Target

2nd /3rd week of 9/24/12 and 10/1/12

This week students focused on learning about the Hubble Telescope through research and discovery.  They will be using this knowledge to evaluate and problem solve like an astronaut.  Students will plan and simulate an imaginary repair of the Hubble.  They will reflect on their plan and its effectiveness.  In addition, we will be learning all about stars and constellations.  In the upcoming weeks, students will create their own constellations.

3rd grade is continuing Hands On Equations every week.  2nd grade has been using the number balances as an introduction to algebraic thinking.  We look forward to another great week!

Homework:  Students in Mrs. Bullard's class need to finish their telescope ads and bring them in Monday!

UPCOMING EVENT:  PLEASE LOOK FOR A PERMISSION SLIP AND ENVELOPE TO COME HOME WITH YOUR CHILD AT THE NEXT TARGET CLASS!

Out of this world websites for 2nd/3rd

Kids Astronomy

Life Cycle of a Star

4th/5th Grade Target Homework

This assignment is due the week of 10/1/12

Students are to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses.  Then they are to come up with an academic goal to work towards this year.  For example, if a student doesn't always participate, their goal could be to take more risks by answering questions in class.  Just write ideas down on a piece of paper and bring it in (nothing formal).  We will meet with them individually next week to go over their goal ideas and what ideas we have to advance them as  students.  Email us if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Mrs. Christofoli, Ms. Boucher, and Mrs. Bullard

Fourth and Fifth Grades: Great Links

Explore this site to see what you can learn about the art of bridge building!

4th Grade Bridges Pictures

Here are a few shots from our pasta bridge activity.  I was amazed at the creativity and strength of the bridges!  Click on the link below.

Thanks,

Mrs. Christofoli

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/113992952381608587573/albums/5791032320343782657?authkey=CPn8qJ_mjZqwtwE

Second and Third Grades Weeks of Sept. 17 and Sept. 24

Both second and third graders are using their convergent thinking each week by using math manipulatives to solve and construct mathematical equations. In the Journey Through Space and Time unit study, students reflected on why divergent thinking was important to Galileo's success as an astronomer, and they will continue to have fun discovering the mysteries of telescopes, specifically the Hubble Space Telescope. Learning about telescopes is the perfect segue into learning about stars. Your children will be navigating a website and researching types of stars as well as the life cycle of a star.

Fourth and Fifth Grades Weeks of Sept. 17 and Sept. 24

Our fourth and fifth graders continue to use their convergent thinking while solving algebraic problems with Hands-On Equations and using clues to solve logic puzzles. They are getting practice with divergent thinking writing narratives using personification of inanimate objects. The Target teachers were very impressed with the narratives in which our students personified a bridge! They used originality, elaboration, flexibility and fluency in their writing and really let their creativity shine!

Our students have also been using their evaluative thinking in Target. Each week they are building various types of bridges using provided materials. Your children are discovering the shapes and architecture that make bridges strong as well as the forces that act upon them. To reinforce these concepts, students will also be navigating a website that will help them learn how to judge which bridges should be built in certain situations. They must have their flash drives for this lesson, as they will be creating a short presentation with the information they've learned.

Week of Sept. 10, 2012 Second and Third Grades

Another short week due to testing means that we missed our students for part of the day.  We're looking forward to seeing them for full days in the future.

We enjoyed seeing our second graders whom we missed over the Labor Day Holiday.  Those of us who had not shared, presented our "Target Kid for Sale" ads.  Such deals!  We'll buy every one!  We reviewed our facts about Galileo and some of us did an experiment to see if his theory of gravity held true.  We made predictions and determined our hypothesis before conducting the experiment to test our predictions.

Third graders in some classes also learned about telescopes and made Venn diagrams to compare and contrast the three basic types:  reflecting, refracting, and catadioptric (combination.)  Next week, we will continue with our study of the telescope.  Third graders also continued with the Hands on Equations they have been learning.

 

Week of Sept. 10, 2012 Fourth and Fifth Grades

Another short week due to testing means that we missed our students for part of the day.  We're looking forward to seeing them for full days in the future.  FIFTH GRADE ONLY:  THERE WILL BE NO TARGET NEXT THURSDAY, SEPT. 20, DUE TO A MANDATORY WORKSHOP FOR ALL COBB COUNTY TARGET TEACHERS.  WE WILL MISS YOU!

This week, we worked on Hands On Equations and did some thinking skill activities.  Some of us were able to tackle our first "bridge challenge," constructing bridges using only the provided materials and testing them for strength.  We are looking forward to similar challenging activities as we continue with our "Ultimate Connections" unit.

HOMEWORK:  Since testing is over, some of us (all of Mrs. Bullard's class and a few others) will be writing bridge narratives for homework.  It will be fun to see what life as a bridge would be like if bridges were personified.

 

 

Week of Sept. 3, 2012 Second and Third Grades

Due to the Labor Day holiday, second grade did not have Target this week.  We missed our Monday friends and look forward to seeing you next week.

Third graders had a shortened day due to testing.  We shared our "Target Kid for Sale" ads and learned a lot about each other's strengths.  We enjoyed finding out about our classmates.

We worked on Hands On Equations and then reviewed what we had learned about Galileo.  Some of us did an experiment which replicated one done by Isaac Newton to prove Galileo's theory of gravity.  The rest of us will do this next week.