Following are the optional projects for the 4th and 5th grade Courage unit.  Encourage your child to consider choosing one and doing a fabulous, detailed job on it.  Hopefully they will become enthused and enjoy their learning.  Just a reminder - please let them do all of the project independently; this includes coming up with ideas and solving problems.  Here are the options:

1. Be a photographer.  Take high quality, artistic, photographs that exemplify courage.  Pretend you are entering a photo contest, the topic of which is “courage”.  Along with your photos write about what is going on in the picture and what your interpretation and/or thoughts are for each.  Display your work attractively.

2. Athletes and sports are an area for courage to be shown.  Provide pictures and stories of courage being shown by athletes and/or in the area of sports.  You may choose to present your work via any medium, however, it is suggested that PowerPoint, Moviemaker, or high quality posters would work well.

3. Write and illustrate a children’s book showing courage demonstrated in a more everyday, ordinary way.  Your book should make easy for a young child understanding what courage is.

4. Produce and perform a presentation designed to teach kindergarten aged children what courage is.  The presentation should portray some typical situations which require taking courageous stands against a group or individual.  Lead a discussion after each to make sure your points are clear.  You might consider using a play, puppets, or video for parts or your presentation.

5. Courage poems – compose a series of original poems on a theme of “courage”.  You may interpret this as you wish, though explanation may be required.  Visually present your poems in a pleasing manner.  Would you like to add associated artwork?

6. Following are some movies containing examples of courage.  Based on the viewing of your chosen movie, do one of the following activities.

            A. Produce a television advertisement promoting the movie.

            B. Perform (live or on video) a movie review.  Look to actual movie reviews or review television shows for examples, or you might pattern your review like the book reviews done on Reading Rainbow.

Movies: Gandhi, Chariots of Fire, Marty, Captains Courageous (1937 version, staring Spencer Tracy), High Noon, or Spartacus.  Note: Yes, these movies are old, but they are also very well done.

7. What do you fear?  Be courageous!  Choose something that you fear and come up with a series of steps that will lead you to your goal of conquering this fear.  Take the devised steps and report (in a manner of your creative choice) on your experience.  Possible examples may include standing up to a bully, telling the truth about something important you had previously lied about, various types of public speaking, or even singing in front of your Target classJ.

 8. Defend the indefensible.  Pretend that you are the lawyer for one of the following people from history.  You are to defend their actions to a “jury of history”.  Give your closing arguments to the jury defending your client on the basis that they were actually acting in a courageous manner.  Explain their courage and use this to persuade the jury of your client’s innocence.  Here are your potential clients:  A. Hitler, G. Khan, J. Stalin, Idi Amin, or Queen Mary I.

9. Create a billboard for courage.  It should be of high quality and a minimum size of 18” x 30”.  In addition, explain every aspect of your billboard and tell why it is part of your display.  What impression or action do you want viewers to come away with or wanting to do?

10. Write a letter to someone in the news whose courage has impressed or inspired you.  Actually send your letter to this person after making a copy to share with the class.  Give your well thought out reasons for choosing to write this particular person.  Lots may show courage; why did you choose this person?

11. Create a “wall of courage”.  Your “wall” is to be covered with plaques honoring people you believe to have exemplified courage.  For each display the minimum information must include a picture or photograph, a summary of accomplishments, and an explanation as to how they exemplify courage.

12. Create a video public service announcement promoting courage in some way.  Your PSA must be at least 45 seconds long.

13. Songs are often poems set to music.  Select at least 3 songs.  Analyze the lyrics in each (and possibly the music) to explain how courage is exemplified.  Present your project in a creative manner of you own choosing.

14. Come up with a project of your own design.  Be sure to get your teacher’s permission for your self-designed project before beginning work on it.

Courage projects are due:           4th Grade: May 1

                                                   5th Grade: April 26

 The assessment will cover the areas of:

           Evidence of Effort

           Evidence of Research

           Evidence of Creativity

           Accuracy of Information Presented

           Quality of Product

     Fourth and fifth graders are well into the start of their unit, Courage.  In this unit students will learn about the different types of courage and the various ways it has been, and can be, shown.  While we will look at different time periods in American history, we will not be looking at the same aspects covered in the regular education curriculum.  We began with an attempt to form a personalized definition of what courage is.  Next, we took a look at the courage shown by those choosing to come to America from Europe.  This choice, the reasons for it, and the actual crossing of the Atlantic were subjects of our focus.  Throughout the unit there will be an attempt (through reenactments, role playing, reading, and discussion) to try to put the students in the position of those people living during the times and events of our focus.  Empathizing with and understanding the situation others have been in will help give a greater appreciation for the courage shown in our past, and will, hopefully, allow your children to act courageously in the future.  In addition, students will learn that courage can be shown on a much smaller scale, and that their lives are filled with opportunities for them to act with courage, or at least recognize it in other's actions.

     Because of this unit's nature, your child will likely "get" much more from it if they actively participate in class discussions.  Please encourage them to do this by asking what they did in class, what ideas they contributed to the class (or small group), and what impressions they came away with.  Perhaps your family could continue a discussion started in your child's class.

     Third graders are well into their new unit of study, which is simply called Heart.  This unit has two main areas of emphasis.  One is the anatomical side of the heart and its related topics.  The second is the emotional side of the heart, which we will use poetry to attempt to explore.  Students will be exposed to a variety of poems, some of them "great poems".  Being guided in a step-by-step process, students will actually write a number of poems.  These will range in type, style, and subject.  Following the example of a character in Love That Dog, a book about a reluctant poet coming to find he actually enjoys poetry, students will write progressively more complicated, more contemplative, and more original poems.  They are currently beginning work on their first poem. 

     Students have already studied the main parts of the heart and the pathway in which the blood flows through it.  In fact, they have "become" blood cells and literally moved through an imaginary heart laid out in our class room.  Many students have already learned a great deal.  We will move on to look at such topics as blood and heart health issues such as diseases, prevention, and treatments for poor heart health.

     We will attempt to tie the two main areas of the unit together when we examine how various emotions affect the physical heart of people.  In addition, we will look at various famous people, from ours and other cultures, to see how they have shown heart.

I am very pleased to announce that Target classes will be starting back up beginning next week, Monday, January 30th.  Our recent testing enabled us to qualify a number of new students in 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades.  As our numbers have risen we were forced to adjust our teaching schedule.  Below are the schedule changes for Mr. Bayer's classes.

Monday - 3rd - Bozard & Swanson/Himmelberg

Wednesday - 3rd - Dunn, Brown, James, & Moore

Lunch and specials times remain unchanged.  Hopefully all third grade parents having a child effected by this change have already received a letter giving you this same information.   Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

I am REALLY looking forward to getting back to teaching and working with your children!  Stay tuned for more information on our new units.

Dear Parents,

I just wanted to let you know that, as a gala auction item, Ms. Tashiro and I are offering a "Movie and Munchies."

This will be for the auction winner plus 3 guests. Approximately 2 hours of fun in the classroom after school.  Date and time to be worked out between teachers and parents.

The Gala Auction will be held February 4, 2012 at Olde Towne Athletic Club from 7 to 11 PM. Tickets are on sale at http://gmefoundation.org - $35 and $45 at the door or you can Download 2012GALATicketformto purchase tickets in advance. Visit the website for a sample of items to bid on. All proceeds go back to GMEF.

The proceeds will be used to improve our school by providing funding for programs such as technology, educational curriculum and facility improvements. The GMEF will accumulate and distribute resources beyond those provided by Cobb County or the PTA, in order to further enhance, foster and enrich the educational experiences of all students at Garrison Mill.

Thank you for your support!

4th and 5th grade bridge building companies completed their bridges recently.  This was the culmination of a great deal of work that involved a multitude of skills and challenges.  Last week the proud bridge builders tested their bridges to see just how much weight theirs would hold before breaking.  Some bridges broke in a quick, dramatic fashion, while others showed increasing signs of weakness until finally giving way.  It was all very exciting.  Here are some pictures of completed bridges.