Wednesday, 9/28

This morning we continued learning about ways to think and reflect as we read.  Again, this is in preparation for writing reading letters and having small group discussions about books during literature circles.  I read a couple more pages from Mr. Peabody's Apples and children wrote down their thoughts on at least two post-it notes.  I put Tracking Your Thinking With These Codes on the smart board as I read.  Everyone received a copy of this to keep in their S.T.A.R. binder (reading resources section).  After the read aloud students read their choice book and wrote down their thoughts on at least two post-it notes (this is also tonight's homework).  They were to use the symbol (ex. write a large C on the post-it if you're making a connection), then write the connection. 

Mrs. Bolton asked students to share what they wrote on their post-it notes after I read Mr. Peabody's Apples.

Reading choice books and writing thoughts on post-it notes.

Ms. Higgins' pulled a Word Study group to the back table to go over this week's words.

 I pulled students individually to read their choice book to me.  This is one way for me to check that their choice book is a just right book for them and to make sure that they are comprehending. (Please pretend you do not see how messy my desk!)

In math students worked with a partner to complete a math journal page about name collection boxes (writing a number in many different ways ex. 10 would be written as ten tally marks or 5 x 2).

 Opps took this picture while I was clearly being asked a math question ;).

 Ms. Higgins' pulled a group of students to the carpet to explain a difficult math problem that was on the Math Boxes page.

During Health I showed a two minute video trailer for Being Elmo.  My sister had emailed me this clip and as soon as I saw it I knew it was something I wanted to share with the class.  I thought it had such a powerful message of not giving up on your dream.  After watching the clip everyone had to write a reflection.  I wanted the children to be inspired by a young man who was teased growing up, but held on to his dream. He later went on to become Elmo.  The children had fun imaging what those high school students are thinking now about making fun of him.  They also said they bet those mean students now have children who watch Elmo! 

In science the challenge was to make a floater sink.  In small groups students were given a ball of clay that they knew would sink based on a past experiment.  They were to reshape the ball of clay in order to make it float.  In the beginning many groups were beginning to complain "this is hard" or "it's not working," but eventually we had some happy scientists!

I hope everyone enjoys their day off tomorrow!!!!