How can we use criteria to make decisions?
Our around the world tour continued this week as we made a stop in Asia to learn about Japanese culture. We began the day with a read aloud of a book called Suki's Kimono to introduce traditional Japanese clothing that one might wear at a special celebration. We also learned about kabuki theater and the special make-up that is worn by the main performers of the show and how it's important to the performance.
After learning about the art, culture, food, and geography of Japan (and what they might see on a trip there), we turned our focus to our Decision-making strategy. Students were presented with the scenario of being asked to throw a Japanese-themed birthday party, where they needed to decide which traditional cultural activity should be a part of the party. Our choices were: Kabuki theater, wood block carving, calligraphy, and origami. After learning what it means to make valid criteria, we came to the decision that origami was the best option for our party. For some added fun, we created some origami of our own! Hopefully the fish made it home.
How do people live in the rainforest?
In Rainforests this week, students finished their books on Book Creator. They look great! We spent time learning about the people who live in the rainforest, focusing on the shelter of three different tribes. We started to use Design Thinking to create more protective shelters based on threats of predators, people, illnesses, overcrowding, storms, and the need to move with food availability. Following the Design Thinking process, we worked in groups that understood the challenges facing people who live in the rainforest (empathy), focused on a specific problem (define), brainstormed solutions (ideate), and selected one solution to solve the problem. Next week they will make a model of the design(prototype).
What is art?
In Museum Marvels this week, we used Scattergories as a way to stimulate our brains with divergent thinking during our warm-up time. For our activating strategy, we analyzed the elements of the Salvador Dali painting, Persistence of a Memory. Students shared unusual things they noticed about the painting and answered the question, "Do you think this is a dream or nightmare?" After this we finished the Green Hat component of our Six Thinking Hats strategy work from last week as students showcased their mini-museums featuring artwork from the Renaissance, Impressionist, Ancient, and Early American art movements. You can see some of their museum displays with the four art time periods, as well as two and three dimensional art in the photos below.
We then moved our focus to Pop-Art versus Cubism, where students completed a Jigsaw activity. Jigsaw is a cooperative group activity where each group is given information on either Pop-Art or Cubism and becomes an expert. They then join new groups to both share their expertise and learn from other students. We discussed the similarities and differences as a class. Finally, students started their Roll-a-Picasso art pieces! They rolled a dice for different features of a face (each feature is a simplified rendition of a feature Picasso used in his art) and created a new face with each feature. They are still in the process of incorporating color and will finish this next week. We can't wait to see the final products!
How can we use criteria to determine which animal should be chosen to return to the wild?
This week in "Where is the Dodo Bird?", we continued exploring how people help animals through conservation. Some Zoos and conservation organizations raise endangered animals in captivity, in hopes of increasing their population and reintroducing them into their natural habitat. Third Grade scholars used our decision-making process to help them decide which of the four following species stands the best chance of survival after returning to the wild: the Black-footed ferret, the Musk Ox, the California Condor, and the Gray Wolf.
After researching each animal, we gathered relevant facts to make an informed decision. We introduced the decision-making matrix as a tool to help compare the animals' chance of survival based on a set of criteria. When making complex decisions, we learned it is valuable to look at the issue from multiple perspectives. Our criteria included: availability of natural habitat, ability to minimize threats, population growth opportunities, and ability to find food sources. After discussing each animal in relation to our criteria, we ranked the animals and defended our rankings with facts from our research. While we thought the grey wolf had a strong chance of survival, our class determined the Muskox was the best choice because it eats a variety of food and it lives in less populated areas which reduces potential human threats. Our class effectively used their critical thinking skills to make an informed and thoughtful decision. I love how much they care about protecting animals and the environment.
Why is the respiratory system essential to human survival? In what ways can the respiratory system be compromised?
Can you guess what the longest word in the English language is? It is: Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. (Say that 5 times fast, right?) Our doctors in training learned that this super lengthy word is the name of a chronic lung disease caused by the inhalation of sand dust or volcanic ash, and is one example of how the respiratory system can be compromised. We used this factual tidbit to introduce the topic of this week's medical round: the Respiratory System!
We learned that the respiratory system is essential to human survival because our organs need oxygen to function and keep us alive, and the Respiratory System is charged with making sure we get the oxygen we need. Students explored the main parts of this body system: nose, mouth, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli. We even came up with a visual way to remember the bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli because they look like tree branches and leaves/grapes on the ends of the branches. We also learned that the diaphragm is an important part of the Respiratory System because it expands and contracts to let our lungs fill with air and empty out again. After some fun physical demonstrations to make a model lung (see picture below) and to demonstrate the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide that takes place in the alveoli, students worked in collaborative groups to conduct advanced research on one of the diseases and disorders that affect this body system.
Let's talk about higher order and critical thinking skills! This bucket of standards is like the bread and butter of what we do in TAG. Simply stated, critical thinking work refers to the ways in which our gifted students use logic, reasoning, and criteria to make comparisons and make and evaluate decisions. In reality, though, it's so much more than that. No matter what our unit work is for the day, there is always an opportunity to practice critical thinking. We do this in the ways in which we ask and respond to relevant questions with supporting evidence, examine a topic from multiple points of view, and even when we challenge existing ideas and theories. Six Thinking Hats, Mystery, and Compare and Contrast are great examples of how we use unit topics to extend our critical thinking skills. Probably the most logical example of HOTS work, however, is the Decision-Making strategy. When we tackle decision-making, students are challenged to create meaningful criteria to help them compare ideas and arrive at the best decision. It also teaches students to tolerate ambiguity and understand that the best decision is not always our favorite one.
Stay in touch with Ms. Anderson!
Email: andersondL@fultonschools.org
Website: https://tinyurl.com/npegifted
Location: 3055 Kimball Bridge Road, Alpharetta, GA, USA
Phone: (470) 254-2800
X/Twitter: @Ms_AndersonTAG
Stay in touch with Mrs. Share!
Email: ShareL@fultonschools.org
Location: 3055 Kimball Bridge Road, Alpharetta, GA, USA
Phone: (470) 254-2800
X (Twitter): @MrsShareNPE
Stay in touch with Mrs. Daneke!
Email: daneke@fultonschools.org
Phone: (470) 254-2800