Friday, March 13, 2020

1st Grade - Students continued their Inventor Thinking today by turning a page of circles into different items. They then had to design a spicycle (bicycle for a Yolanda the Yarnspinner-a spider). Each student then designed a trap to catch a leprechaun and created a list of materials necessary to build it. They will build their traps after Spring Break.

Thursday, March 12, 2020

4th Grade - Our learning today began with the vocabulary word Candid which means someone who is honest and sincere. Their future thinker was Nolan Ryan who struggled with pitching but became a famous baseball pitcher. For the warm up activity, students had to think of words that sounded like air or contained the word. Then they were given three words and had to write one sentence containing all three words. The focus of our affective lesson was to think of ways they could make the world a more peaceful place. Lastly, students were introduced to the Road Rally Challenge which we will work on after Spring Break.

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

1st Grade - These students learned that Proficient means someone who has mastered a particular skill.Their future thinker was Jim Carrey who had to drop out of high school to help support his family but became a well known actor. For the warm up activity, students wrote all the words they could think of that had the word "air" in them or sounded like air. In Crystal Pond Woods, students were introduced to Isabel the Inventor who has lots and lots of answers. Today the built their Brainfocals. On Friday we will test the Brainfocals to see if they can help us brainstorm what to do with a bunch of circles.

2nd Grade - Their word for today was Extract which means to get, pull, or draw out, usually with special effort, skill, or force. Their future thinker was Franklin Delano Roosevelt (our 32nd President) who continued to work hard after he developed Polio. The affective lesson focused on the understanding that no one is perfect and that we will struggle with some things. We attached our balloons to Beebots and had our version of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In Crystal Pond Woods, students had to match the ends of dominoes as they developed their visual thinking.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

3rd Grade - Our learning today began with the vocabulary word Omnivore which means an organism, usually an animal, which eats both animal and plant foods. Their forward thinker was Ida Wells Barnett who bit a train conductor in protest of the segregated train. Students worked together to solve a logic elimination grid puzzle. In Crystal Pond Woods, students completed pictorial analogies as part of their visual thinking skills. After looking at a Rube Goldberg chain reaction contraption, students had to tell what happened at each step. They then drew their own chain reaction contraption which they will build when we return from Spring Break. We hope to use the chain reaction contraption to catch a mouse.

Monday, March 9, 2020

5th Grade - Today's classes learned that a Chaparral is a thicket of shrubs and small trees. Their future thinkers invented the Hula Hoop using plastic no one wanted and saved hundreds of jobs. For the warm up activity, students had to think of as many words as they could that contained the word "air" or the sound of air. The focus of the affective lesson was speaking for others. We spent time trying to determine the source of our mystery disease, how it is being passed from person to person, what can be done to prevent it, and what to do if you do get sick with the mystery disease.

Friday, March 6, 2020

1st Grade - Today students sorted some more items using a Venn diagram. We watch a video of a read aloud book How To Catch A Leprechaun. Then we began planning how to build a trap to catch one.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

4th Grade - Today's learning began with the word Idyllic which means something that's pleasant and peaceful. Their future thinker was Gloria Estevan who suffered a broken back in a bus accident but persevered to continue her singing and dancing career. We worked together to try to solve a logic puzzle for the warm up activity. The affective lesson focused on what students would do if they were in charge of the world. Our Systems lesson is focused on transportation. Students are studying about life on the plains as a man has left his family to lay tracks for the continental railroad.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

1st Grade - These students learned that Culmination means the end result or climax. Their forward thinker was Lucille Ball who's drama teachers told her she had no talent. For the warm up activity, students matched aviation terms with the definitions using puzzle pieces.

2nd Grade - This class learned that an Interruption means to cause or make a break. Today's forward thinker was Herber Hoover the 30th President of the United States who fed the people of Belgium during WWII. These students also matched aviation terms with definitions using puzzle pieces. The affective lesson focused on making and keeping friends to help alleviate stress. In Crystal Pond Woods students deciphered encrypted ciphers. Students then started programming a Beebot to get ready for our little parade next week.

Monday, March 2, 2020

5th Grade - Today students learned that Inception means the start or beginning. Their future thinker was Milton Hershey who persevered through many failures until he found success making caramels. For the warm up activity, students worked together to solve a logic elimination grid puzzle. The affective lesson focused on active listening. Today was Day 3 of our Mystery Disease. Students have to find the source of the disease and prevent further outbreaks. The final activity was to work some more on their choice boards.