Tuesday, April 30, 2019

5th Grade - Today we learned that Vociferous means loud and vehement. Alfred Nobel, inventor of dynamite, also put up the money to start the Nobel Peace Prize. Students worked together to solve a logic elimination grid puzzle for the warm up activity. For the leadership lesson, students passed a "pretzel" by straw in the mouth from one person to another. The idea was to build teamwork and patience. The rest of class time was spent building and programming robots for the LEGO board. This is a simulation to help students understand how astronauts work in space.

Monday, April 29, 2019

3rd Grade - This class learned that Imprison means to put someone in prison. Their successful person was the Wright brothers who never went to high school but were the first to fly an airplane. Students followed a conductor to make an abstract drawing for the warm up activity. Our weekly trip to Crystal Pond Woods had students practicing their evaluative thinking skills by judging potato chips. For the Discoveries lesson, students began developing a civilization. Next week they will create the "artifacts" for their civilization. The following week the will "dig" up a civilization and simulate an archaeology dig as they try to figure out information about another past civilization.

Friday, April 26, 2019

5th Grade - There were several students who had to make up state tests today. This class had to be canceled.

2nd Grade - Several new students joined us today. They learned that Cultured means having or showing good education, tastes. and manners. Our successful person was Abraham Lincoln. We learned today that he was not a very strict father. Students worked together to solve the Mystery Object/20 Questions for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on the need for friends to help relieve stress. Students completed a short research activity to learn about symbols of friendship. In Crystal Pond Woods, students learned how to select the best answer to solve a problem by using criteria.

Thursday, April 25, 2019

4th Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Exploit which means a daring or heroic act. The successful people were Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan. Together they over came physical challenges to bring light to Helen's dark world. Students worked together to solve the Mystery Object/20 Questions for the warm up activity.The affective lesson focused on the concept that successful people demonstrate a caring attitude. For the Explorations lesson, students began researching an item that has to do with the ocean floor.

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

1st Grade - These students learned that Nellie Cashman saved the lives of men at mining camps by providing them with shelter, meals, and nursing them when they were sick. Students worked together to solve the 20 Questions/Mystery Object for the warm up activity. We started learning about Inventor Thinking with Isabel the Inventor. Today, students brainstormed what to do with a whisk, what they could make from circles, and how to make a bicycle for a spider.

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was variance which mean an amount of difference or change. The successful person was Winston Churchill who was not a good student, but became a great leader and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. These students also worked together to solve the 20 Questions/Mystery Object for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, students continued their study of Evaluative Thinking. Students were given three different game boards which they played with a partner. After playing the games, students had to evaluate which game board was the best. For the Discoveries lesson, students learned about Pompeii. Students then began to create their own civilization. Next week they will build some artifacts. The following week they will simulate archaeologists and try to infer from the artifacts they find about another team's civilization.

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

5th Grade - We resumed our "normal" GATE schedule today. The vocabulary word was Pernicious which means dangerous, deadly. Our successful person was Samuel Morse who was awarded a gold medal for his art and worked on improving the telegraph machine with Morse Code. For the warm up activity, students had to determine the Mystery Object by asking 20 Questions to gather their clues. Communication was the focus of the affective/leadership lesson. The final activity was developing the understanding that the explorations of new frontiers led to advancements in other fields of study. Students programmed robots to move on a LEGO board where they had to complete missions similar to the astronauts in space.

Monday, April 22, 2019

3rd Grade - Today we learned that a Nobleman is a man who is a member of the nobility. Their successful person was Louis Pasteur who was not a good student until he went to college and began to study science. These students also drew around their initials to hide them. In Crystal Pond Woods, students used criteria to decide what they wanted to do in class today. The Discoveries lesson had students learning about Mary Anning a young fossil hunter who discovered many rare dinosaurs.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Today was my final day of OSTP testing. The regular GATE schedule will resume on Tuesday. I am looking forward to seeing everyone.

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

State testing continued today. Just a couple of more days to go. We hope to be back to a "normal" schedule next week.

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

OSTP testing continued today.

Monday, April 15, 2019

3rd Grade - These students learned that a Millennium is a period of 1,000 years. Their successful person was Bill Gates who dropped out of Harvard University to devote his time to Microsoft. Students worked together to solve the Plexer word puzzles for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, students took the next step to problem solving. Two weeks ago, they learned how to develop their criteria. Today they used their criteria to judge each solution until they found the best solution based on the criteria. The Discoveries lesson focused on fossils and the understanding that discoveries may impact the behavior of people and influence history.

Friday, April 12, 2019

OSTP testing continued today.

Thursday, April 11, 2019

OSTP testing continued today.

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

OSTP testing continued today.

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

OSTP testing continued today.

Monday, April 8, 2019

OPST achievement testing continued today.

Friday, April 5, 2019

OSTP testing of small groups continued today.

Thursday, April 4, 2019

OSTP testing continued today.

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

OSTP testing continued today.

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

State achievement testing began today. Until testing is completed, GATE classes will be canceled.

Monday, April 1, 2019

3rd Grade - Today's vocabulary word was Refined which means free of unwanted substances. The successful person was Henry Ford who invented the assembly line not the automobile. Students brainstormed three different lists for the warm up activity. In Crystal Pond Woods, students began studying Evaluative Thinking. Today, they developed criteria that used observable, measurable facts. Students discovered the power of ice for the Discoveries lesson by watching a video and completing some experiments.