Traveling Back to the New World

The unit being studied on the New World, the 1700’s and the 13 original colonies has taken on a whole life of its own in “Queen” Turner’s classroom at North Garner Middle School.

Ms. Turner has assumed the role of “queen” in the classroom, with the students referring to her as her “highness” or “majesty,” when answering questions or making an inquiry. The students have been rewarded throughout the unit with “Turner dollars” for their correct answers and “taxed,” for their incorrect answers, with those completely out of money being sent to the back of the room in “debtor’s prison.” To earn or lose such monies, the students are quizzed on different aspects of the unit, including settlers, political trouble, charters, rebellions and wars, colonies, back country, vocabulary and several other categories.

At the end of the week, whomever has the most “Turner dollars” will be named “governor,” and be able to set their own rules on taxation and other classroom on goings.

Wild About Learning

With their year long theme of “A Safari through the Fourth Grade” in mind, Ms. Taylor’s students at East Clayton Elementary began brainstorming where their walk on the wild side would take them this school year.

Knowing that an actual safari would take between 10-21 days, the children began jotting down what supplies they may need on such a journey in regards to classroom materials. They also thought about and discussed what they thought they may learn on their “trip” through the fourth grade. Once finished, the children’s ideas will go along with a safari jeep that each has decorated for a spectacular display in the fourth grade hallway.

Superstars at Cooper

The first day of school at Cooper Elementary in Ms. Fish’ first grade class room found her students learning to make their own stars. Stars will be a big part of the kids first grade year, as they will be rewarded throughout each semester with a star for both good work and for when they are “caught” being good in class. With the great listening skills being displayed by the kids, there is likely to be many rewards earned by this group of first grade “stars.”

All About Me

Just returning to start their final year at Selma Elementary, fifth grade students in Ms. Manard’s class are getting to know one another by designing their “All About Me faces.”

Each student created a face on which every part symbolized something about themselves. Their hair was symbolic of the month they were born, ears added to their face showed the amount of siblings a given child had and even their transportation method to and from school were covered with the design of their nose. Once completed the class would have to guess who each student was from their “faces.”