Wonderful Wednesday: MP 2 Begins!!

Today is the first day of the second marking period.  Therefore, we are shifting our focus of Thinking and Academic Success Skills to elaboration and persistence.  These skills will be worked into our daily activities and assignments to help prepare students for the future!!

Today we began our day with science.  The students collaborated with their table groups to illustrate and label the various levels or organization in our environment.

After science, we switched for math and took a Go Noodle brain break.  Then we did an Eliminate One warm up, where students had to get rid of one out of 4 numbers and explain their reasoning using math vocabulary.  Next we began our math rotations.

During the small group, teacher-led  instruction we began finding the products of 2-digit by 1-digit multiplication problems by using a rectangular area model.  Then we practiced finding the product by decomposing the 2-digit number into tens and ones and then adding the two products together.  This is called partial products.  Here's an example:  42 x 8  =  You would decompose the 42 into 40 + 2 and then solve 40 x 8 = and 2 x 8 = to find the product of 42 x 8.

During math with a partner, the students played a card game called, "Multiplication Zone" to increase their basic fact fluency.

Finally, during the technology rotation, the students watched a Khan Academy lesson about solving multiplication problems using area models and arrays.  Then they practiced what they learned  through Khan Academy.  If they finished early, they worked on their basic facts using Xtra Math.

After math the students enjoyed lunch and recess.

When they returned to class, we began our literacy block.

With this being a new marking period, we are switching from the comprehension of non-fiction text to studying the structure and elements of plays.  So, today we began by sharing what the children already knew about plays.  Then we identified vocabulary linked to the elements of a play and discussed the defintion of each.  After that, I read the play "The Gifts of Wali Dad", to the class, and pointed out the structural elements along the way.

Then it was time for art with Mrs. VanEch.

After art, we quickly voted for the front cover artwork for our class book of historical fiction stories.  Then we began our independent work block.  HOWEVER, by this time is was already 2:40!!

So, I reviewed the assignments and called one reading group.  We will continue with these assignments and I will meet with the remainder of the reading groups tomorrow.

First, students reread the play "Wali Dad", and highlighted elements of the play using a color coded system.  After that, they completed an online chart identifying elements, examples from the play, and how they help with the reader's comprehension.  Next, the students completed a WTW practice activity.  Finally, they continued working on their personal illustrations for their page in our class book.

Pink:  We read through a play and identified the elements as we came across them.  Then we practiced our sight word flashcards.