Should Stores be Open on Thanksgiving?

Should stores be open on Thanksgiving? Should we shop on a day we typically spend with families? Is it okay to require workers to work on Thanksgiving? If they do, should they be paid overtime? All of these are questions students pondered while creating their PowToons today. Whether you choose to shop, or not, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving! Please enjoy our videos.


 

Free Birds--Dinner Debate

Do you ever get in a debate with family members about what you will eat for dinner? With the holidays approaching, many of us will be joining family members for dinners and parties. What do you fix? Check out these videos, created with Powtoons, to help solve your dinner dilemma.
 

Late Night with Legendary Leaders

Challenge students, grades 1-5, took on the identities of Legendary Leaders throughout history on Tuesday, November 19th in the Edgar Murray Gym.  Parents and community members mingled with the Legends and asked them questions.  The guests then tried to guess the legends identities.  After mingling, the Legendary Leaders gave short speeches revealing their identities. The students did a fabulous job, and I'm proud of each and every one of them.

Brain Hats

Fourth and fifth grade students created "Brain Hats" as a culminating project for a mini-brain unit. The hats are labeled with the parts of the brain.

Junk Box Wars

Junk Box wars are creative problem solving team challenges correlated to the National Science Standards. Students are given "junk" in boxes and a problem to solve. Problems require students to: 

• Identify appropriate problems for technical design. 
• Design a solution or product. 
• Implement a proposed design. 
• Evaluate completed technological designs or products. 
• Communicate the process of technological design.

The Weakest Link--Students were challenged to build the longest chain that would hold the most weight.

The Weakest Link--5th Grade

Whirling Wonders--Teams were challenged to create a wheel powered by water that would hold the greatest amount of string.

Whirling Wonders--8th Grade

Whirling Wonders--7th Grade

Whirling Wonders--4th Grade

Spaghetti Towers--Teams were challenged to create towers out of spaghetti.  The towers were scored on height and weight held.

Ultimate Gumball Machine--Students were challenged to create a machine that would sort gum ball!

Ultimate Gumball Machine-6th Grade

Junk Box Wars

I'm introducing "Junk Box Wars" to classes this year.  What are Junk Box Wars?  They are a more detailed version of our Instant Challenges.  Students participate in creative problem solving challenges using "junk" in their boxes.  It's a friendly competition where students use creativity, problem solving, and teamwork.  In this week's challenge, teams are required to create a chain that will hold weights from anchor points.  The longest chain that holds the most weight wins.  The key is not to have "The Weakest Link."

Is THIS Really OUR Classroom?

I thought I'd post a few picks of our classroom this week, because you know that it won't be this clean for long.  I've decorated the classroom in a "Wizard of Oz" theme per request of the 6th grade group.  But, no flying monkeys!

 

Obvious to You...Amazing to Others

Mystery Skype

Yay!  We completed our first Mystery Skype today!  My fifth grade students discovered the location of another 5th grade gifted class by asking them yes/no questions. 

See if you can guess their location.  Here are the questions we asked.

Are you north of the equator?

Yes

Are you in North America?

Yes

Are you in the United States?

Yes

Are you landlocked?

No

Are you in California?

No

Are you on the East Coast?

Yes

Are you in New York?

No

Are you in Flordia?

No

Are you a two word state?

No

Do you border Canada?

No, but our teacher’s Canadian.

Are you in Massachusetts?

No

Are you a southern state?

No

Are you in Virgina?

No

Are you in New Jersey

 No

Are you in Maryland?

No

Are you in Delaware?

Yes

Are you in Dover?

No

Are you south of Dover?

No

Are you in Barre?

Yes! We are in Barre!

Invention Convention

Challenge students, grades K-3, participated in an Invention Convention. Students brainstormed problems in their daily lives, then they developed solutions to their problems. They displayed their prototypes, patent applications, and posters. Family members questioned the students about their projects at the convention.

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