4th & 5th Grade QUEST
Read below for descriptions of 4th and 5th Grade QUEST Program Services.
Visual and Performing Arts
(Visual Art, Dance, Drama, Vocal Music, Instrumental Music)
Art Through the Ages!
(Visual Arts)
Students will study art, its forms, purposes, and all of the ways it has changed throughout time. They will create a unique accordion book that demonstrates their understanding of each art style.
Performing Arts is partnering with NKU's School of the Arts (SOTA).
An excellent partnership with NKU will bring extra enrichment and value to our Performing Arts Quest services. We will take trips to their performing arts center as well as have them teach in person seminars at our PAC.
Problem Solving
(Cross-curricular: General Intellectual Ability, Math, Science)"Let's Go to the Mall!"
Explorations in Combinatorics and Permutations
This Math Academy is designed to help students understand the connection between various kinds of combinations (multiplication principle and choose numbers) and permutations. The goal is to help students see the relevance of mathematics in real-life contexts.
Theme: Combinations and Permutations — Using ideas from the mall to facilitate discussions focused on combinatorics.
Objective: Students will build, describe, and use numerical operations to determine combinations and permutations.
"Phantom of Bell Tower"
Jennie Jensen and Jerry Kramer bump into each other after each learns about a mysterious phantom who has been haunting local residents. Is the Phantom also ringing the bell at the abandoned church? Is the bell ringing some kind of code? Who is going to be the next victim? Jerry and Jennie take off to investigate. Along the way, they jot down their ideas and collect a knapsack full of clues. Students will use these clues as they step into the two young detectives' shoes and solve the mystery!
Skills:
Solve open ended problems with self determined strategies.
Investigate and formulate questions from problem situations.
Represent situations in a variety of ways.
Communicate mathematical ideas with peers and teachers.
Work on reasoning skills.
Use estimates and measurements to solve problems.
Use knowledge of numbers and operational sense to solve real world problems.
"Engeneering with M&Ms PBL"
Background: Astronauts love to have good food in space, but they can’t eat it like we do on Earth. Why? There are a few reasons. The main reason is that objects float in space! Food does not stay down on a plate or even on your hand. Another reason is that there is not much room on a spacecraft, so food has to be in a small, light package. Lastly, astronauts have a lot to do, so packages should make eating easy and fast!
Mission: Astronauts LOVE M&Ms, but when they open the bag, they fly around everywhere. Use the engineering process to design, build, and refine a package that will make eating M&Ms in space easy and fast for astronauts. Your group will have “$5” to buy supplies at from your teacher’s store.
Skills/Objectives:
Work independently and collectively to identify the project's problem, criteria, and constraints.
Design possible solutions that fit the criteria and constraints of the project.
Work cooperatively to select, design, build, and refine a model for the given task.
Demonstrate the ability to critique others' work and use feedback to refine their own designs productively.
"Math Quest Adventure"
4th and 5th grade QUEST students (math, science, and general intelligence) have begun working with Mrs. Cooper once a week during resource time on a QUEST Problem-Solving Adventure! This cross-curricular unit is designed to help students develop a variety of problem-solving strategies, including:
Guess and Check
Draw a Picture
Make a Table or Chart
Look for a Pattern
Work Backwards
Act It Out
During their adventure, students will work together as a team to solve problems and earn travel dots, allowing them to trek through 4 different lands and pass through 7 gates. Who will make it to the treasure chest at the journey's end?
Leadership/Creativity
(Cross-curricular)Introduction to Leadership and Creativity
Students will study the skills and qualities of good leaders. They will research one of their favorite leaders and create a presentation for how that person embodies the qualities we have studied. (Competency, Commitment, Courage, and Candor)
Students will study the skills and qualities of creative thinkers. They will research one of their favorite creative innovators or adapters and create a presentation for how that person embodies the qualities we have studied. (Fluency, Flexibility, Originality, and Elaboration)
Create a Culture
Students will study the elements define a culture, and use their creativity to develop their own.
Our task: Work together to create and define all aspects of an entirely new culture within a selected time period in history. Including: Consistency with the materials and norms of time period chosen/Totem poles, fables/literature, habitat/environment, living quarters, language, government/power structure, economy/currency, education, holidays/celebrations, food and preparation, clothing, flag design, sports/recreation, time period fact sheet, and presentation.
What skills are we refining: Creative Thinking, Leadership, Research, Presentation
Holiday Walk
Middle and elementary school Quest students will work to create culture stops throughout the Fort Thomas Holiday Walk. They will help raise community awareness and understanding of the alternative ways winter holidays are celebrated throughout the different cultures that are represented within our Fort Thomas community.
Our goals:
Study the traditions of a holiday from another culture.
Create a game or craft to teach others about the holiday, or help them celebrate it in some way.
Present our ideas to the public and volunteer to assist at the Holiday Walk.
"Exploring Fractals"
Our creativity and leadership Quest class will cover a cross-curricular unit on fractals as represented in nature and mathematics. We will learn about how the Fibonacci Sequence is related to fractals as we use our creativity and mathematical abilities to uncover fractals in nature and create fractals of our own.
Students have learned about the four elements of creativity: fluency, elaboration, originality, and flexibility. We have discussed how surveys show that creativity is the top trait that CEOs look for when hiring potential employees and why this is such a vital skill. We know that growing the four components of creativity will make us better problem solvers now and in the future!
Over the course of the semester, we will continue to work on activities to grow in the four areas of creativity, innovation, and leadership!
Study of Cultures! (Cross-curricular: Language Arts, Social Studies, General Intellectual Ability)
Marking History, Making History
A project based learning task
Students will combine their skills as historians, researchers, and writers to create this project based learning task.
How can we as historians UNCOVER and SHARE stories about our community?
Genius Hour, Passion Projects
The number one reason Genius Hour is important is because your child will take ownership in his/her own learning. This research is intended to spark curiosity and encourage life-long learning, imagination, perseverance, self-awareness, and adaptability. It’s also intended to provide a sense of purpose for learning. Students will choose their topic of interest and formulate an "I wonder" question. They will be given time and organizatinal tools for research. In the end your child will present their work to their peers.
Skills:
Draw inferences and formulate conclusions based on multiple sources.
Combine pertinent information from several sources on the same topic to help gain an understanding of a topic.
Present his/her learning in a meaningful, sequential, and clear way.
"Ancient Chinese Newspapers"
Our language arts and social studies Quest class will cover a cross-curricular unit on ancient Chinese newspapers. We will learn about the elements of newspapers and editorials and ancient Chinese history. Students will:
