GT Expo Projects and Next Week's Classes Info - All Grades

Good morning,

Thanks to everyone who supported us last night.  The kids love telling what they learned and it's great practice for their public speaking skills.  I will get the pictures posted next week.

For next week, I'd like each student and their family to write a small reflection of their Expo experience.  You can post it on our facebook, email it to me, write it down, or however you want.  Please feel free to share whatever comes to your mind, but if you are feeling stuck, here are a few questions to prompt you and your child.  I'd like to hear from students and parents.  Reflection is a great tool!

• What did you enjoy the most about the Expo?
• What was the hardest part for you?
• How will this experience help your child in the future?
• If you had more time, what would you have done differently?

Third and fourth grade students should be finished with their books by the week of May 18 so be sure you are reading.  1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders should also be working on reaching their Khan Academy goals.  Kinder students, we are learning about our last author next week.  I will post your video homework soon!

Classes Next Week:

Kindergarten:  Bunnell on Thursday; All others on Friday
1st Grade - Monday
2nd Grade - Garcia & Soto on Monday; Jenkins & Richie on Wednesday
3rd Grade - Wednesday
4th Grade - Tuesday

Here at the links to your children's projects that are posted online.  There are three or four projects that we will have to post from school.

Videos

Mrs. Pogue's You Tube Channel

Each grade level has it's own play list to make finding your child's project easier.  Right now all videos are public.  If you would like me to change your child's work to unlisted (where only people with the link can access it), please let me know.

1st and 2nd Grade Slide Shows - Over the next couple of weeks, we will make their slide shows into videos

1st Grade

2nd Grade

If your child is in 3rd or 4th grade and they did a google slide show, they have access to their slide show in their google drive.  I am also going to help them turn their slide shows into videos.  I think this adds an extra bit of creativity and personality to the slide shows, as well as another skill learned.

Week of March 30 - All Grade Levels

Next week, ALL grade levels will come to class on Wednesday, April 1st.  Below you will see your student's time as well as what they need to do to be prepared for class:

• Kindergarten:  We will have class at 9:00 am.  We will be playing a game to reinforce abstract and realistic art as well as primary and secondary colors.  Your child will enjoy the game more if they can recognize the words ABSTRACT, REALISTIC, PRIMARY, AND SECONDARY.   For review, you can go back to previous kinder blogs to see the video on primary colors and look at abstract and realistic art.  The following week, we will be moving on to learning about specific artists, and their techniques.
• 1st Grade:  We will have class at 10:00 am.  Students will be typing their work that we did on their contienents this past week.  
• 2nd  Grade:  We will have class at 12:30 pm.  Students will be typing their work that we did on their contienents this past week.  If your child was not prepared last week, they are behind.
• 3rd Grade:  We will have class at 8:00 am.  Students need to be thinking about the best way to present their information so we can begin planning.  Talk to them about what they can create to show what they've learned from their genius hour.  We will be doing as much as possible in class, but it is helpful if you discuss some ideas at home.  
• 4th Grade  We will have class at 1:30 pm.  Students who have started their genius hour products will work on those.  Students who have not started their products will be making their plans.  Ask your child what stage of the process they are in.  I'm super excited that everyone completed their research charts and is ready to get started.

As usual, please let me know if you have any questions about assignments.

3rd and 4th Grade Genius Hour Projects due week of March 23

I need all students to have their research charts on their google drives completed by their class day the week of March 23rd.  Some students are almost finished, others will need to work a lot this week in order to get finished.  If your student was one of the ones that need a lot of work, I helped him or her find reliable sources and there are links copied in their research chart so all they have to do is click the links, read the articles, and type in the answers to the questions.  They shouldn't have to go to any other search engines.  Students who have trouble with internet access may ask to have their research chart and sources printed out so they can hand write at home, they may come after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays to work, and/or they may stay in during their recess time to research.  In order to finish our products, this research must be completed next week.  We will start working on the technology project and the visual in class.  They cannot do either of these pieces without their research completed.

Here is a general timeline:

At Home:  Research Complete by their class day the week of March 23rd
At School:  Work on Technology Projects - weeks of 3/23, 3/30, 4/6
At Home:  Plan for the visual project and gather supplies (more information coming next week)
At School:  Work on visuals - weeks of 4/6, 4/13, and 4/20

Please let me know if you have any questions and how I can help.

Leprechaun Traps - 4th Grade Integrated Reading and Writing Lesson

Today we are going to create a Leprechaun Trap.  What is a Leprechaun trap you ask?  Let's start off by reading a story about one.

Read About It

Discussion Questions

Do you think you can create a Leprechaun Trap? or will the Leprechaun trap you?

Make a plan for your trap and write an expository paper on how to trap a Leprechaun.  Even though your paper is expository, it doesn't have to be completely true :)

4th Grade Challenge Math: Would You Rather

Would You Rather…

Buy a fancy 5-year eco-lightbulb for $9.79?

Or pay 70 cents per lightbulb, but replace them every 5 months?

Whichever answer you choose, please justify your reasoning using mathematics using the Would You Rather Template.  Be sure to copy the template and rename it Would You Rather.Your Name.  You need to also ensure that your assignment is in the folder that is Shared with Mrs. Pogue.  If you do not have this folder set up, please let me know so I can help you.

Would You Rather . . .

Let's put on our thinking caps and solve some fun math problems.

Click here  to get started.  Be sure to show your math work.  Your work may be math problems or it may be mathematical language.  You also need to cite your sources showing where you got your information.

Have fun!

4th Grade Classwork 2.17

Math 

Today we are going to work on classifying quadrilaterals using parallel and perpendicular lines and angles.

Click here to get started

Instead of drawing the shapes on geoboard paper, I would like you to take a picture of the items with your iPads.  You will use the pictures to create a Haiku Deck to define the quadrilaterals you created.  Use  definition of quadrilaterals if you need to.

When you finish the quadrilateral project, then choose one of the following "Would You Rather" math problems.  You will need to do some research no matter which problem you choose.  You will also need to justify your answer using mathematical language.

Let me know when you finish and we will see what's next!

Reading

Today we will read poetry and informational text about Abraham Lincoln.  

Poetry about Abraham Lincoln

Informational Text about Abraham Lincoln

After we read and discuss the text, we are going to write questions for each other to answer and justify using evidence from the text.  We will use this type of graphic organizer to organize our thoughts.  non-fiction graphic organizer

3rd Grade Learning for Week of February 2, 2015

This week I have a challenge for you.  I would like you to respond to this challenge in our journal.  It is important and fairly simple.  I'm looking for 100% participation.

• Think about your Genius Hour project.  Did you choose a topic you are TRULY passionate about?  If you are TRULY passionate about this project, then you would want to read and learn about it all the time, even without being asked to.  Write a journal reflection on your Genius Hour topic considering if you LOVE this idea or not.  It is still ok to change.  Really think about what your passion is.  Your reflection should be at least one paragraph and should tell your honest feelings about your topic.  We will be discussing this in class

Due Dates:

• Friday, 2/6/15

Have fun!  Learn Lots!  Grow Dendrites!  Be Proactive!

4th Grade Learning Extension for Week of February 2, 2015

This week I have two challenges for you.  I would like you to respond to these challenges in our journal.  These are both important and fairly simple.  I'm looking for 100% participation.

• Think about your Genius Hour project.  Did you choose a topic you are TRULY passionate about?  If you are TRULY passionate about this project, then you would want to read and learn about it all the time, even without being asked to.  Write a journal reflection on your Genius Hour topic considering if you LOVE this idea or not.  It is still ok to change.  Really think about what your passion is.  Your reflection should be at least one paragraph and should tell your honest feelings about your topic.  We will be discussing this in class.
• Please bring to class a motivational quote for our Quotable Quotes wall.  Talk with your family.  Maybe your family has a saying.  Write your quote in your journal and it's source.  For example.  
• You have brains in your head.  You have feet in your shoes.  You can steer yourself any direction you choose. - Dr. Seuss
• After you write down your quote, write a short explanation of why you think your quote would be good for our Quotable Quotes wall.

Due Dates:

• Mrs. Martinez' Class is due on Thursday 2/5/15
• Mrs. Padgett and Mrs. Montgomery's class is due on Friday 2/6/15

I would recommend doing your assignments early so you don't have to worry about it next week on mock testing days.

Have fun!  Learn Lots!  Grow Dendrites!

3rd Grade Learning Extensions

In Third Grade, we are reading and discussing our novel Skinnybones in class.  In class on 12/10, we will participate in the Hour of Code by creating a Christmas Card on Scratch.  I think they should have a lot of fun learning to do computer programming.

At home this week, I would like for students to work on Khan Academy to reach their goal of 50% mastery of 3rd grade goals by Christmas break.  Students who reach this goal by Wednesday 12/17 will get to eat lunch in the classroom with me and play games.

Currently, we have one student who has reached this goal and three who are really close.  If students get on Khan academy for 15-20 minutes each day, they should be able to reach this goal.

If you would like to know how close your child is to reaching their goal, feel free to contact Mrs. Pogue.

Fourth Grade Goal Setting - due Tuesday 11/11

Your main assignment at home this week is to work on your college research project.  By next week, you should be at least halfway complete if you are practicing Habit 1:  Being Proactive and using your time wisely.  Remember if you have any questions, please be sure to ask.

As you work on your college research project, I would like for you to also think about Habit 2:  Begin With the End in Mind - having a plan, goal setting.  In your GT journal, I would like for you to write two goals this week . . . .

1. A Reading Goal
2. A Math Goal

I would like your reading goal to be centered around how much time you plan to read each week during the month of January.  Remember, I recommended a minimum of 100 minutes of outside of school reading each week.  Make a plan for how you will get your reading done.  Sometimes my children get their reading done by reading in the car on the way to events.  

 For your math goal, I would like for you to think about your last unit assessment and ask yourself, what is my goal for my next test?  Is your goal to pass the test this time?  Is your goal to get two more questions right on this next one?  Is your goal to score a 90 or above for advanced performance?  Once you have your goal in mind, make a plan for reaching your goal.  Will you draw a strip diagram for each problem to help you determine the operation and steps?  Will you double check your computation?  Will you put stars by the hard questions and go back to recheck them?  Will you use grid paper so that all of your numbers are lined up?

To sum up your learning extensions this week:

• Work on your family college research project
• Write a reading goal
• Write a math goal

Optional Challenges:

• Complete at least three recommended lessons on Khan Academy
• Complete at least three mastery challenges on Khan Academy
• There could be surprises if you work extra hard.  Who will be the next 4th grader to master 50% of the 4th grade math skills?

Have a great learning week!

4th Grade Legendary Learning Extensions for 10/14

Hi there,  I am super excited about you will learn from this video! But be forewarned, you WILL learn new words, it MIGHT be a little bit challenging, but I KNOW that if you pay attention and pause and rewind as you need to, you WILL learn something about YOUR amazing brain!  And let's face it, you are amazing too!   Be sure to read the entire blog so you know what I expect of you this week.  Can you be a legendary learner this week?

While watching this video, I want you to be able to answer the question:  Why is learning important?  I would also like you to identify at LEAST three new words that you learned.  I also have a reflection question at the end of the video.
 

1.  Visit your Edmodo account to respond to this video.  Remember you can pause and rewind a video.  That is the beauty of it for learning!  If you don't hear it the first time, you can listen to it again.
2.  Khan Academy Challenge:  Get all of your recommended lessons done and master at least 3 new skills.
3.  See if you can figure out how to send me an email from your @rcbulldogs.net email acount.  If you can, then tell me why having an email account is exciting.  Be thoughtful in your response.

Comment below in the comments section when you have watched the video and responded in Edmodo.

Have a great week!