As I continue  nurturing students,  through focusing on thinking skills, the Fourth and Fifth Grade classrooms are continuing  to work on lessons from "Building Thinking Skills",  by Sandra Parks and Howard  Black.  We are practicing  strategies to identify and strengthen Critical Thinking Skills.  Students are learning to discern similarities and differences, through the identification  and discussion of shapes,  pictures, synonyms, antonyms, homophones and homonyms. Lessons are also incorporated using analogies, short stories and poems.  The Venn Diagram and other diagrams are used to compare and contrast characters, settings and many elements used in reading.  

As I plan with the Fourth and Fifth Grade teachers, I am using Challenge Math activities with the AIG students.  We will continue exploring new and various problem solving strategies and continue with their favorite multi-step problem solving math activity called "Tangulars".  They have enjoyed learning about and using the Lattice Method of Mutiplication and working with Pascal's Triangle.

The Fourth and Fifth Grade AIG students are reading Junior Great Books this year,  and ideas, opinions, and debates will be shared through discussion.  They will begin a unit on Poetry after Christmas.

After the Holidays, the Fifth Grade AIG students will begin a novel unit on "The Summer of the Monkeys".
We will be using Critical Stance Activities to increase reading skills.

The Third Grade AIG students are strengthening skills in problem-solving and using various strategies to practice and share ideas working in cooperative groups and partners.

I like seeing smiles and hearing the students say, "There is the "HOTSHOTS" teacher, which means: "Highway of Opportunity to Teach Students Higher Order Thinking Skills".
It is hard to believe that the year is half way over! "Happy Holidays!"


Mrs. Nina Pope
AIG Facilator and "Hot Shots" Teacher