Thrilling Thursday

This morning the students read quietly, exchanged books in the media center or practiced keyboarding skills.  Then we began math rotations.

During small group math instruction we worked on drawing a picture, writing an equation with a variable to represent and solve one-step word problems using all operations.  One strategy I stressed today was to visualize, or create a mini movie in your mind, the word problem before beginning to solve it.

During math with a partner, the students finished designing and determining the area of their indoor playground.  If they finished early, they played multiplication war to practice basic fact fluency.

During the technology rotation the children revisited Cross the Swamp to work on basic multiplication and division fact fluency.

For HOMEWORK there is a word problem, and a challenge, on Google Classroom (homework page).

After math we took a Go Noodle brain break and then reviewed today's independent work assignments.  These remained the exact same from yesterday...my thinking was that the writing groups I met with yesterday did not have time to complete these assignments.  The students who did, though, will meet with me in writing groups today.

A quick run-down:
Independent reading group work
Inquiry project - paragraph 3 graphic organizer and watch lesson about drafting the third paragraph
Science - watch lesson about the early thermometers and take notes using a 3-2-1 format
Cursive - r and s
Listen to Reading - Black-eyed Susan book, The Day the Crayons Quit
Free Choice - read to self, read with a partner, or listen to reading on the computer

While the students worked independently, I met with reading and writing groups.

Tigers:  The students reread pages 8 and 9 and identified words with the long /e/ sound.  They added the words to the chart in their RRJ, sorting according to the spelling of the long /e/ sound.  After that the students answered two right there questions using the information on pages 8 and 9.  For HOMEWORK the students need to read pages 10-12 and list unknown words.

Telephone writing group:  First we listed and discussed different changes/evolutions in the history of the phone.  Then I modeled how to sue the Educreations lesson, along with the facts we identified, to write an informative paragraph.  Finally, the students rehearsed the beginning of their second paragraph with me and began writing it.

Following lunch and indoor recess I continued working with writing groups while the students worked independently.

Football Helmets writing group:  First we identified and discussed facts regarding different changes/evolutions of the football helmet.  Then I modeled how to sue the Educreations lesson, along with the facts we identified, to write an informative paragraph.  Finally, the students rehearsed the beginning of their second paragraph with me and began writing it.

Television and Transportation writing groups:  First we identified and discussed facts regarding different changes/evolutions of the football helmet.  Then I modeled how to sue the Educreations lesson, along with the facts we identified, to write an informative paragraph.  Finally, the students rehearsed the beginning of their second paragraph with me and began writing it.

After lunch, in between meeting with groups, the students worked on a science experiment.  They described changes to observable features of ice as it is heated by room temperature.  As we worked on our literacy tasks or in small groups, we stopped at 15 minute increments to note the temperature and changes to the observable features and list them on a chart.

It was a crazy but productive afternoon.  :-)  Although I was only able to get to one reading group, I feel like we have made good progress with the inquiry project over the past two days.  I will meet with all reading groups tomorrow.

The students ended their day in art with Mrs. Daniell.