Thriving Thursday

The students began their morning in art.

When they returned to class we discussed the concept of elaboration.  Students determined that elaboration means to add specific details to clearly communicate your thoughts to your audience.  We also noted that this might take extra effort!  Then we revisited the interview with the illustrator EB Lewis and noted that he says the illustrator should leave room for the audience to use their imagination AND that the illustrator's job is to elaborate on the text through the illustrations.  This seemed like it could be a contradiction.  Through discussion, we concluded that the text and illustrations should complement one another--is the text lacks details then the pictures should include them, and vice versa.  Finally, we viewed some of EB Lewis' illustrations and identified information we could gain from them.

Next we discussed our opinion paragraphs.  We reviewed the different revisions we have worked on this week, including, using the thesaurus to improve word choice and identifying the concluding sentence and making sure it was similar to the topic sentence and did not include new information.  The next step will be peer conferencing.  Students will work with partners to revise for spelling and clarity.

While I work with small groups the students will complete individual reading group assignments, conference with peers on their opinion paragraph and complete unfinished work from the week.

Sharks:  We reread their book and reviewed the word sort from last night's homework. Then we discussed what the scientists learned about wolverines by watching M56 and what they hoped M56 would do.  For homework the students need to reread the text and mark, IN THE TEXT, ideas that they think support the main message of the book.

In math we reviewed elapsed time word problems.  The focus was understanding what the questions is asking and then identifying the information needed to solve it.  The worksheet the students worked on, in class, yesterday was returned to them and they were instructed to redo each problem.  During this time,Mrs. Head and I worked with small groups.  My group practiced identifying the question that a word problem was asking and the needed information.  Mrs. Head's group worked n calculating elapsed time (breaking apart the time) and solving two step word problems.  There is a mass word problem worksheet for homework tonight and we will have a quiz tomorrow.

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

Cheetahs:  We shared and discussed the places that the students marked as examples of motivation, effort and persistence.  For homework the students need to reread the book and locate and mark, with a sticky note, 2 things that TR did to protect our wilderness.

Yellow Jackets:  The students reread The Ugly Duckling and completed a literature web, with a partner .  In group we shared last night's homework (collage of what beauty means to them or recalling a time when they fet the pain of being different).  For homework the children need to reread the story and mark examples of change in the text.

Snakes:  The students reread their book and listed facts about Redwood trees in their RRJ.  In group we practiced reading their word lists and discussed silent letters in words.  Wealso shared the facts they identified from their reading.  Then we located words with the vowel-consonant-silent e pattern in them.  For homework they need to reread their book and mark, with a sticky note, a reason bark is important to a Redwood tree.

We ended the day by learning how we will use the Promethean board (starting tomorrow morning) to do lunch count and attendance.