Target

First Grade: Week of February 28, 2011

Hope everyone enjoyed their February Break. Today was our birthday celebration for Dr. Seuss, born March 2, 1904.

We jumped right back into our Target day with a quick share of our break week and a big "shaking" of our brains to get them active again.  We started with our analytical thinking skills with two logic puzzles, Clown Capers and Turtles with Hats.  Then moved into our focus book for the day.  Today we read The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins.  This was Dr. Seuss's second book written in 1938.  We examined the rich vocabulary and added 5 new words to our vocabulary bags; impudent, lurch, stammer, solemn, and pudgy. We did some complicated math story problems with Bartholomew's many hats, as well as using our creative talents to design a new hat for Bartholomew.  We sharpened our word smart skills with a connection activity and some more fun word plexors.  We ended the day starting on our Winter Blinker activity.

 

Week of February 14, 2011

We will be taking our trip to the Georgia Aquarium this week! The schedule includes a self-guided tour, a shark lesson given by an instructor, and a 4-D movie! Students will be encouraged to recall what has been learned about fish and sharks as they are viewing the marine life that is just a short drive away. We will be leaving at 9:15 in the morning and, if all goes as planned, returning before 2:00.

Second and Third Grade: Week of February 14, 2011

The day started challenging our analytical and creative thinking skills through various activities as HOE, number junctions, a logic puzzle, "Gotta Think" and "Waker Upper" activities. 

We focused our archaeological studies on testing our observation skills with  "Folcaby's Dig".  We returned to our 'time machine' to the cradle of civilization in Mesopotamia. We reviewed the high points of this civilization and tried our skill at cuneiform writing on clay tablets, and a Babylonian math lesson. We examined tools commonly used by archaeologists.  For homework, students need to use their creative problem solving skills and design a new useful tool for archaeologists. (For above and beyond students may even try to make a 3D model of their new invention).  We ended the day meeting Arizona Smith (video) who took us on an archaeological adventure to Mesopotamia.

Please return your field trip form to the Carlos Museum as soon as possible. Hope everyone has a wonderful February Break.

 

 

 

First Grade: Week of February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day! We started the day challenging our analytical thinking skills. The first graders are getting sharper each week solving their logic puzzles and word plexors.  We had fun with rhyming words and an introduction to the usage of a rhyming dictionary, before we read the Dr. Seuss classic Green Eggs and Ham.   We discussed the emotions involved in trying new experiences. Ask your students how and why Dr. Seuss wrote this classic book. Students used their creative talents to transform a green egg.  We ended the day a bit early so students could join their homeroom classmates for their Valentine celebration. Hope all of you have a wonderful February Break. 

 

Fourth and Fifth Grades Week of February 7, 2011

This week our fourth and fifth graders are busy creating 3-dimensional models of thier very own fish! They are required to write an "encyclopedia" entry on their creations. The models are looking great thus far, but many students were unable to finish it and/or the written portion in class, so homework is to complete it, and bring it ready to present during the next Target session.

We will be taking our trip to the Georgia Aquarium next week! Thank you to the chaperones who volunteered to come. Please arrive at 8:45, and come to your child's Target teacher's classroom. If you have not turned in your permission slip yet, please do so asap. We are looking forward to this fun and informational experience!

Second and Third Grade: Week of February 7, 2011

Today we welcomed back the Carlos Museum in school program.  Students got a taste of Greek culture and mythology with the program "Odysseus."

In class third graders continued developing their HOE(Hands on Equation) skills, while second grade used their analytical math skills to complete the next level number junctions puzzles. 

Students shared their stratum.  What will archaeologists in the future discover in our layer of the earth? We started our study on our first civilization, Mesopotamia. Our learning clubs located the Fertlile Crescent on the team's world map.  We read a handout as well as view a powerpoint on the  The Cradle of Civilization  and began recording important information in our graphic organizer.

Please look for field trip permission form and envelope for our field trip to the Carlos Museum in March. Please let your Target teacher know if you would like to join us as a chaperon.

First Grade: Week of February 7, 2011

Today was "Turtle Day."  We woke up our brains with our weekly rap "Shake Your Brain."  We challenged our analytical thinking skills with some turtle logic puzzles.

Our featured book today was Yertle the Turtle.  We began with a hot discussion on leaders good and bad, and the rights of the common turtles/people.  We reexamined Dr. Seuss's use of rhyme and how he likes to make-up rhyming words.  For vocabulary, we noted the many varied words Dr. Seuss used instead of just writing "said," like bellowed, brayed, howled, groaned, snorted, etc.  We used our creative role playing skills to model these vivid action words. Since research is a major focus in Target, we introduced basic research skills today.  We examined some non-fiction books and sources on turtles.  Students then did their own research for a turtle fact and wrote it on their turtle's back.  Students were asked to find at least two facts, but several students chose to go above and beyond with their research.  For a creative end to our "Turtle Day," students designed their own paper plate turtle, creating their own patterns on the carapace (top shell) and plastron (bottom shell). Once our turtles are all finished we will stack them and measure our stack. We completed our busy day with the video of Yertle the Turtle.