~Happy December~

It has been a crazy, busy week.  All my groups are working so hard and getting a lot accomplished everyday.  We are ending our focus on Just Keep Swimming.  This month we have focused on having the right attitude to get a task done.  An attitude that if things are tough, we don’t quit, but find another way.  Also, not worrying about yesterday, but the focus of every day is a new day and we have the power to make it a great day.  It all starts with the right attitude…

With one month ending and the beginning of a new month we will have a new theme we are Spotting in the room…Monster’s University.  We are mixing things up a little bit due to a short month with winter break.  We are spotting the best class that displays - Teamwork and Friendship in the room.  All of my classes will be competing with each other to become the class of the month.  We will track our points on Class Dojo with each class being a group.  I can’t wait to see how the children respond to this challenge!  

Check back next week to see our Character’s of the Month for Just Keep Swimming.

LANGUAGE ARTS

1st Grade:  Connecting Letters and Language:  We began this week by finishing our reading analyzers the children were introduced to last week.  After completing the sheet together,  I asked the children why this sheet might be helpful.  They had great responses - from comprehending the book better, to help us better understand what we read, and our last idea was to think more about what we read.  We then had an introduction into word ladders.  We went over the instructions and did two together as practice.

On Tuesday, we walked through a few more word ladders together.  After they were showing me they understood the steps - they were on their own to work through some worksheets.  If the whole group got stuck on one we would work it out together.  We will continue working with our word ladders next week.

2nd Grade:  Point of View and Connections:  On Monday, we began by reviewing the two chapters we read last week.  Then they completed a worksheet.  They drew a picture of Edward dressed as Susanna and drew and named their own constellation.  When they finished this project it was time to add to our chart tracking the setting.  They were given some time on their own to add to their character chart - the characters Lawrence, Nellie and Lolly and add a character trait with each of them.  We had just enough time to read chapter 11 together.

On Tuesday, we started the day by reading chapter 12.  Then we looked at a chart that I made to help us track Edward’s Journey and note the way Edward has changed along the way. We added the events from chapter 12 to or chart.  This will help us organize the book into a timeline and keep our memories fresh when we have breaks in between some of our reading.

3rd Grade:  Reviewing our Folktales and Grammar:  On Monday, we took some time out of class to look back and review our growing list of folktales: Myth, Legend, Tall Tale and Fable.  As we defined them, we added some tricks and notes to each category to help us remember them throughout this unit.  Then we looked back at the parts of speech we have identified this year:  Noun, Action Verb, Article, Preposition, Adverbs and Adjectives.  We also looked at a sentence and broke it into a complete subject and predicate as a reminder to our subject noun we identified last week.  It is a lot of information they are learning and they are doing a great job as we add on each week.

On Tuesday, it was time to review the grammar lesson from last week.  We started with a worksheet.  On the sheet the student needed to identify the part of speech of the underlined word.  We went through our answers together and chose a few sentences to write out and identify all the parts.  Then we had some fun time watching some more Schoolhouse Rock Videos on Adverbs and Adjectives.

4th Grade:  Change Makers:  
On Monday, we looked at our schedule and changed a few dates for their project with me not meeting with them last week.  I wanted to make sure they had some class time to complete each step, but they were also reminded they will not complete this project without some work at home.  I offered them time to utilize their recess and some of them already took advantage of this offer.

Sorry it is a little blurry!! I didn't catch it til now :(

On Tuesday, I explained to the class how to fill out the works cited page.  This isn’t due yet, but is something they can update with each new source they use and it can be completed as they are finding their information - making for less work later.  I also took time this week to speak with each student and create in their Google Drive a Biography folder. This folder has been shared with me and I can see all of their  work in progress. For my students completing their project online, it is now already turned into me and on due dates I will be to view it from my computer.  I took a few minutes at the end of class to explain to them a little more how Google Drive works.  They now are aware they may work on their project from any computer that has Internet access, not just their Chrome books.

Logging into Google Drive at Home:

1. Google.com - click on 9 point grid in top right corner

2. Click on Google Drive (the triangle)

3. Click "sign in with different account" or "add account"

4. Enter YOUR school email address (First letter of first name, last name, and last four digits of your student ID, @myduneland.org Example alosinski1234@myduneland.org)

5. Enter YOUR Password: lower case "d", no space and then your student ID# Example d1234567

Due next week:  On Monday students need to have their resources and show them to me.  One of their resources must be a book.  Then they need two secondary sources - this may be other books or online resources.  After, that they are working on completing their biography summary.  They have a few weeks to complete this packet because this is what they will write all of their information on to utilize for the rest of the project.  While completing these two steps they are allowed to add sources onto their works cited page.  

MATH

1st Grade:  It’s Heavy - A Bag of Pennies:  We started class with a review of the lesson we are working on because it has been awhile since I have seen my friends.  After a quick review on the terms heaviest and lightest, we were back on track to learning the concept about the same.  We needed to figure out how to make our scale balance although each side had a bag filled with 50 pieces - 1 bag 50 pennies and the other bag 50 small plastic cubes.  The class decided to take out 20 pennies, but the pennies were still heavier.  So we decided to take out 20 more - this time we achieved our goal!  The two bags were now about the same in weight - 50 cubes weighed about the same as 10 pennies.  They recorded the results on their worksheet.  To finish the worksheet the children worked with a partner to make two bags be about the same and record their results.  Each group shared their findings with the class.  

Each child was given a task to complete at home...the Penny Scavenger Hunt.  They were given a bag and paper explaining the assignment.  Due to early dismissal, it is not due back until next Wednesday, December 7th.  The goal is to find 5 or less of the same object that weigh a little less than a bag of 50 pennies.  To help them with this assignment - they each got to hold our bag of 50 pennies one last time before leaving.  We ask that you don’t use food or pennies as their items.  Thank you in advance for your help with this project!

We did not meet on Thursday because of early dismissal.

2nd Grade:  Length - Egg Passenger:   We began by discussing ways to measure the shape of an egg.  The problem is - how and what is the best way to measure the circumference?  I demonstrated to the class with a large plastic egg different ways we could try a tool to measure.  

However, before we ever measured we needed to make a guess.  Our first guess was quite a ways away from the actual measurement, but we saw this improve as we worked through are 4 tools.  We repeated our steps using a cubic centimeter, rulers, pipe cleaner, and tape measure.  We also discussed the difference in measuring the length and the width of an object.  By the time we measured with our last tool, our guess and measurement were the same!  Then it was time for the students to try it.  They were free to spread out around the room and work with a partner.  To make it a different measurement they went through the same steps but with a small egg.

On Tuesday, they came in and finished measuring their eggs with their partner  Then we came back together as a class and looked at our data.  It was interesting to see how accurate their real measurements were from group to group.  Then it was onto answering our question - which is the best tool for measuring the circumference.  We noticed that the final column with the tape measure is where most of our groups had the same number or off by one centimeter.  This was our best tool to measure the circumference,

3rd Grade:  Linear Measurement - In search of the Yeti:  Our Yeti is nearing completion, but in need of some hands.  As a review for our unit, I split the class into two groups and each was in charge of making one hand for our Yeti.  The goal was to see if the both doubled correctly and if both hands were about the same size.  We quickly reviewed the dimensions we needed and then they were off to finish our Yeti.

Due to Thanksgiving Break, the groups struggled with the concept of doubling.  As a class, we walked through the steps together.  Then the groups were off for take two of building his hands. We switched the groups up this time to a boys verse girls. We have hands one our Yeti and will review the results of our hands next week.  Below is a picture of the class with the Yeti they created...

 Our

YETI

4th Grade:  The Shape of Things - Triple Play with Shapes:  We are approaching the end of another lesson.  We had a review day today because with break last week it was a while since we met.  We played Sets the online version.  This was a great challenge and we added in a rule we didn’t utilize in the card game - all cards are different.  They had a lot of fun with this game and when it was time to find the last set it became difficult.  However, it was great to see them talk it out with the group and work together.  We have saved this game in our favorites and when we have free time I told them we could play it again.

On Tuesday, it was time again to wrap-up our lesson.  We looked at our Think Deeply question and took some time to write down any thoughts and questions they had.  As a class, we wrote our math message board with what we have learned in this lesson to help us answer the question.  Then the children worked on their responses to the question.  

IMPORTANT DATES:

December 19th: Holiday Parties

December 21st - January 3rd - Winter Recess

January 4th - Class Resumes

January 13th - End of Second Grading Period