Bright Children Knows the answers Is interested Is attentive Has good ideas Works hard Answers the questions Top group Listens with interest Learns with.

Bright ChildrenKnows the answers

Is interested Is attentive

Has good ideas Works hard

Answers the questions Top group

Listens with interest Learns with ease 6-8 repetitions

Understands ideas Enjoys peers

Grasps the meaning Completes assignments

Is receptive Copies accurately

Enjoys school Absorbs information

Technician Good memorizer

Enjoys straightforward, sequential presentation

Pleased with own learning

Gifted ChildrenAsks the questions Is highly curious

Is mentally and physically involved Has wild, silly ideas

Plays around, yet tests well Discusses in detail, elaborates

Beyond the group Shows strong feelings and opinions

Already knows 1-2 repetitions for mastery

Constructs abstractions Prefers adults

Draws inferences Initiates projects

Is intense Creates a new design

Enjoys learning Manipulates information

Inventor Good guesser

Thrives on complexity

Highly self-critical

Your Child is Gifted. . .

Dweck

Welcome to Curriculum NightWelcome to Curriculum Night“Community and Collaboration”“Community and Collaboration”

2014-20152014-2015

Building Community and Collaboration…

•Inquiry Skills – use of ICONS of Depth and Complexity to introduce higher-level thought

An example…“Given what you know about the RULES of a society, EVALUATE the importance of the setting to the plot and theme of this story.”

• Critical and Creative Thinking – use of cognitive processes of synthesis, application, analysis, and evaluation to strengthen logical reasoning

• Communicating Ideas – substantive responses to higher-level questions

Teaching Inquiry through Collaboration Activities

Objective – Working with your

team and your given materials, develop a way to make your ping

pong ball fly.

Your child learns differently; we teach differently by utilizing a variety of engaging, problem-solving lessons in which your child uses his/her creative

strengths to complete a task. Design Squad projects and Engineering is Elementary (EIE) units provide students a stronger understanding of the

design process, and the connection between engineering and the things we all use in everyday life.

•Elaboration – Adding details and extending our ideas

•Fluency – The ability to generate many ideas

•Originality – The ability to be unique or unusual in your thinking

•Flexibility – The ability to bend and see things in a different way

Teaching Community and Collaboration…

A Creative Curriculum•Acceleration – faster presentation of content to more closely match the speed at which your child learns

•Divergent thinking – channeling your child’s thinking which results in novel, unique, and/or creative solutions or answers

•Enrichment – deeper coverage of content

•Opportunities – providing your child with the time and activities to develop their creativity individually and collectively

http://www.cusd80.com/Page/31389

Fixed Mind Set vs. Growth Mind Set

Fixed Mind Set•Intelligence is a fixed trait•You need to look smart at all costs.•Effort is bad; it should come naturally .•Set backs- blame others, hide mistakes; conceal deficiencies.

Growth Mind Set• Intelligence is a quality that can be developed.• Learn at all costs•Effort is key; work hard.•Setbacks-Capitalize on mistakes; confront deficiencies.

Dweck,2006 Dr.Beljan Psychological Services, 2014

The Power of Praise

Mueller and Dweck’s research:• Children given puzzles to solve• First set challenging but will within their ability• Praise: “You must be smart at these problems” vs. “ You must have

worked hard at these problems.”• Second set of much more difficult problems.• Huge difference between the groups- effects on enjoyment,

persistence, performance-and even deception about performance (lied about scores).

Praising children’s intelligence harms their motivation and performance, because it promotes and

reinforces a fixed mindset.

Mueller and Dweck, 1998

The Power of Praise

Intelligence Praise

Effort Praise

Student’s Goal Look smart, no matter what

Learn new things even if

risky

What does failure mean?

Low intelligence

Low effort

Enjoyment after difficulty

Low High

Persistence after difficulty

Low High

Deception about

performance

High Low

Performance after difficulty

Impaired Improved

What can you do at home?

• Praise effort, struggle, persistence despite setbacks, but not just effort…..

• Praise strategies, choices• Praise choosing different tasks• Praise learning, improving• Change the language children use to describe

themselves and/or their performance from something stable to something malleable.

• “I’m not good at ____________ yet.”• “I can’t do ________________ yet.”• “I tried ______ but it didn’t work yet.”

Language Arts ~ Reading

Rigor is creating an environment in which each student is expected to learn at high levels, each student is supported so he or she can learn at high levels, and each student demonstrates learning at high levels.  ~Barbara R. Blackburn

Reading Domains• Reading Process

Foundational Skills: vocabulary, phonics, fluency, and comprehension strategies.

• ComprehendingLiterature and Informational text

Resources• Jr. Great Books series• Journeys – CUSD district adopted text book• Literature Studies• EIE science and social studies text

Third Grade - Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text. (3.RI.6)

Fourth Grade - Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided. (4.RI.6)

Language Arts ~ Writing

• Writing Process• Writing Components

Ideas and content, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency and Conventions.

• Writing ApplicationOpinion pieces on topic and textsInformational text/expositoryNarratives of real or imagined experiencesResearch and Research writing Literary response

The writing process takes a writer from prewriting to publication. For many young writers, this is a very tedious journey.

OUR SOLUTION – Creativity and Writing

Mathematics

Mathematical Practices for Grades K-121. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. 2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. 3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. 4. Model with mathematics. 5. Use appropriate tools strategically. 6. Attend to precision. 7. Look for and make use of structure. 8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Focus for Grades 3-5•Operations and Algebraic Thinking •Number and Operations in Base Ten•Number and Operations—Fractions•Measurement and Data•Geometry

Social StudiesThird Grade•Early Civilizations•Greece and Rome (Olympic Unit)•American History•Explorers and Colonization (Explorer Theatrical Performances)•World History•Civics and Government •Geography•Economics •Current events

Second Grade Grade•American History (Foundation of Our Country Unit)•World History (Ancient Asia Unit)•Civics and Government (Development of Democracy)•Geography- (interpreting maps)•Economics •Current events

Science

Second Grade

•Science Fair (done as a class)•Scientific Method•Life Cycles of Living Organisms•States of Matter•Inventors and Inventions•Weather and Climate•Human Body Systems

Third Grade

•Science Experiments•Science Fair•Contributions of Scientists and Inventors•Rock and Fossils•Plants/Animals and Ecosystems•Changes in Environment•Properties of Matter•Light and Sound

How PARENTS can support Extended-Learning Opportunities

through Curriculum-Supported Field Trips

•3rd grade - Musical Instrument Museum

•Mesa Southwest Museum

• Desert Botanical Museum/Boyce Thompson Museum

• Chandler Center for the Arts

•2nd grade – Halle Heart Center, Butterfly World,

•Play (location TBD), Goldfield Ghost Town • Tax Credit Donations (in any increment, up to $400./married couple)

Working in Partnership with Parents, we will have the funds necessary to further your child’s learning outside

of the classroom. Thank you for considering this important request.

Building Community and Collaboration Behavior Management Plan

We will be implementing TRIBES to foster a positive, cohesive, safe and cooperative learning environment for your child. There are four main principles whose purpose it is to create a classroom community where each student is valued, respected and empowered.

• Attentive Listening

• Appreciation/ No PUT DOWNS

• Right to Participate

• Mutual Respect

TRIBES Community Reward Incentives: Passport System

*Fun Friday (2:45- 3:15) PASSPORT System

*Marble Parties (days/times change due to schedule)

Whole Brain Teaching• Whole Brain Teaching or Power Teaching uses verbal, auditory

and kinesthetic modalities to essential classroom functions.• There are 5 main rules:• 1- follow directions quickly• 2- raise your hand for permission to speak• 3- raise your hand for permission to leave your seat• 4- make smart choices• 5- keep your dear teacher happy• Videos and more information can be found at

wholebrainteaching.com

Reward Incentive:• Fun Friday (2:45- 3:15) PASSPORT System• Class rewards

Homework Policy•Students will be given daily homework. The purpose of these assignments is to provide extra support at home of concepts covered in class. Each student is responsible for completing his/her homework and returning it to school on the assigned due date.

•Pursuant to CUSD policy, 2nd grade students will be given 20- 30 minutes of homework and 3rd grade students will be responsible for 30-40 minutes of homework each night. Nightly reading is also encouraged and should average at least 15 – 20 minutes each night.

•There may be extended projects due throughout the year; however, consideration will be given with respect to daily homework requirements, and due dates will always be provided.

•Failure to complete homework will result in students using their personal recess time to complete it and loss of sticker on passport.

Birthday Policy•We enjoy celebrating with your child as they celebrate his/her birthday. If you would like to donate an edible or non-edible classroom treat, please deliver those items to the front office.

•All baked goods must be store-bought pursuant to CUSD policy.

•Teachers have communicated class allergies to you.

•If your child has a food allergy, please provide a non-perishable snack to your child’s teacher to be distributed when needed.

Communication Policy•Open communication is of utmost importance to us in

our desire to build a collaborative partnership with parents. The best way to contact us is through E-mail.

•However short concise emails will help us address your concern without taking away from our planning time for

your child’s education.

•We will respond to E-mails and phone calls within 24 hours during a business week.

School Hours 9:10- 3:40

We have a QUIET START at KGA. Students are allowed to be on campus as early as 8:45 a.m.,

but they need to have a book to read. Classroom doors open at 9:00 a.m.

Special Schedules and Lunch Times will be posted on

our websites.

Classroom Schedules

Thank you for attending Thank you for attending Curriculum Night!Curriculum Night!

We look forward to an amazing We look forward to an amazing school year!school year!