The Monday After...

Well, parent conferences are in the books and, while I enjoyed meeting with all of you, it is great to be back into the normal routine of teaching and learning!!

This morning we reviewed the idea that our purpose for reading determines what is important information versus just interesting facts. Then we identified two questions we had about the book Life on the African Savannah and used those to guide us to the important information in the book.

After that, we learned that action verbs are the "doing" words in sentences.

While I met with reading groups the students completed a verb activity and practiced writing G, S and L in cursive.

Bears: we reviewed the main idea from the Safety at the Beach Section. Then I modeled, using the think aloud strategy, how I would determine the main idea for Boating Safety. This afternoon the students will read the next two sections in the book and identify the main idea in their RRJ. They will also add the word capsize to the vocabulary section in their RRJ. Tonight they need to reread pages 8-15 and get a parent signature in their planner.

In math we practiced identifying the length of objects, using a ruler, when the object doesn't start at the beginning of the ruler. Then we took it a step further and identified the total measurement of two objects placed on the same ruler. There is a conversion word problem worksheet for homework.

Following music, lunch and recess we launched into our writing lesson. The students came to the carpet with the webs they had created for their chosen topic. Then I spoke to them about needing to know and identify the main idea they were going to be writing about. For example, if soccer is the topic, what is the main idea they want to share? They could choose to name and explain the various fouls in soccer. We spent a lot of time with students sharing their topic and talking through their main idea. The students were then sent back to their seats to write the main idea under their web in their writing notebook. We will share these tomorrow.

Crabs: We reviewed the structure for adding a new word to the vocabulary section in our RRJ. I was a bit frustrated that only one student followed the example that we had used to start the section. However, a child said, during group, "Couldn't we just use the example to help us know what to do?" THAT made my day!!!! Thanks, TR!!!! SO, after our review the students returned to their seats to fix their "penalty" entries. Tonight they need to reread the entire book and get a parent's signature in their planner.

Lions: We read the section about how highlands are created by volcanoes and stopped at the end of each page to review what we have read. Then we identified two ways the earth changes, based on what we have read in the book. Tonight the students need to reread pages 3-10 and get a parent's signature in their planner.

Due to next weeks 2 day break and Grandparent's day, I have decided to hold off on our next spelling packet until we return from Thanksgiving. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

We will end the day with a social studies lesson. The students will be split into groups of 3 or 4 and given an envelope with a money earning "situation". Inside the envelope will be three choices of what they can do with the money. The groups will pick two of the choices and get rid of the third. This will lead to a lesson about choices, decision trees and opportunity cost.