It's Hump Day!

This morning we had our weekly class meeting.  First, during the group share, the students shared what they are good at in math.  After that we exchanged thank yous and compliments.  Finally, we discussed challenges. 

Today we focused on independent work time--the need to follow the expectations displayed on the flip chart, the importance of being responsible and trustworthy in order to get their work done in a timely manner and a reminder that if they need help, when I am not available, they should leave a note on the issue bin.  We also discussed the need for morning work prompts.  Each week I take time to look for and select prompts for the class morning work journal writing.  However, since we began working towards personal academic reading/writing goals, most students are no longer writing in their morning work journals.  Instead they are working on their goals.  So, as a class, we decided that I would provide a list of prompts that students could choose from on days they are writing in their morning work journals.  There will no longer be  prompt per day for the entire class.

Next we began our math rotations.  The teacher group used Cuisenaire rods to build models showing fractions on a given bar.  Then, using the rods, we drew diagrams and identified equivalent fractions.

At guided practice the students played a game called Fraction Race.  This practiced identifying equivalent fractions and basic multiplication facts--two birds, one stone!  :)  To play the students rolled dice to create a proper fraction.  Then they multiplied the numerator and the denominator by the same number to create equivalent fractions.  At the end of the round, the winner was the person with the most correct answers and they won five points!

Finally, at the technology rotation the students watched a Learn Zillion lesson identifying equivalent fractions using fractions strips.  They also completed the guided practice exercise that went with this lesson.

For HOMEWORK there is an assignment on Edmodo.  Students use the link on the Edmodo assignment to visit an Internet site and play Equivalent Fraction Bingo.  Then they will tell me, via Edmodo, a strategy they used or learned.

During our reading and writing block the children worked on independent reading group assignments, completed the character analysis, finished the story map for the realistic fiction picture book and read and responded to comprehension questions about Thomas Edison.

I spent time meeting with reading groups and assessing individual student's growth in reading.

Sharks:  The students got a new book, Lily and Miss Liberty.  I gave a short book introduction and we began reading the first chapter.  For HOMEWORK the students need to reread pages 1-3.

Following lunch and indoor recess, I spent a majority of the time assessing student reading.  I did meet with one more groups.

Dolphins:  We reviewed the t-chart they did for homework last night and the students underlined the base word and circled the suffix in each word on their chart.  We also practiced reading their word bag cards.  Independently the children wrote about the problem in the story and how Froggy solved it.

Pandas:  Reread chapter 13 and, in their RRJ, they identified the change in this chapter as well as their own personal point of view regarding the change.

Cheetahs:  Reread chapter 13.

The day ended with the students viewing pictures of the original light bulb, as Edison designed it, and one from present day.  Then they took a risk and used words or pictures to explain how it works.  After that, they viewed a video explaining how the light bulb actually works.  Finally, they discussed their new learning!