Wonderful Wednesday

This morning the students completed the Wednesday portion of the vocabulary sheet for our word of the week, rarely.  Then, they practiced their spelling skills using an online scrambled word game.  After the announcements we switched for math.

Math began with a warm up that reviewed solving division equations with missing numbers in all areas.  Then we went over last night's homework.  Next, we began our daily rotations.

During the small group esson we used place value to round decimals to the nearest tenth and hundredth.  During math with a partner, the students played a board game called, "Roll A Row," that provided practice with ordering decimals to the thousandths column.  Finally, during the technology portion the children completed a section of Xtra Math and watched a Learn Zillion lesson about rounding decimals to the nearest thousandths.  Those who finished early played an online game to practice comparing and ordering fractions.

In between our second and third rotations the children enjoyed lunch and outdoor recess.

Math homework is posted in GC.

After math we began our literacy block.  First, we revisited the various text structures that authors use while writing non-fiction.  Then, we discussed the structure of problem and solution and identified different signal words.  After that, as a class, we read a section of text about Hurricane Mitch and identified the problem (the storm was unpredictable) and the solutions (they asked NOAA for help, and storm chasers flew into the storm to get more information.

Then, the students worked independently, while I met with guided reading groups.

First, the children completed the Wednesday portion of their reading skills page.  Then, they read about the recovery efforts after Hurricane Mitch and identified the problem and 2 solutions.  Next, they re-watched the screencast about compound words and completed a practice sheet.  Finally, they began working on the culmination projects for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon; a kite depicting the theme, a simile from the book, a turning point, and a favorite character or part.

Guided Reading Groups:
Green -   First we reviewed the Wednesday section of the reading skills practice page which focused on making inferences.  Then, we shared the problems and solutions they identified after reading the recovery section of the book about Hurricane Mitch.

Pink - First we reviewed the Wednesday section of the reading skills practice page which focused on making inferences.  Then, we shared the problems and solutions they identified after reading the recovery section of the book about Hurricane Mitch.

Blue - First we reviewed the Wednesday section of the reading skills practice page which focused on making inferences.  Then, we shared the problems and solutions they identified after reading the recovery section of the book about Hurricane Mitch.

We ended the day by reviewing the reasons that the colonists came to settle in the New World.  Then, we read about the early settlement of St. Mary's.  After that, the students had time to explore a website that had informational videos, texts, and interactive activities about the beginning of the colony that later became Maryland.