Target Binder
Please make sure that you label the tabs in your TARGET binder:
"Tally", "Thinking Skills", "Hands On Equations", "Unit" and "Above and Beyond."
August 24, 2007
August 23, 2007
The Great Whodunnit - 3rd Grade Unit
A crime has been committed and it's a sticky situation to find out just whodunnit! In this unit students will discover who the perpetrator of the crime is by using and developing logical thinking skills. There are nine suspects, but which one is guilty? In solving the mystery students will: differentiate between valid conclusions and invalid assumptions, use syllogisms to reach valid assumptions, recognize false premises, solve deductive matrix puzzles.
Ultimate Connections - 4th & 5th Grade Unit
Through the study of the unit Ultimate Connections, students will gain an understanding of the technological development of bridges and the impact bridges have had on society throughout history. Students will demonstrate the importance of bridge design and apply scientific and mathematical principles to the physical science of bridge building through constructing model bridges to test for their strength.
While participating in this unit the students will learn how to apply abstract concepts, such as stress, the law of gravity and other forces of nature, and the strength of different geometric shapes. Working in cooperative groups, student contractors operate simulated architectural firms to create strong, economical bridges and account for construction costs. The construction teams will design and build a model bridge of wooden craft sticks from specifications given in the contest rules and code. The construction teams must also keep schedules, inventory records, and balance sheets of costs. Each model craft stick bridge will be evaluated and judged for economy of design, neatness, and accuracy (that is, how well they match their plans) before they are judged for strength.
August 10, 2007
Advanced Learning Program (ALP) Open House
Mark your calendar for Tuesday August 21st 2007 at 5:30! Our ALP Open House will start a half hour before the PTA meeting and general Open House. Mrs. Burke and I are looking forward to seeing you in the Media Center.
We will have a short presentation about the Advanced Learning Program and will then answer questions you might have.
Meet Mr. McAllister
I am so thrilled to be your TARGET teacher this year. There could not be a better way to start the dawn of my second decade as a teacher, than joining Mrs. Burke as part of the ALP team here at Big Shanty.
Mrs. McAllister and I have a daughter who is starting her eighth-grade year here in Cobb County. Mrs. McAllister teaches Chemistry at Etowah High School in Cherokee County. We have two cats, two indoor fish, two outdoor fish, a hamster and an indoor rabbit for pets.
One of my favoite things to do is to learn about things I don't know. This Summer, Sara and I went on a turtle walk at night with the Department of Natural Resources in South Carolina. We were looking for Loggerhead tutles to come up on to the beach and lay thier eggs. The biologist lead a small group us down the beach in the total darkness. No flashlights were aloud, because the lights confuse and scare off the turtles. Did we see any? What did I learn? Well, I guess you'll just have to ask me.
