Quest Academy
for Gifted Education
Gifted Advisory Council
In Our Classrooms
Mr. Haberlin's Hospital Day
On Friday, December 18, 2009, Mr. Haberlin's fifth grade students transformed the classroom into a working hospital to teach younger students the various body systems learned during science. Students separated the room with white sheets supplied by local hospitals and donned surgical gloves, masks, stethoscopes and other equipment. They were also required to prepare a lesson on their particular body system and present it to students touring the hospital.
Five classes, ranging from first to fourth-grade, toured the room, engaging in hands on exercises such as designing a cell using candy and other materials and watching PowerPoint videos and live demonstrations. For example, in the circulatory room, students used red dye and clear tubes to show the clotting of blood.
When the "heart rate monitor" sound played over the classroom intercom, visitors rotated to another room to learn about another body system.
Mr. Haberlin said that several teachers told him their students really enjoyed their project. Just another sucessful day at Quest Academy!
Mr. Haberlin's Newsroom Day Immersion Activity
On Wednesday, October 21, 2009, gifted students in Mr. Haberlin's fifth grade class were immersed in a newsroom activity. They began by listening to a talk by Mike Konrad, editor of the Hernando Times, who spoke about the journalism industry and its current challenges.
As students began writing their first assignment, police scanners played in the background. Suddenly, they received a tip of some "strange happenings" in Spring Hill. Later, a press conference with Deputy Groves, the school resource officer at Explorer K8, was held to fill in the missing information. Students then had to write their breaking news stories under tight deadlines. Those finishing early were rewarded with coffee (aka chocolate milk) breaks. Afterwards, Mr. Konrad worked with individual students giving them expert advice on their writing.
To complete the lesson, students had to use Microsoft Publisher to assign headlines and pictures to their articles. One parent later said that her son was so excited about this "immersion lesson" that he continued talking about it for the entire car ride home!
Mr. Haberlin said that research shows that if students make an emotional connection to a lesson they will remember the material more, which is the strategy behind these types of simulation activities.
On Wednesday, October 21, 2009, gifted students in Mr. Haberlin's fifth grade class were immersed in a newsroom activity. They began by listening to a talk by Mike Konrad, editor of the Hernando Times, who spoke about the journalism industry and its current challenges.
As students began writing their first assignment, police scanners played in the background. Suddenly, they received a tip of some "strange happenings" in Spring Hill. Later, a press conference with Deputy Groves, the school resource officer at Explorer K8, was held to fill in the missing information. Students then had to write their breaking news stories under tight deadlines. Those finishing early were rewarded with coffee (aka chocolate milk) breaks. Afterwards, Mr. Konrad worked with individual students giving them expert advice on their writing.
To complete the lesson, students had to use Microsoft Publisher to assign headlines and pictures to their articles. One parent later said that her son was so excited about this "immersion lesson" that he continued talking about it for the entire car ride home!
Mr. Haberlin said that research shows that if students make an emotional connection to a lesson they will remember the material more, which is the strategy behind these types of simulation activities.
