Wrapping Things Up!
The students have been working on their Rube Goldberg Machines and presented them this week. They had to create a Rube Goldberg Machine that would perform a simple task. The machine MUST have included at least 3 simple machines that held a specific purpose for the task. As students were working their were focusing on "forces," simple machines, and collaboration
The students loved working collaboratively on this task and while not all of the machines worked the first time, as scientists we did not get discouraged we identified the problem(s) and suggested solutions. If only we had more time to make improvements!
Creating Rube Goldberg Machines is a great summer activity that can be done with limited materials (in fact that makes it more challenging). If you create a Rube Goldberg Machine over the summer, please take a picture and share it with me when you return in September!
Wishing you all a safe and happy summer! I hope to see you all next year!
The students loved working collaboratively on this task and while not all of the machines worked the first time, as scientists we did not get discouraged we identified the problem(s) and suggested solutions. If only we had more time to make improvements!
Creating Rube Goldberg Machines is a great summer activity that can be done with limited materials (in fact that makes it more challenging). If you create a Rube Goldberg Machine over the summer, please take a picture and share it with me when you return in September!
Wishing you all a safe and happy summer! I hope to see you all next year!
Creating a Complex Machine to Complete a Simple Task
This week students used their notes from a short video that we watched about simple machines to analyze and identify the simple machines in a Rube Goldberg cartoon. The students had some great conversations while doing so and realized that Goldberg is using many simple machines to create a complex machine that will complete a simple task. They also related this to some of our Big Ideas for the year like, "systems are made up of smaller systems, and systems have parts that work together to complete a task." The students even started to work in groups to sketch a Rube Goldberg machine of their own. This is how we will complete the year! They are VERY excited for this! The students have asked if they can bring in materials for their simple machines and that is always helpful as I do have materials but may not have all of the items for special requests! Thank you for your continued support! I will send a message on DOJO after testing.
Who is Rube Goldberg and Why Should we Study him?
The students are transitioning their thinking of SYSTEMS to Rube Goldberg. Did you know that Rube Goldberg was an engineer who quit his job only to become a famous cartoonist. He was able to combine his talents from engineering and art to create cartoons which depict the now famous Rube Goldberg machines. It is pretty impressive! Over the past two weeks the students have spent time researching Goldberg and studying one of his cartoons. They even viewed a recent music video by the group, "OK Go" which uses a huge Rube Goldberg machine as it's background.
GATE will be interrupted due to testing but the students will begin putting their SYSTEMS knowledge to use as they design their own Rube Goldberg machine! Check out the music video below!
GATE will be interrupted due to testing but the students will begin putting their SYSTEMS knowledge to use as they design their own Rube Goldberg machine! Check out the music video below!
Transferring Ideas Continued!
.....because there can NEVER be enough "transfer." Right? Not in this GATE classroom! The students continued to work with their "Block Party" passages from last week. We began the week with a Socratic Seminar to refresh our memories and to help switch our thinking from the content of the passages to the Big Ideas in relation to SYSTEMS. Then the students were challenged to make a claim in response to the passages. The students were challenged to choose 2 passages and make a claim about how they were similar OR different (please keep in mind that the students had to keep that SYSTEMS thinking in the foreground when stating how they were similar or different). Prior to students beginning their claim they were given the rubric to analyze, annotate, and question in order to be informed about the assessment criteria. Students also used a claim organizer prior to writing that will help them organize their thoughts. We don't waste a minute in this classroom!
Re-Visiting our "Big Ideas" and Transferring Ideas!
This group never ceases to amaze me! After completing their essays this week the students were tasked at refining their Big Ideas about SYSTEMS. All year long we have been focused on what makes systems successful. While this is important to understand, it is also important to try and understand what makes a system fail. To do so the students read an article about the recent "Flint Water Crisis" and held a discussion to talk about system failures. I love listening to these guys talk about their ideas. Afterwards, we were able to refine our list of Big Ideas about systems.
The students also participated in a "Block Party" to analyze different passages of text (from the classroom) and think about them in terms of our concept; SYSTEMS! In groups students had time to read and discuss the passage, then they identified Big Ideas from our chart OR created new Big Ideas that we should explore about SYSTEMS. They were able to rotate through 4 different passages and we had a mini discussion about them afterwards. The students were so engaged with this activity and were pretty upset when I had to dismiss the group that they asked "Can we have a discussion next time about this?" Of course this made my heart smile! Anytime students want to go deeper into a concept we go for it! This was a great activity that allowed the students to look at familiar topics (those that were studied in the classroom) in a different way! I can't wait to see what next week brings!
The students also participated in a "Block Party" to analyze different passages of text (from the classroom) and think about them in terms of our concept; SYSTEMS! In groups students had time to read and discuss the passage, then they identified Big Ideas from our chart OR created new Big Ideas that we should explore about SYSTEMS. They were able to rotate through 4 different passages and we had a mini discussion about them afterwards. The students were so engaged with this activity and were pretty upset when I had to dismiss the group that they asked "Can we have a discussion next time about this?" Of course this made my heart smile! Anytime students want to go deeper into a concept we go for it! This was a great activity that allowed the students to look at familiar topics (those that were studied in the classroom) in a different way! I can't wait to see what next week brings!
Finishing Touches.
Students are working on putting their finishing touches on their Mayor Essay. While the official dead has passed, I will be offering lunch in my room and "Eagle Bucks" to 3 finalists. I don't want the students hard work to be for nothing!
Happy Spring Break!
Happy first evening of Spring Break! Hopefully some Spring-like weather will find its way to us soon! In the meantime the students have been working hard on their essays. Unfortunately due to the Spring snowstorm last week we will not be able to submit our essays in the actual contest. The students just didn't have enough time to write them properly. I would rather take more time to do a good job than rush through something just to get it done. However, I was able to come up with a solution to our little problem. The students have worked SO hard that we will hold our own contest within the GATE classroom. The original contest called for winners to have dinner in Annapolis and receive a cash reward....well, I am offering the top three essay winners lunch in my room (school lunch) and Eagle Bucks! While the students were disappointed at first, they really seemed to like my alternative plan and are still VERY motivated to get those Eagle Bucks! Wishing you all a very safe, happy, and relaxing break!
Laying it All Out!
This week the students looked at some different argumentative essays to identify commonalities among them that they saw, take time to think about what these commonalities mean, and to ask questions about argumentative essays. After a brief discussion the students began to work in a graphic organizer so that they can gather their thoughts and begin writing next week. We also had two visitors in the room who are currently enrolled at Frostburg as Juniors and are observing for their coursework and they commented on how passionate these students are about their topics! I completely agree, as when students left on Thursday I was asked multiple time, "Can I take this home and work on it for homework?" As an educator, when students ask to take their work home because of their passion, it makes my heart smile!
Research
The students spent this week researching their self-selected topic for their essay. It has been so exciting to watch the students get excited about their topic and think of clever ways to solve a real world problem! Next week we will look at argumentative essays and the students will work on graphic organizers to lay out their writing.
Brainstorming Essays
This week the students read two articles about Mayors from around the globe that were tackling problems by thinking outside of the box. The students participated in a Socratic Seminar in an effort to share ideas and relate it back to their Mayor essay contest. With all of their background knowledge the students also started to brainstorm ideas that they could write about. They used charts that we had created as a class to remind them of the responsibilities of a mayor as well as the Charter of Hagerstown. They created graphic organizers in which they listed their topic and started writing questions or possible problems for their topic. We will begin researching next week.
What do Mayors Do?
The fourth grade GATE students are still in the brainstorming phases o f their Mayor Essay writing contest. In order to equip them with accurate information this week we looked at the actual Charter of Hagerstown so that we could see exactly what the Mayor and the City Council do. It is quite the SYSTEM that must work together in order to provide the needed services for the community! The students also read two articles from newsela about the efforts of some mayors. They participated in two visual thinking protocols in which they "Saved the Last Word" and found things that they learned, found interesting, and questions. Next week we will discuss both articles as a class and how they relate to the essay contest as well as really begin to brainstorm topics for their essays.
Modeling and Political Science
What a crazy week it has been! While the weather outside may have been frightful and have granted us 2 snow days the atmosphere in the GATE space was business as usual! The students were asked to model a Socratic Seminar or discussion for a 4th grade class AND they also dug a little deeper into Political Science by researching municipalities. They will continue to hone in on their researching skills as they go deeper into Hagerstown's municipal government so that they can write an informed essay tot he Mayor of Hagerstown! Great job guys!
4th Grade Contest!
The students began their time in GATE by engaging in a Socratic Seminar, one of their favorite past times (and mine too)! Students analyzed an article through the lens of one of the Depth and Complexity icons and then engaged in discussion so that we could attack the article from many different angles.
The students were also introduced to the 4th Grade Mayor's Essay contest. All 4th grade students in the state of Maryland are invited to write an essay in which they state what they would do if they were Mayor. We spent this week unpacking the prompt and really analyzing what it is asking of us. We will be thinking like a political scientists for the next couple of week so the students researched what a political scientist is so that they can work on the prompt. Next week we will look exclusively at Hagerstown's municipality and begin to identify trends and formulate ideas for the contest.
The students were also introduced to the 4th Grade Mayor's Essay contest. All 4th grade students in the state of Maryland are invited to write an essay in which they state what they would do if they were Mayor. We spent this week unpacking the prompt and really analyzing what it is asking of us. We will be thinking like a political scientists for the next couple of week so the students researched what a political scientist is so that they can work on the prompt. Next week we will look exclusively at Hagerstown's municipality and begin to identify trends and formulate ideas for the contest.
Welcome to the Third Marking Period!
The past two weeks have been a little crazy in the GATE space as we have had days off, delays, and testing. In the time that we did have together the students had the opportunity to wrap up unfinished work while I individually conferenced with them about their progress in GATE. Together we discussed their individual journeys and created goals for the new marking period.
While reading an article about the upcoming Olympics the students naturally slipped right into a Socratic Seminar to discuss the ETHICS of North Korea sending a team to the Olympics. I could not be more proud of this group of students for holding their own spontaneous academic debate!
While reading an article about the upcoming Olympics the students naturally slipped right into a Socratic Seminar to discuss the ETHICS of North Korea sending a team to the Olympics. I could not be more proud of this group of students for holding their own spontaneous academic debate!
Searching for Trends
This week the students used Maryland's employment or job system to look for trends. The students read a brief history of Maryland and identified different jobs during different periods of time. Then we looked deep into the jobs that Marylanders have had (with the help of the "TRENDS" Depth and Complexity icon) to look for trends. The students determined that while we still have MANY of the original jobs that the first Marylanders had they have evolved or changed over time due to new technologies and advancements. They also concluded that Maryland has some jobs that other states may not due to our geographic location such as our rich farming and agricultural industry and our shipmen.
Welcome Back!
The fourth grade GATE students wasted no time getting right back into the swing of things! After completing some research on a self-selected system in Maryland the students then made a claim about their system and combined their research and our Big Ideas about Systems to support their claim.
Busy, Busy Busy End of the Year!
Extremely busy and extremely productive is the only way that I can describe the 4th grade GATE students in this last week of the year. The students began the week by looking at a map of when the 50 states were granted statehood and identifying trends (using Kaplan's Depth and Complexity icons).
Then students were introduced to their next topic of study and chose a partner to work with (if they wanted). As we begin the new year students have determined a SYTEM in Maryland that they would like to research more in order to see if it fits our definition of a system by looking at the BIG IDEAS of systems that we identified earlier in the year. Students were also introduced to Cornell Notes to organize their their thoughts.
On the last day of school some students were not able to come due to classroom obligations so the students who did choose to come worked through a New Year's Eve STEM challenge. It is often hard for students at this age to stay up to watch the ball drop and celebrate the New Year....So students were challenged to make a SYSTEM that will drop a ball in exactly 10 seconds. Students chose their teams, evaluated the materials that they would have available, designed, tested, re-designed. It was AMAZING! In the end each of the 3 teams was able to create a functioning ball drop SYSTEM!
Wishing you and your family a safe, fun, relaxing Winter Break with friends and family!
Then students were introduced to their next topic of study and chose a partner to work with (if they wanted). As we begin the new year students have determined a SYTEM in Maryland that they would like to research more in order to see if it fits our definition of a system by looking at the BIG IDEAS of systems that we identified earlier in the year. Students were also introduced to Cornell Notes to organize their their thoughts.
On the last day of school some students were not able to come due to classroom obligations so the students who did choose to come worked through a New Year's Eve STEM challenge. It is often hard for students at this age to stay up to watch the ball drop and celebrate the New Year....So students were challenged to make a SYSTEM that will drop a ball in exactly 10 seconds. Students chose their teams, evaluated the materials that they would have available, designed, tested, re-designed. It was AMAZING! In the end each of the 3 teams was able to create a functioning ball drop SYSTEM!
Wishing you and your family a safe, fun, relaxing Winter Break with friends and family!
Looking for Trends in the United States!
Fourth grade will now shift their focus to identifying SYSTEMS within Maryland. In order to kick off this unit the students were asked to examine the 50 United States; specifically the order in which they were granted statehood. The students created a timeline and color coded a map of the united states based on when states were given statehood. Next the students will look for trends. Once we've determined the trends we will shift our focus to Maryland and begin examining the SYSTEMS within Maryland and why we have them.
Making Claims and Citing Sources!
This group of 4th graders never ceases to amaze me! This week they worked through a new protocol that will help them analyze graphics called OPTIC. OPTIC stands for Overview, Parts of the Picture, Title, Interrelated, Conclusion and it guides students through analyzing, in depth, all aspects of a graphic. The students then used the information from their OPTIC to make a claim about a work of art. It was amazing to see the level of understanding that was uncovered!
The students will be transitioning into a mini-unit about Maryland in which they will be researching. To help with researching the students watched a short clip about why we need to cite our sources and were introduced to a great FREE website called easybib.com. It is so important that students cite their work for many reasons; to stay out of trouble, to give credit to an author, to make themselves look more credible, to give evidence to a claim, and to help the reader understand where information came from are just a few reasons to cite our sources. You can check it out by clicking on the button below.
The students will be transitioning into a mini-unit about Maryland in which they will be researching. To help with researching the students watched a short clip about why we need to cite our sources and were introduced to a great FREE website called easybib.com. It is so important that students cite their work for many reasons; to stay out of trouble, to give credit to an author, to make themselves look more credible, to give evidence to a claim, and to help the reader understand where information came from are just a few reasons to cite our sources. You can check it out by clicking on the button below.
Geography Bee!!
Congratulations to the following students for earning a position as a finalist for our Geography Bee which will be held on Friday, January 5th, 2018.
Mrs. Gembe: Timothy
Mrs. Auxier: Heidy (1st alternate)
Mrs. Atupem: Madison
Mr. Burton: Emma
Ms. Wallace: Chloe and Isatou
Ms. Souders: Dianna
Ms. Janosko: Breanna, Stephanie, Sierra, Julieus, Hailee (2nd alternate)
All students in 4th and 5th grade took a standard Geography test. The top 10 scores have qualified as finalists and we have two alternates who should study just as hard in case a finalists is not present on January 5th. Our finalists and alternates were given an Atlas (that will need to be returned after the Bee) as well as access to a Google Classroom that is set up with study sites. I will be offering voluntary "study sessions" during your child's lunch period on Wednesdays as well as some before school sessions (see letter that was sent home with finalists/alternates). Parents of finalists/alternates please email me (or send a note into school) with your child's t-shirt size so that I can order "Geography Bee Finalists" shirts (free for students).
Mrs. Gembe: Timothy
Mrs. Auxier: Heidy (1st alternate)
Mrs. Atupem: Madison
Mr. Burton: Emma
Ms. Wallace: Chloe and Isatou
Ms. Souders: Dianna
Ms. Janosko: Breanna, Stephanie, Sierra, Julieus, Hailee (2nd alternate)
All students in 4th and 5th grade took a standard Geography test. The top 10 scores have qualified as finalists and we have two alternates who should study just as hard in case a finalists is not present on January 5th. Our finalists and alternates were given an Atlas (that will need to be returned after the Bee) as well as access to a Google Classroom that is set up with study sites. I will be offering voluntary "study sessions" during your child's lunch period on Wednesdays as well as some before school sessions (see letter that was sent home with finalists/alternates). Parents of finalists/alternates please email me (or send a note into school) with your child's t-shirt size so that I can order "Geography Bee Finalists" shirts (free for students).
Making Claims!
This week was all about Claims! Students will be expected to make claims throughout their elementary, middle, and high school careers; and beyond depending on the line of work that they choose. In learning about claims students came to the realization that making a claim is actually a system in and of itself because to make a strong/valid claim you must have the claim, evidence, and reasoning. The students were able to determine that these PARTS work together to create the claim and that if one PART is weak, then the whole claim will be weak! The level of thinking that these students are showing blows me away every day!
You may be asking yourself how do you make a claim? Allow me to explain. To make a claim is actually fairly easy. Students begin by making a statement of what they believe to be true (this is the claim), then they must support it with evidence (this could be data, text, graphics), and lastly they must provide reasoning. The reasoning explains why the evidence supports the claim.
Students began crafting claims by looking at different art work. They first made a conclusion (claim), then analyzed the artwork for evidence, and then stated why they believe that the evidence supported the claim. They also made their own graphic organizers to help them remember the different parts of a claim. Then students took their knowledge of claims to a text example in which they had to choose one of our big ideas about systems as a claim and then support it with evidence from the text.
You may be asking yourself how do you make a claim? Allow me to explain. To make a claim is actually fairly easy. Students begin by making a statement of what they believe to be true (this is the claim), then they must support it with evidence (this could be data, text, graphics), and lastly they must provide reasoning. The reasoning explains why the evidence supports the claim.
Students began crafting claims by looking at different art work. They first made a conclusion (claim), then analyzed the artwork for evidence, and then stated why they believe that the evidence supported the claim. They also made their own graphic organizers to help them remember the different parts of a claim. Then students took their knowledge of claims to a text example in which they had to choose one of our big ideas about systems as a claim and then support it with evidence from the text.
Systems, Systems, Everywhere!
The students were introduced, for the first time this year, to Dr. Sandra Kaplan's Depth and complexity icons. These icons were developed as a way take students beyond the concrete and begin to reason abstractly. The students did a great job with this task. They began by reading a familiar text with a twist! Prior to reading the task the students were given an icon and were asked to read the text and think solely about the icon. They jotted down ideas and questions and then we came together and discussed the story! Many new insights were gained. Check out the link below for a more in depth definition of the Depth and Complexity Icons.
The students also worked through a new protocol called "Connect, Extend, Challenge" in which they read an article that compared the U.S. Customary system to the Metric system. The students made many great connections between the systems that they read about in their text as well as these measurement systems. And of course we followed it up with a discussion!
The students also worked through a new protocol called "Connect, Extend, Challenge" in which they read an article that compared the U.S. Customary system to the Metric system. The students made many great connections between the systems that they read about in their text as well as these measurement systems. And of course we followed it up with a discussion!
Meeting of the Minds!
This was a short week for us due to a fabulous Veteran's Day Program on Thursday. GATE students from the Green and Gold side had to meet separately due to conflicting schedules but both groups participated in an amazing Socratic Seminar. The students have read a story about "enchanted sticks" and were asked to think about how this story relates to our big Concept of Systems and then discuss their ideas with each other. It was amazing to not only hear the student's thoughts but to see them defend their ideas with evidence from the text as well as from our Big Ideas about Concepts. I was so amazed by the discussion that I forgot to take pictures! I'll get some next time!
Systems Have Parts that Work Together
This week students participated in a "Block Party" protocol. In this protocol students initially worked together in a group to determine the meaning of a quote about systems. Then each member became the expert and formed a new group with students who had different quotes and they shared their knowledge. It was great to see the students discussing their ideas and taking ownership of "teaching" the other students in their second group the meaning of their quote.
The students also showcased their inquisitive and perceptive behaviors as they read a story about "enchanted sticks" was they recorded their thoughts on a "Wonder, Infer, Question" graphic organizer. Students were able to make amazing connections between our concept of Systems and the story. They also worked together in a group to answer a higher order question. We will take this information and hold a "meeting of the minds" or a Socratic Seminar next week to discuss our ideas.
The students also showcased their inquisitive and perceptive behaviors as they read a story about "enchanted sticks" was they recorded their thoughts on a "Wonder, Infer, Question" graphic organizer. Students were able to make amazing connections between our concept of Systems and the story. They also worked together in a group to answer a higher order question. We will take this information and hold a "meeting of the minds" or a Socratic Seminar next week to discuss our ideas.
Concept Development
This week the students used critical thinking skills to work through the Taba Model of Concept Development. This model was created by Hilda Taba and focuses on inductive thinking. The model walks children through the creation of generalizations from a student-created list about the concept.
Fourth grade students will be working with the concept of Systems. Using the Taba method is such a powerful way for students to take ownership of their learning because the generalizations are based off of their own ideas! We will keep these generalizations posted in our room and adjust them as we explore different content areas through the lens of Systems! During the development process these students had amazing dialog and shared their thinking in such a mature way!
The students also took their new generalizations/Big Ideas about the concept of Systems and created and defended an icon that would represent a system. Each student created a different icon and defended them beautifully.
Fourth grade students will be working with the concept of Systems. Using the Taba method is such a powerful way for students to take ownership of their learning because the generalizations are based off of their own ideas! We will keep these generalizations posted in our room and adjust them as we explore different content areas through the lens of Systems! During the development process these students had amazing dialog and shared their thinking in such a mature way!
The students also took their new generalizations/Big Ideas about the concept of Systems and created and defended an icon that would represent a system. Each student created a different icon and defended them beautifully.
Establishing Our Beliefs.
This was the first full week of GATE. Your children will be visiting the GATE room 3 times a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for approximately an hour each day. Seeing that this was our first full week of GATE we established our belief system with a little help from Lou Holtz. The students watched a short inspirational speech that Lou Holtz made to a group of college graduates in which he talks about how to be successful in life by keeping things simple and doing the right thing. He talked about how "There is never a wrong time to the right thing and never a right time to the wrong thing," how we dictate where our life goes by the choices that we make and that we should love, honor, and commit to the things that we do. The students were asked to write down thoughts or ideas that resonated within them and these became our beliefs for the year. Now when we may have a day when we struggle we can look at our beliefs and re-commit ourselves! To view the video click on the button below.
This week also brought about a lot of pre-assessment so that I can meet the needs of the students where they are rather than re-teach or teach material that is over their heads. I look forward to our sessions next week when we will dive into our concept for the year!
Remember that we do not have school on Friday, October, 20th 2017 due to Association Day. Enjoy your time off.
This week also brought about a lot of pre-assessment so that I can meet the needs of the students where they are rather than re-teach or teach material that is over their heads. I look forward to our sessions next week when we will dive into our concept for the year!
Remember that we do not have school on Friday, October, 20th 2017 due to Association Day. Enjoy your time off.
What's Happening in 4th Grade GATE??
This year the fourth grade students will be working through an integrated yearlong unit about Systems. Students will analyze different systems in literature, mathematics, government/history and language. Each learning seed/lesson will require students to use factual information learned in the classroom to form generalizations about systems. We will focus on the following generalizations this year.
- Systems have parts that work together to complete a task.
- Systems are composed of subsystems.
- Systems follow rules.
- Systems may be influenced by other systems.
- Systems interact.