Grade 1 Category
Spring SAVY 2017, Day 1- Science of the Sea: Diving into Marine Biology
Jan. 31, 2017—Our first week of Science of the Sea was all about aquatic ecosystems. We learned about freshwater versus saltwater ecosystems and classified organisms by where they prefer to live. We also learned about estuaries, which connect salt and freshwater. We learned about the scientific method and what marine biologists do. To get an idea of...
Fall SAVY 2016 (Day 5) – Where’s the Beach?
Oct. 24, 2016—Hello Parents! It’s hard to believe that Week 5 has already come and gone! We had a busy day as we learned about several different solutions to the problem of beach erosion. By moving from center to center, students were able to experience learning in various ways. At one center, they used materials to construct a...
Fall SAVY 2016 (Day 5) – Robotic Programming
Oct. 24, 2016—Greetings! Today was an absolutely fabulous day! I have worked with gifted children for more than a decade, and I have seen how hard it is to teach gifted children how to learn from failure because they simply aren’t used to it. When things typically come easily, it can be very frustrating and disheartening when...
Fall SAVY 2016 (Day 4) – Where’s the Beach?
Oct. 17, 2016—Hello Parents! For our 4th week of Fall SAVY, students explored the causes and solutions for wind and water erosion. We began by finding out what the students already knew about erosion. They readily recalled the weathering lessons from last week, and discussed how wind and water can wear away rocks. They knew that erosion...
Fall SAVY 2016 (Day 4) – Robotic Programming
Oct. 17, 2016—Greetings! Today was busy, busy, busy! We started with a programming meeting, and worked on what the variables are that we can control when we program. The kids were able to identify them: color, speed, sound, angle, and time. The really amazing thing is that we did an activity about angles, and they learned that...
Fall SAVY 2016 (Day 3) – Where’s the Beach?
Oct. 10, 2016—Greetings! Our class this week focused on the natural process of weathering. We examined various rocks and used our observation skills to determine how they were different in size, texture, shape, and color. The students demonstrated solid background knowledge about the fact that rocks can change, and they shared ideas about how those changes can occur over...
Fall SAVY 2016 (Day 3) – Robotic Programming
Oct. 10, 2016—Greetings! Today, there were lots of smiles and celebrations! The kids started learning about the Spheros, how they work, and how to write code to make them do whatever they can dream up for them to do! It is full of lots of little steps and is very detailed, so when their programs worked, they...
Fall SAVY 2016 (Day 2) – Where’s the Beach?
Oct. 3, 2016—Happy 2nd Week! This week in our “Where’s the Beach?” class, we drew pictures of the beach system, labeling the system components. Students discussed the implications of dysfunctional beach systems, such as the story of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse which had to be moved in 1999 due to the threat of erosion. We learned that many beaches have...
Fall SAVY 2016 (Day 2) – Robotic Programming
Oct. 3, 2016—Greetings! Class this week was full of learning, challenges, and fun! We started by setting goals for what we wanted to learn and reviewing what we had learned last week. The kids figured out that coding can be challenging and how each step is important. If you leave off a step, then the program won’t work...
Fall SAVY 2016 (Day 1) – Where’s the Beach?
Sep. 26, 2016—Happy First Day! Saturday marked the launch of our “Where’s the Beach?” unit with 1st and 2nd grade students. We began with a pre-assessment concept map of beach erosion. Students went on to uncover 5 treasures and connect them to clues that relate to our sessions with a Sand Pail Scavenger Hunt. In our quest to answer...