MGSD AIG/Enrich Updates for Staff
November 2023
Differentiation - A Small Step for Teachers, a Giant Leap for Student Growth and Engagement!
Vocabulary: Scrunch to Stretch
Students use their bodies as a rating scale....scrunched all the way to the floor is a 0 (no way - worst thing ever) and standing on tip toes with arms stretched up is a 10 (yes - for sure - always!).
Pose a question to the class using one of your target vocab words:
How much would you like to… Eat a sliver of pie? After they scrunch to stretch, call on one or two to explain their rating. (Ben, why are you a 0? Because I don't like pie. Khalil, why are you a 0? Because I want more than a sliver! I want a BIG piece! Shanelle, why are you a 10? Because my mom's chocolate pie is my favorite! I even choose it for my birthday "cake"!) Then, if possible, ask a follow up question.....what if it was a sliver of a MUD PIE?! Then a new question: How much would you like to… Find a coiled snake in your garden?
And so on....
Hands on Equations
- Practice writing equations in different ways (2+3=5 AND 5=2+3)
- Finding the variable / unknown
- Critical thinking
It would also be applicable for upper grades, as the lessons continue and build upon each other. If you would like to schedule a Hands on Equations lesson for your class, please reach out and we will work out a time for me to come and demonstrate!
Discovery Education Highlight
Virtual Field Trips
For more info, click the links below:
A Plant's Life - Life Cycle of Plants by Longwood Gardens; Best for Grades 1-4; FREE
Latino Art & Culture by Smithsonian American Art Museum; Best for Grades 4-12; FREE
LOTS of option from the Pro Football Hall of Fame! I did several of these last year (Women in the NFL w/ 4th Grade, History of Black College Football HOF and HBCUs w/ 5th grade, Careers in the NFL w/ 6th grade). Most of these can be catered to ANY grade level. The best part - they're all FREE!
The Science of Fire! by FASNY Museum of Firefighting : Join Professor Sparks in her lab as she and her robot canine companion, Spot 2000, take your class through concepts such as the elements of fire, heat and fuel sources, chemical reactions, and much more. This fast pace program with music and sound effects will be an experience your class will not forget. Grades 3-4 FREE!
From previous newsletters - worth revisiting
Enrichment Slides - Quarter 2
I hope you're finding these helpful! As a reminder, these are listed on the PreK - 5 Website under the Enrichment tab. I will also list them here.
MGSD STEM Library
As you are thinking about clubs - if any of these resources can be a help, we can discuss checking them out a quarter (or more) at a time!
Amy Smith
Mon/Tues - MIS
Wed/Thurs - EMIS
Fri AM - By appointment, C&I Meetings
Fri PM - Elementary Schools (rotation)
My office is at MIS, so if you need to send something via courier, it goes there.
Email: amysmith@mgsd.k12.nc.us
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/mgsd.k12.nc.us/mrs-amy-smith-s-website/?usp=sharing
Phone: 704-677-2368