Kinder Update: A Running Start into Problem Solving and Logic

Although we've only had a couple meetings so far, you can't say our Kinder students haven't already hit the ground running in some important thinking skills.

First, we've been introduced to a thinking system developed by Dr. Edward De Bono called "The Six Thinking Hats." It is a system used in schools and in the corporate world for approaching problems. Each of the six hats has a color and represents a different lens through which to view the problem. We started at the knowledge level--just understanding each of the hats--but are now beginning to apply the hats ourselves.


Second, we've been introduced to an entertaining but deceivingly difficult logic game called SET. It incorporates visual reasoning through the use of attributes. I could try to explain it myself, but the web site of the manufacturer does a pretty good job. If you go to the "Set Daily Puzzle" section and click on the man with the hat, he'll walk you through a tutorial: www.setgame.com/set/daily_puzzle

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First Grade Update: Detective Work, Tangrams and Brainfocals!

This semester we've been meeting several different characters from the fictional "Crystal Pond Woods." Each of these characters represents a particular type of thinking. The students learn the uses of each type of thinking and practice using it to find solutions to problems and scenarios.

We started with Dudley the Detective, a dog who loves to solve mysteries using logical, or convergent thinking. Dudley inspired us to find solutions that required linear, logical, deductive reasoning. 

Next, we met Max the Magician, a rabbit who is totally passionate about visual/spatial reasoning! He loves puzzles, patterns and visual eye-teasers. After meeting Max we explored tangrams and other geometrical tools for thinking. We even made ourselves little Max the Magician hats. :)

Most recently, we met Isabel the Inventor--she is a master of divergent thinking (generating several possible solutions to a problem). We were introduced to brainstorming as a thinking tool and made our very own "brainfocals"--special glasses that help us see the world from new angles!

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Student Challenge: The Wolf, the Goat, and the Sack of Grain

This marvelous mind-bending scenario was submitted by Borchardt 3rd grader Brian Zhou!

A man needs to cross a river to get home. He has with him a wolf, a goat and a sack of grain. However, his boat only has room for him to carry one of the three at a time. This is the dilemna: left unguarded, the wolf will eat the goat and the goat will eat the grain. How does the man get home (across the river) in way that ensures nothing will get eaten?

You know the routine: submit your answer to Mr. Koch in an envelope. Have you checked the blog points board lately? It's a tight race!

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January Update: A Busy Month Culminates in Applied Technology

I found myself with access to a stack of iPads this week and couldn't let the opportunity pass. I quickly updated my plans to incorporate a technology piece that was a perfect extension of the work and explorations we'd been doing at each grade level. Here, then, is a quick summary by grade level of what our January has been all about and then a note about how we used tech this week to enhance and extend our learning.

1st

We've transitioned into visual/spatial reasoning in January, which is a fancy way of saying we've been developing the problem-solving muscles in our brains that utilize visual information to find logical patterns in forms, shapes, colors, etc. We've used two classic geometrical tools to do this: tangrams and pentominoes. This week with the iPads we focused on 3 nice apps to apply these developing skills: Blockaders, Zentomino HD Lite and Zen HD Lite - Relaxing Tangrams. They are all free, find them for your devices!

Tangrams consist of 7 pieces

Pentominoes consist of 12 pieces of 5 sections each

2nd

2014 has been all about roller coasters! We started with some of the basic science, like how coasters get their speed and what "G force" is. Then we went into research mode and dug up some detailed information on famous coasters throughout the world. On the iPads this week, we found the perfect app to begin testing our own coaster engineering skills: Coaster Frenzy. Students have to design, test, and modify their track in order to increase speed and make the ride fun. There is also a wonderful creative aspect to designing a coaster that would be safe AND fun.

3rd

Using Benjamin Franklin's fascination with magic squares as a trigger, we've been playing around with "magic math," especially different types of magic squares. That led us over to a cousin of the magic square, sudoku, and all 3rd graders have now been formally introduced to that classic (and addictive) game. The apps we used this week were ProMagic Square and Sudoku 2. There are probably several thousand sudoku games out there, but this one was a hit for its easy interface.

4th

Well, pentominoes and more pentominoes! As you know, students created 3-D pentominoes at home using 5 6x6x6 inch cubes. We are using those in class for real-life architecture challenges, like the reading nooks we have lovingly called "pentominooks." This week with the iPads we stuck on the theme of pentominoes but with a special creative twist: students used the app iMovie to create movie trailers in which the characters, theme and title all centered around pentominoes in some way. I will share those soon in a separate post.

5th

OK, 5th is the one grade that didn't indulge much in the iPads. We've been busy, though. In January we kicked off a long-term unit on Mindset--a way of framing and perceiving the world and yourself for long-term success and growth. At the same time, we are continuing with our civilization projects. Most recently, students designed (with elaborate detail) the fictional fruits that are the basis of their civilizations. We got some inspiration for our fruit creations from a documentary called Fruit Hunters. We only saw the trailer in class, but Mr. Koch has seen the whole thing and recommends it (Netflix)! :)

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5th Grade Update: Creating New Civilizations

There isn't anything too flashy to share for 5th grade, but we've been doing a LOT of ground work in terms of research and idea building for our civilization projects. After our research of various number systems from civilizations throughout history, students have begun designing their own number systems. Will it be a base 10? Base 5? Base 20? How many digits/numerals will it use? Ten like the Hindu-Arabic system we use today? How will you represent large numbers? With a place value system? With a coded way of putting the numerals in a specific order? There are MANY questions and considerations!

Aside from number systems, we've also researched the overall makeup of civilizations, such as geography, economy, government, clothing, natural resources, diet, entertainment, education and so on. Our goal is to take the best and the interesting and the successful from these classic civilizations and adapt them to our own as we create them.

Building background with civilization research

Studying the complexities of the Roman Numeral System

In addition to our civilization project, we've been toning, reviewing and practicing some important thinking skills, including logical reasoning, analogies, and practice with the Six Thinking Hats.

 

If you are not familiar with Six Thinking Hats, here is an excellent article to give you some background.

These are all ways of getting our 5th graders ready for the intense and challenging leap into Middle School academics. Another key component I will be implementing right here on the blog is our Word of the Week challenge. Just look for posts with the title or tag "Word of the Week" and have students review the word and its definition. Then, they add a comment using that word in a sentence to earn "blog points." These blog points will be redeemed later. : )

Last, but not least, nearly every 5th grader has now finished his comic on "Encounters." They make for a colorful and entertaining wall. Visitors to the room are always immediately drawn to them, and often get "stuck" in that part of the room as they try to read them! 

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