We started our day with math and convergent thinking to solve our Versatiles Challenge.

Algebraic Thinking:
We learned about Ordered Pairs and then applied that skill with our creativity to reveal Mystery Pictures.  The pictures aren't all finished, but they are turning out beautifully!

Novel Study:
Each group continued in their Survivor Novels.  The kids really enjoyed sharing what their character has learned in the latest chapter and why it was important!

Unit Study:
We finished up work on our Survivor Research.  Projects will be shared at our next class on December 19th.  You can check out the Target Glog-4th Grade, for more information about the project.

Affective Skills:
We continued our Mindfulness Practice with 2 Minutes of Mindful Breathing.  
We also watched a Teamwork Video called the "Bridge Story".  It's a classic fable of helpers and nonhelpers.  The kids did a good job on their reflections after the video and our discussion.  For our kiddos who need to move to learn, we tried a Team Challenge--The Human Knot.  It was pretty easy in small groups, but got VERY difficult in larger groups of 9-10.  The kids did a pretty good job trying.  

Divergent thinking:
We challenged our creativity with a December F2OE.  The kids had some extremely original responses!  Their fluency is growing each time!

No class on December 12th because Target teachers will be out of the building to score Motivation Portfolios.

HW:  Edmodo-Reflect on a time when a classmate was like the Turtle from our fable.

Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger

We started our day with convergent thinking by solving a Versatile Challenge.

Algebraic thinking:
The kids used their algebraic and other mathematical skills to help the Thanksgiving Dinner Escape the Oven!  The kids were sailing along until they got to long division!  Whoo--it got tough pretty quickly!  Not to worry!  The kids powered through and unlocked the ovens!  Your Thanksgiving is SAFE!

Novel Study: 
We continued our reading with our Survivor Novels.  This week's discussion focused on foreshadowing.  The kids did a good job of understanding and identifying it in their books.

Unit Study:
We continued our Survivor Research Projects.  This was our last in class session to work.  Projects are due on Wednesday, December 5th.  We're very excited for the kids to share their projects Gallery Style.  

Affective Skills:
We continued our work with group dynamics.  Today was a decision making task that involved evaluative thinking.  The groups did a fantastic job in making tough decisions and coming to consensus.  

The kids also worked on their teamwork skills within their Tribes.  Their challenge for today was to join hands to form a circle and pass a Hula Hoop around the circle without dropping hands, in under a minute.  All teams were successful today!  

No Homework
Remember, Target will not meet on Wednesday, November 28th due to Gifted Testing.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Dr. Kraeger

We started our day with logical and algebraic thinking by solving a Versatile Activity.  The kids said it was too easy, so it's moving down to 3rd grade now!

Algebraic Thinking:
We worked on mixed math problems using a variety of strategies to solve them.  Some had to make corrections because they didn't use a strategy the first time and tried to figure it out in their heads.  Hmm...this may the year they learn that strategies are important!

Affective Skills:
We continued our work on Group Dynamics with a lesson on handling constructive feedback and criticism, "Like Water Off a Duck's Back".  Some of the kids understood this immediately, others are still trying to grasp this idea.  
We continued our Mindfulness Practice with "Progressive Muscle Relaxation".  The kids always enjoy this one.

Novel Study:
We continued reading our survival novels with a focus on tools for survival.  The kids brainstormed a survival tool for each letter of the alphabet.  They thought of some VERY clever answers--lots of good insights!

Unit Study:
Our research projects continued today.  Most are making excellent progress!  We will have one more class session to work before projects will be shared on December 5th.  Kids may take projects home to work on them as well.  
We practiced our teamwork by silently lining up in Birthday Order.  This was a challenge with 2 of our 3 groups successfully completing the challenge in one minute.  
Our creative thinking task for the day was to SCAMPER a Backpack.  The kids came up with some highly unique ideas!  There was SO much divergent thinking!

HW:  "Like Water Off a Duck's Back" Reflection Sheet

Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger

We started our day with our creativity by finishing our October F2OE.  The ideas are AMAZING!  Check them out by our classroom!

Algebraic Thinking:
We challenged our math understanding by applying our algebraic thinking to Error Analysis with problems similar to those we worked on last week.  The kids did a good job in identifying errors and providing correct solutions.

Novel Study:
We continued reading our Survival Novels.  Our critical thinking activity was to evaluate the scariest event in the story and describe what we would have done in that situation.

Unit Study:
We continued our Survivor Research Projects.  The results are looking pretty good!

We watched the Scooby Doo movie as a backdrop for Survivor Thinking!  As we watched, we chose one of the characters as our Survivor. Then we answered critical thinking questions in the form of Tweets, Emails, and a Reflection.  The kids showed deep understanding of the feelings, motivation, and insights of the characters and their trait.  Lots of opportunity for discussion about teamwork.

HW:  Survivor Reflection Sheet
Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger

We started our morning by creating Thanksgiving Cards to send to our Troops overseas.  This is part of "The Bert Show's Big Thank You".  The kids did a great job, which I'm sure will be greatly appreciated by our Service Members.

Algebraic Thinking:
​We continued our work with Hands On Equations, focusing on Word Problems.  The kids felt a little more confident this week, but there's still a long way to go.

Affective Skills:
We viewed a video of Simon Cowell's critical comments for contestants.  The kids analyzed Simon's Positive and Negative Traits in the video. Then we discussed Constructive Criticism and how that differs from just criticism.  
Our Mindfulness Practice continued with "Kick Logic Back into Gear", teaching kids to think about the Best, Worst, and Most Likely Scenario rather than worrying about things endlessly.  
​
Novel Study:
We read a couple of chapters in our Survival Novels.  Our critical thinking task focused on a Thinker's Key: "What if a pill could replace your food?" and how that would change things for our main character.  The discussion was filled with so many powerful insights!

Unit Study:
The kids are moving ahead on their Survivor Research Projects.  Many have started their first projects, while some have finished their first project.  We will have 2 more class periods to work on the Projects.  The kids will share their Projects on December 5th.  

We also took some time to write letters to our Flipgrid Pals at Ford Elementary.  These kids sent us letters and a sweet treat a few weeks ago, so we wanted to do the same.  I can't wait to hear how they liked our treat and letters!

Divergent thinking:
We finished our day with some creativity challenges in an October F2OE.  The kids do a fantastic job in their Fluency, Flexibility, Originality, and Elaboration.  They'll finish these up next week.

HW:  Don't Be Cruel Exit Slip

Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger

Our day had a logical, mathematical start with Versatiles-Perfect Squares!  It was a challenging task for sure!

Algebraic Thinking:
We broke into small groups to begin our work on Word Problems.  We used our Hands On Equations to create equations from the word problems and solve them.  It is very important to learn the basics at this point, so as the problems become more challenging, the kids understand the key steps in solving these problems.

Unit Study:
We worked a bit more on our Survivor Research.  The kids concentrated on creating a plan, storyboard, or script for their project.  After that, we peer evaluated to make sure all the required items were included--using a checklist.  Next week, we'll begin actually creating the project using the plans we've made this week.  The kids have some amazing ideas!

Novel Study:
We read a bit more in our books.  The kids worked on a Thinking Strategy called, "Thinker's Keys-Reverse".  Their task was to make a list of 10 items that would NOT help someone survive in the wilderness.  It was a much harder task than you might imagine because the kids kept thinking of ways the items could help.  Their divergent thinking REALLY came in here!

Affective Skills:
We continued our work with Encouraging Others by discussing ways to recognize our classmates when they are "Bucket Fillers".  We also brainstormed what "Constructive Communication" might mean.  We'll do more work with that next week.

HW: Edmodo-Share next steps for Research Projects

Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger 

We started our day off by using our creativity and communication to finish our Thank You Letters to the Rangers at Red Top Mountain Park and also work on our Flipgrid videos about our visit to the Park.

Algebraic Thinking:
We continued our work on algebraic thinking with another Hands On Equations lesson.  We're making good progress as we learn new problem solving strategies!

Novel Study:
We met with our small groups to read more of our survival novels.  The kids are making some great connections between our novels and our Survivor Unit.  The kids discussed today how the character might be able to start a fire using some of the ideas we learned on our Field Trip.  

Unit Study:
We continued our Research by discussing the Project Checklist and Project Choices.  Both of these can be found on the Target Glog-Survivor Page.

Students should have all their research done for two survivors--one from the past, and one from modern times.  They can start on their projects at home if they want to.  We will also be working on the projects in class.

Stations:
We continued to stretch our convergent thinking skills with a Perplexor-"Bug-Eating Contest" and Analogies with Plurals.

Affective Skills:
We practiced our Mindfulness with Mindful Minute.  The kids really enjoyed this and did VERY well.  They even asked for another Mindfulness video!

After that, we read a story, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?.  To focus on lending our teammates encouragement.  We'll dig into that topic a bit more next time.

HW:  Finish Research for both Survivors.  Flipgrid for Red Top Mountain-Check Edmodo for the Grid Code and Edmodo-Messages for your Flipgrid Student ID.  Check out some Apps or Project Choices for next week.  

Until next time,
Dr. Kraeger

We started our day with a divergent thinking activity called a "Waker Upper".  This particular task was focused on animals, perfect for our trip to Red Top Mountain today!

Algebraic Thinking:
We honed our algebraic thinking with some more work on Hands On Equations.  The kids were VERY confident with this week's Extra Practice lessons.  This is good news, so we'll be ready to move on during our next session.

Red Top Mountain Outdoor Survival Experience:
When we arrived at Red Top, we were met by Ranger Serella and Ranger Amanda.  They started out with an exciting story about how our "Plane" crashed and we needed to learn some survival skills.

Ranger Serella taught us how to start a fire using a cotton ball, a little bit of Vaseline, some magnesium shavings, and a flint and steel.  It took some perseverance, but all of the kids eventually got their fires started.  Check out the photos to see their excited faces!

Ranger Amber taught the kids how to read a compass and use it to find coordinates.  They all agreed that using a compass was A LOT harder than they thought it was.  

We finished up our Red Top Experience with a Shelter Building session.  Some of our shelters even had a porch!  The kids had a great time working together to accomplish their goals.

After a picnic lunch, we got back on the bus and headed to school.  When we got back to school, we got a package from our Flipgrid Pals at Ford Elementary.  They're also studying the Survivor Unit and went to Red Top yesterday.  They sent us letters from their Tribes and some peppermint Lifesavers.  What a neat treat!

Affective Skills:
We continued our mindfulness practice.  After that, we worked on our collaboration skills by using teamwork to re-create a simple structure only following the directions from one person, without seeing the structure for themselves.  They did a decent job, but it was much harder than they thought it would be.

It was a fantastic day!

HW:  Edmodo

Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger

We got our day off to a logical start with a Versatiles activity working on algebraic and convergent thinking.  The kids were able to do really well on this.

Algebraic Thinking:
We worked in our groups again today to learn new ways of solving equations.  Our beginner group learned "Legal Moves", which is the key to solving equations!  Our middle group continued their work on solving equations, while our advanced group learned that "Stars" are the opposite of "Xs".  So, if one of them is negative, the other is positive.

Unit Study:
We continued our Survivor research using online sources, such as the Cobb Digital Library and Webpath Express.  
We also competed in another Challenge, "Face the Cookie" with our Tribes.  The kids had a blast trying to beat this challenge and eat the cookie!  Check out the photos--too funny!

Novel Study:
We read more of our Survival Novels.  This week we reflected about how we've used knowledge from books, movies, TV, or a family or friend to help us in a tough situation.  It was a good connection with our heroes in our Survival Novels.  Then we created transformations of either a hatchet, a spear, or a dolphin, depending upon the novel.

Affective Skills:
We continued our Mindfulness Practice with Mindful Breathing.  The discussion that followed about choosing to breath and relax, rather than get upset when things go wrong, was really good!

Don't forget, our Field Trip is the week we return from Fall Break, on October 3rd.  Please make sure your child is dressed for the weather.  Your child may bring lunch from home or get a sack lunch from the cafeteria.  We will be eating at the park.

HW:  None-Enjoy the Break!
Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger