Terrific Tuesday

This morning, after the children went to PE, we explored the multiple meanings of the word mint and read parts of the text , "The Story of the Philadelphia Mint", to determine which meaning was the one being used.  I also introduced the children to another dictionary...the one included in the software application Kidspiration.

This morning I reviewed the students' topic sentences for their community action writing piece.  SO, after our reading lesson, I shared my feedback about their topic sentences with the children.  I reminded them that all sentences must have a subject and a predicate and that in this case, their topic sentences had to state their opinion.  Then I modeled writing a topic sentence that states an opinion.  I also modeled taking the idea about who it will help (from their original organizer) and turning it into a detail sentence.

While I met with small groups the students revised their topic sentences and wrote their first detail sentence for their community action research paper.  They also worked on a new WOW worksheet for our word of the week, immense (adj/very large;huge).

I had planned to begin calling reading groups.  However, many students were rushing through their writing and turning in incorrect topic and detail sentences.  So, instead, I began pulling small groups to work on writing complete sentences that stated their opinion and details clearly, with details.

Following our math warm up I reviewed one of the children's homework problems from last night.  The students seemed to understand the multiplication part but the repeated addition stumped a few.  I demonstrated how to write a repeated addition sentence which reflects the picture that is shown.  For example, if the picture shows 8 groups with 4 in each group, the addition sentence must be the number 4 added 8 times.

Then we viewed this video about using arrays to write and solve multiplication equations.  After completing a few practice problems together, as a group, it appeared that the children grasped the concept.  So, the children worked on a follow up practice worksheet while I pulled small groups.

The group I met with worked on solving two step word problems.  Specifically, we practiced identifying, through illustrations, what the numbers in the problem represented.

There is an array worksheet for homework.

Following lunch and outdoor recess the children continued their independent work while I met with reading groups.

Reading Groups
Yellow Jackets:  We reviewed their lists of unknown words and discussed chapter 6.

Cheetahs:  We reviewed chapter 5 by going over the Venn Diagrams they created for homework last night.

Sharks:  We met and began reviewing their beginning/middle/end pictures they drew for homework last night.  After some frustration, it became clear that the children didn't fully understand the chapter.  So, tomorrow we will reread the chapter and identify the beginning, middle and end, together in group.

Snakes:  We discussed the questions in the back of the book and identified the answers in text with a post-it note.  They need to reread their book tonight.

We ended the day by previewing the plan for building a vehicle which the students will do in science either later this week or early next week.