Marvelous Monday

The sun is trying to shine, the temperatures are climbing and we are finished with the math MSA...it truly is a marvelous Monday!

Our day began with the students completing the last two sections of the math MSA.  We are finished with testing until the last week in March, when we will take the reading section of the PARCC.

After testing, and a little break, we began our reading and writing block.  First, we reviewed the characteristics of literary non-fiction (non-fiction, true facts, told as a story, with a beginning, middle and end and usually a theme).

While I met with small groups, the students completed a 2 sided character and setting planning sheet for their realistic fiction picture book.  Then they either read or watched, via the third grade web site, Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express, a literary non-fiction text.  The follow up for the story had the students explain what the midnight express was and identify the beginning middle and end, all in their RRJ.

Cheetahs:  We read chapter 17 and discussed two examples of figurative language used in the chapter.

Sharks:  We met and reviewed the vocabulary chart the students had glued into the back of their RRJ last week.  Then we completed an entry for the word faint, on page 11, together.  Part of the lesson included noticing that the dictionary definition of the word didn't make sense, so we went to the thesaurus to better understand the meaning.

Following lunch and outdoor recess the students continued working independently while I met with more groups.

Dolphins:  I did a book introduction for their new book, Good Friends.  Then the students whisper read the book while I listened in.  We also added the word "busy" to their word bags.  After they read we identified the beginning, middle and end of the story.  Finally, we shared what both Froggy and Duck did that made each a "good friend".

Pandas:  We met and reviewed chapter 17 and began reading chapter 18.

The day ended with science.  We used our background knowledge and information gained through reading non-fiction text to explain what happens to temperature when heat energy is added, or taken away, from a substance.

There is NO homework this evening--a reward for the efforts during testing!!