Thank you so much to the the mothers of Liam and Tyler who led our Meet the Masters lesson today. Your child created a magazine cover in the style of Norman Rockwell. They related the ROCKwell focus to America by bringing in examples of the flag and a baseball team. The children designed covers with American symbols that were so beautiful!  Your child may have already told you that this week is our linking week with the big idea that America rocks! :)

We will be bridging from our focus on the rocks, rock cycle, and natural resources of the Earth to the organization and purpose of our American government. By now you know that creating analogies, links, and connections among all learning concepts is the key to thinking with depth and complexity. It is through tight links that children truly think like scholars, so creating a link took a bit of extra thought but it worked. :)  Following the children as they learn and apply new knowledge shows that they truly are ready to be researchers. Booklets have been designed that will guide us directly from rocks to America by researching (using our iPads) five monuments and memorials in America made of stone we can now identify and describe. Specifically, your child will independently learn to research the dates of construction, type of rock, purpose of the monument/memorial/structure, location, and how length of time it took to construct (math calculation that proved challenging for every student today- time spans).

Guiding questions: Why are memorials and monuments made out of stone? Do we see any trends or patterns in the type of stone used? Why or why not? Why stone and not wood or metal? How has the construction changed over time? How do they represent America? Which represent presidents?  . . .

Then, on to the presidential election by the middle of next week. :)

For those who like to plan ahead like me, the presidential elections will lead to a focus on reading and writing biographies of famous Americans and inventors. The specific "heroes" chosen include leaders in all STEAM areas and involve the areas we have recently focused on (or will be focusing on very soon) . The books will arrive via Amazon this week and plans are already being developed for our links and special project which will grow from the learning.

Just a reminder that the first grade field trip is tomorrow. Please bring a sack lunch and wear tennis shoes. :)