7th Grade GSS Weekly Update
Week of 5/4-5/8
Classroom Happenings
Election:
Even though it's quite simplified, when I first played the game a couple years ago, I understood the concept behind it much better. If you haven’t gotten a chance to play but would like to, here’s the link to the game.
Budget:
When I reviewed the budgets the students created last month, I saw some errors that revealed their lack of practical experience with things. To help them gain some perspective of how much things cost in the real world, I’ve given them an assignment to review the budget they created and choose one of 5 questions to answer about real life spending.
To answer their question, they should use online shopping sites and any other sources that may be helpful for them. In the directions, I suggested that You, the adults at home, have all kinds of experience with the “real world.” Please feel free to help them in whatever way makes sense to you. I told them there are a lot of right ways to do this. They just need to answer the question and explain their thinking in a way that makes sense.
I hope this is both practical and fun. (You can tell them it’s “school fun, not fun fun” and they’ll understand what I mean.)
Weekend Challenge: On Friday I will post a challenge that will carry into next week. Bubble Extravaganza by Webster Project Plus and gifted teachers in elementary and middle school. You can find a link to the challenge here.
Upcoming Due Dates
Recording History:
The students’ 7th and last entry in their journal/blog/vlog/etc. is due at the end of the week on 5/14
Budget “digging deeper” activity: I originally planned this assignment for Wednesday of week so they would finish it before the weekend. Because I had some technical difficulties, it wasn’t assigned until Thursday. It will not be due until the end of next week on 5/14.
Third Quarter work: All projects from 3rd quarter, when we were in “regular school,” should be turned in so they can be included as part of their semester grade. This is due Friday, May 8. Please let me know if you have questions
Parent Resources
In our election activities throughout the year, they sometimes know who they would vote for, but not always why. www.isidewith.com is an interesting source that allows people to talk about how candidates and issues align with our own values. It may be a great way to start a conversation with the kids.
General Information
This Week: Distance Learning for Gifted Social Studies
This file has contact information and a weekly overview of what we will be working on. It also has slides from the previous weeks.
Contact:
You can call or text me at 314-384-9940. I established this new number specifically for communicating when I am not in the school building. I will check it frequently and get back to you within 24 hours.
My daily office hours are from 12:30-1:30 for immediate support.
My email hasn’t changed and is always convenient.
Catch up on GSS-7: If you would like to review a past weekly update, please go to our webpage to catch up on the archived updates.