in Crystal Pond Woods as they quickly made trains of Max's dominoes. They were able to spend a few minutes reading different versions of Cinderella that we will discuss next week.

5th Grade - Their vocabulary word was Ruminate which means to mediate or muse. Today's ponderer, Alfred Nobel, who not only developed the Nobel Peace Prize, he was also the inventor of dynamite. Students quickly solved the quote puzzle for the warm up activity. For the affective lesson, students began researching different philosophers. The afternoon was spent studying the structure of the earth and how to build structures that are better able to sustain an earthquake.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Vociferous which means loud and vehement.For the structures study, students explored the structure of the earth and plate tectonics with pudding and graham crackers.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

All Enrichment classes were canceled for today due to testing.

We will be back to our regular schedule next week.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

4th Grade - This class was canceled today because of testing.

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Vociferous which means loud and vehement. The ponderer was Samuel Morse who was awarded a gold medal for his art and invented the Morse Code. For the structures study, students explored the structure of the earth and plate tectonics with pudding and graham crackers.

Monday, April 14, 2014

1st Grade - Class was canceled due to testing.

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Vociferous which means loud and vehement. The ponderer was Samuel Morse who was awarded a gold medal for his art and invented the Morse Code. For the structures study, students explored the structure of the earth and plate tectonics with pudding and graham crackers.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Due to testing, today's Enrichment classes were canceled.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Fifth Grade - The vocabulary word of the day was Pernicious which means dangerous, deadly. Anton Leeuwenhoek, the inventor of the microscope, was today's ponderer. Students figured out the Plexer puzzles which were today's warm up activity. Today's discussion question was, "Does anything every happen by chance?" Once the environment changes timelines were complete, we moved on to the study of Natural Structures.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

2nd Grade - The vocabulary word for today was Transpire which means to happen; to become known. Abraham, who wasn't a very stern father, was today's ponderer. Students completed the Plexer word puzzles for the warm up activity. No one is perfect was the focus of the affective lesson. They continued to practice using criteria for making choices in Crystal Pond Woods. We had a few minutes today to study Changes and discovered that using past information can make change predictable.

3rd Grade - Parapet which is a low wall or railing was today's vocabulary word. Neither Orville nor Wilbur Wright, today's ponderers, finished high school. Students quickly came up with the answers to the Plexer puzzles for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, students were introduced to Jordan the Judge who taught us how to develop criteria for Evaluative Thinking. For the Wonder study, we finished listening to A Weed is a Flower about George Washington Carver. The Relationship study had students focusing on the understanding that members of a food chain are interdependent.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Fourth Grade -  Today's activities centered around the word barrier. A barrier is something material that blocks or is intended to block passage. The ponderers were Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey who broke the segregation barrier to major league baseball. Students figured out items from a What in the World puzzle for the warm up activity. Time was spent finishing brochures about Oklahoma celebrations. Then students designed an object according to a story they heard.

Fifth Grade - The vocabulary word of the day was Pernicious which means dangerous, deadly. Anton Leeuwenhoek, the inventor of the microscope, was today's ponderer. Students figured out the Plexer puzzles which were today's warm up activity. Today's discussion question was, "Does anything every happen by chance?" Once the environment changes timelines were complete, we moved on to the study of Natural Structures.