As a 5th grade team, we were looking for opportunities to extend learning for our students. When brainstorming ideas, we immediately thought of Mrs. Braden and Mrs. Gurskyj, our GT coaches. One of the many activities we readily utilize is the ELA and Math Advanced Intervention Modules (AIM). Our team can implement these modules during our daily Intervention/Enrichment block via classroom CANVAS pages. Each module focuses on problem-solving and thinking for students to complete independently, without direct teacher instruction. An answer key is provided at the end of each module. The beauty of these self-paced AIM modules is that they allow individual students to challenge themselves while accessing individualized support to assist their success. Examples of Math AIM modules include multi-step problems and mashup math challenges. ELA examples include The Day You Begin and The Four Crafts-men. Our students have enjoyed the challenges presented in the AIM modules. This is a resource that we will continue to use with fidelity.

Dr. Melissa Brown and Ashley Flemming

West Hills Elementary

Fifth Grade Teachers

This month, 2nd-grade students began several different lessons using critical thinking on various tasks. Which One Doesn’t Belong is a critical thinking activity to determine which option out of four doesn’t belong because the other three have something in common. The students must justify their reasoning since there are multiple correct answers. In Snow Day Fun, students will be considering the perspective of how others see things and how some might see only a snowman, but he can be so much more! Finally, It All Adds Up is a math task where students will determine what possible combinations of coins could be in the piggy and the number of each of the coins in the bank. Students will use pictures, number sentences, or words to solve and explain their thinking. Questions include; What combinations of three types of coins could you use to make $1.00, what combination of coins would add up to $1.00 using the fewest number of coins, using the greatest number of coins, and using only six coins?

This month, 3rd-grade students will be learning about and practicing their grade-level competency, perseverance, through several different tasks. They will delve into the meaning of perseverance and how to use it while attempting a task using the various types of thinking (critical, abstract, and creative) and problem-solving strategies such as generating ideas, justifying solutions, etc. Students will learn to use abstract and critical thinking to create their own symbol for perseverance and will use creative thinking when making their own perseverance poster with their own quotes about perseverance. Students will have an opportunity to practice perseverance through later modules this semester when solving Multi-Step Word problems.

This month 4th grade students begin by learning about U.S Presidents’ legacies that they leave behind, and then will use creative and abstract thinking to imagine their own legacy. Next, students will use critical thinking to solve challenging problems involving division with remainders. Students will make decisions or judgments about how to interpret the remainder; if they will round it, drop it, share it, or use it. Students will also be practicing their grade level competency, Self Management, by making judgments to determine the most important information to use while learning to take notes in an organized manner. Note-taking is a very important life skill to help one be more successful. When taking notes, a learner is turning a passive activity, like reading or listening, into an active process. So they are “doing” something with the information they are gathering. After taking notes on the math strategies, students will use their notes to practice solving division problems with remainders and make decisions on how to use the remainders.

This month, 5th graders started back with learning the history and meaning surrounding New Year's Day and how different cultures influence what is done during this time of year. Then students will move into a fun and challenging math task involving multiplication of fractions and mixed numbers, and visual fraction models with pattern blocks and their relationships. They will use fractional parts of a whole, properties of shapes, congruency, and computation using fractions and money to determine the fair value and total worth of Farmer Fred’s fields and express it in equations to represent the problem.

Directions:

Set a timer for 1 minute. No one can speak until the timer rings. During that minute, each member of the family examines the four photos to find a reason that EACH image doesn't belong with the others. Be ready to justify WHY the image doesn't belong with the other three based on a "rule" or characteristic that it doesn't follow like the rest. Can everyone find at least one reason that each of the four images doesn't belong with the rest? Are your choices similar or different? Who can make the best justification to explain WHY! Have fun practicing your critical thinking together!