I was out of town last Friday so here's two weeks worth of our time in TARGET! Take a look to see what each grade's learning and studying. 1st GradeWe're practicing Inventor Thinking each week as we strengthen our Divergent Thinking Skills! Students are stretched to see things differently, and then improve their ideas by brainstorming, being flexible thinkers, being more original, and elaborating upon their work. Students have designed inventions to collect acorns for Isabel the Inventor and created flotation devices to help Sybil the Scientist, two of our TARGET PETS. First graders are continuing to "Do the Cube" each week as we practice using the solution guide to solve the Rubik's Cube. We've mastered the white cross and white corners and will soon be solving the different colored faces! We're also doing some "word work" each week to strengthen students verbal reasoning skills through Logic Elimination Grids, Wordoku, Perplexors, and Word Ladders. 2nd GradeI missed my 2nd graders on Election Day, but we sure did enjoy spending Halloween together learning about Polymers... an unpoppable balloon, JELLO, gummy bears, bubble gum, and water beads make for an exciting TARGET day! As we wrapped up our Kitchen Chemistry Unit, we discussed the different properties of food and how some of these odd semi-solid foods don't always play by the States of Matter rules! We answered the following Research Based Questions: Why does JELLO jiggle? How is bubble gum made and how does it work? How are gummy bears made? What are water beads and how do they work? If we were to view these items at a microscopic level, these long strands of molecules are called polymers, and the elasticity of these polymer chains causes rubber to stretch, JELLO to jiggle, gummy bears to wiggle, bubble gum to stretch, and water beads to bounce. Students did some Divergent Thinking by SCAMPERing bubble gum to invent a new, special flavor and design a wrapper and advertisement for their new gum! This has been a fun (and tasty) unit! I can't wait to see where our next TARGET Unit takes us! 4th GradeWe're still Chasing Vermeer in 4th grade TARGET! Students are strengthening their spatial reasoning skills each week as we solve problems for Pentomino Packaging Company by designing nets for boxes (cubes) to hold shipments of cotton balls! We're also finding relationships and connections between mathematics and art as we explore the work of artist M.C. Escher and specifically, his ability to tessellate objects. Students learned some geometrical vocabulary words as we explored M.C. Escher's artwork: tessellation, polygon, angle, plane, vertex, and adjacent. Students analyzed Escher's work to identify how geometric shapes and patterns were used in his art then 4th graders created their own masterpiece by manipulating shapes into other objects that will tessellate. Students created a translation tessellation and a rotation tessellation. I was very impressed with how well students persevered and problem solved as they determined how to create a shape that would tessellate and how to manipulate it into a work of art! We also went on a shape search to find tessellations around the school. They're everywhere, all you have to do is look for them... just like the hidden pentominoes in Chasing Vermeer! 5th GradeOur Epidemic Unit is still going strong in 5th grade! Each week, students are identifying the source of contamination at the Barrow County Fair by analyzing Contagious Disease Reports, interviewing patients, and working with local health officials to prevent an E. coli outbreak in the future. We're also enjoying our novel, Fever 1793, as students learn more about this American epidemic in the late 1700s. Of course, the highlight of our unit so far was this week's field trip to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.
Students participated in a guided tour where they learned about the Ebola epidemic and the CDC's critical work in caring for, treating, preventing, and educating the public to prevent another Ebola epidemic in the future. 5th graders also explored a portion of the museum to learn about the history of the CDC over the years. It was so fascinating to see the epidemic topics we've been discussing come to life! There were exhibits on food-borne illnesses like E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria. We viewed exhibits on Typhoid Fever and other disease spread by poor sanitation and hygiene practices. There was even an iron lung for students to view as they learned about Polio and the CDC's role in vaccinating children around the world to eradicate this crippling disease. Most students would agree that the best part of this field trip was trying on the Level 4 Biosafety Suit. It was fun to try on, but students agreed that it would be quite cumbersome to work in on a daily basis! It was an awesome experience and I hope students will remember this trip for years to come. You made us proud as ambassadors of Teasley, 5th graders! Well done!
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2nd GradeIt was an aromatic day in TARGET on Tuesday! Our Research Based Questions for the week were "Why do onions make you cry?" and "What happens when acids and bases mix?" We observed and cut an onion to learn about this root vegetable. When onions are busy growing they are drawing in sulfur from the soil. Students learned that when you start to slice an onion you are cutting and separating the cell walls of the onion. The enzymes and chemicals mix together and form a gas producing that strong onion smell. The gas from this mixture starts to reach the eyes of the person cutting the onion and when the gas mixes with the water in your eyes, a stinging sensation and tears are created. So, is there a way to not cry while cutting an onion? Try putting it in the freezer for 15 minutes prior to cutting because the reaction of the enzymes is not as strong when they are cold. Students also tested the acidity of bases and acids using cabbage juice as an indicator. After students tested a variety of common kitchen items (vinegar, baking soda, cream of tartar, club soda, onions, cleaner, and sanitizing soap) they arranged the liquids based on their pH levels. 4th GradeSince we're reading a mystery for our Novel Study: Chasing Vermeer, students did some CSI detective work in stations. Students analyzed fingerprint patterns like whorls, ridges, and arches, identified patterns in their own fingerprints, did a station matching partial prints to a full fingerprint, magnified their fingerprint by stamping it on a balloon and then inflating it, and solved a variety of mathematical and spatial reasoning puzzles to decipher a code and solve a mystery. Next week we'll do some more investigative work as well as problem-solving for Pentomino Packaging Company and complete an art project using tessellations. 5th GradeOur Essential Question on Thursday was "How do government organizations and individual citizens protect themselves from public health disasters?" We had an engaging discussion on the Bill of Rights as well as students' rights in schools. We discussed what "for the common good" means and why yelling "Fire!" in a movie theater wouldn't be considerate of the common good although individuals have the right to free speech. Students studied the case of Mary Mallon, better known as Typhoid Mary. Her individual rights were compromised for the sake of the common good as a healthy carrier of Typhoid. Students analyzed information from all points of view and then decided whether they felt Typhoid Mary was a villain or a victim. This was not an easy decision to make because there were multiple accounts of information supporting both sides of this argument. At the end of the day, most students came to agree that Typhoid Mary was a villain more than a victim, but county health inspectors and epidemiologists certainly could've handled the situation differently and not disrespected Mary's individual rights to the degree in which they were violated.
What a busy week! We had less time together due to Early Release for conferences, but we crammed as much as we could into those shortened days! Take a look at what each grade's working on in TARGET! 1st GradeFirst graders practiced their Inventor Thinking (Divergent) by using some of Isabel the Inventor's "spare parts" to build a contraption to help Sybil the Scientist get across Crystal Pond. We also did some work on the Rubik's Cubes and solved for the white cross and white face. This has been an engaging challenge and I love watching the students work through the solution guides and make discoveries! 2nd GradeWe took a unit break to have some seasonal fun on our short day in TARGET! Students learned some new logical reasoning skills as we worked through a Halloween Cryptogram decoding secret messages and solved a Halloween riddle using a grid Perplexor. Of course, I believe the class favorite was working on an Extreme Dot to Dot. I give these puzzles to students to solve sparingly because they're addicting and I can't get my little thinkers to stop connecting dots, but they're great for teaching patience, persistence, perseverance, point of view, and perspective, or "the 5 Ps of EDD" as I refer to them in TARGET. We also did some work with Divergent thinking on a Halloween choice board focusing on fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration through SCAMPERing. Pictures from Tuesday wouldn't upload correctly. Sorry about that! :-( 4th GradeWe're continuing our novel unit Chasing Vermeer and are enjoying searching for clues as we read by looking for pentominoes and frogs! Fourth graders are also getting faster at solving the cryptic messages between characters using a letter decoder. Students completed Part 1 of our real-world problem solving dilemma presented by Pentomino Packaging Company where students solved the problem of shipping containers with open boxes. They created hexomino nets for cubes and will use their spatial reasoning skills to rearrange and maximize space on a cardboard grid to efficiently ship out the hexomino nets. We'll also integrate some art as we study M.C. Escher's work and students try their skills at tessellations. 5th GradeAs we prepare to study the life of Typhoid Mary next week, we discussed Patient Zero and what it means to be a carrier, either healthy or with symptoms. We researched Patient Zero of the Ebola epidemic and discussed the work of epidemiologists in tracking down clues to discover Patient Zero in a timely manner. We did a fun contagious disease experiment where students "swapped germs" with other students (by using pipettes full of a mystery solution) and recording which students they interacted with during the simulation. After students had swapped and recorded four times, we used cabbage juice indicator to figure out which student was Patient Zero and which students had been infected with the contagious disease. Students with purple solution were negative, blue solution were positive for infection, and Patient Zero's solution turned emerald green when mixed with the cabbage juice indicator. Pretty cool! Patient Zero!1st Grade1st graders have been working on Divergent Thinking Skills (or Inventor Thinking) and brought their plans to completion as they built a Spi-cycle for Yolanda the Spider. Students also practiced another Brainstorming technique called "SCAMPER" where they took a typical bicycle and made changes and improvements to make it suitable for a spider. Next week students will help some of our TARGET PETS, as they build something to help Sybil the Scientist get across the pond and build a Great Acorn Collection and Storage Machine for Isabel the Inventor. We've also been working on a new brainteaser, Wordoku, which is similar to Sudoku but uses words instead of numbers. 2nd GradeTuesday was certainly not a low-carb day in TARGET but the students loved learning about bread! Our Research Based Question for the week was "What is yeast and how does it make bread rise?" We did an experiment to capture the CO2 gas that yeast "burps up" when it's fed (sugar) and happy (nice and warm). Students also learned about the history of this dietary staple and how bread's made in factories. Of course the highlight of their day was examining and sampling a different varieties of bread. Thanks for your support of this lesson by sending in all the samples of bread! One student said "It smells like Panera in here!" :) 4th GradeWe're attacking algebra as we progress through Hands on Equations lessons and these 4th graders should really be proud of their determination and perseverance. Another focus these past few weeks in TARGET is direct academic vocabulary instruction through analogies. 4th graders have been working on two new Brainteasers: Link Winks (rhyming vocabulary) and Analogy Challenges to strengthen their vocabulary. Students were presented with a real-world problem-solving challenge. The cotton ball factory ships out hundreds of boxes of cotton balls every day. They buy their shipping boxes from a company called “Pentomino Packaging Company.” The problem is that when the cotton balls get shipped, a whole lot of them fall out of the boxes since the boxes are missing one side. The factory owner asked that the class design nets that can be folded into boxes with all six sides so students started designing as many possibilities as they could. We'll make more hexomino nets next week! For our novel work with Chasing Vermeer, students deciphered a secret code written by one of the character's friends. The plot continues to twist and turn as more details surrounding the disappearance of the Vermeer painting are revealed. 5th Grade5th graders are also improving their algebraic reasoning skills and building their vocabulary through Hands on Equations lessons and a new Brainteaser: Crossword Analogies. These challenging analogy puzzles are encouraging students to identify the meaning of unknown words, and as a result, students are getting better at using dictionaries and discovering the value of this classic resource.
Although Thursday was a shortened day due to Early Release, students worked diligently on researching a variety of state and county fair maps and then designing a new plan with additions and changes to prevent cross-contamination at the Barrow County Fair. I'm looking forward to next week's lesson as we pause our Mystery Disease simulation to learn about Typhoid Mary: The Most Dangerous Woman in America. Was she a villain or a victim? Surely the class will have strong opinions on this matter following our time together next week. 1st Grade1st Graders continued practicing their Inventor Thinking (Divergent Thinking) by brainstorming with FFOE: Fluency, Flexibility, Originality, and Elaboration. We brainstormed the many and varied items you might find in a kitchen for fluency, thought about them in a different way to be more flexible with our ideas, tried to think of original ideas and creations that no one else would think of, then thought about how we could add details to elaborate on those ideas. Students completed a Bubble Bonanza turning circles into pictures of other objects and then we scored these for originality based on the responses to the circles by the other students in class. Our last Inventor Thinking activity which we'll continue next week was building a "spi"cycle for Yolanda the spider to accommodate her eight legs! 2nd GradeThis week for our Kitchen Chemistry unit we explored the properties of matter. What makes a solid a solid, a liquid a liquid, or a gas a gas? Students also studied the physical change of H2O and what properties liquid water, solid ice, and water vapor or steam contain. Second graders completed an Inductive Reasoning activity sorting properties of solids, liquids, and gases into categories. We made Oobleck (4 parts cornstarch to 1 part water) to debate whether this strange stuff was a solid or a liquid. Oobleck doesn't play by the normal rules because it's a pressure-dependent substance. A quick tap on the surface of Oobleck will make it feel hard like a solid, because it forces the cornstarch particles together. However, if you dip your hand slowly into the mixture, your fingers slide in easily like a liquid. Moving slowly gives the cornstarch particles time to get out of the way! This substance's funny name comes from a Dr. Seuss book called Bartholomew and the Oobleck that we'll read next week as we ran out of time on Tuesday. Our next Kitchen Chemistry research question is "What makes bread rise?" so we'll be experimenting with yeast and examining different varieties of bread. Thanks in advance for sending in bread samples this Tuesday! 4th GradeThings are getting interesting in our class novel Chasing Vermeer! We're uncovering more strange coincidences each week and the plot is fitting together in mysteriously peculiar ways as the characters try to solve the case of the missing Vermeer painting. We did some pentomino puzzlers this week as students played the collaborative game "Pentomino Squeeze." Students worked on their spatial reasoning skills as they worked together to squeeze as many different pentominoes as possible into a variety of rectangular game boards. The "Squeeze Me" score to beat was 11 pentominoes which is impressive since there are only 12 pentominoes in play. Next week students will complete another pentomino puzzler as they solve a real-world dilemma and work to create cube nets to enhance the production of boxes at a shipping company. 5th GradeStudents are all in and committed to their work as Health Inspectors for Barrow County as they continue solving the Medical Mystery surrounding this year's E. coli outbreak at the county fair. This week students examined the county fair map and are in the process of designing an improved map for next year's fair to prevent cross-contamination. 5th graders also conducted more interviews with patients and analyzed additional Contagious Disease Reports as they try to uncover the source of this E. coli epidemic before more patients suffer. Mrs. Herbel and I shared exciting news with students that we will be taking a field trip to the Centers for Disease Control on Thursday, November 9. We are looking forward to this opportunity to ask questions and learn about the daily work of epidemiologists as we take a guided tour of the CDC. Look for a permission slip coming home with your 5th grader soon!
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. 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!
We're settling into a new routine and working our way through our first units of study! All classes are strengthening their verbal reasoning skills as we complete Logic Link Puzzles and Perplexors as our Brainteasers in TARGET. Students have found the Brainteasers to be both challenging and equally rewarding as they make personal growth each week. 1st GradeStudents in 1st grade TARGET are being introduced to our TARGET PETS (Primary Education Thinking Skills). So far, they've gotten to know Dudley the Detective and Sybil the Scientist as they learn the skill of deductive reasoning and analytical thinking using Logic Elimination Grids. 1st graders are also working on their non-verbal reasoning skills by learning the game of Qwirkle. This game by Mindware requires students to identify and match attributes to earn points while encouraging strategy as they work to make a Qwirkle. If you're interested in some family fun, check out Qwirkle at www.mindware.com for your next Family Game Night! 2nd GradeSecond grade students are answering Research Based Questions each week in our Kitchen Chemistry Unit. They're learning about the digestive process and chemical and physical changes in the kitchen through experiments. We've SCAMPERed the Mouth to foster creativity through brainstorming, solved the "Kitchen Mystery" to figure out what this item is and does (an electric air popcorn popper) through inductive reasoning, and practiced our advanced research skills to discover what makes popcorn pop and learn why some kernels never pop. 4th GradeFourth graders created a Six Word Memoir to respond to the prompt "Everyone has a story. What's yours?" Students thought creatively to tell their story using the parameter of only six words. We're reading Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett and using clues to help the main characters, Petra and Calder, solve the ongoing mystery. Next week we'll begin working with pentominoes to strengthen students non-verbal reasoning skills so they can solve the mystery along with Calder. 5th GradeFifth graders are working as epidemiologists to learn more about viruses and bacteria. This week they solved a mystery called "How Lou Got the Flu" and discovered the science behind the flu shot. We're reading Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson in class and students are conducting ongoing research on the transmission, symptoms, and prevention of Yellow Fever as they realize the deadly impact this epidemic had on the city of Philadelphia in the 1700s. Next week we'll begin working to solve a fictitious "Mystery Disease" through problem-based learning.
Dear Target Parents & Students:
I am so excited to be joining you all at Teasley Elementary this year for Target! I am new to Cobb County, but this is my tenth year as an educator and my sixth year in gifted instruction. My family lives in Mableton and is very active in the Smyrna community so I am excited to be able to teach closer to home! You should have received a "Welcome to Target" newsletter with your child's Target day and supply list. Here is a recap of the important information: *If at all possible, please bring a 1-inch binder and composition notebook on the 1st day of Target. These will be housed in our cottage for the school year and sent home with students in May. Other wish list items include: Pencils, Markers, Colored Pencils, Crayons, Glue Sticks, Liquid Glue, Sharpies (colored), Ream of Copy Paper, Clorox Wipes, Baby Wipes, Paper Towels, Kleenex Tissues, Zip-lock Bags (Gallon or Snack Size - Girls, Sandwich or Quart Size - Boys), and Umbrellas. Important Information for Target Days -3rd, 4th, and 5th grade are "Bell to Bell" so we will meet in the Media Center on Target mornings. -Bring a water bottle and snack to Target. -Our lunch time is 11:45am - 12:15pm. Parent Homework Please click on the following link to complete an informational form before your child's first day of Target. Mrs. Husack's Target Class Information Join Us Parents, please make plans to join the Target Teachers for an informational meeting and welcome on Thursday, August 17th in the Media Center at 6:00pm. I am looking forward to getting to know all of you! We are going to have a great year together in Target! Sincerely, Jamie Husack |
Mrs. HusackGifted Specialist Teacher at Teasley Elementary Archives
May 2018
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