Guest Speakers Anyone?

I am looking for two speakers.

 I am looking for one to speak on the subject of Forensic Science/Fingerprinting/Solving Mysteries.

 I am also looking for someone to speak on the subject of The Stock Market.

If you know of anyone willing to speak on either of these subjects, please email me at sarah.johnson@hsv-k12.org


THANK YOU!

Happy Holidays and updates!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! First of all, I wanted to let you know that I am thankful for all of my wonderful Blossomwood students! It is a joy teaching you every week.  I was just informed about a "Gifted Advocacy Group" in the North Alabama/Huntsville area and you can check out more about this at this link:

https://www.facebook.com/NorthAlabamaParentsOfGiftedChildren


TWO NEW UNITS:

4th Graders will be working on a "Walking on Wall Street" Concept Based Unit:

Concept Based Unit & Lesson Plans

Walkin’ on Wall Street:  The Stock Market Game

Focus:  Stock Market Investment

Rationale:  Simulating stock market investing gives student exposure to complex concepts in an exciting and motivating format.  In order to play the game well, students must remain in close touch with current events, learn basic economic principals, read and research current and past economic trends, use technology and trade books to read in content areas about real companies, compute and problem solve using sophisticated mathematics, practice persuasive writing, predict, make decisions, and use creativity in order to be successful.  In addition, cooperation and interpersonal skills are honed since students must form teams to participate in the game.  The Stock Market is an interdisciplinary unit that combines academics with multiple levels of thinking.

Macro Concepts:  Cycles, Balance, Interdependence, Globalization, Patterns

Micro Concepts:  Economics, Business, Needs vs. Wants, Investing

Professions / Careers

Stock broker                      Business Lawyer                   Investor                      Investment Lawyer                                               Philanthropist                       Inventor                                  Manager    CEO                                                                Entrepreneur                                                              Economist

Skills:

Technology:  computers, Power Point, Internet research, Web search, using links

Research:  Using trade books, Internet, newspapers and magazines.

Reading:  Reading for content, note taking, summarizing, skimming for specific information.

Math Concepts:  Percents; decimals; figuring commission; profit, loss, and overhead; positive and negative numbers; graphing; reading and creating charts and graphs.

Writing:  Metaphors, paragraph construction, essay writing (formulating a thesis statement and supportive paragraphs), persuasive writing, grammar, punctuation, editing, business letter writing.

Predicting with supporting evidence

Cause and Effect

Decision Making

Productive Thinking (fluency, flexibility, elaboration, originality)

Using Graphic Organizers:  Mind mapping, Plus-Minus-Neutral Charts, Venn Diagrams, Flow charts, Structure maps.

Social Studies:  Reading and creating charts (flow charts, organizational charts, informational charts); culture studies; historical events with economic repercussions; careers, supply & demand, needs vs. wants; business organization.

Vocabulary

stocks                                    stock market           Wall Street               invest

stock exchange                  mutual funds                        stocks                                    Dow

Nasdaq                                NYSE                            profit                         loss    

Overhead                            Credit  balance         debit                          deficit                                   

Bankruptcy                         commodities             services                     goods

raw materials                     bull market                bear market             junk bonds

CEO                                       Board of Directors   labor                          interest

Principal                              needs vs. wants        inflation                    deflation

Optimism                            pessimism                  management           blue chip

junk bonds                         supply & demand

Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions:

I.        Enduring Understandings:

Economic trends can be cyclical.

Needs and wants may change over time, affecting economic investment trends.

Essential Question:  What causes economic trends?

Scaffolding Questions:

1.        What is a cycle?  Use Productive Thinking to name many, varied, unusual examples of things that follow a cycle.

2.       What are economics?  What is an economy?

3.       What is a trend?  Name many, varied, unusual examples of things that are trends.

4.       Based on the above, what is an economic trend?

5.       What is the difference between “needs” and “wants?”

5th Graders will be working on a MYSTERY unit:

 

Unit Title:   Marvelous Mysteries

Disciplines Involved:               Science, Literature, Social Sciences

Conceptual Lenses:                   Truth

Unit Summary:                While investigating various kinds of “mysteries,” students will

                                                examine what it means to find the truth.  Students will explore                                                  different tools and technologies that aid us in determining the                                                   truth.  In addition, students will compare the different ways in                                                   which investigations are conducted, based on the nature of the                                                            investigation: criminal, forensic, historic, etc.

Enduring Understandings:     

§  Mysteries can be found across many different disciplines.

§  Science, technology, and logical reasoning all are useful tools in gathering information and evidence to determine truth.

§  One gathers and weighs evidence in order to determine the truth.

§  Not all mysteries can be solved conclusively.

Essential Questions:

§  What is a mystery? What makes something a mystery?

§  How do different disciplines go about investigating and gathering evidence?

§  How is truth determined?

§  What do we do when we cannot determine the exact truth in a given situation?

 

Happy Veteran's Day!

Happy Veteran's Day to all of the veterans past and present. You are our real heroes! I'd like to especially thank my grandfather, Don Blue, Lt. Col. in the Marine Corps, who served in WWII and the Korean War; my other grandfather, Glenn Hill, Col. in the U.S. Air Force, who served in WWII and the Korean War as well; and my father, Bill Blue, Lt. Col in the Marine Corps Reserves for 25 years! I love all of my family heroes!!!

What is going on in SPACE? 

5th Grade-We are starting a MYSTERY UNIT in 5th grade this week.  We will be doing lots of exciting activities as well as reading some mysterious stories.  Students always LOVE this unit.

4th Grade-We are starting our "Walking on Wall Street" Unit combined with Biz Wiz.  This is a stock market unit for kids.  They will understand the concepts, vocabulary and will actually trade stocks in the Stock Market game in the Spring! Fun! Fun!

Edmodo~The Social Network!

Edmodo is a social network for schools! We have our own SPACE class Edmodo group per grade level. If you need to see an assignment from class, click on Edmodo and it will be uploaded there under "assignments"!

What is a Prezi?

A Prezi is a new way to make a presentation!!!! It's similar to a power point but lots more fun with more options!!! You should check it out and create one at www.prezi.com. You will need an email address to log in. This would be a fantastic way to present your "creative person" to the class.

Open House!

What a great Open House last night! I enjoyed meeting a few parents last night that I had not met before! I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week and weekend!

Gifted WEBSITES:)

Wordville! Have fun with Words!
http://www.wordville.com/


Tangram Fun!
http://www.abcya.com/tangrams.htm


Look at these awesome analogies!

http://www.braincurls.com/a/analogix.html



This site has a lot to offer! Browse around!
www.braincurls.com



Do you want to be a doctor, nurse, or just in the medical field when you grow up? LOOK AT THIS!
www.edheads.org



 This site has SO many links and its divided into subject areas! Browse around!
www.kbkonnectedkids.com



Origami anyone?
http://www.en.origami-club.com/index.html


Get to know your PRESIDENTS in a puzzle!
http://www.worksheetsplus.com/POTUS/POTUSJigsaws.html


Are you a Geography Wiz? Let's see!
http://www.purposegames.com/game/47


Are you a visual/spatial learner? Check out these puzzles galore!
http://www.thekidzpage.com/onlinejigsawpuzzles/index.html


Welcome readers!
www.storylineonline.net

Odd one out....General Knowledge Game!
http://www.braincurls.com/wtd/loader.html

What do we do in SPACE?

SPACE class sometimes seems like a mystery class but it shouldn't feel that way at all! I love to share what I am doing in class with students, parents, and other teachers! This blog is a great way to stay connected!

The Concept Based Units are as follows for September and October:

BLOSSOMWOOD-
Monday: 5th Grade-Creativity Concept Based Unit
Tuesday: 4th Grade-Creativity Concept Based Unit

MLK-
Wednesday: 5th Grade-Art History Concept Based Unit
Thursday: 3rd and 4th Grades-Art History Concept Based Unit

CREATIVITY UNIT:

Rationale:  Creative thinking is a technique students will need to solve problems and be innovative … all through their lives.  Creative thinking involves creating something new or original.  It involves the skills of flexibility, originality, fluency, elaboration, brainstorming, modification, imagery, associative thinking, attribute listing, metaphorical thinking, forced relationships. The aim of creative thinking is to stimulate curiosity and promote divergence and generate alternative perspectives.  There are various ways to practice creative thinking.

Concepts:  Creativity, brainstorming, relationships, curiosity, originality, flexibility, fluency, elaboration, divergent, perspectives, problem solving, innovation

Essential Understandings: 

Creative thinking is used in all areas of human life.

Creative thinking is essential for success.

Essential Questions:

In what ways is creative thinking important?

Culminating Activity:
Choose a way to use what you learned about creativity in a project.  




 ART CONCEPT BASED UNIT:

Concepts:  culture, change, relationships, emotions, influence, reflections

Essential Understandings:

• Visual art has a strong influence in our lives.
• Art is a mirror to life and reflects the artist’s world and times.

Essential Questions: 

• How do artists affect the world?
• How does art affect life and life affect art?

Other Questions:

1.  Is art important or necessary?
2.  Why do people create art?
3.  How has art changed through time?
4.  What choices must an artist make before beginning a work?
5.  What exactly is art? Are there limits to art making?
6.  How does art expand our thinking?
7.  How does art record and communicate the human experience?
8.  How does art reflect human culture?
9. Should artists be allowed to express themselves without restrictions?

Culminating Activity:

Students will decide on a service learning project for their final art project (at the school or in the community).  Or, students will choose what they want to do with their art, perhaps something towards service learning (i.e. make a brochure about the school).  Include EUs in the final project.