Genius Hour #1 Completed

For several weeks the topic of conversation in the class surrounded our trial of Genius Hour.  Students were excited about being given the time and opportunity to pursue topics of interest to them.  They LOVED the term - Student Driven Learning!

Most students had an idea right away - while others needed time to think and plan.  Some students decided to work together while others chose to work independently.  Some students would use the computer, while others would use different tools.

Our 'hour' began at 1:45 p.m. Students excitedly collected their supplies and went straight to work. The level of engagement was something at which to marvel.  For over an hour students were completely engrossed in their learning while they created comic strips on the computer, sewed a pillow, researched hedgehogs, experimented with volcanoes, created mazes from wood, researched a Brazilian Gospel singer, created powerpoints about dry ice, geocaching, created posters about WWII, the Model T and many other topics.

Poster about the Great Depression

Experimenting with a Volcano

When the bell sounded,  signaling the end of our school day and thus the ending of their Genius Hour there were audible groans and moans.  The disbelief that the 'hour' was up was clear by looking at the disappointment on my students' faces as many had not accomplished the tasks they set out for themselves.  They wondered if they could have more time the following day.

Appreciating the level of involvement in their learning I decided to give them some extra time the next day to 'finish' their Genius work.  When I announced it in the morning there were fist pumps and 'yays'!  When the time came, students again began to work diligently.

Learning about Pearl Harbor Attack

Over the next couple days there was time for students to quickly share their learning with their classmates.  Students listened intently and asked thoughtful questions. At the end students all wanted to know when to expect the NEXT Genius Hour.  This makes me realize the power of allowing and trusting students to follow their interests and passion.  Success in learning!

Genius Hour is here to stay! I am convinced in this first showing that students need time to pursue their interests.  I am convinced that allowing them time will further promote their curiosity.

Do you have any comments or questions about Genius Hour?  Would love to hear how Genius Hour was perceived at home.

National Geographic Bee - School Competition

School Champion: Grace

From November 12, 2012 to January 15, 2013 schools all across the nation are participating in the National Geographic Bee.  The Bee which has been in existence since 1989 challenges students in grades 4 - 8 on the geography of the world.  Participating schools hold Preliminary Rounds with all students and then conduct a Final Round with up to 10 finalists.  The 10 finalists compete until a School Champion is determined.

The School Champion then goes on to take a 60 question multiple choice test for entry into the State Level Competition.  The top 100 scorers compete for entry to the National Level Bee.

Questions for the Bee are rather tough.   Some are multiple choice and some are not. (Final round questions are NOT multiple choice and students must provide answers.) Some examples:

• Which state is a part of the Delmarva Peninsula? Virginia/Maryland/Georgia
• Which agent of erosion is primarily responsible for creating limestone caves?
• Angkor Wat and Cappadocia are World Heritage sites found on which continent?
• Which of the following countries has the longest coastline? Iraq/Iran/Kuwait

Boyden has registered to compete in the Bee for over 15 years and yesterday the students in the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classes watched as the four 5th grade Class Champions and the four 4th grade Class Champions competed for the title: School Champion.  After several rounds the group of eight was whittled down to three (Max, Kyle & Grace) who competed in the Championship Round.

Congratulations to Room 310's very own Grace who is the 2012-2013 Boyden School Champion of the National Geographic Bee!

 

Introducing Genius Hour

The Genius of Stonehenge

In honor of of the New Year I decided to try something that many colleagues around the nation are talking about.  Hopefully, you have heard the term "Genius Hour" from your child! 

Genius Hour is something I have wanted to try since November 2011 when I read this blog post from a member of my PLN, Denise Krebs.  In it she describes her first attempt at this type of activity with her 7th grade class.  To this day, I follow posts and tweets about this 'Genius Hour' in the hopes of one day trying it with my fourth grade students. 

What is Genius Hour?  Click on the link to read in depth how one teacher, Gallit Zvi describes it and it's origin.  In a nutshell, it is letting students follow their passion using inquiry to "work on new designs or master new skills".

Genius Hard at Work!

This is it - this is the year! As discussed with the kids, sometime in January, they will have the opportunity to explore/learn/create/design something of interest to them.  My job will be to provide guiding essential questions for their learning/creating.  Sharing will be one of the components of Genius Hour.  The students will have an opportunity during a different timeframe to share their findings/presentations/works of art.

Students will be allowed to work with a partner (if their topic is the same) or individuallyt.  Several students have already shared their ideas with me (to be fine tuned of course).

What do you think of Genius Hour?  What do you think your child would like to explore?

Snowflakes for Sandy Hook

Before the holiday break our school was approached by Mrs. Fair, who heard about the "Snowflake Project" that was being organized in Newtown, CT in an effort to lift the spirits of the town.  Of course we decided that we would participate and we would create some fabulous 3D snowflakes upon our return to school in January.   

Under the direction of Mrs. Marinelli, our art teacher, and with the help of the Fourth Grade Teachers, other Boyden Staff and Mrs. Fair, the students begin cutting and cutting, and taping and taping, and creating and creating!  Each student made 6 smaller pieces which when put together would make one large snowflake.  Students chatted, worked together,  helped each other and were just generally congenial as they felt a sense of pride knowing these were 'special' snowflakes.  There was a true feeling of caring.

At then end of 45 minutes the fourth grade had built over 80 snowflakes.  Later in the day, during our art period, the students created an assembly line to add the finishing touches to these works of art. The flakes were then carefully and reverently placed in several large trash bags, awaiting transport (along with the fifth grade students' 80 + snowflakes) to one of the neighboring towns of Newtown where Mrs. Fair's mother owns a restaurant.  (We learned that Newtown is asking folks not to send anymore donations as they are inundated with the generosity of the rest of the country and the world.) It is our hope that Mrs. Fair's mother will display the snowflakes at her restaurant and sell them for a donation of $1.00.  Any money collected will then be sent off to the Newtown PTA.

Perhaps this small act of kindness will somehow brighten the day of those affected by this tragedy.   How could one not smile looking at those beautiful creations made with hearts as innocent as those  who lost their lives on that December day.



As always you would be proud of your children's efforts today! 

Matter and Muskets

Dry Ice in a Bottle Experiment

Matter:  What do dry ice and liquid nitrogen have in common? They are both substances with temperatures well below zero!  These two substances were used in many science experiments provided by the Discovery Museum this week to expand the study of 'Matter' through this in-house field trip.  See what the kids had to say:

• Sam G. "I like when the lady froze the banana in the liquid nitrogen and then used it like a hammer and "bananaed" a nail into a piece of wood."
• Vidyut "Dry ice is very cold. When you put it in warm water it sublimates into a gas!"
• Trever "I liked when she poured liquid nitrogen on the floor. It evaporated and picked up the dust on the floor!"
• Maddie R. "She submerged a ping-pong ball in the liquid nitrogen (then put it on a tray)The ping-pong ball started spinning around on the silver tray because the liquid nitrogen evaporated into a gas and the gas came out of a hole in the ping pong ball which made it spin"
• Cate Mrs. Harris put a flower in liquid nitrogen. When she took it she put her hand on the flower (with gloves). It fell apart into a lot of tiny pieces.

Muskets:  Stepping back in time with the Bay Colony Educators, the fourth grade students learned what life was like for boys and girls living in Walpole in the 1760's.   Dressed in colonial garb, Tim and Carol Greene spoke to the children about their clothing and the long, arduous process to produce one item.  Students were amazed to learn that chores such as making soap, fetching water (that might weigh up to 50 pounds) and planting flax seed were common for children in those days.  Information was shared about school, homes, toys and more.  The program ended literally with a bang, as Tim was allowed to fire a musket that would have been used in the Revolutionary War.   
Comments from the students:

• Madison A. "I would like to live in colonial times because the toys looked fun and I like how they dressed."
• Leo "I would not like to live in colonial times because I wouldn't much time to play."
• Meagan "I would not like to live in colonial times because it would be a lot of work making soap and candles and getting water."
• Alex "I would like to live in colonial times because I would love to serve in the militia!

 Ask your child what they learned this week from either of these programs.   


 

Plimoth Plantation Field Trip

"How Now!" or "Good Morrow!"  These were just some of the greetings we heard today as we stepped back in time to the year 1627.   

Leaving Boyden during the pouring rain didn't damper our spirits as we eagerly awaited the sights, sounds and smells of Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Mass.  Students glimpsed what life would be like for the Pilgrims and Wampanoag people of the 17th century.  

In preparation for our trip, Kathy Devlin (Maggie's aunt) who portrays Susannah White Winslow in the Village, spoke with the fourth grade last week via Skype.  She gave suggestions on how to make the trip more meaningful.  Asking lots of questions, offer to help someone with a chore and speak to many people about the same subject, she felt would provide a wonderful learning experience.  With these tips we were ready for an exciting visit.

Making our way through the pathways to the Pilgrim Village and the Wampanoag Village really gave one the feeling of stepping back in time.  The rustic paths led our group to Pilgrims and Native people who were dressed in authentic clothing.  The pungent smell of wood smoke from the cooking fires filled the air.  Buildings and fences looked like those only seen in books. The damp weather contributed to the feeling of authenticity.  


Hopefully, students will have a greater appreciation for the finer comforts that we so take for granted.  After seeing small one room homes (which often housed six to ten people), beds on roped frames, thatched roofs, glassless windows and dirt floors, students learned that life in the late 1600's was rather harsh.  

We spent just over 2 hours touring the villages, but it felt like it was the blink of an eye.  It was a wonderful day filled with learning and wonder.  Ask your child to tell you about their favorite part of our trip.  
  

 










 

Mock Election 2012

Every four years the students at our school are treated to a Mock Presidential Election.  This year the Fourth Graders were in charge of "manning the polls".  

In preparation of the day, students created Obama/Romney posters that were to adorn the walls of the school or to be held by the campaigners during voting hours.  Students at the "check in" table were given class lists and conducted the check in just like it would be done in an actual election. Instead of "Street Name", the poll worker asked "Teacher's Name" and then proceeded to cross off the voting child's name. 

Checking In

Voters were handed a ballot then directed to the polling booths (desks with privacy screens).  

Voting in the Booth

After choosing their candidate the voter then went to the "check out" station. 

Checking Out

 The most exciting moment came when the ballots were entered into the antique ballot box.  It was actually used for the town's Precinct 6 many, many years ago.  As each ballot was entered, poll workers cranked the handle.  A distinctive "ding" alerted all that the ballot was officially entered!  

Ballot being Counted!

 At the end of the day, Poll workers tabulated the results.  A total of 458 students and staff participated in today's event.  

The final results announced at the end of the day:
264 votes for President Barak Obama and 
221 votes for Mitt Romney    
  
Our results were then added to the KidVote Result Google Doc.  Schools from all 50 states are sending in their class/school results. We will review the information at the end of the week to compare our class/school with the rest of the United States. 

This 'election' experience has given the students a better understanding of events that take place at the this special time of the year.  Hoping that this experience will remain with them not only for the next four years but for many years to come!