Wonderful Wednesday

This morning, the students read quietly, exchanged books in the media center or practiced keyboarding skills.

After that, we began our math rotations.  When working in small group, with me, the students continued drawing pictures and writing equations, using a variable, for the unknown, to solve word problems.

During math with a partner, the students first completed the word problem indicating the best combination of vehicles to get to a field trip and defending their decision on Google Classroom.  Then, they watched the video for Where the Wild Things Are and drew a picture of a monster.  After that, they wrote multiplication equations (to practice basic facts) indicating the number of body parts 5 monsters would have.  So, if their monster has 3 eyes, then the equation for eyes would be 3 x 5 = 15 eyes.

Finally, at the technology rotation, the students used Interactive Multifacts to practice basic facts with a factor of 0, 2, 5, or 10.  They wrote the facts in their math journals.  This, again, was to practice fluency with the basic multiplication facts.

For HOMEWORK the students need to visit the Google Classroom  HOMEWORK page and, using the posted link and the directions I listed, the students will practice their facts for at least 5 minutes.

There will not be a quiz tomorrow.

Following lunch and indoor recess the students focused on completing their independent tasks for the first marking period.  In general, this meant publishing their inquiry project and sharing it with me, and finishing their Powtoon presentations.  Additionally, students completed a main idea activity and compared the Roam Republic's government to that of our current US government.

I met with students to work on their writing, a couple of reading groups and some individuals to conduct informal reading assessments to assess growth thus far.

Panthers:  We met and read a nonfiction text about the grasshopper's life cycle.  Then the students, independently, identified the main idea and three supporting details from the text.  For HOMEWORK the students need to read for 15 minutes, free choice.

Tigers:  We took a break from the Polar Bears book to complete a main idea activity.  First we reviewed how to determine the main idea in text.  Then we read a selection of text focusing on the topic sentence of each paragraph.  Students were also given individual, informal reading assessment to assess progress.  For HOMEWORK the students need to read pages 14 and 15 in their Polar Bears book.

Leopards:  The students completed a main idea task independently.  In group we reviewed the adjectives they identified for homework and talked about words being different parts of speech.  Then we revisited pages 17 and 18 and discussed how to find the main idea, in a section of text, when there doesn't appear to be one.  WE talked about how to find a common thread that relates to the heading AND how to revise your thinking when you realize your initial thought was incorrect.  For HOMEWORK the students need to read page 19 and write, on a sticky, what they think happened to the dinosaurs.

Lions: The students completed a main idea task independently.  In group we reviewed the adjectives they identified for homework and talked about words being different parts of speech.  For HOMEWORK the students need to read pages 14 and 15 and explain what happened to the Chumash.

The students ended their day in PE with Mr. Benco.

PLEASE remember to send in your child's Halloween costumes in a bag marked with his/her name.  No scary masks, guns, knives, or make up.