Friday, December 21, 2018

5th Grade - Today's learning began with Modicum which means a moderate amount. The successful person was Conrad Hubert. Mr. Hubert bought an idea from a friend, tinkered with it, and invented the "hand torch" (Ever Ready) flashlight. Each student completed a Loosen Up drawing for the warm up activity. Dilemmas and how to make good decisions was the focus of the leadership lesson. Our focus for the rest of class was to complete any unfinished Exploravision assignments and move on to another. The deadline for this project is February 1st. Since many of the other classes were working on fun activities, we took some time to work on an escape room from Breakout Edu.

2nd Grade - We learned today that a Merchant is someone who buys and sells goods especially in large amounts. Harriet Tubman, today's successful person, helped the Union during the Civil War but did not receive any money for her work. Students drew a Loosen Up drawing for the warm up activity. For our affective lesson, we focused on the generalization that successful people are kind and caring. We discussed the purpose of everyone being different. In Crystal Pond Woods, students had an opportunity to use words to develop a creative story. Our study of the book Abel's Island came to an end today as we discussed what we knew about Gower the Frog and what we could infer about him.

Thursday, December 20, 2018

4th Grade - Due to the afternoon holiday celebrations, all of the classes met this morning. Our learning began with our vocabulary word Pulchritude which means beauty. Today's successful person was Frederick Douglass a slave who learned to read and became key in the Abolitionist movement. Students created a Loosen Up drawing for the warm up activity. Students then designed what they would like for their robot to look like. Each student then wrote a persuasive speech to convince their teammates to choose theirs. For the final activity, students began creating a brochure for the planet Veltzar.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Prospector which means the possibility that something will happen in the future. The successful person was Michael Jordan who did not make the school basketball team as a high school sophmore, but went on to become one of the greatest players of all time. Students followed directions to create a drawing for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, students demonstrated their divergent thinking skills as they designed and built a tower that would hold the most weight. For the Discoveries lesson, students had to build a watercraft that would hold the weight of a mouse in order to help Abel escape from the island.

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

5th Grade - Today's learning began with Modicum which means a moderate amount. The successful person was Conrad Hubert. Mr. Hubert bought an idea from a friend, tinkered with it, and invented the "hand torch" (Ever Ready) flashlight. Each student completed a Loosen Up drawing for the warm up activity. Dilemmas and how to make good decisions was the focus of the leadership lesson. Our focus for the rest of class was to complete any unfinished Exploravision assignments and move on to another. The deadline for this project is February 1st.

Monday, December 17, 2018

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Prospector which means the possibility that something will happen in the future. The successful person was Michael Jordan who did not make the school basketball team as a high school sophmore, but went on to become one of the greatest players of all time. Students followed directions to create a drawing for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, students demonstrated their divergent thinking skills as they designed and built a tower that would hold the most weight. For the Discoveries lesson, students had to build a watercraft that would hold the weight of a mouse in order to help Abel escape from the island.

Friday, December 14, 2018

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Soporific which means sleep inducing. Thomas Alva Edison, our successful person, invented gummed paper along with improving the electric light bulb. For the warm up activity, students brainstormed several different items. The leadership lesson focused on leaving a good first impression. Students spent the rest of our time together working on their history essays for the Exploravision project.

2nd Grade - This class learned that Inflation is a continual increase in the price of goods and services. Sacagawea (the successful person) was in interpreter for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, but could not speak English. We worked together to solve the Quotation Quizzler for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on the understanding that successful people care for others. In Crystal Pond Woods, students were given an item and were asked to SCAMPER it into a new item. For the Discoveries lesson we compared civilized Abel to the primitive Abel he became after spending a year on a deserted island.

Thursday, December 13, 2018

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Gloat which means people who are happy about other people's failure. Walt Disney was told the project would never work, it was too expensive, but in a few days Snow White and the 7 dwarfs will be celebrating their 81st anniversary. Students worked together to solve a Quotation Quizzler/Dropquotes puzzle for the warm up activity. For the rest of class time students researched a planet from which they will create a brochure for the planet Veltzar.

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

3rd Grade - Demand was today's vocabulary word which means the ability and need or desire to buy goods and services. James Earl Jones was the successful person. As a child, James Earl Jones was a stutterer, but has overcome to become one of the most recognized voices in the world. By working together we completed a Quotation Quizzler for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, we learned about Rube Goldberg and his chain reaction contraptions which are very elaborate creations to do simple tasks. A great opportunity to expand our divergent thinking. For the discoveries lesson, students were able to finish watching Abel's Island and created a tornado using an interactive activity through National Geographic's website.

Tuesday, December 11,2018

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Soporific which means sleep inducing. Thomas Alva Edison, our successful person, invented gummed paper along with improving the electric light bulb. For the warm up activity, students brainstormed several different items. The leadership lesson focused on leaving a good first impression. Students spent the rest of our time together working on their history essays for the Exploravision project.

Monday, December 10, 2018

3rd Grade - Demand was today's vocabulary word which means the ability and need or desire to buy goods and services. James Earl Jones was the successful person. As a child, James Earl Jones was a stutterer, but has overcome to become one of the most recognized voices in the world. By working together we completed a Quotation Quizzler for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, we learned about Rube Goldberg and his chain reaction contraptions which are very elaborate creations to do simple tasks. A great opportunity to expand our divergent thinking. For the discoveries lesson, students were able to finish watching Abel's Island and created a tornado using an interactive activity through National Geographic's website.

Friday, December 7, 2018

5th Gtrade - Our weekly vocabulary for today was Ligature which means bonds used to tie or bind. Our successful person was the Smith Brothers who invented the cough drop. Together we solved a Dropquotes puzzle for the warm up activity. The Leadership lesson focused on giving positive feedback to others as a leader. For the rest of class, students spent time researching information to create a history timeline for the Exploravision project.

2nd Grade - This class learned that Nugget is a solid lump of a valuable metal (such as gold). Today's successful person, John Quincy Adams, was caught swimming without his clothes in the Potomac River. Because he wouldn't give an interview, the newspaper reporter that caught him sat on his clothes until she got what she wanted. For the affective lesson, students learned that successful people demonstrate courage. The focus of the lesson was meeting new people.  In Crystal Pond Woods, we continued expanding our Divergent thinking skills. We took common items and "SCAMPERed" them.

Thursday, December 7, 2018

4th Grade - Today, students learned that Aversion means a strong dislike toward something. The successful person was Roberto Clemente who was killed in a plane crash trying to help earthquake victims in Nicaragua. We worked together to solve a Quizzles/Logic elimination puzzle for the warm up activity. Teams worked together to create a See, Run, Do poster. This gave them an idea of what it will be like when they build and write directions for their robots.

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

3rd Grade - Due to testing and meetings, there were no classes today. We will resume our regular schedule tomorrow.

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

5th Gtrade - Our weekly vocabulary for today was Ligature which means bonds used to tie or bind. Our successful person was the Smith Brothers who invented the cough drop. Together we solved a Dropquotes puzzle for the warm up activity. The Leadership lesson focused on giving positive feedback to others as a leader. For the rest of class, students spent time researching information to create a history timeline for the Exploravision project.

Monday, December 3, 2018

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Depression which means a period of time in which there is little economic activity and many people do not have jobs. The successful person was Whoopi Goldberg who overcame drug addictions to become a famous actor. We worked together to complete a Quizzles/Logic elimination puzzle for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, students expanded their Divergent thinking skills by providing elaborative answers to simple drawings. The final activity was to watch the video of Abel's Island which will be used for several activities over the next few weeks.

Friday, November 30, 2018

5th Grade - Learning today began with the vocabulary word Sedulous which means industrious. The first revolver that our successful person (Samuel Colt) invented was so different that it was not well received. We worked together to try to solve a Quizzles puzzle for the warm up activity. During the leadership lesson, we learned the importance of teamwork strength. We do not have all of the qualities necessary to be a good leader and sometimes have to rely on team members.

2nd Grade - This class learned that Ability is the power or skill to do something. Their successful person was Emily Geiger, General Greene's daughter (of the Continental Army), who took a message to General Sumter crossing enemy lines in order to accomplish her mission. Students identified nine close up items in a What in the World? puzzle for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, students developed their Divergent Thinking skills as they elaborated on a story about a beautiful day in the meadow.

Thursday, November 29, 2018

4th Grade - Today's learning began with Predilection which means a preference for something. The successful person was George Washington who became the first President of the United States. Students completed a What in the World? puzzle for the warm up activity. The affective lesson had students reflecting on past successes and analyzing how they can use those successes to help them with future problems. Last week they created their 8 foot Munracks and finished coloring them today.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Depression which means a period of time in which there is little economic activity and many people do not have jobs. The successful person was Whoopi Goldberg who overcame drug addictions to become a famous actor. We worked together to complete a Quizzles/Logic elimination puzzle for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, students expanded their Divergent thinking skills by providing elaborative answers to simple drawings. The final activity was to watch the video of Abel's Island which will be used for several activities over the next few weeks.

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

5th Grade - Learning today began with the vocabulary word Sedulous which means industrious. The first revolver that our successful person (Samuel Colt) invented was so different that it was not well received. We worked together to try to solve a Quizzles puzzle for the warm up activity. During the leadership lesson, we learned the importance of teamwork strength. We do not have all of the qualities necessary to be a good leader and sometimes have to rely on team members. Students then discussed with their teams ideas for the Exploravision project and started researching the current technology available.

Monday, November 26, 2018

3rd Grade - The vocabulary word for today was Foundation which means a usually stone or concrete structure that supports a building from underneath. Our successful person was Harrison Ford who not only saves people in the movies, but also in real life. For the warm up activity, students had to unscramble and identify nine animals from a very close up picture. The affective lesson focused on kindness and a plan was created to implement the idea. In Crystal Pond Woods, students moved from Convergent thinking to Divergent thinking where we want to generate a lot of ideas. Today's focus was on brainstorming.

Friday, November 16, 2018

5th Grade - Today we learned that Rapacious means raptor-like, preying on others. Ada Lovelace, our successful person of the day, wrote a program for a calculating machine in 1843. Students identified  close up photos of nine animals for the warm up activity. Students considered the qualities they look for in friends during the leadership lesson Finally, students accessed Google Classroom and started completing some of the assignments that are available.

2nd Grade - Our vocabulary word for the day was Appearance which means the way that someone or something looks. James Monroe, our successful person, was so busy helping our country that he needed his daughter to take care of him when he got older. Students tried to solve the Stories With Holes Mystery for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on Respect and Responsibility. This was due to the idea that successful people demonstrate a caring attitude. In Crystal Pond Woods, students began working to develop their Divergent Thinking skills. Today, we were given different shapes and had to brainstorm what we thought each shape looked like. For our final activity, we tested the boat we made last week to see how many pennies it would hold. This was to help Abel in Abel's Island get back home.

Thursday, November 15, 2018

4th Grade - Today's learning began with Sullen for the vocabulary word. Sullen means a person who is sulky or quietly in a bad mood. The successful person was Mary Cassatt who became known as America's Great Impressionist (painter). For the warm up activity, students worked together to try to solve the Stories With Holes mystery. Comparing their lives to spinning plates was the focus of the affective lesson. The final activity was to take the Munrack drawing on a regular sheet of paper and make an 8 foot version of the creature.

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

3rd Grade - The vocabulary word for today was Foundation which means a usually stone or concrete structure that supports a building from underneath. Our successful person was Harrison Ford who not only saves people in the movies, but also in real life. For the warm up activity, students had to unscramble and identify nine animals from a very close up picture. The affective lesson focused on kindness and a plan was created to implement the idea. In Crystal Pond Woods, students moved from Convergent thinking to Divergent thinking where we want to generate a lot of ideas. Today's focus was on brainstorming.

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

5th Grade - Today we learned that Rapacious means raptor-like, preying on others. Ada Lovelace, our successful person of the day, wrote a program for a calculating machine in 1843. Students identified  close up photos of nine animals for the warm up activity. Students considered the qualities they look for in friends during the leadership lesson For the Exploravision segment, students began looking for ideas. Each student will be interviewing people looking for ideas to their projects.

Monday, November 12, 2018

3rd Grade - Students learned that Depth is the degree of intensity. The successful person was Clint Eastwood who was fired by Universal Studios because they said he could not act. Together they tried to solve the Stories with Holes problem that was the warm up activity. For the affective lesson, students were asked to evaluate how they felt about the five characteristics of successful people and what they learned. During the weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods, students used their Convergent Thinking skills to solve some more logic puzzles. Instead of using a logic grid this time, they used manipulatives.

Friday, November 9, 2018

5th Grade - Opprobrious which means shameful, infamous was today's vocabulary word. John Pemberton, was today's successful person. Mr. Pemberton was the original developer of Coca-Cola. Unfortunately, his French Wine of Coca contained wine which was banned from Atlanta. Students worked together to try to solve the Stories with Holes for the warm up activity. The leadership lesson had students discovering information about other members of their group. The focus was on the idea that leadership means different things to different people. Students have been working on ideas for the Exploravision project. Students have been working to solve a problem for a partner. Today, they built a prototype and evaluated the product. These are similar steps to the Exploravision project we will begin working on next week.

2nd Grade - Students learned that Predict means to say that something will or might happen in the future. The successful person was Sybil Luddington who alerted the colonial militia that the British were coming and to prepare to fight. A Surprise in the Middle drawing was today's warm up activity. For the affective lesson, students focused on the idea that successful people exhibit the trait of creativity. After watching Hooray for Diffendoofer Day, students told what they would do to make a lesson more interesting. In Crystal Pond Woods, student used manipulatives to conplete convergent thinking puzzles. The focus of the Discoveries lesson was that new situations may help people make personal discoveries. Students were given materials to make a raft that would hold the weight of a mouse. We will test the raft next week.

Thursday, November 8,k 2018

4th Grade - The vocabulary word of the day was Excessive which means to go beyond the usual limit. George Washington Carver was today's successful person. Mr. Carver came up with over 300 uses for the peanut. Students drew a picture of a robot in a Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. Social and emotional safety mechanisms were the focus of today's affective lesson. For the Explorations lesson, we will be exploring space. This includes drawing an 8 foot Munrack from the planet Veltzar. Students drew their perspective of the Munrack then wrote a persuasive speech to convince their teammates to make their drawing the final product.

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

3rd Grade - Students learned that Depth is the degree of intensity. The successful person was Clint Eastwood who was fired by Universal Studios because they said he could not act. Together they tried to solve the Stories with Holes problem that was the warm up activity. For the affective lesson, students were asked to evaluate how they felt about the five characteristics of successful people and what they learned. During the weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods, students used their Convergent Thinking skills to solve some more logic puzzles. Instead of using a logic grid this time, they used manipulatives.

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

5th Grade - Opprobrious which means shameful, infamous was today's vocabulary word. John Pemberton, was today's successful person. Mr. Pemberton was the original developer of Coca-Cola. Unfortunately, his French Wine of Coca contained wine which was banned from Atlanta. Students worked together to try to solve the Stories with Holes for the warm up activity. The leadership lesson had students discovering information about other members of their group. The focus was on the idea that leadership means different things to different people. Students have been working on ideas for the Exploravision project. Students have been working to solve a problem for a partner. Today, they built a prototype and evaluated the product. These are similar steps to the Exploravision project we will begin working on next week.

Monday, November 5, 2018

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Personality which means the set of emotional qualities, ways of behaving, etc., that makes a person different from other people. Walt Disney who was turned down as a cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune was today's successful person. Students completed Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. Surprise in the Middle is an exercise in following the directions as well as an opportunity for students to expand their creative thinking. Now that we have covered the five traits of successful people, students evaluated where they are currently with each trait and set goals for the future.The final activity was the weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods. We reviewed several logic elimination puzzles together.

Friday, November 2, 2018

5th Grade - Our learning today began with the vocabulary word Tantamount which means equivalent to, virtually the same. The successful person was Ruth Wakefield who created the chocolate chip cookie by mistake. Students completed a Surprise in the Middle picture for the warm up activity. The Leadership lesson focused on helping kids identify good role models that are also good leaders.
Students also worked to develop an idea/product that would solve a classmates problem.

2nd Grade - Today we learned that Character is one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual. James Madison, our third President, was the shortest President. Students worked together to solve the 20 Questions/Mystery Object for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on the idea that Successful people exhibit the trait of creativity. Students were given materials and had to make an animal from the items. They were then to write an adventure story with the creature. The Discoveries lesson had students learning that during a natural disaster people can not drink salt water because absorbing too much salt is bad for our health. We learned this by making observations of a potato that was put in salt water and another that was put in tap water.

Thursday, November 1, 2018

4th Grade - These students learned that Benevolent means kind and caring. The successful person for the day was Jimmy Carter who started out as a peanut farmer to become President of the United States. Students worked together to solve the Mystery Object/20 Questions for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on confidences and insecurities. For the Explorations lesson, students learned that explorers transfer parts of their culture to other cultures. To demonstrate this, students were given an item that came from another country then had to ask the class 20 questions to identify the item.

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Personality which means the set of emotional qualities, ways of behaving, etc., that makes a person different from other people. Walt Disney who was turned down as a cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune was today's successful person. Students completed Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. Surprise in the Middle is an exercise in following the directions as well as an opportunity for students to expand their creative thinking. Now that we have covered the five traits of successful people, students evaluated where they are currently with each trait and set goals for the future.The final activity was the weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods. We reviewed several logic elimination puzzles together.

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

5th Grade - Our learning today began with the vocabulary word Tantamount which means equivalent to, virtually the same. The successful person was Ruth Wakefield who created the chocolate chip cookie by mistake. Students completed a Surprise in the Middle picture for the warm up activity. The Leadership lesson focused on helping kids identify good role models that are also good leaders. The Exploration study focused on cultural borrowing. Students were given an item and had to ask 20 questions in order to identify the item. The also worked to develop an idea/product that would solve a classmates problem.

Monday, October 29, 2018

3rd Grade - Conclude was the vocabulary word of the day. It means to stop or finish: to come to an end: to end in a particular way or with a particular action. Tom Cruise, who was a struggling reader, was the successful person today. Students worked together to solve the Mystery Object/20 Questions problem for the warm up activity. For the affective lesson, students reviewed successful people we have discussed this year and determined how they demonstrated the five characteristics of successful people. For the final activity, students solved the logic matrix puzzles their classmates had created.

Friday, October 26, 2018

5th Grade - Our vocabulary word for the day was Diaphanous which means translucent, transparent. Tom Adams invented chewing gum when his friend General Santa Anna suggested he try using chicle from Mexico to invent a new rubber. Students worked together to solve the Mystery Object for the warm up activity. For the leadership lesson, students had to think of people in their lives and in the world who matched specific leadership qualities. The Explorations lesson focused on the idea of culture and civilization.

2nd Grade - Today we learned that a trial is a test of the quality, value, or usefulness of something. Lydia Darragh was a woman who listened in to the British soldiers' battle plans and managed to keep the information a secret until she could tell one of General Washington's men. For the warm up activity, students drew 30 small simple designs then picked one to make a bigger, and better version.The affective lesson focused on task commitment and motivators. We learned that intrinsic motivators are ones we will keep with us. In Crystal Pond Woods, we changed the attributes of shape dominoes in a domino game. The discoveries lesson had students learning about natural disasters with the use of  Forces of Nature on the National Geographic website.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

4th Grade - There were several vocabulary words today as these are vocabulary terms we will be using over the next few months. The firs word was Loquacious which means someone who talks too much. Potential means the ability of being or becoming. Motivation means willingness of action. Isolation means the feeling of being disliked or alone. Procrastination means the action of delaying or postponing something. The successful person was Rachel Carson who was an author and environmentalist. As a result of Ms. Carson's writing, DDT is no longer being used. The affective lesson focused on increasing tolerance. The Exploration lesson focused on identifying what makes a culture and a civilization. Finally, students interviewed each other which may lead to an idea for the Exploravision contest.

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

3rd Grade - Conclude was the vocabulary word of the day. It means to stop or finish: to come to an end: to end in a particular way or with a particular action. Tom Cruise, who was a struggling reader, was the successful person today. Students worked together to solve the Mystery Object/20 Questions problem for the warm up activity. For the affective lesson, students reviewed successful people we have discussed this year and determined how they demonstrated the five characteristics of successful people. For the final activity, students solved the logic matrix puzzles their classmates had created.

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

5th Grade - Our vocabulary word for the day was Diaphanous which means translucent, transparent. Tom Adams invented chewing gum when his friend General Santa Anna suggested he try using chicle from Mexico to invent a new rubber. Students worked together to solve the Mystery Object for the warm up activity. For the leadership lesson, students had to think of people in their lives and in the world who matched specific leadership qualities. The Explorations lesson focused on the idea of culture and civilization.

Monday, October 22, 2018

3rd Grade - Students learned that Infer means to form an opinion from evidence: to reach a conclusion based on known facts. The successful person of the day was Cher who's first record was a flop but has become a famous recording star. For the warm up activity, students drew 30 small pictures then elaborated on one of the drawings. Caring was the focus of the affective lesson. In Crystal Pond Woods, students completed the logic grid puzzles they started last week and created a couple of puzzles of their own to stump their classmates.

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

5th Grade - Activities today included learning two vocabulary words. The first was Sequester which means to remove and hold in isolation. Civilized was the second word which means having an advanced or human culture, society, etc.; polite; well-bred; refined. George Washington Carver was today's successful person. He kept a secret garden for five years as a child. For the warm up activity, students drew eight small objects. Today's leadership lesson had students focusing on their goals and seeing themselves as leaders. Different activities shortened the number of activities we could complete today.

Monday, October 15, 2018

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Primitive which means of, belonging to, or seeming to come from an early time in the very ancient past. The successful person was Jim Carrey who kept persevering until he became a famous comedian and actor. Students worked together to solve the Plexer puzzles for the warm up activity. One of the characteristics of successful people is courage. Students had to give a one minute impromptu speech about a career to work on developing their own courage. Last week in Crystal Pond Woods, the animals taught us a game called Aces/Jumble/Zilch which is similar to Mastermind. We took some time today to play the game with another classmate. The we worked on some more logic elimination grid puzzles.

Friday, October 16, 2018

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Solicitous which means attentive, concerned. Their successful person was Luther Burbank who helped the farmers of Ireland by developing a potato that would resist blight - the Idaho potato. For the warm up activity, students brainstormed items that belonged so three different topics. The focus of the leadership lesson was that leaders pay attention to what is happening around them. We made our final trip to the court of the City/State of Venice where Marco Polo has been on trial for fraud. Today the jury members had to persuade their teammates as to which verdict they should give regarding Marco Polo's travels. In order to do that, each student wrote a one minute persuasive speech and presented it to their fellow jurors. Once a decision was reached, students then wrote a newspaper heading for the City/State of Venice announcing the verdict.

2nd Grade - This class learned that Civilized means marked by well-organized laws and rules about how people behave with each other. The successful person was Sylvia Earle who has spent more than 6,000 hours under water exploring the oceans. We worked together to solve several Plexer puzzles Goal setting was the focus of the affective lesson. In Crystal Pond Woods, students completed a hands on convergent thinking puzzle. Finally, we learned several things we should know to prepare for a natural disaster.

Thursday, October 11, 2018

4th Grade - The vocabulary word for the day was Infallible which means someone who never makes a mistake. Elizabeth Blackwell was today's successful person. She was the first woman in the United States to become a medical doctor. Students completed Plexer word puzzles for the warm up activity. Gifted students constantly deals with degrees of procrastination, perfectionism, potential, isolation, leadership risk-taking, and motivation. Today, students to a preassessment to determine their current level of focus on these topics. They also drew house plans using the eight items as rooms to help them visualize how much these things can impact their lives. We had our final day in the City/State of Venice courtroom. Students wrote a one minute speech to persuade the other jurors to vote their way. They then became newspaper editors and created a headline to share their conclusion of the matter.

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

3rd Grade - Students learned that Infer means to form an opinion from evidence: to reach a conclusion based on known facts. The successful person of the day was Cher who's first record was a flop but has become a famous recording star. For the warm up activity, students drew 30 small pictures then elaborated on one of the drawings. Caring was the focus of the affective lesson. In Crystal Pond Woods, students completed the logic grid puzzles they started last week and created a couple of puzzles of their own to stump their classmates.

Tuesday, October 10, 2018

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Solicitous which means attentive, concerned. Their successful person was Luther Burbank who helped the farmers of Ireland by developing a potato that would resist blight - the Idaho potato. For the warm up activity, students brainstormed items that belonged so three different topics. The focus of the leadership lesson was that leaders pay attention to what is happening around them. We made our final trip to the court of the City/State of Venice where Marco Polo has been on trial for fraud. Today the jury members had to persuade their teammates as to which verdict they should give regarding Marco Polo's travels. In order to do that, each student wrote a one minute persuasive speech and presented it to their fellow jurors. Once a decision was reached, students then wrote a newspaper heading for the City/State of Venice announcing the verdict.

Monday, October 8, 2018

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Prioritize which means to list or rate in order of importance. The successful person was Lucille Ball who was told by her drama school instructors that she could not act. Students worked on brainstorming for the warm up activity using ideas from Odyssey of the Mind. Task commitment was the focus of the affective lesson. Students were given a motivator and then told to complete a task. A discussion followed regarding what motivators work for each student. In Crystal Pond Woods, students developed their Convergent Thinking while learning a new game which is similar to Master Mind.

Friday, October 5, 2018

5th Grade - Today's learning began with the vocabulary word Pejorative which means disparaging. The successful person was Levi Strauss who invented Blue Jeans when he had bolts of canvas cloth that no one would purchase. He used the canvas to make pants that would not wear out fast for the miners.Students brainstormed several different lists of items for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on obstacles that need to be overcome when working together as a group. In the case of Marco Polo vs. The City/State of Venice, students listened as the defense presented their side of the argument. the final activity focused on interviewing classmates about a past gift they received. The idea was to help students generate ideas for their Exploravision project.

2nd Grade - This class learned that a boat or ship is also known as a Watercraft - our vocabulary word for the day. While Thomas Jefferson was living in the White House, he had two grizzly bears living on the White House lawn. Students brainstormed several different lists of items for the warm up activity.

Thursday, October 4, 2018

4th Grade - The vocabulary word for the day was Benign which means harmless. Mary McLeod Bethune was the successful person we focused on today. Ms. Bethune wasn't able to go to school until she was 11. She later went on to start a school for African-American children that has grown into a university. For the warm up activity, students brainstormed different items. This provided them an opportunity to work on generating ideas. The affective lesson focused on the idea that our traits come from our ancestors and may impact our relationships with family members. In the City/State of Venice today, the defense presented their case providing evidence that Marco Polo may be innocent of the fraud charges.

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Primitive which means of, belonging to, or seeming to come from an early time in the very ancient past. The successful person was Jim Carrey who kept persevering until he became a famous comedian and actor. Students worked together to solve the Plexer puzzles for the warm up activity. One of the characteristics of successful people is courage. Students had to give a one minute impromptu speech about a career to work on developing their own courage. Last week in Crystal Pond Woods, the animals taught us a game called Aces/Jumble/Zilch which is similar to Mastermind. We took some time today to play the game with another classmate. The we worked on some more logic elimination grid puzzles.

Tuesday, October 3, 2018

5th Grade - Today's learning began with the vocabulary word Pejorative which means disparaging. The successful person was Levi Strauss who invented Blue Jeans when he had bolts of canvas cloth that no one would purchase. He used the canvas to make pants that would not wear out fast for the miners. Students completed several small drawings for Loosen Up-today's warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on obstacles that need to be overcome when working together as a group. In the case of Marco Polo vs. The City/State of Venice, students listened as the defense presented their side of the argument. the final activity focused on interviewing classmates about a past gift they received. The idea was to help students generate ideas for their Exploravision project.

Monday, October 1, 2018

Today's third graders learned that Contaminate means to soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association. The successful person was Dr. Seuss who had 27 publishers turn down his first book. Students worked together to solve a Quotation Quizzler for the warm up activity. Creativity was the focus of the affective lesson. Students were given a 4 inch black circle and a white sheet of paper and had to make something from those materials. In Crystal Pond Woods, students continued to improve their Convergent Thinking Skills with more logic elimination puzzles.

Thursday, September 27, 2018

4th Grade - Interminable was the vocabulary word for the day. It means something that seems forever as if there is no end in sight. Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross was today's successful person. Students worked together to solve a Quotation Quizzler or DropQuote for the warm up activity. The affective lessons for the next few weeks will focus on how an individual's traits impact relationships within the family. Prosecutors presented their side of the case in Marco Polo vs. the City/State of Venice. Students filled out entry forms for Exploravision and began brainstorming ideas for the project.

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Prioritize which means to list or rate in order of importance. The successful person was Lucille Ball who was told by her drama school instructors that she could not act. Students worked on brainstorming for the warm up activity using ideas from Odyssey of the Mind. Task commitment was the focus of the affective lesson. Students were given a motivator and then told to complete a task. A discussion followed regarding what motivators work for each student. In Crystal Pond Woods, students developed their Convergent Thinking while learning a new game which is similar to Master Mind.

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

5th Grade - Today we learned that Pugnacious means quarrelsome. The successful person was Alexander Graham Bell who moved his dog's mouth to make him sound like he was talking. Students worked together to solve a Quotation Quizzler or DropQuote for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on how leadership can change depending on the situation. In court today, students "listened" as the prosecution delivered their side of the case against Marco Polo. Students filled out their registration for the Exploravision contest and brainstormed some ideas for the project.

Monday, September 24, 2018

3rd Grade - These students learned that Anthropomorphism means an interpretation of what is not human or personal in terms of human or personal characteristics. The successful person of the day was Charles Dickens who had to go to work when he was 12 to help his family. While pasting labels on bottles, he would think up stories which led him to become a famous author. Students were asked to solve a What In The World puzzle for the warm up activity. Our affective lesson focused on the characteristic of Above Average Ability for successful people. We worked on several types of Convergent Thinking puzzles during our weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods. The final activity had students learning a little bit about hurricanes which will be the natural disaster in a book we will be studying for the next several weeks.

Friday, September 21, 2018

5th Grade - Today we learned that Pugnacious means quarrelsome. The successful person was Alexander Graham Bell who moved his dog's mouth to make him sound like he was talking. Students worked together to solve a Quotation Quizzler or DropQuote for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on how leadership can change depending on the situation. In court today, students "listened" as the prosecution delivered their side of the case against Marco Polo. Students filled out their registration for the Exploravision contest and brainstormed some ideas for the project.

2nd Grade - This class learned that Disaster means something (such as a flood, tornado, fire, plane crash, etc.) that happens suddenly and causes much suffering or loss to many. Today's successful person was Molly Pitcher who took over her husband's post when he collapsed during a Revolutionary War battle due to heat exhaustion. Students worked hard to complete a Quotation Quizzler for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on the understanding that being gifted means different things to different people.

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Classes were canceled today in order to complete any make up CogAT tests that had been missed.

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Today's third graders learned that Contaminate means to soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association. The successful person was Dr. Seuss who had 27 publishers turn down his first book. Students worked together to solve a Quotation Quizzler for the warm up activity. Creativity was the focus of the affective lesson. Students were given a 4 inch black circle and a white sheet of paper and had to make something from those materials. In Crystal Pond Woods, students continued to improve their Convergent Thinking Skills with more logic elimination puzzles.

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Prognosticate which means to predict. The successful person was Earle Dickson who invented the Band-aid for his clumsy wife. Students solved a What In The World puzzle for the warm up activity, During our leadership lesson, students worked to develop their vocabulary about leadership by creating an acrostic from the letters in Leadership. We took a trip back in time to the City State of Venice to try Marco Polo who is accused of fraud. Today the lawyers presented their opening statements. Our final activity was to learn about the Exploravision project which is a large research/STEM contest created by Toshiba and NSTA.

Friday, September 14, 2018

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Prognosticate which means to predict. The successful person was Earle Dickson who invented the Band-aid for his clumsy wife. Students solved a What In The World puzzle for the warm up activity, During our leadership lesson, students worked to develop their vocabulary about leadership by creating an acrostic from the letters in Leadership. We took a trip back in time to the City State of Venice to try Marco Polo who is accused of fraud. Today the lawyers presented their opening statements. Our final activity was to learn about the Exploravision project which is a large research/STEM contest created by Toshiba and NSTA.

2nd Grade - This class learned that a tropical cyclone is a cyclone originating in the tropics; specifically a hurricane. The successful person was John Adams the second President of the United States. He never climbed the stairs of the White House because there were not stairs to the second floor while he lived there.Students solved a What In The World puzzle for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on the understanding that being gifted means different things to different people. In Crystal Pond Woods students completed more convergent thinking puzzles. For the Discoveries lesson we finished watching Abel's Island, learned the five levels of a hurricane, completed an experiment explaining why the center of the hurricane has the strongest winds, and wrote a story about what we would do if we were stranded on a desert island.

Thursday, September 13, 2018

4th Grade - Our learning today included a weekly vocabulary word - Overt which means something that is open to view; not secret. The successful person was Susan B. Anthony who was a suffragette and did not live long enough to see the Nineteenth Amendment put into law. For the warm up activity, students were to identify nine close up items from a "What In The World?" puzzle. During the affect lesson, students focused on building vocabulary words that described or did not describe their personalities. We then went to court where Marco Polo is on trial for possible fraud regarding his trip to China. Finally, students were introduced to the Exploravision contest which is a STEM contest where students will either improve or invent something that will solve a problem.

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

3rd Grade - These students learned that Anthropomorphism means an interpretation of what is not human or personal in terms of human or personal characteristics. The successful person of the day was Charles Dickens who had to go to work when he was 12 to help his family. While pasting labels on bottles, he would think up stories which led him to become a famous author. Students were asked to solve a What In The World puzzle for the warm up activity. Our affective lesson focused on the characteristic of Above Average Ability for successful people. We worked on several types of Convergent Thinking puzzles during our weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods. The final activity had students learning a little bit about hurricanes which will be the natural disaster in a book we will be studying for the next several weeks.

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

5th Grade - Today's learning began with the vocabulary phrase Quid Pro Quo which is a Latin phrase meaning a equal exchange. Nicholas Cugnut was not so successful at developing a modern automobile. However, Gottlieg Daimler and Karl Benz in 1889, in two different places, both developed the first practical gasoline powered automobiles. Students worked together to solve the logic elimination puzzle for the warm up activity. We spent a few minutes discussing the meaning of success as our theme for this year is "Open the GATE to Success." The affective lessons this year will focus on leadership. Today, we simply discussed the students definition of a positive or negative leader. We will be focusing on Exploration as a means of success this year. Each student was given a jury summons for which we will complete a classroom simulation of a court case regarding Marco Polo.

Monday, September 10, 2018

Cross Timbers 3rd Grade - Today, students learned that Stressful means full of or tending to induce stress. The successful person was Roald Dahl who could not write sentences that made sense in school but became a famous author. Together students solved a logic elimination grid puzzle for the warm up activity. Our theme this year is "Open the GATE to Success." We spent a few minutes looking at people who are not well known but are successful. There was some discussion about success and students wrote their goals on their footprint. For the affective lessons this year, we will be looking at the five common characteristics of successful people. The final activity was to travel to Crystal Pond Woods where students worked to develop their convergent thinking skills.

Friday, September 7, 2018

5th Grade - Today's learning began with the vocabulary phrase Quid Pro Quo which is a Latin phrase meaning a equal exchange. Nicholas Cugnut was not so successful at developing a modern automobile. However, Gottlieg Daimler and Karl Benz in 1889, in two different places, both developed the first practical gasoline powered automobiles. Students worked together to solve the logic elimination puzzle for the warm up activity. We spent a few minutes discussing the meaning of success as our theme for this year is "Open the GATE to Success." The affective lessons this year will focus on leadership. Today, we simply discussed the students definition of a positive or negative leader. We will be focusing on Exploration as a means of success this year. Each student was given a jury summons for which we will complete a classroom simulation of a court case regarding Marco Polo.

2nd Grade - In this class, we learned that Proper means strictly decorous, genteel. The successful person was Deborah Sampson who disguised herself as a man to join the Continental Army. No one knew she was a man until she got sick and had to go to the hospital. She was given a pension of $4 a month for her service to her country. Our weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students learning how to solve logic elimination puzzles. We discussed the meaning of success since our theme this year is "Open the GATE to Success." The affective lesson had students looking at the ins and outs of their abilities. The final activity was to watch a video about a book called, "Abel's Island." We will be completing several activities over the next few weeks around this book.

Thursday, September 6, 2018

4th Grade - Our learning began with the vocabulary word Oblivious which means someone who does not know or is not aware of what is happening. The successful person discussed today was Jane Addams. Ms. Addams created a haven for her neighbors providing daycare, a boys club, food, friendship, and financial help. She was the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Students worked together to solve a logic elimination grid puzzle for the warm up activity. Since our theme this year is "Open the GATE to Success," we spent some time discussing everyday people who have been successful and how each of us can be successful. The fourth grade affective lessons will be covering topics that students may have on their minds. Our final set of lessons each week will focus on exploring. Today we began a simulation of a courtroom involving Marco Polo. Since students have been summoned as jurors, they have been sequestered and cannot share or read anything about the case.

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend. Students were ready to learn today. Here is what the 3rd Grade GATE classes did today:
Students learned that Stressful means full of or tending to induce stress. The successful person was Roald Dahl who could not write sentences that made sense in school but became a famous author. Together students solved a logic elimination grid puzzle for the warm up activity. Our theme this year is "Open the GATE to Success." We spent a few minutes looking at people who are not well known but are successful. There was some discussion about success and students wrote their goals on their footprint. For the affective lessons this year, we will be looking at the five common characteristics of successful people. The final activity was to travel to Crystal Pond Woods where students worked to develop their convergent thinking skills.

Friday, August 31, 2018

5th Grade: Today students learned that Admonish means a mild cautionary rebuke or warning. Together we wrote a class Code of Conduct or set of rules to follow while attending GATE class. The Successful Person of the day was Archimedes who was given the problem of having to discover if a crown contained all gold without scratching it. For the warm up activity, students played Stories with Holes. Our theme this year is "Open the GATE to Success." The GATE to success may require us to do some Explorations. Students were given a pretest to determine their' current understanding of the topic. The final activity was to learn more about ourselves and our team mates. We did this by taking a version of the True Colors personality inventory. With the few minutes we had left, students read a Reader's Theatre script and completed the Tangram figures that accompanied the story.

2nd Grade - This class learned that Discover means to see, find, or become aware of something for the first time. Together we wrote a class Code of Conduct or set of rules to follow while attending GATE class. The Successful Person of the day was George Washington who was the first President of the United States under the Constitution, but he was not the first President of the United States. For the warm up activity, students played Stories with Holes. Our theme this year is "Open the GATE to Success." The GATE to success may require us to do some Discoveries. Students were given a pretest to determine their' current understanding of the topic. The final activity was to learn more about ourselves and our team mates. We did this by taking a version of the True Colors personality inventory. With the few minutes we had left, students read a Reader's Theatre script and completed the Tangram figures that accompanied the story.

Thursday, August 31, 2018

4th Grade - Today we learned that Confound means to confuse or mix someone up. The successful person was Bill Cosby who grew up poor but became a famous actor, author and humanitarian. Students successfully solved the Stories with Holes problem for the warm up activity. In order to learn a little more about ourselves, each student was given the True Colors inventory to discover their personalities. Our theme this year is, "Open the GATE to Success." In order to do that, there will need to be some exploring taking place. A pre-assessment was given to determine what students know about Explorations before we begin studying the topic. For the rest of our class time, we worked with Tangrams and completed a Reader's Theatre story.

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

3rd Grade - Today students learned that Discover means to see, find, or become aware of something for the first time. The successful person was Hans Christian Andersen. Mr. Anderson could not spell as a child but became a famous storyteller. Students worked together to develop a class Code of Conduct or a set of rules to follow while attending GATE class this year. Each student then took a pre-assessment regarding what they know about Discoveries. In order to discover a little more about themselves, each student then took a True Colors inventory.

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

GATE is back in session at Washington Irving.

5th Grade: Today students learned that Admonish means a mild cautionary rebuke or warning. Together we wrote a class Code of Conduct or set of rules to follow while attending GATE class. The Successful Person of the day was Archimedes who was given the problem of having to discover if a crown contained all gold without scratching it. For the warm up activity, students played Stories with Holes. Our theme this year is "Open the GATE to Success." The GATE to success may require us to do some Explorations. Students were given a pretest to determine their' current understanding of the topic. The final activity was to learn more about ourselves and our team mates. We did this by taking a version of the True Colors personality inventory.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

3rd Grade - Dr Rains had a meeting to attend this morning.

4th Grade - Those students who attended class today were able to solve some escape room mysteries.

Wednesday, May 24, 2018

4th Grade - Those students who wished to attend class today were had fun as they worked to solve a couple of escape room situations.

Tuesday, May 22, 2017

2nd Grade - Students finished drawing their Surprise in the Middle picture. We then moved on to the affective where student researched a friendship token.

Since the spring semester has been very busy, there had not been an opportunity for the newly identified 2nd graders to join us. Today those newly identified students were able to enjoy some time working on a challenging project.

Monday, May 21, 2018

2nd Grade - Today we learned that Interruption means to cause or make a break. The thinker was Sarah Emma Edmonds who disguised herself as a man (Frank Thomas) to join the army during the Civil War. Once she was allowed to join, she volunteered as a spy and used several disguises including being a woman to get information from the South. Students began drawing a Surprise In The Middle picture for the warm up activity.

5th Grade - These students learned that Ruminate means to meditate, muse. Their thinker, Alfred Nobel, invented dynamite and started the Nobel Peace Prize. Students completed a Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. The final activity was to complete the building of their golf course and play a round of golf.

Friday, May 18, 2018

5th Grade - These students learned that Ruminate means to meditate, muse. Their thinker, Alfred Nobel, invented dynamite and started the Nobel Peace Prize. Students completed a Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. The final activity was to complete the building of their golf course and play a round of golf.

Thursday, May 17, 2018

2nd Grade - This group finished decoding the messages our friends from Crystal Pond Woods had ciphered for us while eating snacks to celebrate the possible last GATE class together for this school year.

3rd Grade - Students in this class learned that Endangered means threatened with extinction. The thinkers were the Wright brothers who never went to high school. For the warm up activity, students followed the directions to complete a Surprise in the Middle drawing. We took time to listen to the final chapter of Call It Courage which we started at the beginning of the school year while students enjoyed a snack to celebrate the last GATE class for this school year. Students were then each given a sack of materials and had to design a boat that would float.

4th Grade - The vocabulary word for the day was Robust which means a person who feels healthy and strong. Robert E. Lee was the thinker. General Lee's challenge was the decision he had to make between leading the Union troops or the Confederate troops during the Civil War. Students completed a Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. After lunch students designed and built a bridge that would stretch across a two foot span and hold the most weight in pennies. We also had a little celebration to celebrate the last GATE class for this year.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

2nd Grade - These students had the opportunity to see the K-2 talent show for those students who didn't qualify for the all school talent show next week.

4th Grade - The vocabulary word for the day was Robust which means a person who feels healthy and strong. Robert E. Lee was the thinker. General Lee's challenge was the decision he had to make between leading the Union troops or the Confederate troops during the Civil War. Students completed a Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. After lunch students designed and built a bridge that would stretch across a two foot span and hold the most weight in pennies. We also had a little celebration to celebrate the last GATE class for this year.

Monday and Tuesday, May 14 and 15

Dr. Rains was gone Monday and Tuesday. Classes were canceled.

Friday, May 11, 2018

There were no GATE classes today so students could enjoy Super Kids Day activities.

Thursday, May 10, 2018

2nd Grade - During our weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods, students continued developing their visual thinking skills as they deciphered and encoded codes.

3rd Grade - This class learned that a Carnivore is an animal that eats flesh. Their thinker was Bill Gates who dropped out of Harvard to devote his time to a new company he had started-Microsoft. We played a review game with the vocabulary words students have been learning in GATE this year. This group has been working on their visual thinking skills. Today they played Numerical Quadrominoes, a strategy game using tiles like dominoes with numbers. The final activity was to sort some mixed up files of natural disasters.

4th Grade - These students learned that Spry is someone who acts nimble or lively. Their Thinker was Sen. John Glenn who was the first person to orbit the earth and the oldest man to travel into space. Classes worked together to solve the 20 Questions/Mystery Object for the warm up activity. Students then built, tested and evaluated their self-propelled vehicles.

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

2nd Grade - After listening to the book Stevie by John Steptoe, students designed a flower or flag that told the characteristics they looked for in a friend and some of the activities they like to do with their friends.

4th Grade - These students learned that Spry is someone who acts nimble or lively. Their Thinker was Sen. John Glenn who was the first person to orbit the earth and the oldest man to travel into space. Classes worked together to solve the 20 Questions/Mystery Object for the warm up activity. Students then built, tested and evaluated their self-propelled vehicles.

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

2nd Grade - Today we finished playing a game reviewing our vocabulary words for the year. We then worked together to solve the 20 Questions Mystery Object puzzle.

Dr. Rains spent the rest of the day working with different classes while classroom teachers attended meetings.

Monday, May 7, 2018

2nd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Variable which means something that may or does vary or change. Zachary Taylor, today's thinker, refused to be sworn into the office of President on a Sunday. For 24 hours , David Rice Atchison was President of the United States moving all following Presidents down one number. Today's final activity was to review the vocabulary words we have had this year in a fun game.

5th Grade - These students learned that Vociferous means loud and vehement. Their thinker was Samuel Morse who was awarded for his art work and also developed the Morse Code. Together they solved the Mystery Object for the warm up activity. Students then worked in groups to build a mini golf course.

Friday, May 4, 2018

5th Grade - These students learned that Vociferous means loud and vehement. Their thinker was Samuel Morse who was awarded for his art work and also developed the Morse Code. Due to special activities in the building today, GATE time was short. Students did have enough time to begin building their hole for the mini golf course we are building.

Thursday, May 3, 2015

2nd Grade - These students spent some more time working on their figural analogies.

3rd Grade - The vocabulary word for this group was Omnivore which is an organism usually an animal, which eats both animal and plant foods. Their thinker was Henry Ford who did not invent the automobile, but did invent the assembly line. Students drew loopy pictures of elephants for the warm up activity. The trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students completing Max's Fanciful Phrases or Plexers. In our Relationship study, we finished chapter 4 of Call It Courage and began a short activity about natural disasters.

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Demeanor which means someone's behavior toward others. Their thinker was Jackie Joyner-Kersee who overcame asthma to become an Olympic champion in the heptathlon. For the warm up activity, students completed loopy drawings of elephants. Our system lesson had students learning about transportation. Students designed a vehicle that will either be propelled by a rubber band or balloon. Next week we will build and test them.

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

2nd Grade - We finished the lesson on qualities to look for in a good friend. Our weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods had us beginning a visual thinking project where nursery rhymes are turned into visual puzzles.

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Demeanor which means someone's behavior toward others. Their thinker was Jackie Joyner-Kersee who overcame asthma to become an Olympic champion in the heptathlon. For the warm up activity, students completed loopy drawings of elephants. Our system lesson had students learning about transportation. Students designed a vehicle that will either be propelled by a rubber band or balloon. Next week we will build and test them.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

2nd Grade - Today we worked on some loopy drawings for the weekly warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on friendship and choosing good friends. That lesson will be completed tomorrow.

Dr. Rains spent the rest of the day doing enrichment activities with different classes around the building.

Monday, April 30, 2018

2nd Grade - Today we learned that a Shape is something seen in outline, as in silhouette. The thinker was Elizabeth Van Lew or "Crazy Bet" who organized a Union spy ring during the Civil War.

5th Grade - These students learned that Pernicious means dangerous, deadly. Their thinker, Anton Leeuwenhoek, is credited with the invention of the microscope even though he didn't share his idea with anyone. Students drew loopy drawings for the warm up activity. The leadership lesson focused on different forms of communication and there are people who can naturally take a leadership role in a situation. The final lesson centered around the idea that by analyzing structures we may be able to understand our world better. After looking at the ways Edmond has changed over the past 100 years, students brainstormed how people have changed the environment. Since recreation areas have had an impact on the environment, teams of students designed a hole for a miniature golf course. Later they will build and play their golf course.

Friday, April 27, 2018

We were able to resume GATE classes today.

5th Grade - These students learned that Pernicious means dangerous, deadly. Their thinker, Anton Leeuwenhoek, is credited with the invention of the microscope even though he didn't share his idea with anyone. Students drew loopy drawings for the warm up activity. The leadership lesson focused on different forms of communication and there are people who can naturally take a leadership role in a situation. The final lesson centered around the idea that by analyzing structures we may be able to understand our world better. After looking at the ways Edmond has changed over the past 100 years, students brainstormed how people have changed the environment.

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Today is the final day of state testing. There may be some make up tests to finish tomorrow. Therefore our regular GATE schedule will resume on Monday.

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

State testing continues. We are almost through for this year.

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

State testing continued today.

Monday, April 23, 2018

The second and final week of state testing began today.

Friday, April 20, 2018

State testing continues.

Thursday, April 19, 2018

State testing continued today.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

We completed day 2 of state testing today.

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

State testing began today which means GATE classes will be canceled until testing is complete next week.

Monday, April 16, 2018

2nd Grade - These students traveled to Crystal Pond Woods where Max the Magician helped them develop their visual thinking skills using tangrams to make different pictures.

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Schlep which is a slang term for a stupid or clumsy person. Person Spencer, the inventor of the microwave oven, was today's thinker. Students were very thoughtful as they deciphered the Plexer word puzzles for the warm up activity. The affective/leadership lesson focused on providing positive feedback to others. Each student wrote an encouraging comment to the other classmates. Our structures lessons moved from the Industrial Revolution to Environmental Modifications. Students brainstormed the differences made to our city in the past 100 years along with what the city would look like 20 years in the future.

Friday, April 13, 2018

Welcome Back! After a nearly two week break for the Oklahoma teacher walkout, it was great to get back to the routine of school. I certainly do appreciate all the support shown to teachers during this time. We are truly grateful for the kindness demonstrated by people providing water, snacks, meals, and cheering us through this difficult time.

5th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Schlep which is a slang term for a stupid or clumsy person. Person Spencer, the inventor of the microwave oven, was today's thinker. Students were very thoughtful as they deciphered the Plexer word puzzles for the warm up activity. The affective/leadership lesson focused on providing positive feedback to others. Each student wrote an encouraging comment to the other classmates. Our structures lessons moved from the Industrial Revolution to Environmental Modifications. Students brainstormed the differences made to our city in the past 100 years along with what the city would look like 20 years in the future.

Friday, March 30, 2018

5th Grade - These students learned that Occlude means to obstruct/block. Elijah McCoy, today's thinker, invented the "Real McCoy" a way to oil machines while they kept running. Students brainstormed several topics for the warm up activity. The affective lesson continued to focus on the importance of clear, concise directions when leading a group of people. Students who had completed their presentations on the Industrial Revolution share them with the class. Then they had the opportunity to solve a Breakout room puzzle.

Thursday, March 29, 2018

2nd Grade - Today's affective lesson focused on the idea that we experience a range of emotions everyday. How we deal with our emotions is a choice.

3rd Grade - This group learned that Consumers are organisms usually animals which feed on plants or other animals.Their thinker was Albert Einstein who failed his entrance exam into engineering school. Fortunately, he read and learned on his own and was finally accepted into the University of Zurich. Students Brainstormed different items for the warm up activity. We continued to develop our visual thinking in Crystal Pond Woods. Today, students had the opportunity to learn a new game while practicing their visual thinking. The final activity was to learn more about natural disasters which will be discussed later this year.

4th Grade - This group learned that Instill means to put a feeling or idea into someone's mind slowly. We had two thinkers today; Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan who were advocates for handicapped people. For the warm up activity students brainstormed three different topics. The rest of our time was spent developing their transportation presentations trying to get them completed before state testing begins.

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

2nd Grade - The vocabulary word for the week was Constants which are not changing or varying.We had two thinkers today: John Tyler the 10th President who was known as "His Accedence" and James Knox Polk the 11th President who was known as the first "dark horse".

4th Grade - This group learned that Instill means to put a feeling or idea into someone's mind slowly. We had two thinkers today; Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan who were advocates for handicapped people. For the warm up activity students brainstormed three different topics. Those who had completed their transportation presentations shared them with the class and had the opportunity to try to solve a digital breakout problem. Those who did not have their presentations finished took time today to complete it.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Different classes came to Dr. Rains' room for enrichment activities today while their teachers were attending meetings.

Monday, March 26, 2018

Welcome Back! I hope everyone had an enjoyable and restful Spring Break.

2nd Grade - This class was canceled due to a special assembly for Jump Rope For Heart.

5th Grade - These students learned that Occlude means to obstruct/block. Elijah McCoy, today's thinker, invented the "Real McCoy" a way to oil machines while they kept running. Students brainstormed several topics for the warm up activity. The affective lesson continued to focus on the importance of clear, concise directions when leading a group of people. Students who had completed their presentations on the Industrial Revolution share them with the class. Then they had the opportunity to solve a Breakout room puzzle.

Friday, March 16, 2018

2nd Grade - Today we focused on the generalization the people can predict change. We studied weather maps to predict what they weather would be like the next day.

5th Grade - This class learned that Spurious means false, counterfeit. The thinker, John Walker invented the safety match while trying to invent a safer explosive. A Drop Quote puzzle was collaborated upon for the warm up activity. The leadership lesson had students trying to build a puzzle they couldn't see using only the directions verbally given by another person. This taught the importance of listening not just hearing. The rest of class time was spent completing Industrial Revolution projects. Several students were able to present their projects to the class.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

2nd Grade - we continued to develop our Divergent Thinking in Crystal Pond Woods. Students each selected a noun, then a verb and had to invent something to go with the drawn words.

3rd Grade - This group learned that a Producer is an organism, as a plant, that is able to produce its own food from inorganic substances. Their thinker was Thomas Edison whose teachers thought he was dull and couldn't learn because he was deaf. In Crystal Pond Woods Students continued developing their Visual Thinking by completing visual analogies. For the final activity, another chapter of Call It Courage was read and discussed.

4th Grade - The vocabulary word for today was Exploit which means a daring or heroic act. The thinker was Thomas Jefferson who had good teachers that gave him a love for learning. A Quotation Quizzler was the warm up activity which was completed as a class. Students went to work on finalizing their research on the transportation system and also worked on the products they will share with the class.

Wednesday, March 13, 2018

2nd Grade - The affective lesson focused on the generalization that people experience a range of emotions every day. Students drew several emotions they could be feeling in a given day.

4th Grade - The vocabulary word for today was Exploit which means a daring or heroic act. The thinker was Thomas Jefferson who had good teachers that gave him a love for learning. A Quotation Quizzler was the warm up activity which was completed as a class. Students went to work on finalizing their research on the transportation system and also worked on the products they will share with the class.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

2nd Grade - Today students learned that Insulation means to cover, line, or separate with a material that prevents or reduces the leakage of heat. The thinker was Belle Boyd who pick pocketed information from Union army leaders to pass on to the South. Students worked together to complete a Quotation Quizzler for the warm up activity.

5th Grade - This class learned that Spurious means false, counterfeit. The thinker, John Walker invented the safety match while trying to invent a safer explosive. A Drop Quote puzzle was collaborated upon for the warm up activity. The leadership lesson had students trying to build a puzzle they couldn't see using only the directions verbally given by another person. This taught the importance of listening not just hearing. The rest of class time was spent completing Industrial Revolution projects.

Monday, March 12, 2018

Classes were moved to Tuesday while Dr. Rains presented information about gifted students to teachers in another district.

Friday, March 9, 2018

5th Grade - Students learned that Oscitant means someone who is inattentive. The thinker was Guglielmo who is credited with the invention of the telegraph although there is some debate about who actually invented it. What in the world puzzles were the warm up activity for this week. The affective lesson again focused on the importance of communication in leadership. The final activity was to have students work on their Industrial Revolution projects.

Thursday, March 8, 2018

2nd Grade - Each student was given words cards which they used to develop a class story. It was a very fun and interesting story.

3rd Grade - This class learned that Compatible means able to exist together with something else. Their thinker was Alexander Graham Bell who invented the comic book and the telephone. Students solved nine What in the World puzzles for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, students were given shapes and pentominoes. The pentominoes were manipulated visually and physically to fit into the shapes. The Relationship lesson has been centering around the book Call It Courage. Today's activities included watching a video about hurricanes and completing an experiment about them.

4th Grade - Our vocabulary word was Candid which means someone who is honest and sincere. The thinker was Langston Hughes who started the Harlem Renaissance movement of the Great Depression to bring poetry to African Americans. Students figured out nine What In The World puzzles for the warm up activity. Today's social/emotional issue focused on the generalization that being gifted means different things to different people. The final activity was to research different methods of transportation which will be used in a later project.

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

2nd Grade - Students finished creating their booklets about stress.

4th Grade - Our vocabulary word was Candid which means someone who is honest and sincere. The thinker was Langston Hughes who started the Harlem Renaissance movement of the Great Depression to bring poetry to African Americans. Students figured out nine What In The World puzzles for the warm up activity. Today's social/emotional issue focused on the generalization that being gifted means different things to different people. The final activity was to research different methods of transportation which will be used in a later project.

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

2nd Grade - This group finished the What In The World puzzles started yesterday. The affective lesson focused on stress. Students began developing small booklets about it.

5th Grade - Students learned that Oscitant means someone who is inattentive. The thinker was Guglielmo who is credited with the invention of the telegraph although there is some debate about who actually invented it. What in the world puzzles were the warm up activity for this week. The affective lesson again focused on the importance of communication in leadership. The final activity was to have students work on their Industrial Revolution projects.

Monday, March 5, 2018

2nd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Skyscraper which means a relatively tall building of many stories, especially one for office or commercial use. The thinker was William Henry Harrison who's death in office was predicted by Chief Tecumseh. Students began working on a What In The World puzzle for the warm up activity. We will finish that tomorrow.

The Monday morning 5th grade class was moved to Tuesday morning due to a change of scheduling for today. Dr. Rains was assisting and teaching other classes during the day.

Friday, March 2, 2018

5th Grade - Chaparral, a thicket of shrubs and small trees, was the weekly vocabulary. The thinker was Horace Wells who discovered laughing gas could be used as a pain killer. Students worked together to solve the Plexer puzzle for the warm up activity. Speaking in front of others was the focus of the leadership lesson. Our final activity was to complete research on an Industrial Revolution topic in order to develop a product that can be shared with the class.

Thursday, March 1, 2018

2nd Grade - Today's lesson focused on the generalization that change can be predicted. We read about how people in the past used folklore to predict the weather and we looked as some weather in the past and tried to predict future weather ourselves.

3rd Grade - These students were practicing their music program which they will be preforming this evening for their parents.

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Idyllic which describes something that is pleasant and peaceful. Matthew Henson was today's thinker. He and Robert Peary were the first people to reach the North Pole. Students completed a Plexer puzzle for the warm up activity. The final activity to our electricity study was spending time creating electrical circuits with Snap Circuits.

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

2nd Grade - Students received the name of an item to SCAMPER and created a new invention.

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Idyllic which describes something that is pleasant and peaceful. Matthew Henson was today's thinker. He and Robert Peary were the first people to reach the North Pole. Students completed a Plexer puzzle for the warm up activity. The final activity to our electricity study was spending time creating electrical circuits with Snap Circuits.

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

2nd Grade - The affective lesson focused on understanding why people tease others and how to deal with teasing.

Dr. Rains spent the rest of the day working with small groups around the building.

Monday, February 26, 2018

2nd Grade - Today we finished up some activities from previous weeks that we had been unable to complete.

5th Grade - Chaparral, a thicket of shrubs and small trees, was the weekly vocabulary. The thinker was Horace Wells who discovered laughing gas could be used as a pain killer. Students worked together to solve the Plexer puzzle for the warm up activity. Speaking in front of others was the focus of the leadership lesson. Our final activity was to complete research on an Industrial Revolution topic in order to develop a product that can be shared with the class.

Friday, February 23, 2018

It was good to be back in school after a short break due to inclement weather. Schedules were a little different since 3rd grade is getting ready for their music program next week.

2nd Grade - Students finished SCAMPERing an item and wrote a newspaper article about it.

5th Grade - The vocabulary word for this class was Sojourn which means a short stay, brief residence. Their thinkers were Richard Knerr and Arthur Melvin who used a new type of plastic to invent the Hula Hoop. Students worked together to solve the Stories with Holes problem for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on communication as part of leadership. We began studying the Industrial Revolution. Each student took a different segment to study. Today they collected information about the subject and will eventually develop a product to share.

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Dr. Rains worked with small groups of students around the building today.

Friday, February 16 and Monday, February 19, 2018

On Friday, Dr. Rains attended the state conference of Oklahoma Association of Gifted, Creative, and Talented. This was a great opportunity to learn new strategies and new ideas related to education of gifted students.

Monday, students enjoyed a long weekend while teachers attended district level professional development opportunities.

Our regular schedule will resume on Tuesday, February 20.

Thursday, February 15, 2018

2nd Grade - Students finished decorating their hats which display their learning style and future career choice. We took our weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods where we started SCAMPERing items into new objects.

3rd Grade - This class learned that the Environment is the air, water, minerals, organisms, and ll other external factors surrounding and affecting a given organism at any time. The thinker was Sylvester Stallone who was expelled from ten schools. Students worked together to solve the Stories With Holes problem for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, students discovered they could use webs as a way to brainstorm. The final activity was to read and examine more of the Call It Courage book.

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Plausible which means something that seems reasonably true but may not be. The thinker was Milton Hershey who failed many times before coming up the the Hershey milk chocolate bar. Students worked together to try and solve the Stories With Holes problem for the warm up activity. We finished learning the terms and math involved with electricity. The final activity was to build electric circuits with a computer program.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

2nd Grade - Students brainstormed how their future careers matched their learning styles. We then made hats to represent our learning style and career choices.

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Plausible which means something that seems reasonably true but may not be. The thinker was Milton Hershey who failed many times before coming up the the Hershey milk chocolate bar. Students worked together to try and solve the Stories With Holes problem for the warm up activity. We finished learning the terms and math involved with electricity. The final activity was to build electric circuits with a computer program.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Dr. Rains had the opportunity to share some enrichment lessons with several classes while classroom teachers attended meetings today.

Monday, February 12, 2018

2nd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Dimensions which means measurement in length, width, and thickness. Their thinker was William Howard Taft who was so big he got stuck in the presidential bath tub. Students worked together to begin solving the Stories With Holes problem for the warm up activity.

5th Grade - The vocabulary word for this class was Sojourn which means a short stay, brief residence. Their thinkers were Richard Knerr and Arthur Melvin who used a new type of plastic to invent the Hula Hoop. Students worked together to solve the Stories with Holes problem for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on communication as part of leadership. Students worked in teams to build a Conestoga Wagon from materials given as the final activity.

Friday, February 9, 2018

5th Grade - Their vocabulary word was Inception which means start or beginning. The thinker was Milton Hershey who struggled through several failures before developing the candy we know and love today. Students completed a Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. For the social/emotional lesson, students continued to develop their listening skills which is necessary for being a good leader. The rest of class time was spent building Conestoga Wagons from given material. This was a project that had to be put aside until the Exploravision contest was finished.

Thursday, February 8, 2018

2nd Grade - Brainstorming and Divergent Thinking continued to be our focus in Crystal Pond Woods. Students brainstormed words about a beautiful day in a meadow.  Each student followed that up by creating their own story about an adventure in a meadow.

3rd Grade - This group learned that the Compatible means able to exist together with something else. The thinker was Oprah Winfrey did not WOW her bosses as a TV reporter. So, they made her a morning talk show host and "the rest is history." Students drew a Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. We started Visual Thinking in Crystal Pond Woods. Students had an opportunity to solve visual problems as they attempt to color maps using only four different colors. For the final activity, students completed their Polynesian Island brochures.

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Unflappable which means someone who has a lot of self-control and is not easily upset or frightened. The thinker was Martha Graham who was a revolutionary in dance. Students drew a Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. We received pictures and evaluations from the school that we traded robots. Time was taken to compare the photos and discuss the directions and how they could be improved. Our next unit of study is the Electric System. Students learned about amps, watts, and kilowatts today.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

2nd Grade - We finished the learning styles inventory that was started. Each student discovered their preferred learning style. Next week we will see how that fits with future career choices.

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was unflappable which means someone who has a lot of self-control and is not easily upset or frightened. The thinker was Martha Graham who was a revolutionary in dance. Students drew a Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. We received pictures and evaluations from the school that we traded robots. Time was taken to compare the photos and discuss the directions and how they could be improved. Our next unit of study is the Electric System. Students learned about amps, watts, and kilowatts today.

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

2nd Grade - Students completed the Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. We started the social/emotional lesson based on the generalization that successful people demonstrate task commitment. Students began taking an interest inventory today which will be used for later lessons in helping them decide what they would like to be when they grow up.

The rest of the day Dr. Rains spent working with small groups of students around the building.

Monday, February 5, 2018

2nd Grade - These students learned that Climate means a region or area characterized by a given climate. Their thinker was Clara Barton who was shot at while helping the wounded at Antietam and never mended the hole in her sleeve.

5th Grade - Their vocabulary word was Inception which means start or beginning. The thinker was Milton Hershey who struggled through several failures before developing the candy we know and love today. Students completed a Surprise in the Middle drawing for the warm up activity. For the social/emotional lesson, students continued to develop their listening skills which is necessary for being a good leader. The rest of the morning was spent finishing up the Exploravision project.

Friday, February 2, 2018

5th Grade - Machinate was today's vocabulary word which means to plot or scheme. Robert Goddard, today's thinker, tried to sell his idea of a rocket to the military during WWII, but the army wouldn't listen. Robert Goddard is now known as the "Father of Modern Rocketry." Students worked together but could not solve the 20 Questions Mystery Object for the warm up activity. The leadership lesson focused on the idea that leaders need to be good listeners. The rest of class was spent working on the Exploravision contest. Just a few more days to complete all projects.

Thursday, February 1, 2018

2nd Grade - Each student set a pledge they could keep to their families, friends, school and the environment.

3rd Grade - This class learned that Liberty means freedom from external or foreign rule; independence. Steven Spielberg, who was rejected from film making school because of poor grades, was today's thinker. Students worked as a class to solve the 20 Questions Mystery Object warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, we continued developing our divergent thinking skills. Each group was given 3 sheets of 9 x 12 construction paper and approximately 40 inches of masking tape. The challenge was to build a structure using the given materials that would hold a set of encyclopedias.

4th Grade - These students learned that Potent means something powerful and effective. The thinker was Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who fought racism with peaceful demonstrations. Students worked together to solve the 20 Questions Mystery Object for the warm up activity. The rest of class time was spent finishing up researching a planet and creating a travel brochure for the planet.

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

2nd Grade - We are continuing our focus on the five characteristics of successful people. Today's characteristic was caring. Students looked up the significant words to the pledge to the American flag. Tomorrow we will write pledges we can keep on a personal level.

4th Grade - These classes learned that Potent means something powerful and effective. The thinker was Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who fought racism with peaceful demonstrations. Students worked together to solve the 20 Questions Mystery Object for the warm up activity. The rest of class time was spent finishing up researching a planet and creating a travel brochure for the planet.

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

2nd Grade - Students solved the 20 Questions Mystery Object for the warm up activity. The rest of class time together was spent finishing work started last week.

Dr. Rains spent the rest of the day making up missed CogAT tests.

Monday, January 29, 2018

2nd Grade - These students learned that a Shelter is a dwelling place or home considered as a refuge from the elements. Their thinker, Martin Van Buren, presented his first case as a lawyer at age 15. Students worked together to try to solve the Mystery Object/20 Questions problem for the warm up activity.

5th Grade - Machinate was today's vocabulary word which means to plot or scheme. Robert Goddard, today's thinker, tried to sell his idea of a rocket to the military during WWII, but the army wouldn't listen. Robert Goddard is now known as the "Father of Modern Rocketry." Students worked together but could not solve the 20 Questions Mystery Object for the warm up activity. The leadership lesson focused on the idea that leaders need to be good listeners. The rest of class was spent working on the Exploravision contest. One more week to complete all projects.

Friday, January 26, 2018

5th Grade - These classes learned that Nefarious means evil, infamous.Their thinker was Robert Fulton who doodled until he created the steamboat. Students exchanged papers each adding a small piece to a drawing of a house for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on the need for communication when leading others. Time was spent completing more essays for the Exploravision project.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

2nd Grade - Our weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students continuing Divergent Thinking. Students were given simple shapes and had to brainstorm what they thought the shape looked like.

3rd Grade - Today's learning started with the vocabulary word Welfare which means good fortune, health, happiness, prosperity of a person, group, or organization; well-being. The thinker was Elvis Presley who's high school music teacher told him he couldn't sing. Students passed drawings of a house around adding a segment to each paper for the warm up activity. Their weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students trying to come up with the question to the given answers. The rest of class time had students working on travel brochures to a Polynesian island.

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

2nd Grade - Our social/emotional lesson focused on the idea that successful people are also caring individuals. This also coincides with the week of kindness we are having around school.

4th Grade - These students learned that Impersonate means to mimic or pretend to be someone else. The thinker was Benjamin Franklin who not only invented many things, was a public servant, and was also a philosopher. For the warm up activity, students were given an outline of a house then everyone in class added a piece to each drawing. The rest of class time had students building the robots from the other school and completing information for their planet brochures.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

There were no GATE classes today, but several regular classes had the opportunity to stop by the GATE classroom while their teachers were attending meetings for some fun activities.

Monday, January 22, 2018

2nd Grade - Today, students learned that Physical Change is any process involving a substance's change from one state (gas, liquid, solid) to another. The thinker was Harriet Tubman who served the Union Army during the Civil War, but never received compensation for her years of service. Students took turns creating a drawing for their classmates for the warm up activity.

5th Grade - This class learned that Nefarious means evil, infamous.Their thinker was Robert Fulton who doodled until he created the steamboat. Students exchanged papers each adding a small piece to a drawing of a house for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on the need for communication when leading others. Time was spent completing more essays for the Exploravision project.

Friday, January 19, 2018

5th Grade - Gregarious was today's vocabulary word and it means sociable. Benjamin Franklin, our thinker, only had two years of formal schooling. Students completed a set of Plexers for the warm up activity. The focus of the social/emotional lesson was encouraging others in a kind, precise manner. Our deadline for ExploraVision is getting closer, so time was spent working on more segments of the project.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

2nd Grade - The weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students completing more convergent thinking puzzles. Today they used manipulatives to solve the problems.

3rd Grade - Learning for this class begin with the vocabulary word Tranquility which means calmness; peacefulness; quiet; serenity. The thinker was Michael Jordan who did not make the varsity basketball team for his sophomore year. Students worked together to complete Plexer puzzles for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, students learned about Rube Goldberg's chain reaction contraptions and designed one of their own. Researching Polynesian islands wrapped up our lessons for today.

4th Grade - This class learned that Indignation means anger, especially over something that's unfair. The thinker was Albert Einstein who was a man of peace even though he was instrumental in the development of the atomic bomb. Students worked together to solve Plexer puzzles for the warm up activity. For the affective lesson, students assessed where they fell on a continuum regarding eight areas we have covered this year. The rest of our class time was spent writing directions for building our robots and typing them, researching a planet, brainstorming information for a Veltzar brochure, and completing a template for the brochure we will finish next week.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

2nd Grade - Today's affective lesson covered the understanding that successful people demonstrating caring by celebrating our differences.

4th Grade - These classes learned that Indignation means anger, especially over something that's unfair. The thinker was Albert Einstein who was a man of peace even though he was instrumental in the development of the atomic bomb. Students worked together to solve Plexer puzzles for the warm up activity. For the affective lesson, students assessed where they fell on a continuum regarding eight areas we have covered this year. The rest of our class time was spent writing directions for building our robots and typing them, researching a planet, brainstorming information for a Veltzar brochure, and completing a template for the brochure we will finish next week.