Genius Hour!This week in TAG, most classes had a flexible, shortened schedule due to IOWA testing, so we spent our TAG time working on Genius Hour projects! Students in all grades have now committed to a Genius Hour topic and developed their Driving Question(s). All students have defined what they want to spend their allotted Genius Hour time learning about in TAG. Next week, students will continue with their Genius Hour projects by conducting research. I have asked all students to please bring in one print resource pertaining to their Driving Question or topic. This could be a book from the school or local library, a magazine article, something they've printed from the internet, an encyclopedia entry, etc. Students are also encouraged to bring in a device if they have one available to use next week for research. All classes also watched an awesome, inspirational 10 minute video called "Caine's Arcade." Caine is a boy living in East LA who created his own arcade using recycled boxes from his dad's used auto parts store. We discussed Caine's "genius" and what character traits led him to be so successful with his project of constructing a cardboard arcade: determination, perseverance, and research and observation skills. Although Caine's Arcade was probably not an assigned Genius Hour project, he certainly demonstrated many of the IB attitudes and profiles I encourage students to use everyday: risk-taker, thinker, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, inquirer, and more! Please take a moment to check out the video, or watch it again with your child. It was certainly a favorite activity this week in TAG! As always, thank you for your support!
Mrs. Husack
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Schedule Updates IOWA Testing: Over the next two weeks, 3rd and 5th graders will be taking the IOWA Assessment. TAG classes will be held in the afternoons after testing is completed for the day. Genius Hour: Next week (10/17 - 10/21) will be our 2nd GH session. Students will develop their Driving Question - "What do you want to learn about?" and beginning their research. Students may bring in a device to use for research or any other print resources (books, magazines, information printed off the internet, etc.). TAG Happenings2nd Grade is completing a Performance Task of establishing a settlement in the New World. Pilgrims constructed their houses in the New World using daub (chocolate icing), planks (pretzel rods), wattle (pretzel sticks), and thatch (Chow Mein noodles). Students are also planning how they would use their allotment of land, being sure to include an herb and vegetable garden, an animal pen, their house and tool shed, and a fence for security. Thank you, parents, for your help with supplies and hands-on assistance. The kids certainly enjoyed this tasty activity! 3rd Grade completed a Decision Making lesson for our Ancient Civilizations Unit evaluating which famous place deserves to be saved: The Parthenon, the Colosseum, the Great Pyramids of Giza, or the Great Wall of China. As students quickly realized, all of these places are famous for a reason so this was a tough decision! Next time in TAG, we will travel to Ancient Egypt to continue our study of mummies, pharaohs, and hieroglyphics. 4th Grade continued finished their Abraham Lincoln projects for our Qualities of Leadership Unit. Students chose between completing a caricature collage with an Abraham Lincoln quote or creating a political cartoon. I was very impressed with the dedication and commitment the students displayed in completing their choice projects. Next time in TAG, we'll study another Civil War leader: Robert E. Lee. 5th Grade is traveling back in time to save the city of Philadelphia in 1793 from the Yellow Fever epidemic by working as a team of historians, doctors, and entomologists. Students have completed their research and are preparing to present without the use of technology since they're traveling back to the late 1700s. The creative demonstrations and visuals created by these 5th graders are really impressive!
Schedule UpdateTAG classes will be cancelled September 19 - September 30 for Fall TAG testing. Thank you for your patience! Our Week in TAGOn Monday, 3rd graders presented their research findings and Blooms' Taxonomy products for the ancient civilization they studied. I was very impressed with the quality of the products as well as the presentation skills of the students! Following presentations, students participated in a Decision Making lesson to examine four very well-known famous places and decide which one deserved their attention and preservation efforts. The four famous ancient places students evaluated were the Parthenon, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Colosseum, and the Great Wall of China. We'll continue our lesson next time in TAG as students work to defend their answer to the Essential Question: "Which ancient famous place should be saved and why?" On Tuesday, 4th graders continued studying Abraham Lincoln. We read some great literature and learned some fascinating facts about our 16th president, like why he decided to grow a beard. We then analyzed many of Lincoln's famous quotes as well as some political cartoons. Our last activity, which we'll complete next time in TAG was to create a choice product featuring a an Abraham Lincoln collage and quote analysis or creating a political cartoon featuring President Lincoln reflecting on our nation during his presidency. We ended our day with Abraham Lincoln's favorite dessert - apple pies! On Wednesday, 2nd graders completed a Compare Contrast lesson on the similarities and differences between Pilgrim houses and Wampanoag houses, or wigwams. Students loved learning more about the Pilgrims' journey on the Mayflower, and found it especially amusing that the sailors couldn't stand the Pilgrims, often calling them "glib glabbety puke stockings" because of their constant singing and seasickness! Next time in TAG, students will continue answering the Essential Question: "How were Pilgrim and Wampanoag homes similar and different?" and "How would you build your house in the New World if you were a Pilgrim in 1620?" Students will also be planning and building their own Pilgrim village and houses. Parents, please look for an email soon about volunteer opportunities and supply requests. Thank you to the students who remembered their Vitamin C snack! We had very low cases of scurvy this week. Here are some motivating "scurvy selfies" so students will remember their Vitamin C snacks for TAG! On Thursday and Friday, 5th graders researched Yellow Fever to gain background knowledge and the historical context of our class novel, Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson. Fifth graders answered the Essential Questions: "Where did Yellow Fever originate?" and "How did the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793 impact the city of Philadelphia?" Students participated in a Carousel Photo Reflection and then completed a webquest analyzing primary source documents like journal entries, pamphlets, maps, and portraits from the city of Philadelphia in the 1790s. After completing the webquest, students began working on a Yellow Fever Cafe menu with a choice of activities for students to complete.
Genius Hour Reminder!Next week will be our first Genius Hour session in TAG. Students DO NOT need to bring a device for research or products as we will be spending our time in class brainstorming potential passion project ideas and developing inquiry questions to guide students' work. This Week in TAG...2nd Grade may have changed their minds about wanting to leave for the New World after we learned more about the problems Pilgrims' faced while crossing the Atlantic! Students listed problems and ranked them with #1 being the worst for their answer to the Essential Question. The Pilgrims were seasick, had no heat, no privacy, no plumbing, no clean clothes, and no way to dry their wet clothes when it rained, not to mention, it was crowded! Our first "Pilgrim's Challenge" was to experience how crowded it was on the Mayflower. With 102 passengers and 30 crew members on a cargo ship not intended for passengers, it was a tight fit! Students also completed a Mystery Lesson to discover one very important item necessary to pack for a long voyage at sea...VITAMIN C! Students read clues and deduced that a diet rich in Vitamin C helps to prevent Scurvy, and none of the students want rotten teeth! Each Wednesday for the remainder of our unit, students are asked to remember to bring a Vitamin C snack on TAG days to ensure the health of their Pilgrims! 4th Grade studied one of our nation's most influential and memorable presidents, Abraham Lincoln, this week in TAG. We listened to President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and students reflected on the Essential Question: "How can words help people be positive leaders?" Next week we'll learn more about President Lincoln's legacy as we analyze quotes and learn some fun facts too, like why he grew a beard. Fourth graders were also the first of this week's classes to open our Dojo Store for business. Students were paid for the work they've been doing in TAG and had an opportunity to shop at the store. Thank you for taking pride in your jobs! 5th Grade participated in a Mystery Lesson to explore this week's EQ: "How can a virus spread around the world?" Students worked with their group to create a possible hypothesis and then arranged clues in a logical, sequential order to explain how Lou, a student in NY, got the flu from ducks in China. After solving the mystery, fifth graders began working on the Epidemic choice board which we'll continue working on throughout the unit. We finished our day in TAG by reading more from our unit novel: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson. Next week, our lesson explores Yellow Fever and it's impact on the city of Philadelphia in 1793. Thanks for bringing in your stuffed viruses to share with the class, Lucy! Who would have thought viruses could be so cute and cuddly!
Curriculum NightParents, thank you all for your support and attendance at Curriculum Night. If you were unable to attend or wish to review the PowerPoint and brochure, please view the attached links. For parents of 5th grade students, please review the attached Fulton County Q&A regarding middle school TAG placements prior to the ITBS testing window in October. One of the criteria for your child's TAG Science and Social Studies placement is a 90%ile or greater on the ITBS in the content area.
A Peek at Our Week in TAGMonday - 3rd Grade This week's Essential Question was "What are the significant symbols and artifacts of the ancient civilization you researched and why are they important to the civilization?" 3rd graders worked on the Blooms' Taxonomy Research Projects with their group and will present the projects to the class on September 12. Following student presentations, we will complete a Decision Making lesson on which famous ancient place should be preserved. Tuesday - 4th Grade Fourth graders studied one of our nation's founding fathers and the author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson. Students discovered from studying his life and contributions that Jefferson had many skills and talents as they answered the EQ "Why is it important for a leader to be well-rounded?" Students completed a Decision Making lesson evaluating Jefferson's inventions and which one deserved to be awarded the "Most Valuable Invention Award." Students also completed their persuasive speeches modeled after Tecumseh's speech "Sell the country? Why not sell the air?" Next week's leader is Abraham Lincoln. Wednesday - 2nd Grade This week we completed a Compare Contrast lesson on the similarities and differences between the 1st Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving now. We continued our journey to the New World as students christened their ships, packed their bags, and created a passenger list. Students answered the Essential Questions "What did the Pilgrims bring with them to the new world? If your family was moving to the “new world”, what would you bring?" Next week we'll learn more about what the Pilgrims packed as students complete a Mystery lesson to discover one very important and potentially life-saving item necessary for a long voyage at sea. Thursday and Friday - 5th Grade Students had an opportunity to create their own virus or bacteria in TAG by completing a medical pamphlet from a doctor's office and making a labeled model of their virus or bacteria. We discussed the anatomy and structure of viruses and bacteria. Fifth graders answered the EQ "How do germs spread?" Next week, we'll explore ways that a virus can spread around the world as students complete a Mystery Lesson to figure out how Lou got the flu. Thank you for your hard work this week, TAG students! Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!
~Mrs. Husack After a busy week in TAG, all units are successfully underway!
Second grade students answered the Essential Question "What would you do if you were living in England under the same conditions as the Pilgrims? Would you move to America or stay in England?" Students completed a Carousel Brainstorming activity where they reflected on what they already know about the 1st Thanksgiving, why we celebrate the holiday, and how they would feel if their family moved to another country. Students also worked on an Inductive Reasoning lesson where they defined and categorized unit vocabulary words with a group. Next time in TAG, students will finish a Compare Contrast lesson between the 1st Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving now and we will begin packing and loading our ships for an exciting voyage to the New World as Pilgrims. Students in 3rd grade chose an Ancient Civilization they were interested in researching and began investigating as a group. Students researched either Ancient China, Rome, India, Egypt, or Greece - all civilizations we will study in depth throughout our unit. Students will work as a group to create products for each of the levels of Blooms' Taxonomy to share and present their findings with the class next week in TAG. Through their research, students solidified their answers to this week's Essential Question: "In what ways do the accomplishments of ancient civilizations contribute to our way of life today?" Fourth grade students answered the Essential Question "How can we evaluate the choices leaders make?" and completed a fascinating Compare Contrast lesson analyzing two famous speeches of well-known leaders: Tecumseh and Patrick Henry. Students practiced analyzing the texts for rhetorical techniques and style. We discussed the qualities of leadership both of these men utilized to convey their message to the target audiences. Students also practiced their speech writing skills as they thought of an issue they are passionate about and wrote to persuade or convince others to take action. Next week students will finish their speeches and create pictograph symbols to communicate their message to their audiences. On Thursday and Friday, 5th graders began the day answering the Essential Question "What are both the positive and negative impacts of viruses and bacteria on human lives?" Students also completed a Compare Contrast lesson on bacteria and viruses. Students then had an opportunity to create their own virus or bacteria and started a doctor's office pamphlet to inform others. Next time in TAG, students will complete their pamphlets and design and label a 3-D model of their virus or bacteria. As a reminder, Mrs. Biggs and I will be holding our TAG Curriculum Night sessions at 5:00pm on Thursday, September 1 in the TAG classrooms before the homeroom sessions begin at 5:30pm. For parents that are unable to attend, all materials and presentations will be posted to my weebly page for review at your convenience following Curriculum Night. Thank you for your support, ~Mrs. Husack We have had an excellent first week of TAG! I’ve enjoyed catching up with former students and getting to know our new classmates! I’m looking forward to a wonderful year. I am overwhelmed yet again by the kindness of Heards Ferry parents. Thank you so much for not only sending your children prepared for their first TAG day, but also for the generous donations of classroom supplies! We have a well-stocked classroom thanks to your support. This week we’ve focused on setting expectations and procedures for our year together in TAG. All grades have practiced solving Mindware’s "Logic Links" for our daily Brainteaser. Students used colored chips and clues to find correct solutions and then presented their solutions on our interactive whiteboard. These puzzles are very challenging, but it’s always exciting to see the growth students make throughout the year! Students also completed an Overexcitabilities Self-Evaluation, a self-test on giftedness this week. This has been enlightening to students as well as myself to learn about their strengths and potential struggles as gifted students. We identified and discussed common fictional characters from books, movies, and television that exhibit the five Overexcitabilities: Psychomotor, Sensual, Intellectual, Imaginational, and Emotional. If you would like more information on Overexcitabilities and gifted learners, please check out the links below. I am also attaching an Overexcitability Inventory for Parents. If you’d like to complete the inventory on your child and send it in to TAG, I’m happy to share the results as well as resources with you for how to best encourage your gifted learners. http://sengifted.org/archives/articles/overexcitability-and-the-gifted http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/dabrowski.htm http://educationaladvancement.org/the-bright-side-of-overexcitabilities-in-gifted-children/ Another exciting topic we discussed this week was Class Dojo and our new classroom economy. Students are working to earn positive Class Dojo points that will equate to Dojo Dollars which they can spend monthly at our Dojo Store. To encourage leadership and responsibility in our classroom, students have the chance to apply for classroom jobs to earn Dojo Dollars. Job descriptions and applications were sent home with all students this week and are due next week on their TAG day. This is an optional opportunity but one I hope students will be excited to pursue. I also sent home a Bring Your Own Technology contract with all students in case they would like to bring a personal device to TAG. Parents, this is at your discretion, but many students find it beneficial to work on research or their Genius Hour projects with their own device. If your child would like to bring a personal device at any point this year to TAG, please discuss, sign, and return the form to TAG. We do not use personal devices every TAG day, so I will be sure to remind students of when they can bring and use a device in class should they care to do so. Please mark your calendars for TAG Curriculum Night on Thursday, September 1 at 5:00pm. I will begin promptly at 5:00pm in my classroom, room #355, for a brief overview of our year in TAG. The first Curriculum Night session for homeroom teachers begins at 5:30pm. I hope you’ll be able to join us. As always, thank you for your continued support. Jamie Husack
It was great to see some familiar faces at Open House today! I know you all have enjoyed your summer, as did I, but it will be good to be back with students again soon! The first day of TAG will be with 3rd grade on Monday, August 15. There are a few things I've been thinking about and working on this summer that I can't wait to share with students. One of the ideas I'm most excited about is a classroom store where students will be able to spend their hard earned Dojo Dollars which they'll earn by getting Class Dojo points and by completing classroom jobs - applications and job descriptions coming soon! Another idea I will be incorporating into our Genius Hour work is a Resident Expert Wall. I know students have so many ideas and skills that they're proud of and I want them to share their skills with others who may need some assistance in a particular area. We are a collaborative classroom so it's important that we share our Genius (and our expertise) with the world! We will also have a place in our classroom dedicated to wonder and random facts! I want students to be more curious about the world and become interested in exploring new topics they find exciting. Look for our "Did You Know?" door coming soon! Students, I hope you have a fabulous last weekend of summer vacation and I can't wait to see you all bright and early Monday morning! We have some great things in store for our year ahead in TAG! :) ~Mrs. Husack |
Mrs. HusackGifted Specialist Teacher at Teasley Elementary Archives
May 2018
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