3rd graders read the novel, Poppy, a story about a little deer mouse who summons courage to face a tyrant owl and save her family. We learned about the animals that are in the book. We were paid a visit by a Memphis Park Ranger who brought along a feathered friend.
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5th graders had been studying the 60s. They prepared questions and interviewed a parent who lived during the 60s. They learned about The Beatles, the Space Race, and the Civil Rights Movement.
4th Grade students delved deep into Memphis Music history. We learned about BB King, Furry Lewis, Memphis Minnie, WC Handy, and more. The students researched these artists and created reports. Finally, students wrote Blues songs, created instruments and performed in front of an audience. 4th and 5th grade CLUEsters are doing a study on Chasing Vermeer. It is a fascinating novel that teaches young readers about art, writing, math, and history in a way that is fun and exciting. Through an art theft and other mysterious happenings, the main characters, Petra and Calder, become friends, grow to be more courageous, and solve an art crime.
We went to Dixon as our culminating regional exploration. We learned the history of the Dixon family and the museum. We also learned about many of the artists mentioned in the book. Finally, students synthesized their information to create an art piece in the style of one of the famous artists in the museum. CLUEsters studied common political phrases and put a creative spin on them. They illustrated the political meaning and the literal meaning. Ex. Log Rolling (people rolling on logs)
We love our flexible seating options and Makerspace materials from Donors Choose!
Check out my Donors Choose page Mrs. Ratchford's Donors Choose CLUEsters chose a past president to research. They used facts to create a 4-line rhyming poem. Finally, students added a creative illustration.
CLUEsters have been studying inventions. They have researched famous inventors and scientific discoveries. As a culmination to our study, the students designed contraptions that would securely hold a raw egg as it is dropped from the top of the building.
As part of our Computer Science study, CLUEsters went on a regional exploration to Vannick Digital. Vannick is a digital strategy firm specializing in API & SharePoint Management in Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee. We met all of the employees (account managers, business managers, programmers, sales people, etc.) We learned about different careers in technology. We even saw someone write and edit a program! It was awesome!
During our study of inventions, CLUEsters were inspired by an 11 year-old boy named Caine's arcade (watch him here). We decided to design and host our own cardboard arcade. Each CLUE student planned, designed, and test ran an arcade game. Some were revised versions of classics, while others were totally new creations. We invited 4th grade to play. #Winning |
AuthorMy name is Donna Ratchford. I am a CLUE teacher for Shelby County Schools in Memphis, TN. This is our class blog. Archives
October 2017
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