The ALP Blog

Welcome to the ALP BLOG

This year at Varner the ALP teachers are Mrs. Susan Hamilton and Mrs. Susan Holloway.  We are excited about working with ALP students this year.  We will keep this blog updated with information about what is going on in ALP.  

Vermeer and Holiday Fun Stuff

Vermeer    http://www.scholastic.com/blueballiett/games/index.htm

Christmas Tree Light Up  http://www.akidsmath.com/mathgames/ctreepuzzle.html

Christmas Bounce  http://www.akidsmath.com/mathgames/ornbouncex.html

Santas Sleigh http://www.akidsmath.com/mathgames/ornbouncex.html

Sudoku http://www.akidsmath.com/mathgames/ornbouncex.html

Snowball Duel  http://www.akidsmath.com/mathgames/ornbouncex.html

Target Update

It is a very busy time of year at Varner as well as for Target.  We have had several schedule changes with the Boosterthon and Holiday lunches.  I am sure others will occur as the holidays quickly approach.  If you would like to eat lunch with your child on Target day, you might want to call or email to make sure our lunch hasn’t changed.  We are practicing our Life Skill of Flexibility.

Testing for the Gifted program will be January 10-24.  We will not have Target classes during that time.

We are moving forward with a new system for Target information.  The students will be given a T.A.C. (Target Assessment Checklist) to monitor your child’s progress each week.  We (your child and myself) will evaluate how they did during day and conference together at the end of the day.  Instead of a tally, I will be posting information about class on our blog.

Excitement is building, literally, as we begin construction of our catapults.  Some classes will start this week and some the week after Thanksgiving break.  2^nd and 3^rd grade continue to work on their Mystery Webquest.  Also, 3^rd grade will be working on the Great Chocolate Caper.  We continue to work on convergent thinking, divergent thinking, evaluative thinking, relationships and connections while working on our affective growth.  

2^nd grade is enjoying the mystery research that is being completed in class.  The “expert teams” will present their project the last Thursday before winter break.

I hope everyone has a relaxing and Thankful holiday.

 

Crypto Club Treasure Hunt

http://cryptoclub.math.uic.edu/treasurehunt/treasure18f6.php

 

FFFBI

http://www.fffbi.com/games     TRAINING ACADEMY  located top row under first square.  One TOP SECRET DOSSIER will be at each table to share.

The World's Unsolved Mysteries                   A WebQuest for 2 Grade Target Gifted Standard Cognitive                                                                                                        Standard 3: G2CG3 Students will evaluate and solve a variety of authentic problems. Affective                                                                                                           Standard 2: G2AG2 Students will respect the input of others.
Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Introduction               Have you ever wondered about the world's unsolved mysteries?  Now is your chance to try and find the answers and be first to share your findings with the world !! Task       You and your Super Sleuth partner have just been given the assignment of gathering information about an unsolved mystery. Instead of a spyglass, you will be using books and the Internet for your investigation. Your team will then support or refute the findings related to the mystery.  Your findings will be shared with the class as a poster and presentation. Process     1.  Your team will be given a mystery to research.  2.  Below is a list of some mysterious events and phenomena for which you can find various theories or contradictory "proof".  There are links provided for each topic; however, you may also use your  knowledge of search techniques learned in class to search the encyclopedia or use books from the media center on your own.  3.  As you search the Internet, be sure to save any graphics you may wish to use in your presentation. These graphics will print in the computer lab. 4.  Your team will produce a poster containing the following 5 items that will support or refute  your topic. Mystery Title Facts about the mystery - What are the observations that        have led people to believe the phenomenon or mysterious event        to be real or true?   Theories about the mystery  - What are some possible        explanations that either prove or disprove the mystery? Conclusions of the investigative team  - What do YOU        believe to be the truth? Use reasoned judgment to support        your position. Interesting pictures or drawings 4.  Use the information provided or what you have found in      your own investigations to use the graphic organizer and      notebook to help organize your thoughts or take notes on      the mystery.  Keep in mind what information is required. 5.  Use the poster board provided. Any information to be put on your      poster should be typed using Microsoft Word using a font large        enough for others to read from a distance.  6.  In summary, your poster needs to have a well-designed      layout, be informative, and have several graphic images. 7.  When you have finished, be sure to edit just as you would      for any written assignment before attaching to poster board.  8.  Practice your presentation and be prepared to present        in the coming weeks.   9.  Good luck and happy sleuthing! Evaluation                      Mystery Presentation Rubric Name of Unsolved Mystery:                                             Team: Criteria   Exemplary  4    Accomplished  3    Developing  2    Beginning  1    Teamwork   Mystery introduced in an attention-getting manner Student has a good understanding of the different perspectives of this mystery and can form my own reasoned judgment Members worked well together and shared workload Each member participated in the presentation Mystery introduced in a satisfactory manner Students have a satisfactory understanding of the different perspectives of this mystery and can form their own reasoned judgment Members worked together and shared workload Each member participated in the presentation,  some more than others Voices were loud and clear for the most part Mystery introduced with minimal thought to grabbing audience’s attention Students have somewhat of an understanding of the different perspectives of this mystery and can form their own reasoned judgment Members worked together and shared workload somewhat Unequal participation  in the presentation Voices were sometimes loud and clear Poor introduction to mystery Students have little understanding of the different perspectives of this mystery and can’t form their own reasoned judgment Members did not work well together, little sharing One member dominated the presentation Voices could not be heard clearly Information Organization Well-organized and logically ordered information Organized and logically ordered information Somewhat organized and logically ordered information Little thought to organization of information     Contents     Theories are thoroughly explained and easy to differentiate Writers use well-reasoned judgment to explain and support their conclusions Writers didn’t read from poster; added more info for clarity and support Theories are satisfactorily explained and easy to differentiate Writers use reasoned judgment to explain and support their conclusions Writers didn’t read from poster; added more info for clarity and support Theories are explained but difficult to differentiate Writers used minimal reasoned judgment to explain and support their conclusions Writers read from poster occasionally;j may or may not have added more info for clarity and support Theories are poorly explained and hard to differentiate Writers didn’t use reasoned judgment to explain and support their conclusions Writers read from poster; did not add more info for clarity and support             Appearance   Layouts are attractive with balance of space Font easy to read, not too crowded Spelling and grammar are correct Pictures are explained and add to the purpose and design of the poster Layouts are satisfactory with balance of space Font easy to read for the most part, not too crowded 1-3 Spelling and grammar errors Pictures are explained but may not add to the purpose and design of the poster Layouts are somewhat attractive with some balance of space Font may not be easy to read in some parts, not too crowded 4-5 Spelling and grammar are correct Pictures may or may not be explained and add somewhat to the purpose and design of the poster Layouts are not attractive with little balance of space Font hard to read, too crowded Too many spelling and grammar errors Pictures have no explanation and don’t add to the purpose and design of the poster Reviewer's Comments: Reviewer’s Name:   Conclusion Wow! That was a super investigative job!  The knowledge you have gained from your search to uncover the different perspectives of this mystery has allowed you to form your own reasoned judgment.  You have become a top notch super sleuth!!     Easter Island   Myster of Easter Island   Mysterious Places   Easter Island Homepage   Stonehenge   Stonehenge 2    Mystery of Stonehenge   Who Built Stonehenge?   Bermuda Triangle   Myths and Facts   Myth or Reality  Bermuda Triangle  Triangle   Atlantis   Atlantis 2  Atlantis 3   Mystery of Atlantis    Mystery of Atlantis 2   Great Pyramids  Aliens or Men  Who Built?  Inside Story  Explore   Black Holes  Black Holes 2  Black Holes 3  Black Holes 4  Black Hole 5   Yonaguni 1  Yonaguni 2    Yonaguni 3   Yonaguni 4    Bigfoot 1  Bigfoot 2  Bigfoot 3   Bigfoot 4   Anastasia 1   Anastasia 2    Anastasia 3  Anastasia 4   Curse of Tut  Curse of Tut 2  Curse of Tut 3 Curse of Tut 4  Tut 5   Amelia Earhart  Amelia Earhart 2  Amelia Earhart 3  Amelia Earhart    Roanoke Island 1 Roanoke Island 2 Roanoke Island 3 Roanoke Island 4   Crop Circles 1  Crop Circles 2   Crop Circles 3  Crop Circles 4   Roswell 1  Roswell 2   Roswell 3   Roswell 4   Nessie 1   Nessie 2  Nessie 3     Nessie 4   Marfa Lights 1  Marfa Lights 2  Marfa Lights 3  Marfa Lights 4   UFO     UFO 2      UFO 3        UFO 4      Oak Island 1 Oak Island 2 Oak Island 3 Oak Island 4   Flying Dutchman 1 Flying Dutchman 2 Flying Dutchman 3 Flying Dutchman 4   Yeti 1     Yeti 2       Yeti 3       Yeti 4

 

 

Crime Lab-Science News for Kids Research

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2006/04/fingerprint-evidence-3/

 

Discovering Pentominoes/Chasing Vermeer

http://www.scholastic.com/blueballiett/games/pentominoes_game.htm

 

Gifted Eligibility Process

Download Gifted Eligibility Process

Welcome to the 2011 - 2010 Target School Year

Mrs. Hamilton and Mrs. Holloway would like to welcome all our returning and new Target students  to Varner Elementary.  Mrs. Hamilton has a wonderful first semester planned for 4th and 5th grade students.  Mrs. Hamilton and her students will embark on a trip back into time with the unit  Middle Ages - Putting the Pieces Together.  Students will enjoy discovering how the Middle Ages have influenced our world and how the study of Middle Ages help us to better understand current life.

The Mrs. Hamilton's and Mrs. Holloway's 2nd and 3rd gradeTarget students will enjoy the unit Beyond the Magnifying Glass.  This unit focuses on critical thinking and problem solving.  For the first approximately 2/3 of the unit, students will study various methods of forensic science (fingerprinting, DNA, etc.) in the context of studying a simulated crime scene.

Target Schedule

               Monday    Tuesday   Wednesday    Thursday            Friday

Hamilton  TDD TBD     4th        5th Collins        3rd             5th Benzin/Bryant

Holloway                                                          2nd             TDD TBD

Important Information

Hamilton Lunch        11:16 - 11:46        Line A        Table 11

Holloway Lunch       11:18 - 11:48        Line B         Table 12

Target Open House Scheduled for Friday, September 2nd, 7:30 A.M. until 8:00 A.M. in Mrs. Hamiltons's room 2.052.  Hope to see you there!

Nutrition Explorations

http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/kids/activities-main.asp