Fourth and fifth grade identified gifted students will soon begin working on our Mrs. Frisby curriculum, which will culminate with a mock trial. The fourth grade identified gifted students will represent the defense team and the fifth grade identified gifted students will represent the prosecution team. The 4th and 5th grade students will work separately until the day of the mock trial when each team will call witnesses and present their arguments.  Other students from the 4th and 5th grade classrooms will be included in our mock trial and they will serve as witnesses and members of the jury.  I have invited a lawyer to come in as a guest speaker before the mock trial, to talk to students about a career in law and the legal process.

Fourth Grade
Fourth graders are currently conducting research on a self selected topic. Students learned about the ‘cycle of change’ as they studied the American Revolution in the regular classroom, and they are using the ‘cycle of change’ process to present what they have learned in their research.

Fifth Grade
Fifth grade students are working on a choice project, and they have decided to write a group story. Students have chosen to write about a dystopia, which we have learned is a struggle between man and society. Students are also reading the Ayn Rand novel, Anthem, which is also a story about a dystopia.

Parent teacher conferences will be held on  Wednesday February 15th and Thursday February 16th. If you would like to schedule a conference, please send me an EMAIL noting a time that works best for you. I will send you an EMAIL reply to confirm the conference date and time.

Fourth Grade

Fourth graders did a great job documenting their invention idea for the Exploravision science competition. Students were required to write about six different aspects of their invention: current technology used in their invention,   history of the technology used in their invention, breakthroughs required before their invention is feasible, positive and negative consequences of their invention, and the design process they used to decide on this invention. The contest entry was submitted on 2/01/2012 and  the contest Regional Winners and Honorable Mention awardees will be announced in March or April.  Every student  will receive an entry gift and certificate for their participation. Select the link below to view our contest entry.

Attention Recording Glasses (ARG)

Fourth graders have chosen to work on a research project and each student chose a different topic to research. Students decided that their final product will be presented in a keynote presentation, which they would like to present to their class.

Fifth Grade

Fifth graders have chosen to work on a short term project which is designed to help students find good books they might like to read. The fifth grade gifted students have created a book survey, Books 4 U, which they will send to all Avoca West 4th an 5th grade students. Results of this survey will be used to compile information and build a database of books recommended by Avoca West students.

Fourth Grade
Fourth graders will continue working this month on their entry for the Exploravision science competition. The competition deadline is February 1, 2012, so students will be especially busy all month writing and creating graphics to document their invention.

Fifth Grade
Fifth graders will be learning about the Great Depression of 1929 and will support with evidence the similarities and differences between the Great Depression of 1929 and the recession that began in 2008. Students will also study political cartoons  and create their own political cartoon, which we will submit to a student editorial cartoon contest.

Fourth Grade
Students will soon begin to work on their entry for the Exploravision Invention competition. Our work will begin with creative efforts designed to teach students the inventive process, and after we’ve studied the inventive process students  will design and document an original invention.
Fifth Grade
Fifth graders have begun studying the origins of the  industrial revolution and how it affected the lives of children in Victorian England. We will read an abridged version of the novel, Oliver Twist, and study the life and times of Charles Dickens.

Welcome to Gifted Language Arts!  Classes will start next week and we will meet continuously throughout the school year.

A parent orientation meeting has been scheduled for August 3oth during the K-1 and 2-3 Open House times, 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. The parent orientation will be held  in room #75, which is located in  the first grade wing.

I hope to see you there!