SAGE: Week 2 Review

Here's what we did in our second week of SAGE.


3rd Grade

This week, we did a few interesting activities.  Each 3rd grade group spent time analyzing the poem below.  Can you figure out why I had them go through the exercise?  You might ask your child the meaning of the poem.

COME TO THE EDGE

by Christopher Logue

Come to the edge.
We might fall.
Come to the edge.
It's too high!
COME TO THE EDGE!
And they came
and he pushed
and they flew...

We also tried our hands at synergizing by building paper towers.  The task was simple; construct the tallest tower that you can in 18 minutes out of 3 pieces of 8.5 x 11 copy paper.  Here are a few of the entries.  Find out what went well with your child's tower, and what his/her team could have improved on.

4th Grade

Here's a poem the 4th graders began to analyze at Grand Ridge (we'll be doing it at Creekside next week.)  Each child takes time to read through the poem and pick out a phrase that speaks to him/her in some significant way.  After that, we read the poem as a class.  I read the entire poem, and the students read the phrase that they have selected.  Sometimes I'm reading my myself; sometimes I'm reading with one other student; and, sometimes I'm reading with several students.  It is quite a powerful activity.  After reading the poem together, we go back and share why we've selected the passages we have.  We learn a lot about courage and about each other through the activity.  Here's the poem.

COURAGE, Author Unknown

Courage is the strength to stand up
When it's easier to fall down and lose hold.

It is the conviction to explore new horizons
When it's easier to believe what we've been told.

Courage is the desire to maintain our integrity
When it's easier to look the other way.

It is feeling happy and alive, and moving forward
When it's easier to feel sorry for ourselves and stay.

Courage is the will to shape our world
When it's easier to let someone else do it for us.

It is the recognition that none of us are perfect
When it's easier to criticize others and fuss.

Courage is the power to step forward and lead
When it's easier to follow the crowd; their pleas resound.

It is the spirit that places you on top of the mountain
When it's easier to never leave the ground.

The foundation of courage is solid,
The rock that doesn't roll.

Courage is the freedom
Of our mind, body, and soul.

5th Grade

Every 5th grader participated on a team that took part in The Marshmallow Challenge.  Interestingly enough, we learned afterward that it was actually quite helpful to be successful in the challenge to think like a kindergartner.  As it turns out, kindergartners are more successful at the challenge than most other age groups - even adults.  To find out why, ask your child, then watch the video for Marshmallow Challenge video.  It might not be for the reason you think it is. 

P.S.  You may be interested to know that 1 of our 8 teams ended the challenge with a tower that was standing. 

Here are a few photos of our efforts.