The kids were ready to go this morning! They have a busy week, so it was good to see them at the start!

Affective Skills:
The kids created word clouds of possible obstacles to reach their goals. They also included ways to overcome those obstacles. The results are beautiful!
We continued our mindfulness practice with a calming video.

Unit Study:
We learned about "Thick vs. Thin" questions and discussed how to paraphrase and cite our sources. The kids did more research about their basic facts and their thick questions.

Stations:
We used our algebraic thinking to solve a variety of math problems in our Math Stars. We also applied our convergent thinking to a different type of puzzle. Lots of complaining about how hard the puzzle was. Finally, something challenging!  The kids used their divergent thinking to transform frogs. The results were SO creative!

Novel Study:
We read a couple more chapters in our book. We used our critical thinking skills to answer some tough questions while reading.

Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger

The day was filled with Genius, fun, and lots of learning!

Algebraic thinking: 
We continued on in our Hands on Equations lessons. The kids are doing well with more challenging concepts. They are realizing that the work takes full concentration to fully understand it!

Unit Study:
We closed out our Genius Hour Unit with Presentations today. I was totally impressed with the kids' knowledge, their passion, and their creativity in sharing their learning. So many fantastic projects! Very impressed with these kiddos!
We also started our last unit for the year, Frog Research. Frogs are an indicator species, so we must pay attention to the impact of pollution, climate, destruction of habitat and pesticide use on frogs to see the potential for larger impact on other creatures. Each student chose their own frog to research. We'll also be learning all about frog anatomy to be ready for our Frog Dissection in May.

Until next time,
Dr. Kraeger

We jumped right into learning today!

Affective:
We read a fantastic book about perseverance, Wilma Unlimited. The kids worked to identify one of their short term goals, potential obstacles, ways to persevere, and an accountability partner to help overcome those obstacles. 

Unit Study:
We finished our Genius Hour projects. We'll share them next week during class. Any students who need more time can work on Projects at home.

Algebraic Thinking:
We used our critical thinking skills and math knowledge to figure out divisibility and create a Math Mosaic. The results are beautiful!

Novel Study:
We learned about dramatic irony and read a couple of chapters in our novel. The kids used their new knowledge to share an example of dramatic irony from the chapters.

Stations:
We chose a person to research from Women Who Dared, for our Women's History Quilt. We'll assemble it next week. 
We used convergent thinking to solve a logic puzzle and a math grid riddle. Then they used divergent thinking to do "30 Clover Creations". The results are amazing!

Until next time,
Dr. Kraeger

Off to a great start with our learning in Target!

Affective:
We worked more on our Goals, choosing 3 short term goals and action steps for each. We'll explore this more next time.
We continued our Mindfulness Practice with a Mindful Bell.

Algebraic Thinking:
We reviewed concepts from Lesson 21 to solidify understanding before we move on. A small group moved ahead to Lesson 22, which added parentheses to the concepts from Lesson 21.

Unit Study:
We had our final Peer Coaching session for Genius Hour. The kids showed good evalutiave thinking and were responsive to the feedback they received. We will have one more class period next week to work on the project.

Stations:
We used our convergent thinking to solve Logic puzzles. These are getting hard! The kids used their divergent thinking to transform the robot from our book into something new. The results are SO creative!

Novel Study:
We read another chapter in our book, while playing Kahoot! to challenge our critical thinking skills. 

Until next time,
​Dr. Kraeger

We got off to a great start in Target!

Algebraic Thinking:
We used our critical thinking and math strategies to solve a variety of math problems. The kids also learned new concepts in their next Hands On Equations lessons. They are doing very well!

Unit Study:
The kids are coming close to finishing their projects. We have two more class periods to work before presenting.

Affective Skills:
We listened to wonderful picture book, The Barnabus Project, for Read Across America Day. There was such a rich discussion about being different and how we find our way to fit in.

Stations:
We used our divergent thinking to create our own Misfit Toy. The results were marvelous! 

We enjoyed a visit from Mr. Rick Parker, Gifted Lead, at Daniell Middle School. He gave an in-depth overview of Middle School for gifted students. The kids asked a lot of good questions! You can contact him for any Middle School related questions. He is a wealth of information and happy to help.

Until next time,
Dr. Kraeger