Wonderful Wednesday

The students began their day in the media center where they created acrostic poems in honor of April being National Poetry Month.

When they returned to class we reread The Banza and identified how events in stories build upon each other.  Then we thought about the events and identified the central message (believe in yourself) and the theme.

After that, we read sections of a non-fiction book called Are Organized Sports Better than Pick Up Games? to identify the structure of opinion writing.  We noted that the author provided facts to support her opinion, then explained her arguments and described an example.

While I meet with reading groups the students will complete individual reading group assignments, continue reading to identify facts that support their issue opinion and add these facts to their kidspiration graphic organizer, and practice writing the letters U, V, W and Z in cursive.

Sharks:  We met and shared the title pages they created for their book.  Overall, I was a bit disappointed.  This assignment, and the next two, is to be a culminating activity for the novel Amber Brown is Not a Crayon.  I had explained to the children that I expected to see effort and that the picture should represent the main ideas of the book and be in color.  Unfortunately, most did not heed my expectations.  Today they each picked their next activity from the assignment grid.  They had time n class to begin and are to finish for homework.  I anticipate better finished products.

IN math we reviewed solving multi step word problems and telling time to the minute on an analog clock.  The students practiced telling time to the minute using web sites and an iPad app.  Mrs. Head and I each pulled a small group to practice solving multi step word problems.  We focused on identifying the question, charting knowns and deciding what else we need to know in order to answer the question.  For homework the students must spend at least 10 minutes practicing telling time to the minute using either Clockwise or Stop the Clock.

Following lunch and outdoor recess the students continued working independently while I met with more groups.

Cheetahs:  The students read pages 104-114 and chose a title for the chapter and explained their choice in their RRJ.  We discussed last night's homework and why third sister revealed the fact that Matthew was plaing, not Yang.

Yellow Jackets:  The students read chapter 11 and created and explained a title for this chapter in their RRJ.

Snakes:  The students wrote the answers to questions 1 and 2 in their RRJ.

We ended the day with science.  we reviewed natural resources and read about how to turn a natural resource into a dye.  We also reviewed the difference between a dye and a pigment...a pigment is a powder.  FOR HOMEWORK students are expected to bring in an example of a natural resource in a baggy.  We will attempt to turn it into a pigment and dye a piece of cotton material with it.