Independent Investigations 2013 -14

The Challenge program provides opportunities for students to bring their passions and interests into the classroom.  This month, we are beginning the Challenge Independent Investigation.  Students take responsibility to satisfy curiosity and express creativity by selecting a topic that is important to them, others, and/or the world. They ask their own important questions, take notes, summarize, argue and talk to create a new idea or understanding.

We all get pretty excited during this project.  I will coach your child to do their best work. Parents can get involved by helping find resources or discussing the “big ideas” your child is learning about their topic.  

Here are a few comments from students about their Independent Projects:

• Plus: I like going my own way. Choosing my own things.  Is my thing.  Makes you happy when you share your product.
• Minus: Deciding which facts are better than other facts. Hard to put ideas in your own words.
• Interesting: When I produce knowledge. Surprised to find out something new.  I can have original ideas to make cartoons.  

Think Like An Inventor Project

Students used Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes to create a new invention to help people. Then they designed a 3-D model and sold us their idea.  The names of the inventions are the funniest part of the project. Sorry I can't give them to you now. Papers are at Washington School and I am at Pence as I write. I will share names another time.

Pictures from 3rd grade at Washington are below.  Look for other classes later this week.

What’s Challenge All About?

Hello Parents,

Challenge is about BIG ideas and hard questions. It’s about fun, inventing and brainstorming. It’s about challenge and choice.

The big three:

• Empathy:  What is empathy and how is it like a muscle?

Check out this video called The Power of Words showing empathy/apathy.

• Fixed or Growth Mindset? Powerful ideas from a book by Carol S. Dweck called Mindset: A New Psychology for Success. Here’s a quote: “If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning. That way, their children don’t have to be slaves of praise. They will have a lifelong way to build and repair their own confidence.” ― Carol S. Dweck
  

  

  
  

  This picture is from a gifted website called Byrdseed.

  
  
• Reading Zone:  An invisible world where readers go when they leave the classroom behind and live vicariously in their books.

We will be talking about all three ideas throughout the school year.  I hope they inspire your student to gain a better understanding of themselves and others.  

Mrs. Hektoen

Good Books to Read

Hi Parents,
I read The Reading Zone by Nancy Atwell this year.  As a result, kids in Challenge know the reading zone is an invisible world where you live vicariously in your book.  It's a place where you don't want to stop reading.
Below is a link to student recommended books by grade level to keep you in the reading zone.
Kids Recommend

Happy summer reading to all!
Mrs. Hektoen

5th Graders Say Goodbye

On the last day of 5th grade Challenge, students planned a party and decided each student would give a toast.  I supplied grape juice; the kids brought various treats including Caesar salad, and the party began.  We toasted to 3 great years of Challenge, the fun of Goal next year, summer, hot days, no more school, summer camp, and on and on.

Two 5th grade boys thought of giving toasts because of what we read while studying the Civil War.  We learned President Andrew Jackson and John Calhoun, 30 years before the Civil War, already held conflicting beliefs. The two men were at a party with many government officials. President Jackson toasted to the Union - forever, and Calhoun toasted to Liberty! Calhoun believed in states' rights as a way to keep slavery in the South.  Now you can see how 5th graders made a personal connection to the Civil War.

I will never forget this 5th grade group of Challenge students.  They taught me to enjoy the moment.  They thrilled me with many original projects and used humor and creativity to keep us laughing.  I will miss this group of kids.

Online US Citizenship Practice Test

Online US Citizenship Practice Test

3rd Grade Kite Field Trip

3rd graders enjoyed an afternoon at the park learning about flight with Therese.  Everyone created a kite but sadly didn't get a change to fly it due to the thunder, lightening and rain!  I kept the kites and will hope for a better day next week at school.  We will find a large field with wind.
Be sure to quiz your kids about the forces of flight and how they apply to kites and birds' wings.
Below is a group picture, minus one third grader.  

Civil War

I keep playing with words in Tagxedo.  I haven't figured out how to make the words spin when I click on them.  Maybe the spinning option costs money.  I will keep exploring.  5th graders begin their study of the Civil War by asking and answering their own questions.  We will focus on the radical idea laid bare by the conflict: All men are created equal.  I hope students learn important stories of the Civil War and relate them to a current issue of today.

Students Make Real World Connections

5th grade Challenge students traveled to our local, solar-powered, listener supported, radio station, KRUU, this fall to record short scripts about the Iowa Tallgrass Prairie. Therese Cummiskey and James Moore of KRUU organized this opportunity.  
Many thanks to Therese and James for giving the kids the chance to be part of a recording studio so they could make real world connections to
broadcasting. 
You will receive notice when the program is available for listening.
Hope you enjoy pictures from our visit.

Students Collect Money to Help Endangered Species

3rd grade Challenge students made real world connections to endangered species by collecting $113 to help black rhinos and African elephants.  $40 has been sent to support the Desert Black Rhino Project and $73 to David Sheldrick's Orphans' Project for elephants. Thanks to everyone who contributed!  Students studied African endangered animals and then decided collect money to make a donation.  Here is one picture we found of a rhino being transported to a new home by air.
Below are pictures of the presentations kids made for their projects.