PACE October News
Attention Parents:
First Grade
First Grade is Focused on Fluency and Flexibility!
In First Grade PACE we are using our learning to apply critical, creative, and logical thinking to different situations and problems. We thought with Fluency as we brainstormed ideas. We started with naming as many things that we could think of that were blue. Then moved to more abstract lists like things that are invisible!
Flexibility was next! We began to look at topics in a new and different ways.We all enjoyed seeing everyone's visual and written interpretation of Flexibility with the alphabet. First Graders Flipped their letters around and showed how the letters were masquerading as new ideas as we created our own books!
Second Grade
Second Grade PACE has jumped into the world of CODING!
We are understanding how exact and precise commands are necessary for programming. Second graders have articulated steps in a simple algorithm and are communicating ideas through codes and symbols.
We have adopted some new friends along the way! Let us introduce you to our class pets!
These little friends are here to help us as we go through our code line by line. Speaking our code out loud to our new little friends will help us find out our problems and help us pay close attention to details.
https://blog.wsol.com/how-a-rubber-duck-taught-me-to-be-a-better-programmer
https://pressupinc.com/blog/2014/06/psychology-underlying-power-rubber-duck-debugging/
Third Grade
Third graders are developing and applying their inductive and deductive reasoning skills to construct logical conclusions in our GREAT CHOCOLATE CAPER mystery. We have looked at evidence in the crime scene and are differentiating between valid and invalid assumptions. We have even explored motives and solved logic problems using matrices.
Take a look at our great team work below!
Fourth Grade
We analyzed how some amazing people like Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Walt Disney, and Michael Jordan (to name a few) had many obstacles to overcome in order to achieve success. We're now moving on to looking at ourselves as leaders and how our personality traits shape our leadership styles. Lots of self-reflection and good discussion!
We have begun a research project over a leader of our choice. Ask your child who they are researching.
Ever wondered if two heads are better than one? A little experiment had some natural leaders arise amoung us even when we couldn't say a word!
Here was the challenge:
Use the index cards to build the largest three-dimensional structure possible in 10 minutes.
One problem: You cannot talk or write notes to team members.
NO SOUNDS WHATSOEVER!
Work in your area.
Do not use anything to support your building other than the index cards.
If the structure falls, you must start over.
The students analyzed who the leaders in the groups were and why the groups that were able to work together made structures that were taller than other groups.
Fifth Grade
Why should we care about our individual rights?
Why is it important to be an engaged and responsible citizen?
Does it matter if we understand another's position on an issue?
We are studying governing documents that affect our lives today. We will analyze and discuss the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. This will lead us into court cases and mock trials!
Deanna Lowenthal
PACE
Email: Deanna.Lowenthal@pisd.edu
Location: 7500 Marchman Way, Plano, TX, USA
Phone: 469-752-2376