March and April Activities



We used the famous pair trick for creating our groups.
The questions were the same for all groups. They used bells to ring
in their answers first. They learned that Claire Daines' birthday can't
be found in an atlas. hee-hee!





I think it's found in an almanac. Hurry!



Our new CIA 6 group has been spending lots of time learning , in-depth, all the resources available to them for finding information. We are exploring multiple formats together, learning to analyze the information, taking notes on a topic of their choice and figuring out the best way to share that information with an audience.

I'm proud of their interest so far. We have some great topic choices, including: genetic engineering, using volume formulas for real-world applications, panic disorders and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, just to name a few.

Today, we went 'old school' and used print resources to find information. The students learned the difference between an atlas and almanac. The groups had the same questions, then had to make split-second decisions to determine where their team might find the answers. The first team to find the answer rang a bell to answer first and won a little prize for their efforts.


To see our whole lesson structure for the four week class, go to the wiki here:
https://wmsmedia.pbworks.com/w/page/65130591/CIA%206%3A%20Information%20Investigation

Ring the bell, you found it!

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Our 6th Grade Social Studies students just finished a week-long activity in learning stations. We were so busy, that I forgot to take pictures!
They were learning about Ancient India in five stations:

1. Land of the Indus Valley multimedia webquest from BBC Kids. Students jigsawed their parts by taking notes on their topic and sharing in the classroom.
2. Analyze the differences between Hinduism and Buddhism using print resources. They created a t-chart comparing differences.
3. Monsoon trade winds. Students read an expository passage, answered questions, then viewed a captioned slideshow from National Geographic Education.
4. Ancient civilizations: students used ipads to get bullet-point information about their ancient culture then translated those notes into a Popplet mindmap app.
5. Mythology: Students searched print resources to find an ancient Indian myth. They found the title, characters, setting and plot, wrote them in paragraphs then drew a captioned icon to represent the myth._______________________________________________________________________________

I wish I could rotate these images. Alas..
Our last CIA group finished up a few weeks ago with their Best Part of Me project.
Based on Wendy Ewald's Literacy Through Photography framework, the class explored photography skills, writing and presentation of information they know the most about: themselves!
I was so proud of their work that it's posted at the front entrance. I see lots of people stopping to check it out.
Good job, guys!!

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We're just recovering from Book Fair in March!
 It was great fun for our students and student crew members. Although it wasn't as financially successful as years past, it was certainly fun and exciting for boosting morale in our school's resource center! We added a good supply of hot titles for our students. They are already gobbled up!

Here are some images from our fair:



             

We are so grateful to Hicks Landscaping in Wendell for the beautiful greenery! They did an amazing job, just to help out.



Scene from The Hobbit: or there and back again

 



Lines are long at Family Night