1st Grade Classes 2012-2013

Class and Teacher(s)	Course Description
Math Thinking Skills Mrs. Buchert	Put on your thinking caps and scratch your noggin… it’s time to ponder and learn how to stretch your brain. No matter what kind of thinking you like to do, you will learn how to look at problems in new and different ways. We will use a variety of hands-on activities and games to get those brain waves moving! This class will lay the foundation for the varied thinking skills taught throughout the grade levels at GALACTIC.    ***Course runs Thursday mornings.  Students' assigned class will change at the quarter, and they will receive the other class offering this semester.
Build It! Mr. Beck	In Build It, students will build huge towers, complex mechanisms, and amazing structures.  Students will be testing and modifying designs to make their constructions even more successful.  Students will work independently from two dimensional plans to create in three dimensions.  Teams will collaborate to solve construction problems and evaluate their solutions.  We’ll use geometry, physics, and engineering as we consider how our world is built!   We’ll use our language arts and art skills when we describe the world we’ve created!  ***Course runs Thursday mornings.  Students' assigned class will change at the quarter, and they will receive the other class offering this semester.
Geographical Studies I- World Mrs. Williams	Explore the world with us. We will investigate the continents, their geography, and their culture. We will create flags, write poetry, play games, and immerse ourselves into the world.  ***Course runs Thursday mornings.  Students' assigned class will change at the quarter, and they will receive the other class offering this semester.
Great Literature:  Fairy Tales Ms. Winkler	Thought fairy tales were only for pre-schoolers?  Think again!  These aren't your little brother's fairy tales!  Join us as we explore the genre of fairy tales from the traditional (like Cinderella) to the "fractured" (like The True Story of the Three Little Pigs) to versions from other cultures (like Lon Po Po). Activities include building a house the big bad wolf can’t blow down to interviewing a famous character from the land of “Everafter.” Don’t forget to bring your "thinking cap," since you will be encouraged to apply critical and creative thinking while you participate in all the book-related activities.  After this class, you'll be living "happily ever after"!  ***Course runs Thursday mornings.  Students' assigned class will change at the quarter, and they will receive the other class offering this semester.
Kitchen Math and Chemistry Ms. Schneider	Children love to explore and experiment with their food and this class lets them learn important science concepts at the same time. So join us for an adventure in Math, Science and Food as we learn about measurements, chemical compounds, fractions, patterns, symmetry and more! All hands-on activities will involve the use of edible materials.    ***Course runs Thursday mornings.  Students' assigned class will change at the quarter, and they will receive the other class offering this semester.