Projects, Projects, Projects!

We are definitely back in the swing of things!  This week in gifted students were busy on a number of projects.

Inventor Projects (Tuesday & Thursday morning)

This week some of the students in the Tuesday morning class presented their finished projects.  Their classmates listened to the presentations, observed the projects, asked questions, and left feedback.  Each student was asked to leave a written comment on one thing the presenters did well with their project and one thing that could be improved.  We talked about providing helpful and meaningful comments.  The presenters did a very good job.

Chase, Zack and Charlie presented their diorama on the inventor of the parking meter, Carleton Cole Magee.  It was clear from their presentation that they learned quite a bit about Carleton Magee's life and what lead him to invent the parking meter!

Lyndsy did her project on James Dyson, the inventor of the Dual Cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner.  Lyndsy chose to do her project as a radio interview.  You can listen to her radio interview below.




I look forward to future inventor project presentations, and I hope to post more of them here!

Pivot Stick Figure Animations

I mentioned last week that some of the classes have started creating animations using Pivot Stickfigure.  As of this week, all of the classes have spent time using this software and the students are picking it up very quickly!  The goal is to create animations of Rube Goldberg machines.  In the previous term we watched videos of quite a number of these intricate contraptions so the students have a lot of good ideas on which to base their animations.

Inventors' Workshop 

During part of each class a small group of students have worked on the Inventors' Workshop which is slowly taking shape.  Right now the focus is on a tunnel leading into the workshop.

MaKey MaKey Inventor Kits

We have 5 MaKey MaKey inventor kits and each week portion of each class will get to try them out.  The idea is that you can make anything into a computer key or mouse just with aligator clipping.  So far students have tried connecting playdough, moist sponges, a wire whisk, and people to the MaKey MaKey.

The Wrap Up

It's been a busy week!  We will continue to work on the projects mentioned above over the next few weeks.  Check back for more updates!

Term 2 Starts!

After a month's hiatus from Gifted Program classes, we started back up this week.  As the school year has progressed the activities each of the classes are doing have diverged.  This is due in large part to the interests and ages of the students in each class.  What follows are some of the things students did this week in gifted!

Catching Up

Many of the students haven't seen each other for over a month so a little catching up was in order.  To facilitate this we played a modified version of 'Some Truths and a Lie'.  Students got into small groups of 3 or 4 and had a chance to talk about some of the things that they did over the break.  Then each person chose one true thing that they did over the break.  The group then came up with one statement that was a lie.  Each group read out their statements to the class (one true statement per person and the lie) and the class voted on which one they thought was the lie.  All of the groups did a great job of choosing their statements!

Inventor Projects (Tues and Thurs Morning Classes)

The Tuesday and Thursday morning classes continued to work on their inventor projects.  Some students in the Tuesday class have completed theirs and will be presenting them starting next week.  I continue to be impressed with the creativity students are demonstrating in their projects and I hope to start sharing their work here over the next few weeks.

Balloon Blasters (Wednesday Afternoon Class)

The Wednesday afternoon class built balloon blasters.  In partners students threaded a straw onto a string and tied the string between two chairs.  They then blew up a balloon and kept it pinched closed while they taped it onto the straw.  Once everything was secure they let go and watched the balloon blaster zoom along the string!  We discussed what made the blasters go and how to make them go faster.

Inventors' Workshop 

In December I was able to get 4 very  l o n g  boxes.  The Tuesday morning class had the great idea of combining two boxes to make a tunnel as an entry into the workshop.  Some students from the Tuesday morning and afternoon, as well as the Thursday afternoon class taped the boxes together and created an entry at one end.  All of the classes had great ideas on what else to add; it will be interesting to see things take shape over the next few weeks!

MaKey MaKey Invention Kits

This week small groups of students from the Tuesday classes as well as Thursday afternoon got a start on trying out our 5 new MaKey MaKey Invention Kits.  The video below explains how these kits can be used.  The kits can be a bit challenging to use and I was impressed with the patience and enthusiasm that students showed.

 

Pivot Stick Figure Animations

Small groups of students in the Tuesday and Thursday classes started creating animations with Pivot Stick Figure.  Students who attended Gifted Program classes 2 years ago were already familiar with this program and helped others get going.  We will be using Pivot Stick Figure in all of the classes as the term progresses.  One nice thing about Pivot Stick Figure is that is free to download and use on Windows computers.  You can download it here.  At school we are using version 2.2.7.

Term Reports

Just a note that term 1 reports were distributed to schools just before winter break with copies to be sent home.  If you have not received your child's report yet, please let me know.

Wrapping Up

It was a great start to the second term!  Many of the things that we started to work on this week we will continue with as the term progresses.

Week 9: The Marshmallow Challenge!

This week was our last week of gifted class until the new year.  We finished it off with a bang!

The Marshmallow Challenge

Classes were divided into groups of 3 - 4 and tasked with building the tallest tower they could with the following supplies:

The rules were simple:

• Build the Tallest Freestanding Structure
• The Entire Marshmallow Must be on Top
• Use as Much or as Little of the Kit (which contained the supplies listed above).
• You May Break Up the Spaghetti, String or Tape
• The Challenge Lasts 18 Minutes

Before starting the challenge we discussed what were good strategies to use when working in groups. Then the students went at it! 

The older students (grades 4s and 5s) were able to work well in their groups while some of the younger students did require more coaching / intervention. In most cases the students were able to resolve any conflicts and go on to work well as a group. I was proud of their ability to come up with solutions that worked for everyone in the group!

When the 18 minutes were up, some groups did not have a completed tower, others had a tower that looked great, but could not support the marshmallow (which is surprisingly heavy), while the remaining structures proudly held their marshmallows on top. The two tallest towers were both 61 cm tall -- one built in the Tuesday grade 5 class and the other in the Thursday grade 4 class.

Here are some of the towers:

After the activity we went over some of these slides and related the challenge to the process that inventors and others go through when solving problems. 

Thank you to one of our parents, James' mother Christina, for mentioning this activity to me. It is described in this TED Talk.

For Fun

Continuing on our Rube Goldberg theme, some of the classes watched this video:

Wrap Up

This was the last week of gifted classes for 2012. Reports for the fall term of gifted classes will be going home before schools break for the holidays. Gifted classes resume again the first week that school is back in session (January 7th - 11th). Have a safe and enjoyable holiday!

Week 8: Inventor Skits

Inventor Skits

This week in gifted all of the classes created skits about specific inventors.  Students were randomly put into groups of 3 or 4 and then they were given a fact sheet about a specific inventor and their invention(s).  The group members had to learn the information and then create a skit to convey that information to the rest of the class.  Prior to working in their skits we discussed successful strategies for working in groups.  Some of the ideas that students suggested were:

• making an effort to try and include everyone's ideas
• no put downs
• being aware of not dominating the group
• seeking the input of quieter members of the group

It can be very challenging working in a group, especially when working against the clock!  All of the groups did a great job.  In some cases there were disagreements, but with some gentle prodding group members were able to come up with solutions that met everyone's needs.

The skits were, creative, insightful, and fun to watch!  We had a wonderful impression of bacteria growing out of control from the Tuesday morning group's Alexander Flemming penicillin sketch.   Sean from the Thursday afternoon class portrayed a very realistic and mischievous little turtle as his group tackled the challenging task of explaining Tim Berners-Lee's invention of the World Wide Web.  The Wright brothers skit from the Thursday morning class was full of dramatic acting, plays on words (ask them about their airplane instruments) and audience participation!  There were also entertaining skits on Mary Anderson (windshield wipers), Johannes Gutenberg (moveable type printing), Alexander Graham Bell (telephone), and Frank Epperson (popsicle).

After each group performed their skit there was a chance for questions about the inventor and the invention.  Then the audience commented on what they thought the group did well.  We're trying to work towards specific feedback, although I'm sure that no one minds being told that their group "was awesome!" or that "I liked everything!"

For most of the classes the groups were then asked to create a quick skit illustrating what life would be like today without their invention.

Inventors' Workshop

The Inventors' Workshop is something that all of the classes will be helping to create in the new year.  Some of the students from the Tuesday morning class got started on creating a large paper mache light bulb for the Inventors' Workshop.  Unfortunately their teacher, ahem, caused the balloon to pop.  Back to square one...

One of the ideas for the Inventors' Workshop was to build a model of a giant TV in which we would highlight different inventors/inventions.  Marcus from the Tuesday afternoon class had the great idea of  also using the TV as a puppet theatre; students could create puppets and put on plays depicting famous inventors and their inventions.  Other ideas have included creating a portal to the workshop and a remote for the TV.

Inventor Projects (Morning Classes)

The Tuesday morning and Thursday morning classes are continuing to work on their inventor projects.  Last week I highlighted what the Tuesday class was doing, now for Thursday's class:

• dioramas--Danica and Ronesca have made great strides on their diorama as has Gina on hers about the inventor Gary Fong
• comics--a number of students have decided to give Bitstrips for Schools a try to relate what they have learned about their inventors.  Bitstrips is an online comic strip creator.  Some of the students trying it out are: Brandon, Zach M, Zack K, Jordan, Tristan, Koen, Paul, Tyler
• interview with an inventor --  Carson and Braiden have got a great start on their script as have Chloe and Nicola, who would also like to include other elements in their project such as a poster
• inventor cards--Josh is making great headway on his inventor cards and learning a lot in the process!

Not every student in the class is listed above as a number were away in the last class, and so may not have totally settled on a format yet.

Wrapping Up

This coming week (December 3rd - 7th) is the last week of gifted program classes until January.

 

Week 7: Projects, Straws and Spaghetti

Here are a few of the things that happened this week in gifted.

The Ediphone Arrives

One of our students, Kristen, brought in an Ediphone that belonged to her grandfather.  All of the classes were intrigued to find out what it does and how it works.  Kristen's family believes that the machine is from around 1917.  The Ediphone was an early dictation machine.  A person speaks into the speaking tube and their voice is recorded onto a wax cylinder.  For more information on the Ediphone, check out this site.  Thank you Kristen for sharing this with our classes!

Inventor Projects (Morning Classes)

The grade 5s continued to work on their projects.  Eli, Joaquin, and Marcus are each showing their distinctive styles and interests with their Smart Board quiz games.  Angel and Melina are each creating great movie posters.  James has made a good start to his project involving the creator of Minecraft, a game I am clearly going to have to learn a lot more about judging by its popularity with students!  Chase, Charlie and Zack have created most of the models for their diorama.  Nathan's card game is coming along well and Lyndsy is ready to start recording her radio interview.  Meanwhile Brody and Evan have made some great figures using Pivot Stick Figure animation software.

The Thursday morning class started on their projects this week too.  More on how they are doing next week!

Spaghetti Towers

The Tuesday morning grade 5 class were challenged to build the tallest free-standing tower that they could using only 30 mini-marshmallows and 30 sticks of spaghetti.  Bonus marks were awarded if they didn't use all of their supplies! 

What Are You Doing?

This drama game is popular with a number of the classes, especially the the Wednesday afternoon grade 1 - 2 class.  The focus is on thinking on your feet, being creative and getting up and acting in front of your peers.  For more info on this game, ask your child!

Hockey Card Wrap Up

The afternoon classes worked on their hockey cards and almost everyone is now done!  Our walls are now covered with these creative cards.

The Straw Shape Challenge

Last week the morning classes tried this activity, and this week almost all of the afternoon classes took a shot at it.  Students created triangles and squares using straws and paper clips.  The idea was to demonstrate that triangles are more stable shapes because they are better able to balance the forces of compression and tension.  The students were then challenged to build a stable three dimensional shape.  As a follow up, we checked out this interactive online lab. 

Straw Structures from this week and last:

Final Note

There are only two more weeks of classes before Gifted Program classes wrap up for the fall term.  For more information, please check this short post.

Fall Term Wrapping Up Soon

This is just a short post to let you know that the fall term of the Gifted Program classes will soon be wrapping up.  The last classes will be the week of December 3rd to 7th.  The winter term of the Gifted Program classes will start when school resumes on January 8th.  Reports on the Fall term will be sent home in mid-December.

The rationale for ending classes 2 weeks before winter break is that this is the time that many schools are preparing for school wide concerts and other seasonal activities which many students do not want to miss out on.  It also allows me time to assess the many students who have been referred to the Gifted Program.



 

Week 6

As the term progresses, the activities that the different classes are doing start to diverge a bit.  Part of this is due to the age of the students in each class, and part of this has to do with the morning classes being longer than the afternoon classes.

General Schedule

For all of the classes we follow the same general schedule.

• Social Time.  As students arrive they take out games, toys, puzzles, or books.  It is an opportunity to reconnect with students from other schools, whom they probably haven't seen since last week.  Some popular activities during social time lately have been:
• the magnetic construction kit -- there have been some amazing structures built and we've all been learning a lot about magnetic force
• the robotic set -- it was rediscovered at the end of October and has been very popular!
• Lego (of course!)
• Maze books
• and the wooden cube puzzle

• Circle.  During circle I outline what we will be doing for the class.  Then we go around the circle and everyone has an opportunity to speak on a specific topic or to pass if they wish.  This week students were asked to mention either something interesting that happened to them since we last met, or something they were looking forward to. 
• Game / Brain Teaser.  Many of the games that we do involve some or all of the following; presentation skills, creative thinking, and/or working as a group. This week, depending on the class, students
• played Concentration
• were challenged to line up by height... without talking
• played What Are You Doing?  (very popular with the Weds afternoon class!)
• played Wink Murder

• Challenge Activity.  We don't do a challenge activity every class.  This week the morning classes did a straw building challenge.  I don't want to say much more about is as I hope to have the afternoon classes try it out soon.
• Recess.  The morning classes have a recess break outside.  Right now we are taking our recess at a different time from Wiltse Elementary.  Part of the rationale is to encourage the students to continue to bond as a group.  For both morning classes the 'big thing' is to go on the saucer swings. 
  
• Lesson / Project.  This week the Tuesday morning class (grade 5s) started on their inventor projects.  Students are either working alone or with a partner.  They have all chosen an inventor and are doing research which they will present in one of a variety of ways (movie poster, radio interview, diorama, quiz game ...)  The other classes continued to work on their 'Hockey Cards' (mentioned here).  If you get a chance, please check out our growing gallery of hockey cards along the south wall of the classroom.  Students are enjoying checking out their peers' hockey cards and many are excited to find other students that they recognize from their home school.
• Wrap Up.  At the end of the class, once we've cleaned up, we meet again as a group and summarize what we've done and what we'll be up to next week.  During this time we've also been checking out different Rube Goldberg machines.  This week most of the classes saw the OK Go video This Too Shall Pass.