Terrific Tuesday - A Salute to Veterans

This morning, after the morning announcements, we discussed Veteran's Day, particularly what is a veteran and why celebrating them is so important.

After that, we began our literacy block.  We did take a break, around 9:45, to attend an assembly to honor Veterans and celebrate Veteran's Day.

While I met with some guided reading groups (I couldn't meet with all due to the assembly), the students worked on the following tasks.

All groups reread their poem, labeled the title and each stanza, illustrated the poem, and identified the beginning, middle, and end, on the back.  Then they all practiced writing their word work words, using one color for vowels and another for consonants.  After that, some students finished watching the simile lesson and wrote 3 similes in their writing journal.  Then, all students watched a Brain Pop Jr. lesson about similes and wrote 5 similes, about themselves, in their writing journal.  Finally, they practiced writing the letters q, o, and c, in cursive.

Orange:  We met and reread the poem, Mummy Slept Late and Daddy Fixed Breakfast", labeled the title and the stanzas and briefly discussed it.

Pink:  Unfortunately, we did not meet in group.

Green:  In group we reviewed the title and stanzas.  Then we discussed and identified the beginning, middle, and end of the poem.  Next we reviewed similes and highlighted examples in the poem.  Finally I introduced theme/lesson of a poem as something that is inferred and can be applied elsewhere.  Even though these two concepts are different, as we begin to explore them, I will accept either one.

Blue:  In group we reviewed the title and stanzas.  Then we discussed the difference between literal and figurative language.  After that, we identified the beginning, middle, and end of the poem.  Finally, we highlighted similes in the poem.

ALL GROUPS should reread the poem, Mummy Slept Late and Daddy Fixed Breakfast" for homework.

After our literacy block the students enjoyed indoor recess and lunch.

When the children returned to class we began our math block.  Today we will continue to represent and interpret division and multiplication word problems.  We will also investigate the relationship between multiplication and division.

During the small group, teacher-led, instruction we represented word problems using both a multiplication and division equation.  During math with a partner, groups 1 and 2 rolled two dice to identify 2 factors.  They multiplied them together to get the product.  These three numbers became the fact family.  Then, using those numbers, they wrote 2 multiplication and 2 division sentences.  Group 3 completed a logic puzzle involving various operations and unknowns.  All groups were expected to engage in math discourse as they worked.  Finally, all groups visited Pirate Ship multiplication to practice fluency with the 2, 3, 4, and 5s facts.

Homework is posted on Google Classroom.

The children worked so well during math that we actually finished ahead of schedule!  I rewarded them with a class Dojo and a Go Noodle brain break!!

Then we began science.  First we reviewed the observable properties, of the sheet of paper, that we identified yesterday.  Then we described the processes and tools we used to change it.

After our review, the students worked in table groups to identify the physical properties of a paper clip, a wooden stick, a plastic spoon, and a block of clay.  Then, for each, they identified the change brought about using one action and a tool.

Please remember that we have an early dismissal tomorrow and Thursday.