Think Tank TeamThink Tank TeamThink Tank TeamThink Tank TeamOpen Team MeetingOpen Team MeetingDecember 6, 2006December 6, 2006

Upcoming Topics for 6th grade Math

• Divisibility• Factors - GCF• Multiples - LCM• Prime factorization• Fractions

Upcoming Topics for 6th grade TAG Math

• Proportions • Similar figures• Percent of change• Stock Market Game Begins 2/12 - 4/20• Math Olympiads 12/12

Mrs. Young’s Language Arts Classes Think Tank Team Open Team Meeting December 6, 2006

Author & Poet Research Project

Major Accomplishments

1.Developing questions to guide research (this requires abstract thinking, so students are in the beginning stages of doing this well)

Whew! That was tough…..

http://cms.westport.k12.ct.us/cmslmc/resources/authorstudy/creech.htm

Sharon Creech

Research Project Major Accomplishments:2. Using multiple resources to

find information3. Knowing the difference

between summarizing and paraphrasing

4. Knowing when to utilize the skill of summarizing or paraphrasing

5. How and when to incorporate direct quotes

6. Analyzing the writer’s craft (also an abstract thinking skill)

Research Project Major Accomplishments:7. Deciding on a sequence for

the information to be included in the paper

8. Developing a thesis statement9. Using word glue and logic

glue to write a coherent piece of writing (grammar work focusing on phrases and clauses)

10. Preparing a presentation with a visual aide to share new knowledge with classmates.

Due Dates and Guidelines for the Research Project Six Research Station Tasks:Illustrated TimelinePop-Up Alliteration CardPiece of writing for the “Copy

your Author” StationMain Character QuestionnaireDecorated Folder Cover Visual Aide for your presentation

Final Due Date, Monday December 18th

Due Dates and Guidelines for the Research Project Class Time to work on Research

Projects:TAG: December 4, 6, 7, 11, 13,

14 are station work daysFirst typed draft of research

paper due Tuesday, Dec. 12Second typed draft with

revisions due Friday, December 15

Final project with all station tasks and completed research papers due Monday, December 18th. Students have handouts that detail how to write the paper, the calendar, etc.

Due Dates and Guidelines for the Research Project Class Time to work on Research

Projects:Regular: December 4, 5, 6, 11, 13,

14 are station work daysFirst typed draft of research paper

due Tuesday, Dec. 12Second typed draft with revisions

due Friday, December 15Final project with all station tasks and

completed research papers due Monday, December 18th.

Students have handouts that detail how to write the paper, the calendar of due dates, etc.

Literature Circles

http://peacecorpsonline.org

Philosophy/Goals:

Instilling the habits of lifelong readers into my students

Learning various aspects of reading comprehension, writer’s craft, and intellectually rigorous discussion skills

Gives students another rich reading experience (endorsed as a best practice by NCTE and IRA)

Promotes deeper comprehension relatively painlessly (through discussions)

Language acquisition theory shows us that when kids start talking in a more sophisticated manner, they will begin writing in a more sophisticated manner – YES!!!

Literature Circles- What’s involved?

• Constant cycle of reading, writing, and talking.

• I’m the teacher when I teach mini-lessons; I’m the coach when I monitor groups

• The kids made all the decisions- choice of book, reading assignments, and ground rules for good group discussions

• Lessons revolve around: discussion skills, issues relevant to the text (in this case, culture/heritage/race), writer’s craft, comprehension strategies, etc.

• Assessment is done by the group members themselves and me- they monitor discussion skills, I monitor both that and the various cognitive and comprehension strands I hear as I visit with groups

What’s next?

MysteryTAG reads Murder on the Orient Express and some Sherlock Holmes selections

Regular classes read a Sherlock Holmes play and solve “Whodunit” mysteries

Both sections write and perform a mystery skit which includes elements of both dramatic writing as well as writing elements particular to the genre of mystery

Both sections study deductive and inductive reasoning, some principles of logic

Letter to the Editor

A colleague and I wrote a letter the editor of The Dallas Morning News asking people to write and tell our students what reading has meant in their lives.

We got letters! I share them with the kids on occasion. They’re so inspiring, and the kids seem to marvel at the fact that someone wrote letters to them. They are honored….

We were inspired by Jim Burke’s book, I Hear America Reading.

Knitting GroupI love to knit! There are a few students who already know how and some who wanted to learn, so we decided to meet once a week for lunch and knitting in Mrs. Young’s room.

We usually meet on Wednesdays at noon. Kids bring lunch and knitting stuff, and we teach the basics if anyone wants to learn.

Requirements:

Knitting needles

Yarn

Sack lunch

Think Tank ScienceThink Tank Science

Open Team MeetingOpen Team Meeting

December 6, 2006December 6, 2006

To To everyoneeveryone involved with the Science involved with the Science EXPOEXPO

Mr. Bill WarnerMr. Bill Warner at the Museum of Nature & at the Museum of Nature & Science for his Fire & Ice ShowScience for his Fire & Ice Show

Mr. Kennen SchmitzMr. Kennen Schmitz for his oil drilling for his oil drilling presentationpresentation

Mr. Dennis McLaughlinMr. Dennis McLaughlin for his presentation for his presentation on an alternative energy sourceon an alternative energy source

Energy UnitEnergy Unit

Topics CoveredTopics Covered– Forms of EnergyForms of Energy– Energy TransformationsEnergy Transformations– Generating ElectricityGenerating Electricity– Energy SourcesEnergy Sources

Petrochemical Project – due TuesdayPetrochemical Project – due TuesdayUnit Test – Friday, December 15Unit Test – Friday, December 15 thth Energy ProjectEnergy Project– Regular ClassesRegular Classes– January 3-12, 2007January 3-12, 2007

Spring SemesterSpring Semester

Astronomy UnitAstronomy Unit– TAG Classes Space Day TAG Classes Space Day

Design ChallengeDesign Challenge– Regular Classes Tiny Teacher Regular Classes Tiny Teacher

Planet PresentationsPlanet Presentations

Biology UnitBiology Unit

Ecology UnitEcology Unit

General ObservationsGeneral Observations

Lab Time Lab Time ≠ Play Time≠ Play Time– Labs & activities are designed to reinforce Labs & activities are designed to reinforce

new concepts and/or to discover new new concepts and/or to discover new information.information.

Think Think → Act→ Act– Helps keep us safe.Helps keep us safe.– Spares others’ feelings.Spares others’ feelings.– Keeps us out of trouble.Keeps us out of trouble.

Burning C

eremony for R

etired Flags

Burning C

eremony for R

etired Flags

OOPS…OOPS…

Thanks for coming!Thanks for coming!Thanks for coming!Thanks for coming!Next Open Team MeetingNext Open Team Meeting

Thursday, February 22 @ 11:45Thursday, February 22 @ 11:45