Monday, February 29, 2016

2nd Grade - This group learned that a Skyscraper is a relatively tall building of many stories, especially one for office or commercial use. William Henry Harrison's death was predicted by the Indian leader Tecumseh who placed a curse on the U.S. Presidency. Students started a Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity.

3rd Grade - These students learned that a Consumer is an organism usually an animal, which feeds on plants or other animals. The investigator, Albert Einstein had difficulty passing the entrance exam into engineering school because he disliked rote learning. Students followed the directions to complete the Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. We continued the study of visual thinking in Crystal Pond Woods with visual/puzzle analogies. The final activity was understanding that just rules and laws may strengthen the relationships between the government and the citizens. Students developed their own game with a specific number of rules then discussed the consequences.

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Plausible which means something that seems reasonably true but may not be. Milton Hershey, today's investigator, failed many times before he became successful in the candy business. This group followed directions to create the Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on the idea that everyone is different but everyone has their own unique gift. The afternoon was spent researching a state system and trying to develop a Prezi presentation.

Friday, February 26, 2016

3rd Grade - The vocabulary word for this week was Producer which means an organism, as a plant, that is able to produce its own food from inorganic substances. The famous inventor Thomas Edison only went to school for a few years. He received his education by reading. The warm up activity Quotation Quizzler was completed as a group. In Crystal Pond Woods, students worked with Pentominoes (geometric shapes) to fill in puzzles. The final activity was to understand our need for rules and laws.

5th Grade - We learned that Oscitant means inattentive. The investigator, Guglielmo Marconi, invented the radio telegraph but didn't pass his entrance exams into college. It took a team effort to complete the Quotation Quizzler for the warm up activity. Students developed personal codes of conduct for the affective lesson. The afternoon was spent working on the industrial revolution documentaries.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Dr. Rains was attending a training about teaching computer coding to students.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

2nd Grade - The affective lesson focused on dealing with stress. Students listened to a book about stress then drew pictures illustrating what they could do to relieve stress in their own lives.

3rd Grade - The vocabulary word for this week was Producer which means an organism, as a plant, that is able to produce its own food from inorganic substances. The famous inventor Thomas Edison only went to school for a few years. He received his education by reading. The warm up activity Quotation Quizzler was completed as a group. In Crystal Pond Woods, students worked with Pentominoes (geometric shapes) to fill in puzzles. The final activity was to understand our need for rules and laws.

5th Grade - We learned that Oscitant means inattentive. The investigator, Guglielmo Marconi, invented the radio telegraph but didn't pass his entrance exams into college. It took a team effort to complete the Quotation Quizzler for the warm up activity. Students developed personal codes of conduct for the affective lesson. The afternoon was spent working on the industrial revolution documentaries.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

2nd Grade - Due to the 5th Grade state writing test, Dr. Rains had to cancel morning classes to help administer the test to small groups.

4th Grade - The 5th Grade writing took the whole morning leaving this class an abbreviated amount of time in Enrichment. Students were able to solve the Quotation Quizzler puzzle for the warm up activity.  The final activity was to spend time working online learning about different festivals in the state. Next week students will create a documentary about their festival.

Monday, February 22, 2016

2nd Grade - Learning for this week began with the word Perimeter which meant the border or outer boundary of a two-dimensional figure. The investigator, Mary Elizabeth Bowser, was thought to be a dull-witted slave but was really an intelligent Northern spy living in President Jefferson Davis's home. Students worked together to solve the Quotation Quizzler puzzle that was the warm up activity.

3rd Grade - The vocabulary word for this week was Producer which means an organism, as a plant, that is able to produce its own food from inorganic substances. The famous inventor Thomas Edison only went to school for a few years. He received his education by reading. The warm up activity Quotation Quizzler was completed as a group. In Crystal Pond Woods, students worked with Pentominoes (geometric shapes) to fill in puzzles. The final activity was to understand our need for rules and laws.

4th Grade - This class learned that Unflappable means someone who has a lot of self-control and is not easily upset or frightened. Martha Graham, today's investigator, was considered by President Ford to be a national treasure because of her dance style. It took a while but students were able to solve the Quotation Quizzler puzzle for the warm up activity.  The final activity was to spend time working online with computer programming lessons.

Thursday, February 18 and Friday, February 19

Dr. Rains was gone Thursday and Friday.

There were no Enrichment classes Thursday while teachers attended meetings and Specials teachers covered classes.

Friday:

3rd Grade - The vocabulary word was Compatible which means able to exist together with something else. The investigator was Alexander Graham Bell who invented the comic book as well as the telephone. We worked together on the Stories with Holes problem for the warm up activity and had to move on to another lesson. However, toward the end of the class session someone was able to solve the riddle. In Crystal Pond Woods students continued developing their visual thinking with a map that could be colored with only four colors and shapes touching could not be the same color. The final activity was to finish listening to Call It Courage.

5th Grade - We learned that a chaparral was a thicket of shrubs and small trees.Until lunch,time was  spent gathering information for their industrial revolution documentary or starting the writing. The Cheyenne orchestra shared some information with the entire 5th grade after lunch so students did not return to Enrichment.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

2nd Grade - This week's affective lesson focused on the understanding that successful people are caring. After hearing the story Chrysanthemum, students discussed teasing and ways to overcome it.

3rd Grade - The vocabulary word was Compatible which means able to exist together with something else. The investigator was Alexander Graham Bell who invented the comic book as well as the telephone. We worked together on the Stories with Holes problem for the warm up activity and had to move on to another lesson. However, toward the end of the class session someone was able to solve the riddle. In Crystal Pond Woods students continued developing their visual thinking with a map that could be colored with only four colors and shapes touching could not be the same color. The final activity was to finish listening to Call It Courage.

5th Grade - We learned that a chaparral was a thicket of shrubs and small trees. Horace Wells was the first to discover that laughing gas could be used as a painkiller. This group worked on the Stories with Holes problem but left it unsolved when they left for the day. The rest of the class period was spent gathering information for their industrial revolution documentary or starting the writing.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

2nd Grade - We learned today that the word Dimensions means measurement in length, width, and thickness.Our investigator, William Howard Taft, was the largest President. A Stories With Holes problem was the warm up activity. Time ran out before we solved the problem.

4th Grade - This class learned that Unflappable means someone who has a lot of self-control and is not easily upset or frightened. Martha Graham, today's investigator, was considered by President Ford to be a national treasure because of her dance style. It took a while but students were able to solve the Stories with Holes problem for the warm up activity. To understand the difficulty of studying space, students completed an experiment with three small candy bars. The final activity was to spend time working online with computer programming lessons.

Monday, February 15, 2016

Students enjoyed a brief holiday from school while teachers attended professional development classes.

Friday, February 12, 2016

3rd Grade - This class learned that Compatible means able to exist together with something else. While our investigator, Oprah Winfrey, was able to WOW people through out her life, she did not WOW her bosses with her news reporting. They decided to give her a job as a talk show host and the rest is history. Together they were able to solve the logic puzzle for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, Max the Magician brought out his tangram puzzles. Students were given shapes of animals and had to cover them with the tangram puzzles pieces. For the final activity, we read and discussed chapter 3 of Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry.

5th Grade - We switched this class to yesterday so they could enjoy their Valentine parties this afternoon.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

2nd Grade - As a representative of what we have learned over the past two days about our learning styles and career choices, students made and decorated paper hats.

5th Grade - Students learned that Sojourn means a short stay, brief residence. The hula hoop, invented by Richard Knerr and Arthur Melvin, saved hundreds of jobs when the plastic from the worker's plant made a great toy. Students worked together to solve the Plexer puzzle for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on helping students stay informed regarding issues for which they have to make a decision instead of relying on other people's opinions. The rest of the afternoon was spent researching the Industrial Revolution.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

2nd Grade - The focus of the social/emotional lesson for today was choosing a career that matched the student's learning style.

3rd Grade - This class learned that Compatible means able to exist together with something else. While our investigator, Oprah Winfrey, was able to WOW people through out her life, she did not WOW her bosses with her news reporting. They decided to give her a job as a talk show host and the rest is history. Together they were able to solve the logic puzzle for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, Max the Magician brought out his tangram puzzles. Students were given shapes of animals and had to cover them with the tangram puzzles pieces. For the final activity, we read and discussed chapter 3 of Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry.

5th Grade - Students learned that Sojourn means a short stay, brief residence. The hula hoop, invented by Richard Knerr and Arthur Melvin, saved hundreds of jobs when the plastic from the worker's plant made a great toy. Students worked together to solve the Plexer puzzle for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on helping students stay informed regarding issues for which they have to make a decision instead of relying on other people's opinions. The rest of the afternoon was spent researching the Industrial Revolution.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

2nd Grade - Today we completed the warm up puzzle we started yesterday.

1st Grade - Our learning started with the investigator, a Miss X, who saved her school in Missouri by waving her petticoat when raiders wanted to burn it. These students worked together to complete several Plexers puzzles. In Crystal Pond Woods, students continued to develop their convergent thinking skills as they searched for clues to find the one solution to the problem.

4th Grade - These students learned that Potent means something that is powerful and effective. The investigator, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. allowed children to participate in the civil rights marches. This group worked together on a logic puzzle for the warm up activity. The final activity of the Solar System study was to have students try to identify three small candy bars without touching or breaking it. This is similar to studying items in space that are thousands and millions of miles away from scientists.

Monday, February 8, 2016

2nd Grade - Today we learned that the word Climate is the characteristics of a given area by the weather. Clara Barton, the investigator, was helping a man when she felt something sting her. A bullet had gone through her sleeve and killed the man she was helping. She never mended that hole. For the warm up activity, students started on a logic elimination puzzle.

3rd Grade - This class learned that Compatible means able to exist together with something else. While our investigator, Oprah Winfrey, was able to WOW people through out her life, she did not WOW her bosses with her news reporting. They decided to give her a job as a talk show host and the rest is history. Together they were able to solve the logic puzzle for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, Max the Magician brought out his tangram puzzles. Students were given shapes of animals and had to cover them with the tangram puzzles pieces. For the final activity, we read and discussed chapter 3 of Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry.

4th Grade - These students learned that Potent means something that is powerful and effective. The investigator, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. allowed children to participate in the civil rights marches. This group worked together on a logic puzzle for the warm up activity. The final activity of the Solar System study was to have students try to identify three small candy bars without touching or breaking it. This is similar to studying items in space that are thousands and millions of miles away from scientists.

Friday, February 5, 2016

3rd Grade - We learned the word Environment means the air, water, minerals, organisms, and all other external factors surrounding and affecting a given organism at any time. Today's investigator, Sylvester Stallone, was kicked out of 10 schools for fighting. The warm up activity had students completing a series of Plexer puzzles (common words or phrases put into picture form). In Crystal Pond Woods, we continued our divergent thinking work. Today students had the opportunity to use webbing for brainstorming and organizing their thoughts. The final activity was to finish their island brochures.

5th Grade - Our vocabulary word for today was Inception which means start or beginning. The investigator, Milton Hershey struggled until he created a caramel candy everyone liked. Students completed a series of Plexer puzzles for the warm up activity. With the Exploravision contest finished, we were able to get back to the affective (social/emotional) lessons. Today the focus was on developing their own opinion about issues. The rest of the afternoon had students creating videos and posters that will be turned in to QR codes so they can share their inventions with others.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

2nd Grade - Today we finished writing our pledges. Last week we didn't have time to figure out the mystery object so we were able to finish that also.

Dr. Rains was busy the rest of the day testing students and working with small groups of students.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

2nd Grade - Today we learned the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance and wrote pledges we could keep to others.

3rd Grade - We learned the word Environment means the air, water, minerals, organisms, and all other external factors surrounding and affecting a given organism at any time. Today's investigator, Sylvester Stallone, was kicked out of 10 schools for fighting. The warm up activity had students completing a series of Plexer puzzles (common words or phrases put into picture form). In Crystal Pond Woods, we continued our divergent thinking work. Today students had the opportunity to use webbing for brainstorming and organizing their thoughts. The final activity was to finish their island brochures.

5th Grade - Our vocabulary word for today was Inception which means start or beginning. The investigator, Milton Hershey struggled until he created a caramel candy everyone liked. Students completed a series of Plexer puzzles for the warm up activity. With the Exploravision contest finished, we were able to get back to the affective (social/emotional) lessons. Today the focus was on developing their own opinion about issues. The rest of the afternoon had students creating videos and posters that will be turned in to QR codes for Open House tomorrow night.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

2nd Grade - Our learning today began with the vocabulary word Shelter which means dwelling place or home considered as a refuge from the elements. Martin Van Buren, our investigator, presented his first case as a lawyer at the age of 15. Students worked together to solve several Plexer puzzles for the warm up activity.

4th Grade - This group learned that Impersonate means to mimic or pretend to be someone else. Their investigator, Benjamin Franklin, wrote a part of four documents important for gaining our independence from Britain. These students also completed several Plexer puzzles for the warm up activity. The afternoon was spent finishing up our planet brochures and building robots from the other school.

Monday, February 1, 2016

2nd Grade - This morning we had the opportunity to see the 3rd Grade perform their music program.

3rd Grade - We learned the word Environment means the air, water, minerals, organisms, and all other external factors surrounding and affecting a given organism at any time. Today's investigator, Sylvester Stallone, was kicked out of 10 schools for fighting. The warm up activity had students completing a series of Plexer puzzles (common words or phrases put into picture form). In Crystal Pond Woods, we continued our divergent thinking work. Today students had the opportunity to use webbing for brainstorming and organizing their thoughts. The final activity was to finish their island brochures.

4th Grade - This group learned that Impersonate means to mimic or pretend to be someone else. Their investigator, Benjamin Franklin, wrote a part of four documents important for gaining our independence from Britain. These students also completed several Plexer puzzles for the warm up activity. The afternoon was spent finishing up our planet brochures and building robots from the other school.