Thrilling Thursday

This morning the students completed the Thursday section of their vocabulary sheet for our word of the week, confirm.  After that, they worked on solving our weekly puzzles.  After the announcements, we switched for math.

Math began with a logic based addition puzzle for warm up.  Then, we reviewed last night's homework using the partial quotients strategy.  After that, we began our rotations.

During the small group instruction, we practiced solving 3-digit by 1-digit division problems using BOTH the partial quotients strategy and the area model that we used for multiplication.  During math with a partner, the students played a Tic Tac Toe board game focusing on estimating quotients using compatible numbers.  Finally, during the technology portion, the children completed an Xtra Math session and then used the Division Live Binder to practice their division skills.

In between the second and third rotation, the children enjoyed lunch and outdoor recess.

Math homework is posted in GC.

After math, we began our literacy block with a writing lesson.  Today we focused on using transitional words and phrases to connect opinions and reasons.  After watching a cute rap video on transitional words, we highlighted those used in the essay, "Insects are Amazing".  Then, the students met with their partners to identify places, in their opinion piece, where they used transitional words or phrases, pr could add them.

Next, the children went to music with Mrs. Graf.

When they returned to class, we ate our snack and reviewed the independent work tasks for today.  I made it clear that I wouldn't be available for support because I had to get some of the monthly testing done.

While I met with individual students the rest of the class worked on their opinion rough drafts.  By tomorrow they need to have this completed.  After that, they reread a non-fiction account of a bus ride from the north to the south during the 1950's.  Then, they determined the correct meaning of the word face, as used in the article, and identified context clues they used.  They also used the word, face, in a new sentence, with the meaning that was used in the paragraph.  Finally, students worked to completed the science assignment explaining how two organisms, from our ecosystem, help one another.