December was a short month for our TAG class. We only met twice for regular classes, went on one field trip and then ended the month with a holiday celebration class. We did however begin experimenting with Spirographs and went on an amazing field trip. All students in grades 1-8 were able to attend a field trip to the Lafayette Science Museum and the Acadiana Center for the Arts. At the science museum students completed a scavenger hunt learning more about plants, animals, entomology, space travel, the oil industry, geology, virtual reality, and oceanography. We also attended a one hour presentation in the planetarium where students gained knowledge about the planets, scientific discoveries, constellations, and our stars at night. The ACA experience was just as wonderful. All students were taken on a behind the scenes tour of the ACA. Younger gifted students met a local artist in the art gallery and completed a hands-on activity similar to the style of the artist… all in his presence! My older gifted students met with a curator at the gallery and participated in a visual thinking strategy discussion and writing experience. They really had to dig deep to express their ideas about the artwork they were looking at in the gallery. Students in 6th-8th grade researched several different elements and we put together a "Chemistree". It is now displayed in the main hallway at LeBlanc Elementary:) In addition to all this when we have time students work on STEAM challenges in class that include but are not limited to: Lego Challenges, building structures such as rockets, planes, and famous buildings using ROLO straws, building bridges with K’nex, an electronic snap circuit rover, and our Little Bits robotics challenges as well!