Mrs. Husack's TARGET Class
Weekly Newsletter
1st GradeMonday in TARGET, 1st graders practiced Inventor Thinking. We brainstormed the many and varied uses for a whisk other than as a kitchen utensil! Student responses were very creative. It could be used as a bird feeder, a toy holder, a lantern, and even a bubble blower! Next, we made Brainfocals to help our brain see things differently when using Inventor Thinking strategies. Inventor Thinking is all about creativity: Fluency, Flexibility, Originality, and Elaboration! Students practiced thinking like an inventor by changing bubbles (circles) into as many different and creative ideas as possible. 2nd GradeWe had a yummy TARGET day on Tuesday! This week's Research Based Question was all about energy! We researched light, sound, and heat energy and then students worked together to make solar ovens out of pizza boxes, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and black construction paper. We used the sun's energy to make solar oven s'mores! Students definitely enjoyed this ooey gooey experiment. Second graders brainstormed other foods they could probably cook in a solar oven like pizza and hotdogs and many were anxious to recreate their own solar ovens at home. Here's a great tutorial if you want to try this experiment at home! 4th GradeWe began studying the artist Jan Vermeer's life and work by analyzing two of his paintings: "The Geographer" and "A Lady Writing." Students created their own replica of "Girl with a Pearl Earring" using water-coloring techniques. Each week we're discovering more clues and connections in Chasing Vermeer. Students deciphered Calder's Code using deductive reasoning strategies and wrote their own secret messages to a friend. Fourth graders built spacial knowledge by exploring characteristics of two- and three-dimensional shapes. After predicting, students discovered that eight pentominoes can be folded into open boxes. 5th GradeIn this week's installment of Mystery Disease: A Fuzzy Challenge students acted as county health inspectors to analyze interviews with patients to determine the source of the E. coli outbreak at the Barrow County Fair. Students began reading through Contagious Disease Reports and documenting data to support their theories. Was it contaminated water? Contact with animals? Tainted fair food? Time will tell...
We also utilized the CDC's website to research the epidemiology of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 outbreaks in the United States and look for commonalities. Students discovered that over 50% of the E. coli cases were from foodborne illness. The food vehicle in over 40% of these cases was ground beef and another 20% from contaminated produce.
0 Comments
2nd GradeThis week in TARGET, 2nd graders completed an inductive reasoning lesson to review physical and chemical changes. We conducted a marshmallow experiment to observe a chemical reaction. We {carefully} burned a marshmallow to view the change when the sugar and oxygen mixed and carbon dioxide and water vapor were released. We created something completely new on the marshmallow that can't be reversed so this was a chemical change. Another highlight of our day was playing Aces, Jumble, Zilch. This Primary Algebra game focuses on problem solving skills as well as training students to be flexible, fluent thinkers. If your child enjoyed this game, check out Mastermind either online or in the board game version (links below). Mastermind for Kids Game Mastermind Online 4th GradeStudents in 4th grade participated in a pentomino puzzle challenge. They each mastered piecing together different size rectangles, other geometric designs, and even some pentomino zoo animals. As we continued reading Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett we discussed "What is art?" and "What makes an object a piece of art?" Students were asked to choose one item at home that feels like a work of art to them. It can be anything. This should be their own thinking so I've asked them not to discuss what it is with others or ask for advice in selecting their art. I can't wait to see what they bring in to share with the class! Our divergent thinking in 4th grade focused on creative thinking and playing with words. Students brainstormed things they'd be surprised to find in an art museum and made a list going through each letter of the alphabet. Students also thought about whether they'd rather be a sculpture or a painting in a museum and explained their reasoning. 5th GradeOn Thursday in TARGET 5th graders became E. coli (Escherichia Coli 0157:H7) experts as they discovered and researched the mystery disease affecting those present at the Barrow County Fair in our fictitious simulation. Students identified the bacteria as well as the symptoms, potential sources, transmission, treatment, and possible complications. We also discussed proper handwashing techniques and students LOVED testing their handwashing skills with our Glo Germ experiment! Most students discovered there's room for improvement especially on the backs of their hands, wrists, and under the fingernails! Next time in TARGET, 5th graders will begin analyzing Contagious Disease Reports and interviewing patients as they work as a team of Barrow County Health Inspectors to find the most probable source of the E. coli outbreak. Before washing hands......and after washing hands!1st GradeThis week, 1st grade students practiced their non-verbal reasoning skills with picture analogies. Students learned new vocabulary words to help describe the relationships they observed in the pictures such as rotated, flipped, reversed and also directional words like clockwise and counter-clockwise. This week's convergent thinking skills work was solving mysteries involving the PETS Dudley the Detective and Sybil the Scientist by using logic elimination grids. We also began exploring algebraic concepts with a game called Turn Over Tiles. In this quantitative game, students listen to clues to eliminate numbers that can't be x and then turn over the tiles until they are left with only one number tile equal to x. 2nd GradeOn Tuesday students in 2nd grade participated in a Compare Contrast lesson to become experts in either Physical and Chemical Change. After researching, students taught their partner about Chemical or Physical Change and then worked together to find similarities and differences between the two types of change. Partners displayed their findings on a paper plate Venn diagram. We also sang the Atoms Family song to learn more about these tiny, teenie molecules! To strengthen their divergent thinking skills and practice fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration, students did some Kitchen Chemistry Thinkercises! These were a hit! It's always fun to work on creativity! 4th GradeAlthough it was a short day with Early Release, we enjoyed our time in TARGET together! We continued reading our class novel of Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett. Students practiced their non-verbal reasoning skills and convergent thinking skills by discovering possible pentominoes that could be made with five 1-inch squares. As students worked through this challenge, many realized how deceptively easy it is to think you've discovered another pentominoe only to figure out that it's the same shape, just with a simple reversal or rotation. After finding all twelve pentominoes, we assigned each shape a letter which will help us solve the ongoing mystery in Chasing Vermeer along with Calder, one of the characters. Fourth graders were challenged to memorize the phonetic alphabet and also play around with six 1-inch square tiles to discover how many possible shapes can be made. *Hint: It's way more than 12! :-) 5th GradeFifth graders weathered the storm this week! It was a wet day in TARGET but students were excited to work on their latest challenge: solving a Medical Mystery. In this fictitious simulation, students will be tasked with roles each week to work closer to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of a mystery disease. This week students acted as nursing staff at the Barrow County Hospital to deduce that many patients were suffering from a type of food poisoning. Next week, students will confirm or deny their suspicions and then research the actual diagnosis to complete the next step of the challenge. We also began working with Hands on Equations this week for our algebraic thinking component in TARGET. To foster creativity through divergent thinking, students practiced fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration as they completed some Epidemic Thinkercises!
|
Mrs. HusackGifted Specialist Teacher at Teasley Elementary Archives
May 2018
Categories |