The entire GATE group began the year by inventing original products, and writing catalogue-style advertisements to sell them in the GATE Kidstuff Catalogue—(For All You’ve Been Missing). The ads were short, yet descriptive and informative to represent the products fully.

The Kindergarten enrichment group surveyed the many ways we power our planet by reading My First Energy Book. Activities included running in place to estimate the amount of energy used by various types of bulbs, hand-generating electricity, and “strip-mining” chocolate chip cookies. 

Grade 1 GATE studied the circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems. They learned about blood typing, nutrients, and the function of all the digestive organs.

Later in the year, these students created imaginary pets, complete with instructions for their care and feeding.

The enrichment group surveyed the many ways we power our planet by reading My First Energy Book. Activities included running in place to estimate the amount of energy used by various types of bulbs, hand-generating electricity, and “strip-mining” chocolate chip cookies. 

This group also learned about worms at Phipps Conservatory.

Grade 2 students studied our solar system and wrote haiku about various planets. The group also created calligraphic illuminated manuscripts, and illustrated the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child. The enrichment group read Greek myths, and created original plays based on the Greek gods.

Grade 2 also visited Phipps Conservatory and learned about how worms help the soil.

Grade 3 studied the American Civil War, producing newspaper pages to illustrate a particular event or battle. This group also visited the Heinz History Center, Pitt’s Nationality Rooms, and discussed disabilities while watching The Miracle Worker. The enrichment group created original poetry.

Grade 4 students studied simple machines, learning how these devices make work easier by using distance to save on force. As a culminating project, these students designed Rube Goldberg-style machines that use the simple machines to complicate routine tasks unnecessarily.

Students authored personal magazines, à la Oprah. They wrote articles on topics ranging from stuffed animals to memorable trips.   

The enrichment group studied mathematics and its relationship with history, culture, and visual art.

Fifth graders used their knowledge of World War II to write radio dramas set against the backdrop of the conflict. To learn about the art of creating radio drama, the students participated in a workshop at Bricolage Production Co. After performing and producing their dramas using Audacity software, the students built AM/FM radios.

This year’s enrichment group studied important documents from American history, including the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Emancipation Proclamation, Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, and President Kennedy’s inaugural address.

Students in grade 6 learned to tell stories using the medium of board game design. They learned about the troubleshooting process for writing clear and complete instructions by testing their games on each other. 

This group also had their second experience at Puzzle-lympics!

Students in this group also toured downtown Pittsburgh, and learned about etymology in their enrichment group.