We had a great week in room 117!
Reading -
In Reading this week, we discussed reading a book as a curmudgeon versus treating the book like gold. We noted that welcoming books into our lives will make us better readers. Yesterday, our minilesson was "Buzzing About Books". Ask your child how he/she can "buzz" about a book in our classroom. This week, we also reflected on the things that we were doing well during Reader's Workshop, as well as, the things we needed to improve. We will be working hard to make our Reader's Workshop the best that it can be.
Writing -
Our main focus during Writing this week was decorating our writer's notebook. We talked about how the notebook needed to reflect the writer's personality and interests. Students used stickers, pictures, magazines, and many other crafty things as decorations. Students had the opportunity to share their writer's notebooks with their writing partner. Students enjoyed taking the time to personalize their notebooks!
Math -
We finished setting up Math Workshop this week and started our first topic. Students participated in "Topic Opener Day" yesterday. We watched a short video to introduce the topic, and they answered some essential questions for the topic. Students also completed a topic pretest. The first topic covers Multiplication and Division: Meanings and Facts.
Social Studies -
In Social Studies this week, we discussed Missouri's location, neighboring states, plains, highlands, and rivers. We also reviewed how to use a map grid.
Popcorn Friday! Students enjoyed their first Popcorn Friday of the year! :)
Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend!
Friday, August 30, 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013
Happy Friday!
Here is an update on what we learned about this week:
Reading -
Our first unit in Reading focuses on building a reading life. We have discussed different strategies to help us become better readers. We talked about our best and worst reading times, as well as, what it means to read longer, stronger, and faster. We discussed what it means to find a "just right" book to read, and how to awaken ourselves to the text. Similar to a New Year's resolution, students made a reading resolution for the school year. The students added these resolutions to their Data Notebook.
Math -
This week in Math, we set norms (rules) for Math Workshop. We used our 5 senses to help us determine what our norms would be. Since students will be working individually, in partners, and in groups, I thought it was important for us to set norms for all of these learning styles. I introduced the term "accountable talk." We discussed what this meant and how to use it everyday during Math. Accountable talk will ensure that our conversations are focused on Math during work time. Another main focus of this week was learning to play the games that go along with the curriculum. Each day students will have the option of playing a game that corresponds to the lesson. Students seemed to enjoy this part of the day!
Social Studies -
We covered an introductory unit in Social Studies. It focused on Geography. We discussed geography and what it is, types of maps (physical and political), what maps show (distance and location), and the difference between latitude and longitude.
We ended the week with a STAR Celebration! Ask your child how they can earn this each week.
Next week, we will continue our Reading unit, and start our first units in Writing, Math, and Social Studies.
Have a great weekend! I can't wait to see the kiddos on Monday!
Reading -
Our first unit in Reading focuses on building a reading life. We have discussed different strategies to help us become better readers. We talked about our best and worst reading times, as well as, what it means to read longer, stronger, and faster. We discussed what it means to find a "just right" book to read, and how to awaken ourselves to the text. Similar to a New Year's resolution, students made a reading resolution for the school year. The students added these resolutions to their Data Notebook.
Math -
This week in Math, we set norms (rules) for Math Workshop. We used our 5 senses to help us determine what our norms would be. Since students will be working individually, in partners, and in groups, I thought it was important for us to set norms for all of these learning styles. I introduced the term "accountable talk." We discussed what this meant and how to use it everyday during Math. Accountable talk will ensure that our conversations are focused on Math during work time. Another main focus of this week was learning to play the games that go along with the curriculum. Each day students will have the option of playing a game that corresponds to the lesson. Students seemed to enjoy this part of the day!
Social Studies -
We covered an introductory unit in Social Studies. It focused on Geography. We discussed geography and what it is, types of maps (physical and political), what maps show (distance and location), and the difference between latitude and longitude.
We ended the week with a STAR Celebration! Ask your child how they can earn this each week.
Next week, we will continue our Reading unit, and start our first units in Writing, Math, and Social Studies.
Have a great weekend! I can't wait to see the kiddos on Monday!
Monday, August 19, 2013
First Week of School
We had a great first few days in fourth grade!
Here is a collage of the photos I took on the first day of school:
We played a fun "Get-To-Know-You" activity using M&Ms. The students had fun sharing facts about themselves based on the color of M&Ms they selected.
I want to express the importance of working together (teamwork), diversity, and building friendships in our classroom. Last week, we read several books that dealt with these themes. The students participated in a teamwork activity, in which, the students divided up into groups and were assigned the task of building the tallest freestanding structure using 25 straws and some tape. The key was they had to complete this without talking! If a group member spoke, I took a straw away. This was a challenging exercise, but a great learning experience for the students!
It has been fun getting to know each student! We have a great class, and I am looking forward to the days and weeks ahead in Room 117!
Here is a collage of the photos I took on the first day of school:
We played a fun "Get-To-Know-You" activity using M&Ms. The students had fun sharing facts about themselves based on the color of M&Ms they selected.
I want to express the importance of working together (teamwork), diversity, and building friendships in our classroom. Last week, we read several books that dealt with these themes. The students participated in a teamwork activity, in which, the students divided up into groups and were assigned the task of building the tallest freestanding structure using 25 straws and some tape. The key was they had to complete this without talking! If a group member spoke, I took a straw away. This was a challenging exercise, but a great learning experience for the students!
It has been fun getting to know each student! We have a great class, and I am looking forward to the days and weeks ahead in Room 117!
Friday, August 9, 2013
Welcome Back to School!
Hello Everyone! I am excited to get this school year started! Below is the link to the Virtual Parent Orientation. After watching, if you have any additional questions, feel free to email me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)