A new month begins...

As we head into a new month, we are wrapping up the first marking period of this school year. 

After going to art, the students returned to class and viewed examples of student written "I Pledge" statements.  Then they were given two handouts; examples of pledge statements about smoking and a list of strong words to use in a pledge statement.  Their task is to write an "I Pledge" statement to sum what they promise to do after completing their community action research paper and presentation.  These statements will be video taped and added to their Keynote presentation next week.

Independent work:

• Finish publishing Community Action Research paper on laptop
• Write "I Pledge" statement in writing journal
• Complete  the 4 slides in the community action Key Note presentation
• ANY unfinished work from the marking period

In math we reviewed how to determine which operation was required to correctly solve individual word problems.  Then Mrs. Head and I worked with small groups of students while the rest of the class practiced solving word problems. using a worksheet, independently.  After that, they went to anchor activities to strengthen their multiplication and division basic facts.

Mrs. Head's groups worked on identifying the operation required to solve word problems and solving two step subtraction word problems.  My first group worked on addition with regrouping.  I began by asking each child to identify their stumbling block.  Then I taught a basic fact strategy to help with computation and reviewed the regrouping process.  Finally, the children practiced using my instruction to solve addition problems involving 3 addends.  My second group practiced solving subtraction problems that required regrouping.

There is a word problem worksheet for homework.  We will NOT have a quiz tomorrow.

Following lunch and outdoor recess the students continued their independent work and I helped individual students with their needs.  I did not pull reading groups because students from every group were involved with publishing which took precedence today because I need their writing for report card grades.  I hope my explanation makes sense!  :-)  Reading groups will meet tomorrow!

We ended the day by watching a video about the Ancient Roman Empire.  The children will be comparing the government of the Ancient Roman Empire to that of our government tomorrow, using an iPad app.

I will not be here tomorrow!  There is no school for students Monday (report card prep day - teachers do report to work) and Tuesday (Election Day).  The next blog post will be Wednesday, the first day of the second marking period.

A quick glance as to what your child will be doing tomorrow:

• Using the highlighted explicit facts in the second hand smoke article, they will determine the author's main idea.  (Working in small groups and sharing in whole group)
• They will identify knowns and unknowns and write and solve an equation to solve a word problem. (Working in small groups, making an Educreations video clip and sharing with whole class)
• Independent work - finish publishing writing piece, finish "I Pledge" statement
• Reading groups - Each group will read the next chapter/section with the sub, in small group, and discuss.  Most groups will independently write a prediction, in their RRJ, for the next chapter.
• Using an iPad app about ancient Rome, the children will compare the Roman Republic to our government (the structure).