December PACE News
PACE with Mrs. Lowenthal and Mrs. Chesser
PACE Parent Handbook
First Grade
Our first graders are thinking creatively through the acronym of SCAMPER. We have worked through letters S and C.
“S” is for substitute! This creative technique allows us to replace one thing with another while keeping the same basic structure. We thought of our friend “Old McDonald” and what it would be like for him to have a something other than a farm. In our 21st Century version Old McDonald has technology!
“C” is for combine! Students were challenged to combine two stories or characters any familiar fairy tale, like in the story Yours Truly Goldilocks. They created puppets and scripts. It was so fun hearing what these extra-special characters would say to one another if they met.
Look for videos of the puppet shows to come! I'm still working on finding a way to email or share their puppet show videos with you all.
Second Grade
Third Grade
Third graders concluded the semester with successfully solving the mystery of the chocolate caper! Learning and practicing syllogisms allowed for the success. We also learned about how to discriminate between useful facts and extraneous information.
Some of our key terms this unit have been:
assumption
valid assumption
false assumption
motive
suspect
generalizations
conclusions
alibi
substantiate
syllogism
premise
deductive reasoning
We have also been continuing reading about the amazing world of science and the solar system in George's Secret Key to the Universe.
Fourth Grade
We also learned that leaders can be followers too! We went through a team building activity where groups were challenged to invent a device in a limited time that could launch a pom pom into the air. The groups evaluated how they worked as a team and what obstacles and successes they faced. The most successful group managed to launch their pom pom 388 inches!
Fifth Grade
Fifth graders have expanded their knowledge of the First and Fourth Amendments. We have looked at numerous landmark court cases and even had some healthy debates over these precedent cases. Students learned how to respond to the points offered by the opposing team with a counter argument or rebuttal. Fifth graders quickly found out that proper note taking during the opposing team's argument allowed them to prepare more appropriately.
Some cases we have taken a closer look at include New Jersey v. TLO (1985) and Vernonia School District v. Acton (1995).
Want more practice at home? This is a fun computer law simulation called ICivics, where the students have their own virtual law firm, and they have to match cases with the corresponding amendment.
We also have taken a look at Intellectual Property and are growing our understanding of when we use patents, copyrights, and trademarks.
We have begun our book study of John Grisham's novel Theodore Boone Kid Lawyer. This has helped us understand the "language of the discipline" of law and a courtroom.
Mathews PACE Contact Info
Email: Deanna.Lowenthal@pisd.edu
Location: Mathews Elementary School, Marchman Way, Plano, TX, USA
Phone: 469-752-2367