Strawberry Cream Soda Party

4th grade had a party with an experiment with strawberry cream soda. We got the idea from the book A Cricket in Times Square. Some of us said it tasted like cotton candy. It had strawberry syrup, milk, vanilla ice cream, and soda water. We all had a great time.

by Brooke

Challenge 24

Challenge 24 is a mathematical game that involves cards with 4 numbers on each card. The players must find a way to use all four numbers in an equation that equals 24. The first player to find a solution earns the card. The player with the most points on their cards wins the game. An RIU6 competition is played every spring. All students in grades 4-6 are invited to participate in the school-wide competition. The top 2 students in each grade are eligible for the team slots to compete at the IU in Clarion.

Scripps-Howard Spelling Bee

The Scripps-Howard Spelling Bee is the national spelling bee you may have seen on TV. RIU6 has a yearly competition in February at the Clarion Mall. Anyone in grades 4-6 can participate. Keystone holds a local competition and the top 2 or 3 spellers in the school participates in the competition at the mall.

Equations

This challenging game is intended to increase mathematical skill. Students are to use the rolled cubes to create an equation that solves a given solution. Certain variables are set so that there are requirements for what type of equations must be made or particular numbers that must be used. Competitions are set up at RIU6 for grades 4 and up. Typically, it is the students in the gifted program that are included.

LinguiSHTIK

Ling is a very challenging language game that forces students to use every grammar skill they know. The students are to create a word using certain letters, use that word in a particular part of speech, and create a sentence using a chosen pattern structure. RIU6 tournaments are held for the students in the gifted program for grades 4 and up, but some districts use the game as a learning tool in the regular classroom.

Chess

Each school district runs their chess competitions differently. At Keystone, it is only open to the students in the gifted program. The tournament is typically held in October at Keystone. All school districts within IU6 are invited to attend. The number of participants and the ages of the participants varies each year due to the number of school districts attending.

Welcome to the 2008 School Year

As we go through the 2008 school year, the GEM class will be studying inventions and technology. We will learn about past inventions and how they have led to the modern technology we have today. The second half of the year will be devoted to using modern technology. If you have any input or ideas for topics, guest speakers, or field trips, please let me know.

Mrs. Gorog