It's all about Mars

M has a great 1st grade teacher who early on recognized M's needs and abilities. Throughout the year, in an effort to help keep M challenged in school Mr. N has encouraged M to work on some independent projects. Most recently when the class finished the Space Unit they were on, Mr. N suggested to that M pick a favorite planet, do some in depth research and prepare a model. With much enthusiasm, M did just that--he decided he wanted to learn more about Mars and was off and running.

First he scoured books on space, from the few and very basic we had here at home to the many available to him at school. Next, he became very familiar with searching the Internet via Google--"Mom, did you know you can find the answer to ANY question you have on Google?" : )

Once he was satisfied with the data he had collected, M gathered it all together, typed it all up, and took it to school along with an assortment of materials for building a model of Mars and its two moons. He showed Mr. N what he had collected and prepared thus far, and was granted class time to work one-on-one with the art teacher, and later the GATE coordinator, to create a paper-mache model.

While the model was in the drying and hardening stages, the GATE coordinator taught M how to take his research and put together a basic Power Point presentation. Um, perhaps Mom should have been there for that...I still don't know how to work Power Point! : )

Since M was the only one in his class working on such a project, his classmates were very curious as to what he was doing and why. Once M was completely finished putting together all aspects of his project, Mr. N suggested that M present all that he had worked on to his class. Monday we were invited to M's class to watch his presentation along side his friends. : )

The presentation was fun to watch and M did a great job sharing all that he had learned about Mars! When M was done, Mr. N told the class that they could now have a few minutes to ask M any questions they might have about his presentation. What had just been a quiet crowd of otherwise noisy 1st graders, quickly became alive and lots of little hands shot into the air! M choose one of the little girls, who then said, "I don't have a question, I just wanted to say...Wow, that was so-o cool M!!" There was a murmur of consent, and then M answered a few questions, but I think it was said best with--"that was so-o cool! "

If there is anything you ever wondered about Mars, you could ask Google or you could just ask M! : )