Tag Archives: Student Blogger

Mar
21
2013

Fabulous Tuesday by Sydney S.

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In 5th grade G.T. we are studying genetic diversity, to do this we played a genetic game, separating into two teams we were able to find out how wonderful differences can be. For instance if everyone with brown eyes died off there would still be people with green, hazel ,and blue eyes left to repopulate. In the giver there is almost no differences between their people! And they like their world that way!

“For the first time, he heard something that he knew to be music. He heard people singing. Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too. But perhaps it was only an echo.” (page 179 of The Giver by Lois Lowry)

We also did some art pieces on our thoughts of elsewhere (the place where Jonas (the main character of the giver) is trying to go because, based on the Givers memories that he has given to Jonas, Jonas decides to go try to find elsewhere.) Some of the thoughts of the class were that Jonas and Gabe had died or that he had really made it to elsewhere. What do you think happened to Jonas?

 Today we started reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by:  John Boyne. It is about a boy named Bruno who unexpectedly has to move away from Berlin with his family for his father’s job.

By Sydney Swail

Sydney created the Powtoon on Cells below.  I hope that you enjoy a piece of her work.  She did this as an independent study.  Way to go Sydney!

 

Feb
26
2013

Super Day in Second Grade

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In 2nd grade we have been studying Biomimicry, the new science of looking to nature for ideas on how to solve problems and invent new things for our world.  The kids chose an animal to research and thought about what they could learn from that animal that would allow them to create something new for our world.  Enjoy some of the finished videos below.

Today in GT we got to use the posters and iPads on Biomimicry to make a movie.  Mrs. Germadnik showed us a new app.  In the morning we did an excellent puzzle that we had to use our GT brains to solve. I got to see my sister because she came to use the computers.  

By Giana

By Emily

By Carly

By Grace

By Rebecca

By Casey

By Molly

By Giana

By Catt

By Kaylee

By Faith

Feb
26
2013

First Grade Fun

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Today I introduced the first graders to a new concept: Divergent Thinking.  We learned that diverge means to go in different directions and applied that to the concept of brainstorming.  I asked the kids to brainstorm things that are round or go around.  They started with the more obvious like balls and clocks, but they quickly began to delve into more complex ideas like TIME and ILLNESS.  Wow!  We then looked at a cloud shape and the kids brainstormed all of the things that the shape could be.  I had the kids partner up using the an app called Educreations to create shapes and then their buddy had to turn it into something else.  Enjoy the videos below.  I think they did a good job considering it was the first time they used the app, but we do need to work on voice level. 🙂  Also you will notice a LONG pause in some of their videos. We had a fire drill in the middle of their creative process and a couple of the kids forgot to pause their recording.

We made movies that we did with buddies.  And we doodled and the other person added to doodles and we gave them to Mrs. Germadnik to put on her blog.  We read Abel’s Island and we doodled a bunch of things and I did really good.

By Alex W.

By Tyler and Michael

By Dasom and John

By Evan and Sofia

By Isabelle and Alex W.

By Alex P. and Kayla

By Andrew and Quinn

By Abigail, Lillian and Amy

 

Feb
26
2013

Wonderful Wednesday by Sydney N.

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Today in G.T. We researched on the fascinating and talented William Shakespeare. While doing, we read passages and answered unique questions. We played divine games, and saw shocking pictures.

When we went back to the room we read some of a book called “The Wednesday Wars” Based on a kid from the 1960’s.   The story is about a kid named Holling Hoodhood, it’s the beginning of the 7th grade, and he thinks his teacher Mrs.Baker  hates him because he is a different religion from everyone else, and that means that he stays with her on Wednesdays while everyone else is at church school .  He goes home and tells his dad that Mrs.Baker absolutely hates him. His dad realizes that  Mrs.Baker is in the sporting goods business and Hoodhood is one one of the top two architecture firms up to get their business and The Baker family gets to choose who gets the job.

After that we did “Fascinating Fibonacci Centers!”Some of us made HUGE spirals on big poster boards and others either did Math to make an exiting picture, write a letter to a friend, or Counted the spirals on a picture of a pine cone, sunflower  and a pineapple.

Last but not least we did H.O.E (Hands On Equations) We did lesson 13 and learned that you want to make one side with only cubes and the other side with only stars or blue pawns. We did a work sheet then left for the day.

So we had an amazing day today. But mostly because Mrs.Germadnik makes it so fun to learn.

By Sydney N.

Feb
22
2013

Tremendous Thursday by Jackie and Rylee

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Thanks to our Student Bloggers, Rylee and Jackie for sharing a few tidbits about our day.

Today in G.T we learned lesson 3 of H.O.E. We did verbal problems.We also did bridge research and 2 of us made a bridge movie.We had lots of fun. We did some research on our not-so-mystery-person Leonardo Da Vinci.He is very talented.I just love his art and music.

Jackie

Today in G.T. we did our bridge probe about our bridge that we researched.  A probe is a small report. We ate lunch in the classroom and talked about our old book we read for the book club.  It was called The Homework Machine.  We also ate delicious brownies and we started our 3rd lesson of H.O.E. it was fun. We did a pretest on brains and at the end of the day we got a new book for our book club it’s called Frindle, it’s about a boy that created a new name for a pen
called’’’Frindle.’’’ I am really excited to read it.
Rylee#

We have three students who have finished their Research Probes on their bridge.  They used an app called Educreations to showcase their bridge.   Enjoy.

Julia:

Jackie:

 

Caitlin:

Feb
14
2013

Totally Tremendous Tuesday by Madison P. and Arianna M.

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Our student bloggers for Tuesday decided to test out a new app (PowToon) in their Edmodo account to share the events of our day.  Tuesday was the first day they heard of, saw, and played with this app, so I think they did a great job.  I look forward to seeing all of the ways that these creative 5th graders use PowToon throughout the rest of the year.

Enjoy!

Created by Madison P. and Arianna M.

 

 

 

 

Feb
12
2013

Potato Fun by Abigail H.

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In first grade we are reading about a mouse named Abel that is stranded on a deserted island.  We brainstormed some of the things we must have to stay alive.  We then prioritized which was the most important to the least important.  All of the first graders were able to agree that water was the most imperative.  In talking about that the kids thought that it would be easy to find water, because everyone knows islands are surrounded by water.  🙂  This led to the question, “Is all water good for us?”  Some kids thought yes, some knew that salt water wasn’t good for us, but weren’t sure why.  We did an experiment and added potato slices to fresh and salt water.  We checked the potatoes 30 minutes later and noticed some big differences between the two.  This led to an introduction to osmosis and what salt water can do to the cells in our body.  It was a great discussion.  Check out what our Student Blogger has to say:

Today we tested potatoes in salt water and clear water.  In clear water the potato was straight.  In the salt water it was floppy.  We learned the word osmosis and the word hypothesis.  Hypothesis means something you guess.

By Abigail H.

Enjoy some of the conclusions the first graders made with their first experience with osmosis:

Isabelle:

“Where it is salty the fry gets lumpy.  Where it is fresh the fry gets strong.”

Evan:

“When it is in salt water it is floppy.  When it is in fresh water is cracks.”

Dasom:

“The salt water potato can bend without breaking.  The other one snaps when it bends.”

Feb
05
2013

Terrific Tuesday! by Mia B. and Madelyn S.

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Terrific Tuesday in GT!
By: Mia B.

Today we are beginning a unit on genetics! That’s the science of lineage and family trees, etc. We are also working on our Color Poems, which Mrs. Germadnik is going to post soon! They are all very excellent, and their creativity and insight is sure to amaze you! We are also doing an abstract art piece for whatever color you choose. They are all very interesting and they really make you think.
Right now, we are reading The Giver  by Lois Lowry. In the book so far, Jonas has been selected to be the next Seer in Jonas’s community. The Giver is training Jonas and giving him all the memories of the world. Jonas has discovered war, pain, fire, happiness, snow, family and a bunch of other stuff too. But most important, Jonas discovered color! Can you imagine living in a colorless world? I know I couldn’t! It’s a great book and all the fifth graders love to read it.
Today, we learned the Pythagorean Theorem. Pythagoras may have been a weirdo who was scared of beans and worshipped numbers, but he sure was smart!
We are also starting Level 3 HOE! It sounds pretty big and scary right? But it is really fun after you learn it. I’m pretty glad to be taking HOE, because it is going to help us with algebra when we’re in 8th grade.
Last but not least, we are working on a powerpoint for our worst memories, our best memories, and if we would give up our best memory so you don’t remember the worst one. It’s very interesting to see everyone’s best and worst memories.
We had a lot of fun today in GT!!!

Pythagorean Theorem:

 

Feb
04
2013

Biomimicry by Molly D.

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I am thrilled to begin having the students take an active part in our GT blog.  Each week a different student will have the opportunity to write about our day. Today Molly D.  earned the 2nd Grade Student Blogger spot. She earned the chance through effort, participation, and dedication to her learning this week. I look forward to seeing who our next Blogger will be.

Our Marvelous Monday

By Molly D.

Today we continued to learn about biomimicry.  We were studying giraffes and pondering how we could make life better, more efficient or make life run smoother using parts from the giraffe.  And now that you ask biomimcry is when you imitate nature and using your GT brain to do it!  Now let me tell you a little bit about giraffes.  They have sharp hooves, they can have tongues up to 21 inches long, and their hooves are so powerful they can knock the wind out of a lion.  Crazy, right? Mrs. Germadnik told us next week we were going to pick an animal to use biomimicry and write inventions that we come up with from that animal.

We are also starting to study math word problems.  Today we had a problem I like to call The Magic Plant.  On this problem we had to count the centimeters while doubling!

Dec
11
2012

Guest Blogger: Renee

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I am thrilled to have our first guest blogger of the school year.  Our first of hopefully many guest bloggers is a 5th grade GT student.  Enjoy.

HI MY NAME IS…

  Renee G.


I am an 11 year old girl in the 5th grade.I watched a webinar about Robert Nay in G.T. who was the 14 year old who created bubble ball. He inspired my to create two games of my own. You can play them at the links below.

Game 1

Game 2

When I was with my father; I watched a program about Nikola Tesla V.S. Thomas Edison in the stock markets. It inspired my to create the biography from the link below.