October 2018 Newsletter
for Archer & Allen Jay Elementary
The Power of Literate People (4th Grade ELA)
We will continue to explore a variety of literary and informational texts that will help students become empathetic for those who face barriers to literacy. Students will become experts on their pieces of literature and share the experiences that the people they read about have had. We will begin brainstorming what type of service project we can complete to help our school and community become more literate!
I Have A Voice (5th Grade ELA)
Do you know your Human Rights?
Students are working on figuring out what human rights are violated in different areas and how we can be an advocate for human rights. They are reading many different articles about workers' rights and the right to an education. We will be having a Socratic Seminar where the students will discuss human rights and their importance.
Math Quest 4th Grade Math
The students will be wrapping up our Math Quest journey this month. They are continuing to travel through an imaginary land where they are learning how to work cooperatively to solve math problems using different strategies.
The Six Problem Solving Strategies are:
- Guess and Check
- Draw a Picture
- Make a Table or Chart
- Look for a Pattern
- Work Backwards
- Act It Out
Along the way they choose fate cards which allow them to advance, earn gold or could lose points for the day. Their goal is to earn enough points through problem solving to make it through all 7 gates and finally to the treasure!
There are 3 levels of this unit. Last year in third grade they used Level A. Now in fourth grade they will use level B, and current fifth graders will use level C later in the year.
Beyond Base Ten (5th Grade Math)
Do you know which base our number system is? Is it Base Two, Base Five, or Base Ten? In 5th grade math we will be studying about different bases and how the place value system really works. Students will be able to count in different bases, change numbers from one base to another and really explain what place value means. We will be looking at how exponents or "to the power of" helps us understand place value. Check out Khan Academy's websitewww.khanacademy.org or their app to help you understand different bases and place value.
When counting in different bases we read the digits not by what we normally would call them. For example 10 is called one zero. Can you count in Base Five? 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, ??? Do you know what comes next?
Students will be creating their own counting system for their own world. For example they might have a world of 3 fingered aliens that count in Base Three! They will create a their world and explain why the inhabitants use the Base they do. Then they will have examples of how their inhabitants can do business with other inhabitants by changing numerals into other bases!
Social/Emotional Corner from the AG Department
“Gifted” Media: The Catalyst to Rich Discussion
In the past few years, there has been an explosion of giftedness portrayed in both film and TV. Although, the artistic interpretation of giftedness may, at times, be exaggerated and unrealistic, these films/shows can serve as conversation starters among parents and children for exploring their own feelings, observations, and perceptions about what it’s like to be gifted and talented.
In the article, New “Gifted” Media Provide Springboards for Discussion, Dr. Charles Hyatt highlights films and TV shows such as: Gifted (2017, Fox Searchlight); The Queen of Katwe (2016, Disney); Genius (National Geographic Channel); and Young Sheldon (CBS) for the role they have played in bringing the issues of the gifted learner to mainstream media. More importantly, Dr. Hyatt highlights how these films/TV shows help to provide opportunities for families to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the characters portrayed and the similarities they have as it relates to the socialization and achievement of their own gifted learner. Dr. Hyatt, along with Dr. Sylvia Rimm, created the following list of questions that can be used by families to generate rich dialogue to the themes, characters, ideas, and settings represented in media that portrays giftedness:
* What special abilities do the main characters exhibit? Why are these of interest?
* What pressures do the characters of this film/program face? How do they deal with them?
* For films/programs that focus on academic advancement: How do you think the character felt when they had to sit in class and do material they already knew? Have you had similar experiences of felt like the character did?
* For films/programs that focus on a gifted child’s response to adversity: What social and emotional tools did the character use to remain motivated in the face of opposition? How do you influence people’s viewpoints or beliefs to affect change for the greater good?
* How does society view those in the movie with special abilities? How do people view children with special abilities where you live?
* What pressures do these characters feel? How do they address them?
* Do any of the characters not accept their giftedness? Are they perfectionistic, competitive, or not competitive enough? Are there things they could have done differently/better?
* Do you see yourself in any characters presented in this film or program? If so, how?
* What is the difference between the “Hollywood” version of gifted individuals versus the rest of humanity? Are there gifted students who excel in their chosen fields of interest but do not become famous?
* What emotions did you experience as you watched the film or program? How did your body react to the story and events depicted?
* What lessons are the movies trying to portray? Do you agree with these lessons?
* How can your situations be improved by what you learned from watching the film or program?
We may not agree with the plotlines or the portrayal of characters in films/programs that highlight giftedness. However, the use of the reflection questions provided by Dr. Hyatt and Dr. Rimm provide an opportunity for families to find similarities/differences with media representations in order to promote dialogue regarding the academic, social, and emotional needs of their own gifted child.
Hyatt, C., Dr. (2018). New “Gifted” Media Provide Springboards for Discussion. Parenting for High
Potential, 7(1), 2‐3, 20.
3rd Grade Whole Class Services
Now that CogAT is over we are waiting on results to begin our next phase of testing for AG for 3rd graders. Students who performed well on the CogAT will be screened in late October/early November using the IOWA reading and math tests to help us determine AG eligibility.
Whole group lessons will continue. These lessons are meant to help students develop critical thinking skills, and introduce the students to Habits of Mind.
2nd Grade Nurture
Each 2nd grade classroom will receive 7 lessons on a variety of thinking skills to help identify students who may benefit from being in a nurture group for this year only.
We are working on patterning, sorting by attributes (color, size, shape, thickness, etc), classifying, analogies, and equation building.
Students who show great analyzing skills for these different lessons may have the opportunity to continue to build those skills during enrichment lessons later in the year. Parents of these students will be notified once we complete the whole class lessons in early November (at the latest).