Depths of Knowledge

Creating a replica of a rain forest, tundra, or ocean using assorted craft supplies, stuffed animals, recyclables, and a big roll of duct tape may not seem like it would require deep thinking, but I would argue otherwise. As evidence I submit some of the "talk" I heard as the boys and girls worked on their biome projects this week:

• "What if we hung the fish at different levels to show the different ocean zones?"
• "We want to show what the rain forest was like before pollution started wrecking things."
• "We should put cattails here so the frogs could hide from predators."
• "The elf owl has to be in the cactus. That's the only place it builds its nest."
• "This is a temperate forest so the trees have to be leafy kind."
• "The permafrost looks good, but now how can we make the northern lights?"

Can you hear it, too? These boys and girls really know their stuff. In their own ways, they are taking the knowledge that they acquired through research and assimilated through extensive writing - and they are applying it in a fresh, new way.

An education scientist named Norman Webb created a system for categorizing academic tasks according to the level of thinking required to successfully complete them. He envisioned four levels of cognitive demand with the lowest being basic recall and the highest being what he calls "extended thinking." Webb used words such as connect, create, design, and prove to describe what "extended thinking" meant to him. It seems to  me that the  biome project work going on in the classroom this week meets his criteria. And the best part is that these second graders had a blast doing it!

Watch for your child's biome book to come home soon and with it a photo from his or her biome. I think that you, too, will be impressed by their hard work as readers and writers, their incredible use of imagination, - and their deep thinking.

In other subject areas this week, we completed our math unit on multi-digit addition and subtraction (with regrouping and ungrouping), we studied contractions, and we continued to investigate liquids and solids, particularly mixtures of each.

A word about class placements for next year. There has been a fair amount of confusion around the third-/fourth-grade multi-age class. I apologize for adding to that in my conversations with some of you at conferences. I simply had not been told what was going on. I hope that Karen Grimm-Nilsen's letter, which you should have received on Wednesday, helped to clarify things, including the makeup and operation of the MAC classes. I will meet with the other second-grade teachers next week to begin creating heterogeneous classes for third grade, including the MAC class. This is a very thoughtful process. We consider reading levels and math abilities. We look for students who would seem to connect well socially. We consider special needs of all kinds. If you have questions or concerns, please share them with me by Monday so that I can take these into account as we work to create groupings for next year.

Finally, it's been a wonderful Teacher Appreciation Week. Thank you to the PTO, all of you, and the children for filling this week for special treats and surprises. I feel extremely fortunate to be part of a district with such caring and supportive families.

Mark Your Calendars:

Wed., May 10 - MAP Test - Reading (AM); early release day for students

Thurs. May 11 - Visit with author Lester Laminack sponsored by the PTO

Fri., May 12 - PTO-sponsored Special Interest Day (PM)

Mon., May 15 - MAP Test - Math (AM)

Thurs., May 18 - Safety Day with the Fox Point Police Department (AM)

Fri. May 19 - Class mini-concert during Music (12:20-12;50 PM)

Wed., May 24 - MAP Test - Language (PM); early release day for students

Thurs., May 25 - Field trip. Walking tour of downtown Milwaukee. A letter and permission slip were sent home today.

Mon., May 29 - Memorial Day. No school.