Exploration

DREAM SOMETHING BIG

In this unit, students finished their study of an Italian immigrant who spent his life building a national landmark; Watt's Towers. 

Design: Build a replica of Watt's Towers

Watt's Tower Replicas

Engineering

Caine's Arcade

We launched a brand new unit that will introduce us to entrepreneurship 

and marketing.  We are so excited to design and build our own arcade game for other students to come play.

Getting Started

Collaboration

Critical Thinking

11th Hour Mystery

3rd grade is using their critical thinking skills to work through a mystery in teams.  When teams finish they will create-design their own mystery.

looking for clues

Collaboration

Collaboration

Rube Goldberg

Students generated their own research questions to learn about Rube Goldberg this month.  We are now in the planning stages of creating our own Rube machines.

research

planning

Innovation

Weslandia

Students generated questions about Ancient Civilizations.  Then moved on to reading and learning about the Future of Civilization.  We are now in the planning stages for our civilizations.

research

planning

Exploration

DREAM SOMETHING BIG

In this unit, students will develop empathy, compassion, and focus on the skill of perservance.  Students will study the true story of an Italian immigrant who spent his life building a national landmark; Watt's Towers. 

Research: Where is Italy?  Where is California?  landform vs water

Studying Sam Rodia

(Italian Immigrant)

Engineering

Students were challenged to think like an engineer.  All students brought in recycled products.  Then students designed a plan with a partner for a car made out of recycled materials.  Finally, students were given an opportunity to race their cars against one another.

Thinking Like an Engineer

RACE DAY

Critical Thinking

Popcorn challenge!  This month 3rd graders designed posters to share their research on the history of popcorn.  Each student was giving an opportunity to present to an adult and a peer.

Presenting

Presenting

Autobiography Map Presentation

Students learned about cartographers.  Each 4th grader presented their map with a story of their life to their peers.    

PResenting Maps

Presenting Stories

Innovation

Students created a strength collage with their mosaics. Then each student completed a strength assessment. After completing the assessment, students had to write an autobiography telling us how they use their strengths in their life. Then each student had an opportunity to present to their peers.

PRESENTING Strengths

Presenting Mosaics

Mrs. Jone's CLASS

Mr. Espinoza's Class

Mrs. William's Class

Mrs. johnson's Class

Mrs. Bailey's CLASS

Mrs. Johnson's Class

Mrs. Nolan's Class

Mrs. rice's Class

Exploration

Students were challenged to think like a sculptur and create a paper sculpture that represented thier passions, likes, and dislikes.

Sculpturs learning the process of tinkering with paper.

Sculptures

Brain Anatomy

Students were challenged to think like a neurologist.  Students partiicpated in brain research to learn more about the amazing human brain.  The final challenge was to build a model of a brain and identify the left and right brain strengths. 

BRAIN Building

Students labeled 4 of the 6 parts of the  brain.

Critical Thinking

Popcorn challenge!  This month students are thinking like an archaeologist as they work together to transport popcorn kernels out of a cave, that just happened to be hundreds of years old.  Students will use their estimation skills in order to determine what shape and size they need to build a popcorn container. 

Students are presenting designs to their groups.  Then each group has to pick the design they will build.

After planning and picking a design students were able to build and test out their popcorn containers.

Autobiography Maps

Students learned about cartographers.  Then students were challenged to think like a cartographer as they traveled with a group of friends around the world to  gathered information about their passions, interests, gifts and talents.

Collaborating

Autobiography Maps

Mosaics

Students researched and compared the history of spanish, roman and moden day mosaics.  Then students were challenged to create a self portrait mosaic and write an autobiography about their gifts, talents, and strengths.

MOSAIC DESIGNING

SELF PORTRAITS

Introductions/Social Contract

Developing Sportsmanship: Get to Know You Jenga

Students practice good sportsmanship while playing games that will help them better understand their strengths and abilities in the learning and growing process. Students share how they worked and played with peers to establish relationship skills that will assist in fostering connections among students and the GT community.  

Likes vs Dislikes

Tinkering with paper

Introductions/Social Contract

Questioning and Problem-Solving Games

Students practice good sportsmanship while playing games that will help them better understand their strengths and abilities in the learning and growing process. The student holding the place/card gives two buzz words, while the group must ask yes or no questions to guess the place around town.  Students must 

Guess in 10

Places around town

Introductions/

Divergent Thinking Activity-What Do You See?

Students were given an opportunity to explore classroom resources.  Students picked 6 different items to create an image.

What do you see?

It's Raining, 

It's pourting

Introductions/Reviewing Sportsmanship:

Getting To Know You-Skittles

Students welcomed new friends to our program this week. We worked on our collaboration skills by asking questions and sharing our experiences.

Skittles Galore

Collaboration

Introductions/

Divergent Thinking Activity-What Do You See?/

Overexcitabilities

Students used their divergent thinking to complete in 4 rounds of the paper roll challenge.  Round 4, each student has to tear a piece of paper off the roll and pass the roll to the next person.  Students must design an object with their torn piece of paper.  Students were not allowed to talk but they could imitate with noises.   

Round 4

Round 4