Maximizing Learning Potential: Planning for Bubble Gum Day!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Planning for Bubble Gum Day!

I told the kids today that we would have a bubble gum day IF they could convince me that it would be educational and a learning experience. Rachel and I have a ton of fun ideas and are planning a great day for the kids!

I was blown away at all the ideas Maddie and Haley were coming up with!!! These are a few of their ideas: (many of which I hadn't even thought of!!!)

1. math: write equations with the number of bubble gum pieces in different packages
2. math: write different problems about bubble gum
3. spelling: learn to spell the different flavors of gum (ie: grape, peppermint)
4. spelling: see how many words you can come up with from the letters of "bubblegum" (and spell correctly)
5. history: learn about famous people who loved gum
6. geography: Find out where bubblegum is made
7. history: find out when people discovered gum
8. science: see if gum sinks or floats
9. science: see if gum is attracted to a magnet (Haley added that she knew the answer already, but that we could test to make sure :)

I think that they will have a BLAST. It will be especially fun for my kids, since they've never before been allowed to chew gum. LOL I'm sure they'll have sore jaws at the end of the day.

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Is it a Cheetah?

When we think of cheetahs we are likely to think first of their speed. It's flashy. It is impressive. It's unique. If a cheetah is confined to a 10 X 12 foot cage, though it may pace or fling itself against the bars in restless frustration, it won't run 70 mph.

IS IT STILL A CHEETAH?

If a cheetah has only 20 mph rabbits to chase for food, it won't run 70 mph while hunting.

A school system that defines giftedness (or talent) as behavior, achievement and performance is as compromised in its ability to recognize its highly gifted students and to give them what they need as a zoo would be to recognize and provide for its cheetahs if it looked only for speed.

However, schools are to extraordinarily intelligent children what zoos are to cheetahs. Many schools provide a 10 x 12 foot cage, giving the unusual mind no room to get up to speed. Many highly gifted children sit in the classroom the way big cats sit in their cages, dull-eyed and silent. Some, unable to resist the urge from inside even though they can't exercise it, pace the bars, snarl and lash out at their keepers, or throw themselves against the bars until they do themselves damage.
In some schools brilliant children are asked to do what they were never designed to do while the attributes that are a natural aspect of unusual mental capacity -- intensity, passion, high energy, independence, moral reasoning, curiosity, humor, unusual interests and insistence on truth and accuracy -- are considered problems that need fixing.

Exerpts from Stephanie S. Tolan ©1996

Work Samples

Manatees (unedited)
By Haley
05/14/09

Manatees are very different than other animals. Manatees are aquatic mammals. They are also endangered. Manatees live in warm waters. They are very slow. Manatees are related to elephants. Manatees never hurt any other animal.

Manatees are funny looking creatures. Manatees are a grey- brown color. They are known as sea cows. A baby manatee weighs about 60 pounds. A grown manatee weighs about 1000 pounds. Sharp propellers from motor boats scar the manatees back.

Manatees have to lots of things after they have a baby. A mother manatee always stays near her calf. Manatees always teach there calf which plants are safe to eat. Manatees usally have one baby at a time every three years. The first thing a baby manatee does after it gets born it rises to the surface to breath. Last, a female manatee becomes an adult when it is five.

Manatees were used in lots of different ways. Its skin was burned as fuel. Also its bones where used as medican and jewelry. Its skin was made into shoes. Manatees fed many people.

Manatees are endangered animals. People need to protect them and not hurt them so they don’t dye out!