Happy November (how is it November already???) Thank you so much to our amazing Room Moms, Mary Salm and Susie Zitella, for their hard work in planning our outstanding Halloween party on Friday! Thank you, also, to all of our wonderful parent volunteers who helped out in the afternoon as well! We are grateful for each of you!
HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK:
MATH:
In math last week we began Unit 5, Fractions, Decimals, & Percents (we'll be coming back to Unit 4 after our Thanksgiving break). Students reviewed fraction uses and examined parts and wholes. We explored mixed numbers and compared and ordered fractions. In addition, students practiced adding fractions with fraction sticks and solved fraction number stories.
READING WORKSHOP:
We wrapped up the last of our Nonfiction read aloud lessons last week. Students learned that readers of nonfiction determine the writer's purpose for writing a text to help learn about a topic. Students also practiced determining the main idea and supporting details of various nonfiction texts. Finally, students learned that readers of nonfiction know how to monitor their understanding of a text. We demonstrated this understanding of a text by summarizing key ideas.
WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Our writers' workshop time last week was used for our American Revolution research. We'll be back to "WEXing" as usual this week!
SOCIAL SCIENCE:
"Social studies is the best this year!"
"I love the American Revolution!"
"Yes! We're doing social studies for the whole afternoon!"
"Can we do social studies all day?"
These are just a few of the exciting quotes I captured from our class last week! Once again, I found myself utterly amazed by the students' passion for this project! Our time was spent wrapping up research and final projects, giving peer feedback, and completing research summaries. Our classroom was the picture of true collaboration each day! Students who created plays or performances using classroom volunteers held practice sessions. Students who needed to capture the attention of a group or the class used my signal of clapping to do so. Students even worked voluntarily to design a rubric to be used for assessment.
As students began to share their presentations with the class, the level of engagement only increased! Final projects were designed creatively and effectively to truly capture the attention of the audience while teaching classmates about his or her topic...PowToons, Prezis, Plays/Performances, Slideshows, and Illustrations...I can't wait to see what this week will bring!
On a side note, you may have heard about a little fun-filled simulation we did last week where students could see the colonists’ perspective of No Taxation Without Representation first hand. Our class “earned” Tootsie Rolls and were then “taxed” for the use of various everyday school items. One in particular, The Accordion Folder Tax, really caused an uproar..."How can you tax us on something you require us to use at school?" Then, seeing Queen Claire take 40% of their candy, along with Parliament’s 50% just outraged our class! Of course everyone received equal amounts after the activity.
THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH:
We will continue moving through Unit 5 this week. Students will examine equivalent fractions, and learn how convert fractions into decimals and percents.
READING:
Our Nonfiction mini-lessons will begin this week. Students will examine the process of reading nonfiction, and practice determining main ideas and supporting details. We will also learn about problem/solution and cause/effect text structures.
WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
This week WEX will focus on main nouns and main verbs, along with a few sentence structure relays.
SOCIAL SCIENCE:
The remaining American Revolution research presentations will be shared this week! We will also spend some time continuing our examination of the rising tensions in the colonies, along with the "Shot Heard 'Round the World." In addition, our beloved read aloud of My Brother Sam is Dead will begin. Please see the parent letter that will be sent home today.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Wednesday, November 11............................Veterans' Day
Battle of Bunker Hill Reenactment
HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK:
MATH:
In math last week we began Unit 5, Fractions, Decimals, & Percents (we'll be coming back to Unit 4 after our Thanksgiving break). Students reviewed fraction uses and examined parts and wholes. We explored mixed numbers and compared and ordered fractions. In addition, students practiced adding fractions with fraction sticks and solved fraction number stories.
READING WORKSHOP:
We wrapped up the last of our Nonfiction read aloud lessons last week. Students learned that readers of nonfiction determine the writer's purpose for writing a text to help learn about a topic. Students also practiced determining the main idea and supporting details of various nonfiction texts. Finally, students learned that readers of nonfiction know how to monitor their understanding of a text. We demonstrated this understanding of a text by summarizing key ideas.
WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Our writers' workshop time last week was used for our American Revolution research. We'll be back to "WEXing" as usual this week!
SOCIAL SCIENCE:
"Social studies is the best this year!"
"I love the American Revolution!"
"Yes! We're doing social studies for the whole afternoon!"
"Can we do social studies all day?"
These are just a few of the exciting quotes I captured from our class last week! Once again, I found myself utterly amazed by the students' passion for this project! Our time was spent wrapping up research and final projects, giving peer feedback, and completing research summaries. Our classroom was the picture of true collaboration each day! Students who created plays or performances using classroom volunteers held practice sessions. Students who needed to capture the attention of a group or the class used my signal of clapping to do so. Students even worked voluntarily to design a rubric to be used for assessment.
As students began to share their presentations with the class, the level of engagement only increased! Final projects were designed creatively and effectively to truly capture the attention of the audience while teaching classmates about his or her topic...PowToons, Prezis, Plays/Performances, Slideshows, and Illustrations...I can't wait to see what this week will bring!
On a side note, you may have heard about a little fun-filled simulation we did last week where students could see the colonists’ perspective of No Taxation Without Representation first hand. Our class “earned” Tootsie Rolls and were then “taxed” for the use of various everyday school items. One in particular, The Accordion Folder Tax, really caused an uproar..."How can you tax us on something you require us to use at school?" Then, seeing Queen Claire take 40% of their candy, along with Parliament’s 50% just outraged our class! Of course everyone received equal amounts after the activity.
THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH:
We will continue moving through Unit 5 this week. Students will examine equivalent fractions, and learn how convert fractions into decimals and percents.
READING:
Our Nonfiction mini-lessons will begin this week. Students will examine the process of reading nonfiction, and practice determining main ideas and supporting details. We will also learn about problem/solution and cause/effect text structures.
WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
This week WEX will focus on main nouns and main verbs, along with a few sentence structure relays.
SOCIAL SCIENCE:
The remaining American Revolution research presentations will be shared this week! We will also spend some time continuing our examination of the rising tensions in the colonies, along with the "Shot Heard 'Round the World." In addition, our beloved read aloud of My Brother Sam is Dead will begin. Please see the parent letter that will be sent home today.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Wednesday, November 11............................Veterans' Day
Battle of Bunker Hill Reenactment