Thriving Thursday

The students began their day in art. 

When they returned to class, we reviewed the idea of Figurative Language as a tool box filled with different tools (metaphors, similes, alliteration, etc.) that authors use to get a more accurate picture in their readers minds.  Then I explained to the students that metaphors and similes both compare two seemingly unrelated objects but similes use the words "like" or "as" to do so and metaphors do not.

Next we reread the Chinese folktale White Wave and identified an example of a metaphor, "she was pure light."  After discussing the visual the metaphor created in our minds, we discussed the possible themes and decided it was to believe and trust in yourself.

Then we moved onto our writing lesson.  First the students learned that they would need to choose a side of their issue and develop an opinion statement.  I modeled mine, "Cursive writing must be taught in elementary school."  Then we reviewed a checklist to help us determine whether we would need to gather more evidence through research to create strong arguments that support our opinion statements.

While I meet with reading groups the students will complete reading group assignments, finish their informative paragraphs, work on the Natural Resource lesson on Edmodo, and write their opinion statement and gather more evidence to support it.

Sharks:  We met and reviewed important vocabulary in chapter 9.  Then I taught the group that usually when a "c" is follow by an "i" or an "e", the "c" will sound like an "s", as it does in city.  We used this rule to decode the word decision.  The students will read chapter 9 on their own in class and then reread it for homework.

In math we reviewed two step problem solving and summing products.  Then I introduced the distributive property to the class and demonstrated how we can use it to simplify and easily solve multiplication facts.  See the picture below.  The children began practicing this strategy in class and are expected to finish the worksheet at home, for homework.  Students who finished their work in class should go online to play the product game.  We will have a quiz tomorrow.



Following lunch and indoor recess, the students continued their independent work while I met with more groups.

Cheetahs:  The students read pages 85-94 and listed unknown words.  They also identified the main idea, of this section of text, on a sticky.  For homework they need to reread pages 85-94.

Yellow Jackets:  The students read chapter 8, listed unknown words and prepared to discuss Journey's discovery in this chapter.  In group we discussed Journey's discovery of the ripped up pictures and revisited portions of the text to determine whether Grandfather had lied or we, as readers, had made assumptions.  For homework they students are to TRY to find a family photo where the "camera knows".  We discussed this assignment in group.  It is kind of optional but I really want to the children to do their best to do it.

Snakes:  The children reread pages 6-9 and listed contractions in their RRJ.  In group we reviewed their lists and determined which two words made each contraction and checked the text to see if the two words fit and made sense.  For homework the students need to complete the contraction chart in their RRJ and read pages 10-12.

We ended the day with a social studies lesson.  We reviewed some vocabulary and added it to our word wall.  Then we shared whether we were spenders or savers.  Finally, we discussed savings plans to generate income and save towards a goal.