What a day we had!  The kids outdid themselves today!
Algebraic Thinking:
Our day started off running with lots going on for Hands On Equations.  The kids are making excellent progress as they move through increasing difficult equations.  We had a Palmer Middle School AC Math teacher join us to observe today.  She was very impressed with the level of work the kids are doing.  She added that these skills will be such a help when they get to Math 7/8.  

Unit Study:
We worked on a fun improv activity to get warmed up.  This is such a good way to stretch those divergent thinking skills!  After that, we saw all 7 modern versions of a scene from Romeo and Juliet.  We had everything from Mario & Luigi, Star Wars, to Rambo, to Harry Potter, to Animals, to musical dance and even gymnastics.  Check out the video:  "Romeo & Juliet: Mash-Up"!  We also did some "word work" with Shakespeare, learning about Oxymorons and a few of the many phrases that he coined.
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Novel Study:
We read more of our novel, Operation Yes.  Ms. Loupe, the 6th Grade teacher, tells the kids, "Be kind...for everyone is fighting a great battle".  The kids had such excellent interpretations of that!  Check it out in the photos!  We also had a Padlet about what Gari should do to keep her mother from going to the War.  Check it out Operation Yes! Padlet.

HW:  Edmodo question, if not already finished in class.

Have a fantastic and restful Fall Break!
Dr. Kraeger

With the first day of IOWA testing today, Target was super short.  We only had the kids for an hour and a half, but they got a lot accomplished!

Unit Study:
They worked in small groups to decide what dramatic techniques to use and write the final scripts for their Modern Version of a scene from Romeo and Juliet.  Some groups worked efficiently and even had time to practice their scene.  Can't wait to see these scenes next week!

Novel Study:
We read a bit more of our book focusing on a few key discussion points, "Pick your battles..." and "You might lose them all".  The kids had some very insightful comments about these ideas in relation to the story and in real life.  At the end of the day, they worked in partners to create a "Battle Plan" for Gari to keep her mother from going to fight in the war.  We'll share these ideas next week.  Can't wait to see what the kids came up with!

HW:  Edmodo Poll

Until next week,
​Dr. Kraeger

We had a great time today, learning all sorts of cool stuff!

Algebraic Thinking:
We are moving right along with our Hands-On-Equations work!  Our kids are learning that it's important to use the pieces of the kit, as we get deeper into negative numbers.  Some still want to do much of the work in their heads, but they really need to use the pieces until the moves become second-nature.  At that point, they will have a deeper conceptual understanding of what is going on with the equations.  

Unit Study:
We worked in small groups to create modern/unusual takes on a scene from Romeo and Juliet.  We have some VERY interesting ideas, and can't wait to see them next week!  We also worked on learning more about some dramatic techniques, even seeing a sketch from "Whose Line Is it Anyway?".  The kids thought it was super funny and really understood the "narrate" technique the comedians were using.  We tried a fun improv activity ourselves, called "Where, What, Why".  We'll be doing that one again, since the kids loved it and learned a lot from doing it.  

Affective Skills:
We continued our mindfulness practice with "Why Humans Have Anxiety" and "Progressive Muscle Relaxation".  Both were helpful to the kids, especially those that worry a lot!  We also continued our work on goal setting by analyzing the "Seize the Day" song lyrics and then making connections to our own lives.  It was a little deep, but the kids found some good take-aways.

Novel Study:
We read a chapter in our novel about the cracks in life.  The kids worked hard to identify as many cracks in the room as possible (fluency) and also used critical thinking to analyze why the characters donated the items they did.  

HW:  Chapter 9 Exit Slip
Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger
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Our day got off to a good start with some fluency and flexibility to challenge our brains! 

We hit the ground running with Hands On Equations.  They kids are definitely picking up steam with their algebraic thinking, now that they're warmed-up and ready to move ahead!

Unit Study:
We opened our unit work with a fun improv game called, "Alien, Tiger, Cow".  The kids really liked it and got good at it pretty quickly.  Then we moved to learning about theme in literature and movies with a BrainPop video and game.  Following that, we worked to summarize the main points of a scene from Romeo and Juliet, both the original version and a modern version of the same scene.  The kids will work in small groups to do their own take on this scene next week.

Affective skills:  
We started some goal setting lessons with a video called "Seize the Day".  The kids even sang along a bit, pretty neat stuff!  

Novel Study:
The kids really enjoyed these two chapters, especially the discussion where we explored why the United States becomes involved with some wars that don't directly impact our country.  The kids asked some insightful questions and made some powerful connections between the war in Afghanistan and the Vietnam War, while touching a bit on the Korean War.  I love the way they really jump into these deep topics!

HW:  Edmodo-Brainstorm a topic for our R & J scene.

Until next week,
​Dr. Kraeger

We had a busy day of learning in Target!
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Algebraic Thinking Skills:
We started our Hands On Equations work for this year with a group beginning the Level3, another group reviewing basics of stars vs. pawns, and the final group starting at the beginning with Level 1.  They got off to a good start with their math work today!

Unit Study:
Later on, we picked up work on the Shakespeare Tic-Tac-Toe Menu Project. The kids choose 3 mini projects to complete (row, column, or diagonal).  We are looking forward to seeing all the finished projects next week in Target.  The project choice menu is on Edmodo, if the kids need it.

We also continued our vocal warm-ups and tableaux practice, this time with more complicated scenes.  This was perfect to prepare the kids for acting out scenes from Romeo and Juliet, after we read a summary of the play together.  Their take on these scenes was fantastic!  Check out the photos below!

Affective Skills:
We practiced our mindfulness with Still, Quiet Place and Listening Practice.

Novel Study:
We read more of our novel today, discussing how people can have different impressions of the same event.  

Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger

We had a fabulous second Target Class!  These kids are ready for learning and new experiences!  

Unit Study:
We started our day with a Shakespeare Tic-Tac-Toe Menu Project.  The kids will choose 3 mini projects to complete (row, column, or diagonal).  They were so excited to be working that they didn't want to stop.  Can you imagine my happiness when I heard, "Do we have to stop working on this Shakespeare Timeline?  I really want to keep working!  This is fun!"  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these kiddos!  Check out their fantastic responses to our Unit Kick Off Question on FlipGrid: Shakespeare Kick-Off.  In the afternoon, we continued our practice with vocal warm-ups and creating a tableaux.  
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Algebraic Thinking Skills:
Later we we dusted off our Algebraic Thinking Skills with a quick review of important concepts from Hands On Equations Level2, followed by a pre-test to check existing knowledge and readiness.   This will help us form groups based on readiness for learning our new concepts.

Convergent Thinking Skills:
We managed to squeeze in a little work on our convergent thinking with a logic puzzle.  Some needed a little revision to get to a successful solution.  Not to worry, though!  They're just knocking off the rust and getting those brains back in shape.  Next week, they'll do a great job! 

Affective Skills:
​We did a teamwork challenge called "5 Elbows"--a fun movement activity. Check out the photos below!
Our Mindfulness Practice continued with 4-7-8 Breathing. This gives the kids a breathing pattern to use for focusing attention, calming down, or relaxing. 

Novel Study:
We continued our reading of Operation Yes! The book is a complex text, filled with figurative language, unfamiliar vocabulary, puns, and challenging narrative structure.  The kids are loving it because it's funny!  It's a great tie-in with our Shakespeare Unit with all the references to acting, drama, and theatrical techniques.  

HW:  Work some on the Shakespeare Tic-Tac-Toe Project.  It is available on Edmodo.  We'll be working on these projects again next week in class.

Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger

We had a fun-filled, exciting first day of Target!  

We started our day with a team-building activity called "Pasta Race".  The kids worked in groups to move spaghetti from one side to the other using only 2 foam plates--without touching the pasta! The results were interesting, to say the least!  

The kids signed up for Edmodo, and I can tell they are excited about it already!  We also finished our Tagxedos for the front of our Target notebooks.

Later we worked on starting the basics of our Interactive Target Notebooks.  The kids did a good job making their notebooks unique and getting ready for our work together.  

We got a sneak peek at our new Shakespeare Unit.  The kids are excited about what's coming next for this unit!  To begin getting ready for all the acting we'll do later, we learned some vocal warm-ups and also learned how to do a "Tableaux".  Ask your kiddo about what that is and how it went today! 

We also practiced a bit of mindfulness with Til the Thinker & Widdle the Worrier and Clouds.

We started our unit by reading a bit of our book, Operation YES!  

HW:   Edmodo

Until next week,
Dr. Kraeger

Our Fifth Grade Target kiddos went out with a BANG!  Lots of great learning and fun times this week!

We saw some wonderful and AMAZING Frog Projects during our Gallery Walk.  

Later, we participated in another Breakout.  This one was about how to save the Earth from destruction.  Kudos to Ethan's Group and Mayuri's Group for working EXTRA hard to make the Breakout successful!  Great job!

We also heard quite a few of our "Alternate Endings" to our novel, Ungifted. Many were humorous, and several were just wonderfully creative!

It's been quite a year!  Things sure won't be the same around here next year without this group! 

All My Best,
​Dr. Kraeger

We had a fantastic time at our Frog Dissection on May 12th!  Check out the photos below:

The kids accomplished quite a bit today, even with a Performing Arts Special Event (James & the Giant Peach Play) this morning.

Frog Projects are mostly finished!  They will be presented Gallery Walk style in the Target rooms from 8-9 next Tuesday.  You're welcome to stop by and see all the great work.

Our Dissection Day is this Friday.  To prepare, we watched 2 dissection videos and worked on labeling diagrams of different body systems of the Frog Anatomy.  We will be grading those next Tuesday in class.  Also due next Tuesday is our Frog Vocabulary list.  Many students have finished this already.

We also started a creative writing task where the kids rewrite a chapter,  create a new ending, or write an epilogue for the novel.  They will finish these next week, so they can share with the class.  

HW:  Frog Project and Frog Anatomy Diagrams

Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger