What is going on in PACE?
PACE
is a pull-out program where your child leaves their classroom for 2-3 hours a
week. Many activities do not have a product that is completed in one
session, so what are we doing? Below I am going to outline what each
grade level will be learning about as well as some of the learning targets that
go with that unit. I hope that you will find this information useful and it might just be what you talk about at the dinner table:).
First Grade
Think About it More
This unit is designed to introduce first grade PACE students to creative thinking techniques and logical thinking. Logical thinking skills such as deduction, comparing, ordering, and drawing conclusions will be introduced through different types of logic problems.
Students will uses advanced higher order thinking and problem solving skills to complete challenges.
Second Grade
Coding
The second grade introductory
unit on coding asks students to explore the logic of coding and the importance
of this skill in a world that increasingly relies on technology. Students will
move through basic coding patterns and apply this knowledge to problem solving.
Students will use their learning to understand and explain the importance
of computer coding, diagnose and solve problems using logical reasoning, create products using computer coding skills. We will be using code
studio in class and students can access at home (with parent permission).
Students will be able to independently use their learning to understand and explain the importance of computer coding, diagnose and solve problems using logical reasoning, and create innovative products from newly acquired coding skills.
Third Grade
Genius Hour
Students
will be able to independently use their learning to develop
guiding questions that lead to meaningful research and synthesize information into an effective
presentation. Throughout this unit, we will be exploring what good
research looks like. How do you use someone else's ideas and give them credit. This unit is critical for their success in Middle School PACE and
their lives after high school.
Students
will understand that curiosity is a lifelong driving force for
learning and discovery, research is a process that impacts the future, reading
strategies are important to comprehending texts and most importantly that
academic integrity is vital to valid research.
Fourth Grade
Leadership
Students will research what traits make a good
leader. Are you born with these traits or can you be taught how to be a
good leader. Students will identify leaders in the world and rank
qualities of good leadership.
Fifth Grade
Law
Students will become familiar
with the First and Fourth Amendments to the
U. S. Constitution. The students
will review cases, both fictional and factual, that relate to these amendments.
The students will justify opposing points of view, identify facts, interpret
documents, and support arguments for both sides of an issue.
We kicked off this unit with a discussion of what are Human Rights? I had the students think about what does human rights really mean. This was a challenge for most of the groups. They included items like unlimited amounts of money or a pet panda as one of the top human rights. After a discussion about what human right really means, I was impressed with how they fought(respectfully) with one another to get their point across. I think that they are really going to get into this Law unit.
Students will uses advanced higher order thinking and problem solving skills to debate their point-of-view.
I look forward to working with you throughout the school year.
Mrs. Jones
