After completing a fourth grade level activity on homographs we gathered to find out about Flat Samantha's adventures in Seattle, Washington. We were able to add Washington state to our list of states the flat people have visited. The children get so excited every time we add a new location. Please keep those letters coming. We also learned about the seven continents and four oceans. We used a very simplified world map to identify the continents. Since we have had a few of our flat people jetting around the world I took that opportunity to introduce the children to the map.
Max the Magician is our next PETS character. Yesterday we heard his story and how he uses visual and spatial thinking to help him solve problems. The icon for Max is a magic hat which the students made and should have brought home. The key ideas for Max are:
- Thinking skills don't occur in isolation; spatial perception can combine with the other thinking methods to solve a problem
- Shapes can be manipulated mentally, without concrete devices.
- Visual patterns are predictable.
- The eye and the brain must work together to think about given information.
- Tolerance for ambiguity and perseverance are essential components for flexible, high-level thinking skills.
I think that last statement really sums up the activities I use to engage the students. Often they are used to already knowing an answer or being able to get it quickly. Then they come to GATE and they can't get the answer right away and they get frustrated. The visual puzzles really require a longer focus than most of the others. It will be a real learning experience for us all as we move through the visual problems each week.
Book orders were also sent home with those that chose to take a set. The due date is actually Jan. 17(Tuesday).
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