Welcome to the first official issue of 5-1’s Class News! Our year is off to a wonderful start, and I am truly enjoying getting to know our class!
HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK:
MATH:
In math last week we began our first math chapter, Whole Numbers. Students explored numbers to 10,000,000, examined place value, and solved number pattern problems. Looking ahead this week, we are planning for our Chapter 1 Assessment on Thursday.
READING WORKSHOP:
Our reading workshop is up and running in our classroom! Over the last week, our whole class instruction has focused on the first three Notice & Note signposts: Contrasts and Contradictions, Aha Moments, and Tough Questions.
We used the text "Thank You, Ma'm" to examine Contrasts and Contradictions; when you're reading and a character says or does something that contradicts what he has been saying or doing all along. We learned to ask ourselves the question, "Why is the character doing that?" to help make a prediction or inference about the plot and conflict.
Next, students were introduced to Aha Moments. Using an excerpt from Crash, by Jerry Spinelli, students found and analyzed Aha Moments; when you're reading and suddenly a character realizes, understands, or finally figures something out. We practiced answering the question, "How might this change things?" Answering this question helped us realize that if the character figured out a problem, we probably just learned about the conflict; or, if the character understood a life lesson, we probably just learned the theme.
Finally, our third signpost was Tough Questions; when you're reading and the character asks himself a really difficult question. Using excerpts from A Long Walk to Water, by Linda Sue Park, students practiced locating tough questions and answered their own question, "What does this question make me wonder about." We learned that these answers will tell us about the conflict and might give us ideas about what will happen later in the story.
WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Our writers' workshop is off to an amazing start! I couldn't be more proud of our writers and the community we're building! Our focus last week was on gathering writing ideas for our own writing. Using inspiring authors as examples, students wrote freely about personal topics of interest.
SOCIAL SCIENCE:
We kicked off our exciting American Revolution unit last week!, Students learned about the importance of taverns during the 1770s. We elected tavern group leaders for our entire American Revolution study. The following students were chosen among their peers as leaders: Reese, Dylan, Eli, and Lily. Congratulations to our great leaders!
THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH:
This week in math we will finish up Chapter 1 and take our final assessment on Friday.
READING WORKSHOP:
We will finish learning about the remaining signposts this week: Words of the Wiser, Again and Again, and Memory Moment.
WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
This week we will continue to build our writing community. Students will gather ideas from poetry and their own lives to inspire their writing.
SOCIAL SCIENCE:
We will dive into the causes of the American Revolution this week and get ready for an exciting Personalized Learning project!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Thursday, 9/5: Chapter 1 Math Assessment (Anderle)
HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK:
MATH:
In math last week we began our first math chapter, Whole Numbers. Students explored numbers to 10,000,000, examined place value, and solved number pattern problems. Looking ahead this week, we are planning for our Chapter 1 Assessment on Thursday.
READING WORKSHOP:
Our reading workshop is up and running in our classroom! Over the last week, our whole class instruction has focused on the first three Notice & Note signposts: Contrasts and Contradictions, Aha Moments, and Tough Questions.
We used the text "Thank You, Ma'm" to examine Contrasts and Contradictions; when you're reading and a character says or does something that contradicts what he has been saying or doing all along. We learned to ask ourselves the question, "Why is the character doing that?" to help make a prediction or inference about the plot and conflict.
Next, students were introduced to Aha Moments. Using an excerpt from Crash, by Jerry Spinelli, students found and analyzed Aha Moments; when you're reading and suddenly a character realizes, understands, or finally figures something out. We practiced answering the question, "How might this change things?" Answering this question helped us realize that if the character figured out a problem, we probably just learned about the conflict; or, if the character understood a life lesson, we probably just learned the theme.
Finally, our third signpost was Tough Questions; when you're reading and the character asks himself a really difficult question. Using excerpts from A Long Walk to Water, by Linda Sue Park, students practiced locating tough questions and answered their own question, "What does this question make me wonder about." We learned that these answers will tell us about the conflict and might give us ideas about what will happen later in the story.
WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Our writers' workshop is off to an amazing start! I couldn't be more proud of our writers and the community we're building! Our focus last week was on gathering writing ideas for our own writing. Using inspiring authors as examples, students wrote freely about personal topics of interest.
SOCIAL SCIENCE:
We kicked off our exciting American Revolution unit last week!, Students learned about the importance of taverns during the 1770s. We elected tavern group leaders for our entire American Revolution study. The following students were chosen among their peers as leaders: Reese, Dylan, Eli, and Lily. Congratulations to our great leaders!
THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH:
This week in math we will finish up Chapter 1 and take our final assessment on Friday.
READING WORKSHOP:
We will finish learning about the remaining signposts this week: Words of the Wiser, Again and Again, and Memory Moment.
WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
This week we will continue to build our writing community. Students will gather ideas from poetry and their own lives to inspire their writing.
SOCIAL SCIENCE:
We will dive into the causes of the American Revolution this week and get ready for an exciting Personalized Learning project!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Thursday, 9/5: Chapter 1 Math Assessment (Anderle)
