October 26, 2014

Reading

This week in reading, Mrs. Burns came in to do a whole group lesson on close reading.  She used a challenging poem, and in the end, the students were able to break it apart and figure out the meaning.  The students also reviewed using sensory images to help them with their comprehension, and they were introduced to fix-up strategies to use when meaning breaks down.  The class will continue to focus on these strategies next week.  Finally, the students wrote their second reading response in the form of a friendly letter.

Math

This week, the class worked on measuring to the nearest inch, 1/2 inch, 1/4 inch, centimeter, 1/2 centimeter, and millimeter. The students also reviewed U.S. customary and metric units of length and were able to estimate/measure lengths to the nearest inch and centimeter. The students also made polygons with straws and twist-ties, noting similarities and differences.  They measured the sides and found the perimeters of the straw polygons.  Finally, they drew a square and a rectangle with given perimeters. 

Science

On Friday, the students tracked the moon in the sky (during the day) and compared it to the lesson when they tracked the sun.  The students continue to record their moon observations in class, and the class is noticing a pattern!  In addition, most students have finished creating a Wonder Page or two about the moon.

Language Arts

In WEX this week, the class worked on identifying showing/telling, and they also worked on defining action words.

In grammar the class is finishing their study of common/proper nouns, and the quiz will be on Thursday.

Extras

• This week the students had their first coding lesson of the year in the LMC. 
• The students learned about cognitive impairments for Everybody Counts week.  Thank you to the parents who helped lead these activities!
• The students had the opportunity to view the 4th grade show on Tuesday.
• Hearing/vision screening took place on Friday.
• Simon's grandfather payed us a visit on Friday.  We were very happy to have him join us.  Thanks!
• Thanks for attending Open House!  It was nice to see such a great turn out!

Important Information

Please return your child's Halloween Permission Slip if you haven't done so already.

Friday Folders will go home this Thursday.

The biography genre project is due Thursday, October 30th.  

The Halloween parade will be on October 31 at 1:45.  After the parade, we will have our class party.

The October reading calendar/log is due Monday, November 3.

Fall Conference Preference Forms are due November 3.

Pretty soon, the students will be taking over the class news!  This helps to create ownership of the students' learning.  Each week, I will randomly select two students to write/record the class news, and you will be able to view it on our blog as a video.  Stay tuned!

October 19, 2014

Reading
Flexible guided reading groups are under way.  In guided reading groups the students practice the skills/strategies learned during whole group with text that is at their instructional level.  The students also completed their first reading response after watching Mrs. Como write one.  All students focused on their favorite part of the book and why that was important to the story.  

Our first Comprehension Toolkit lesson was about listening to our inner conversation while we are reading. The students watched Mrs. Como as she shared her inner conversation during the book, The Story of Ruby Bridges, and then the students helped share their inner conversation halfway through the book.  The students then practiced this with their guided reading books.  

Sensory images was another topic this past week.  The class learned that good readers use sensory images to help them make sense of text.  Mrs. Como read, Night in the Country, to model for students how recording/thinking about sensory images aids in our comprehension.  The students practiced this with their guided reading books as well.

The students also created genre posters two weeks ago, where they researched a fiction genre and made a poster about the definition and book examples. They presented these to the class.  Check the posters out in our reading corner during Open House!


Math
Two weeks ago, the students learned the partial-sums method for addition and the trade-first method for subtraction.  They also solved number stories with three or more addends.  This past Tuesday was a Unit 2 review day, and the Unit 2 test was on Wednesday.  

The class took a Unit 3 pretest on Thursday.  The first lesson of Unit 3 had the students find an average "class shoe" length to use as a standard unit of measure and then estimate and measure in class shoes. 

Science
The class is studying the moon/phases.  Each week a new set of students is recording their moon observations, and they are reporting back to the class.  The students are also researching questions about the moon, and with the information that they find, they are creating a Wonder Book page.  Another fun thing that the students did was to create a flip book of the moon phases.  Finally, the class is waiting for a sunny day so that they can track the moon in the sky (during the day), just like they did for the sun.

Language Arts
The class worked on revising/editing our What Am I? writing pieces (taking on the perspective of an object in the room), so be sure to check these out at Open House!  We also practiced showing in our writing while responding to other writing prompts.

In grammar we are studying common/proper nouns.

Important Information
Open House is on Wednesday, October 22 from 6:30-7:30.  

The biography genre project is due Thursday, October 30th.  I will send home notecards for this project, so please don't go out and buy any.

The Halloween parade will be on October 31 at 1:30.  After the parade, we will have our class party.

The October reading calendar/log is due Monday, November 3.

Pretty soon, the students will be taking over the class news!  This helps to create ownership of the students' learning.  Each week, I will randomly select two students to write/record the class news, and you will be able to view it on our blog as a video.  Stay tuned!

October 5, 2014

Reading
In reading, the students focused on the comprehension skills: making predictions, making reactions, and determining importance.  Flexible guided reading groups are being organized and will begin this week.  The students will also be introduced to reading response prompts during their Readers' Workshop this week.

Math
This week in math, the students reviewed the ways in which basic addition/subtraction facts are used to solve problems with bigger numbers.  They also reviewed "What's My Rule" problems and learned about various types of number stories.  Finally, students were introduced to our Math Workshop where, after our whole group lesson, the students break up into flexible small groups and work on the following:  
Math Facts Practice: Computer-based activities using Dreambox, Everyday Math Online, etc.
At Your Seat: Math Boxes page from the previous lesson, other review work
Teacher Choice: Math journal work with the teacher, other differentiated activities
Hands-On: Differentiated games to review skills taught in previous lessons
A letter about using Dreambox at home went home on Friday.  Please encourage the use of this at home when appropriate and if possible.

Science
The class collected the sunrise/sunset data over the period of a week and recorded the elapsed daylight time.  They then studied the information and learned that the sun is rising later and later, and setting earlier and earlier.  They also noticed that the daylight hours are decreasing.   The class talked about why this might be happening.   We will be studying the moon/phases next.  Be aware that there will be a total lunar eclipse on Wednesday, Oct. 8, but I think it will be visible in the early morning hours.

http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2014-october-8

Language Arts
In WEX, the class reviewed common/proper nouns, and the students chose an object (common noun) in the room to write about.  They wrote from the perspective of the object, and the goal was to include showing in their writing.  The class will soon be working on revision assignments and creating a final copy for display at Open House.  

In grammar we are finishing up subjects and predicates, and there will be a quiz on Wednesday.

Important Information
MAP/ISAT data will be sent home on Thursday.

There is no school October 10th and 13th due to an Institute Day and Columbus Day.

The biography genre project is due Thursday, October 30th.

The Halloween parade and party will be on October 31.  More details will follow soon.

The October reading calendar/log is due Monday, November 3.