Is It Possible????

Is it possible?  Could any reading lesson be as fun as Math Quest?  If you ask my 4th graders, the answer is NO!   On no planet, big or small, could this EVER be possible!  

Hmmmm - almost sounds like a challenge??  Never one to shy away from challenge, I made it my New Year's resolution for 2014 to make reading lessons as much fun, if not, (yes, hold your breath - more fun!), than our beloved Math Quest.

I explained my goal, but not how it would be accomplished, to my 4th graders prior to my 2 week stint of standardized testing.  They were intrigued! (Doubtful, but intrigued.)  The new ELA unit will utilize one of my favorite resources, Jacob's Ladder, designed by The Center for Gifted Education at William and Mary.  Jacob's Ladder targets reading comprehension skills and written response to advanced text for high ability learners. In the form of three skill ladders, students move from lower order, concrete thinking skills to higher order, critical thinking skills. Each ladder serves to scaffold student understanding, thinking, and written response. 

Ladder A	Ladder B	Ladder C
Sequencing Cause and Effect Consequences & Implications	Details Classifications Generalizations	Elements Inferences Theme/Concept

I know!  How will reading complex passages, responding in writing using specific evidence from the text, and rubrics to evaluate our work be more fun than buying golden peanuts and whatchamacallits while racing towards a treasure chest worth 50,000 pieces of gold?  Like your kids, you are probably doubtful. Intrigued, but doubtful.  

Below is a sneak preview.  You will see that I had a tremendous amount of help. :-)

The final product is not yet complete, so stay tuned.  The new unit will unroll a week from tomorrow.  I will be using an anonymous form to evaluate student feedback over time. I will be sure to keep you posted - although the true test will be if your kids tell you directly!  Let me know :-)

Thanks for checking in and supporting the AIG program at Bradley Creek!

Did you know?

Did you know that you are more likely to . . . .

• be struck by lightning TWICE in one day than to be bitten by a shark?
• be killed by a pig than a shark?
• be killed by a coconut (yes, I said it! A coconut!) than a shark?
• be bitten by a New Yorker than bitten by a shark?

If you attended today's 4th grade Academy on ocean animals and wildlife, you would! Thanks to Jane  Lewis (Bradley Creek parent), the North Carolina Aquarium came to Bradley Creek today.  Students learned the traits specific to fish (they have a spine, they breathe oxygen from water, they have gills, etc.) and explored why jellyfish, starfish, tadpoles, and dolphins did not fit into this category. Students had the chance to touch the jaws of sharks and learn how and why different teeth are designed for different things. Below, you will see some of our kiddos checking out a male and female seahorse.  (Yes, they are fish! The male is the one with the large pouch, if you are curious :-)

Our next Friday session will feature a visit from UNCW's Marine Quest.  As I'm sure you can imagine, the kids can not wait! 

Stay tuned for a detailed update on our most recent 5th grade Academy as well - An Introduction to Shakespeare.  Penny Kohut from TACT (Thalian Hall) has totally wowed our students - boys and girls - with the love of Shakespeare! (Who'd have thought, right?) During our first session, she had all 14 students speaking in iambic pentameter and designing a class sonnet. Today, the students rapped Sonnet 18 ("Shall I compare thee to a summer's day") and left begging for more. In our next session she has promised us Romeo and Juliet meets the Super Bowl. If only I had learned Shakespeare this way!!!! There may be a performance to come, so stay tuned!

Thanks for checking in and supporting the AIG program at Bradley Creek!

Christy