Mrs. Robertson's Brainstormers

1st Grade - 4/1

Today you are you, that is truer than true.  There is no one alive who is Youer than you!  Dr. Seuss. It does bring out the best in children.  We talked at length about this famous quote.  When it came down to it the children concluded it means they are very special!  We did 2 brainteaser and they are all the children talked about on their Tallys.  Apparently, they were a hit and I promised them we'll do more.  We did a math exemplar which helped them with their math reasoning and communication skills.  Thanks to the rain, we watched a Dr. Seuss video.  Then, we spent the rest of the day working on our 4-Square projects.  One group realized its not Hop on Pop, it's Draw on Ma.  They are writing a skit, making the puppets, and the character for a new twist on this beloved Dr. Seuss story.  Other stories that are doing the same are:  Dog in a Log (Cat in the Hat), Ploozin my Shoes (There's a Wocket in my Pocket), Kitten in Mittens (Fox in Socks), and Blue Cheese and Toast (Green Eggs and Ham).  I can't wait to see what these imaginative and creative students create.

Have a wonderful Spring Break.

Mrs. Robertson

4th Grade -3/30 & 5th Grade - 3/31

Hello Families,

I apologize for the delay in the Blog, but the system has been down, and I've just now been able to get into it.  4th and 5th had very similar days except for math, so I decided to record their information in the same block.  If you have individual questions please do not hesitate to contact me.  This week we worked on a sequence brainteaser that is very similar to visual thinking activities that are on the CogAt tests. The students LOVED them, and I have promised to do more.  Due to the fact that I had a substitute on Monday, the students played a math game called 24. It is a wonderful game that helps them with their computational skills, yet really challenges them at the same time.  With 5th grade we did Hands-on-Equations Lesson 25.  Only one more to go and then we do problems without manipulatives.  Oh are we going to have some fun then!! :) :)  We completed the Westward Movement/Trail of Tears column of our Types of Courage chart.  Our next concentration is on the Abolitionist Movement and courageous moments of the Civil War, especially with children.  We participated in an interactive lesson on the laptops that pertained to the Underground Railroad.  The address is http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/j1a.html I encourage you to do it with your child. The kids loved it and I caught myself doing it several times! Lastly, we read more from our class chapter book Who Comes With Cannons?   In the story the war has broke out and now the Quaker family that is a station for the Underground Railroad is in greater danger.  It's getting tense.  :)  :)

The students do not have homework because of a most deserved Spring Break.  I know the families are looking forward to rest, as are we!

Have a wonderful week and I'll see everyone April 13th and 14th.

Mrs. Robertson

2nd Grade - 3/27

Your child now understands what it means when a savings account accrues interest, but they may respond that it earns "jelly beans".  We did a day long activity whereby the students earned accrued jelly beans for jelly beans that were left in their passbook and not spent.  By the end of they day, there were quite a few who showed resolve and came home with a bag of beans.  It was a wonderful lesson that the students will never forget!  Intermixed with this activity was a story called "The Adventures of Interest Ray" and  aninterest rate lesson that involved calculators (they loved that).  We also did a logic grid puzzle.  They begged for more so I sent one home as "homework", but it is completely optional!  We also played Money Bingo - it was raining.  All in all, it was a very fun day, and the students learned quite a bit about money!

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Robertson 

3rd Grade - 3/26

Due to the fact that I did the music for "The Music Man" for this morning's assembly, we only had a few hours together in Target today, but I must say, we accomplished quite a bit.  We have pretty much finished up our study of Ancient Egypt.  We only have our straggling city-state poster presentations to present, then we are finished.  We moved on to our next ancient civilization, Ancient Greece, and boy did this pique some interest.  From the birth of our democracy, to the Arts, to Science, Alexander the Great, and the Olympics, the students were enthralled!  We also discussed our Quote of the Day with some depth.  It is on the Tally if you are interested in the words that generated such a healthy conversation.  Lastly, we did a Plexer which the students LOVED.  Several had never done one before.  Now they want one every week!  The students know their homework assignment.  Please remind them to come in prepared next week!

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Robertson

1st Grade - 3/25

Between the math challenge and the logic activity for the brainteaser, the students kept each other on their toes!  They love being challenged!  We were able to watch a couple of Dr. Seuss videos because of the rain.  We felt like the children in Cat in the Hat.  We shared our color poems which was my favorite part of the day.  They are absolutely wonderful!!  And we spent the rest of the day preparing for our next big project called 4 - Square.  The instructions are in the students' unit tab if you would like to review it.  They are so excited!!  Due to the nature of the first activity for next week, I did not assign homework!  If you are coming to the musical performances, I'm in the back helping with the music.  Please come by and say hello.

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Robertson

5th Grade - 3/24

What a day we had!! I was extremely proud of each student today!  They did an outstanding job on their debate positions!  It was very close, but the side with the strongest case was the United States.  The students debated for almost  2 hours, and they would have continued if there had not been time constraints.  Besides the debate,  we also completed Hands-on -Equations #24, and a very challenging logic grid  problem called Trivia Quest.  Once the students got their teeth into it, they didn't want to let go of it either.  There is no homework this week because so many students are in the musical, including yours truly.

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Robertson 

4th Grade - 3/23

Although we lost several hours to our wonderful school musical "The Music Man", we were able to get several important activities accomplished.  We did a Hands-on-Equations, Lesson 14.  We did a small skit that addressed the Cherokee and the Settlers of the North Georgia area.  And lastly, we put on one zinger of a debate between the Cherokee Nation and the United States.  Although there were some outstanding arguments, the position with the most "telling points" was the United States.  Congratulations team on a job well done.  It was very close at times, and I'm very proud of the research, confidence, and passion displayed by the students.  There is no homework this week.

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Robertson  

2nd Grade- 3/20

My Goodness but we had a packed day today!  We were able to get in our Brainteasers which the students loved.  Although they said they were too easy, well, the challenge is on!  :)  Then the students went to an on-site field trip called Bio-Bus.  We learned a lot about Budgeting through a wonderful book called, Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday. We then did a lesson about setting goals and saving.  We performed a short play on Aesop's fable " The Grasshopper and the Ant" and of course, we all know what happened to the Grasshopper because he didn't budget his time and save his food...The students have homework where they are going to complete tasks with a budget and saving in mind.  If you have any questions about it, please do not hesitate to contact me.  All in all, it was a great day!!

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Robertson

3rd Grade - 3/19

It finally happened, we were too busy to have recess.  I was very proud of how most of the children were fine with it and keep on working!  We started our day with our last Hands-on-Equations for the year, #10.  Now that the students have all the initial strategies, we will begin applying them to solving actual algebra problems.  Wish us Luck!  Since life after death was an obsession with the Egyptians, we spend the rest of our day understanding this cultural preoccupation.  We watched a Reading Rainbow on mummification that allowed us to see actual mummies as they were being evaluated by archaeologists.  We then watched a videostreaming that focused on the Pharaoh's's rules and their importance to ancient Egyptian, thus understanding why such care was taken to their body after death.  The remainder of the day was spent in a center format where there were 3 stations.  One station was with the laptops where the students could continue their research on their city-state, another was their brainteaser - Mummy Dearest - where they had to piece a labyrinth in a pyramid.  Boy were many of them challenged (stumped) by this activity, but they stuck with it!  The last center was an interactive activity where the students could be a mummy maker!  Some of the students mouths dropped to the floor at parts of this activity.  It was really something to watch.  I strongly encourage doing this with your child.  You too will be amazed.  The site is www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/launch_gms_mummy_maker.shtml The only homework the students have, which is voluntary, is doing additional research on their city-state.  We will be spending quite some time researching next week.

Have a wonderful week!

Mrs. Robertson

ATTENTION ALL TARGET PARENTS

                                                       

Target Progress Reports went home today with your child's homeroom report card.  Please be looking for it, and contact me if you have any questions!

                

Mrs. Robertson