Third+Grade+Archive

Week of October 4, 2010 Greetings from Room 203 at Berthoud Elementary School! This week in gifted class we enjoyed exploring our new Junior Great Books. We discussed the meaning of "great literature" and the importance of thinking deeply to formulate higher order questions. We were able to complete most of the first reading of our story "The Banza" before the end of class. The children should finish reading the story, read it a second time with an at-home reader, and write two questions that they have about the story for our next class meeting. The stories are selected to encourage the reader to seek deeper meaning and clarification through questioning. There will be an informational meeting for everyone interested in Odyssey of the Mind on Monday, October 11 at 6:30 in our classroom. This program is a great opportunity for your gifted child to build thinking and collaborative skills in a fun environment! Thank you for sharing your special child with me! Regards,Ms. Mac


 * Week of 11-1-10 **

Greetings from Room 208 at BES!

We have enjoyed the reading and discussion of the Haitian folk tale //The Banza// in our Junior Great Books. The children made several real world connections as we read more about Haiti and the recent earthquake there. We discussed the differences between our lives and those of the Haitians. As the banza is an instrument similar to the American banjo, we compared the two instruments and experienced the sound of the banjo.

This group is a delight with which to work and I look forward to seeing them each week. They keep me on my toes! Thank you for sharing your special child with me!

Regards, Ms. Mac