Recess, Math Tricks, Guest Speakers & Library

Recess
I had a chance to snap a few photos of the kids playing on Wednesday.  It was a beautiful day for soccer, swings, playground, tug-a-war, basketball, and more.

Math Tricks
As a fun way to reinforce quick addition, we learned a math "trick" that required addition to 15.  After we mastered the trick, we tried it with Mrs. Wintersteller's 2nd grade class.  The next day, we tried it with our reading buddies.  Ask your child if they have the "math strips" to see if you can figure out the trick.

Guest Speakers

On Thursday, Molly and Kristin from Ypsilanti Public Library came and gave a presentation on Ypsilanti history.  We learned about the naming of the Huron River as well as how ice was used from it for "ice boxes."  In addition, we learned that Ypsilanti once had an underwear factory.  We also learned more about famous people from Ypsilanti such as Rosie the Riveter, Elijah McCoy, and Iggy Pop.  

Library

We ended our busy Thursday of math tricks, guest speakers and 5th grade reading buddies in the library.  After each student turned in their book from last week and checked out a new one, I was immediately taken by the scene below.  Everyone was reading silently and we did this for more than ten minutes.  It reminded me of two things: (1) our class loves books, (2) I am the luckiest teacher ever! 

IMAX, Math Games, and Writing Rubrics

IMAX

Our class watched Science Rocks in the gym on Monday, thanks to IMAX and Dean Williams for coordinating the event.

Math Games

To extend our unit on place value, rounding, and regrouping, we have added some math games to our math workshop time.  Students played Race to 100 using pennies and dimes on Wednesday.  This helps to reinforce the concepts in a fun way.  

Working through the Writing Process

We have been working a lot on our writing.  We have learned to brainstorm, draft, revise, and edit, as well as share our reading with a peer before we consider publishing.  On Tuesday, we used a 6-Traits Writing Rubric to peer edit.  On Wednesday, we took our journal / drafts to the computer lab to begin typing our final, publishable draft.

Science Investigations, Reading Buddies & a head start on homework

Science
We continued working through the scientific method by asking questions about our math materials. Student groups used linking cubes and counters (plastic bears) to ask a question, make a hypothesis, experiment, observe, and then draw a conclusion.  Most groups decided to build a structure to hold the bears.

Reading Buddies

On Friday we spent time interviewing our 5th grade reading buddies.  After the interview, we read nonfiction books together.  We will get together with our reading buddies twice a month.

Homework
I was so happy to hear about all of the interesting science experiments.  It will be a fun way to learn about the scientific method when the students share their at-home pumpkin investigations with their classmates.

This week we will have social studies homework.  This will support our new unit on "Communities Over Time."  As homework, students are being asked to create a collage/scrapbook page (approximately the size of a standard piece of construction paper) about their local community.  It will be due on Friday, October 25th. Students are encouraged to use drawings, magazines, newspaper clippings, etc to represent things around their community or neighborhood.  For example, they can draw/cut out a building to represent a nearby library or firehouse.  They can also draw/cutout a logo from a nearby store or gas station or a flower to represent gardens or parks.  When they have their clippings, they will need to paste them to a piece of construction or scrapbook paper.  I will provide paper on Monday, but if you want to get started this weekend, feel free.  Please do not buy anything new for this.

Also, if you happen to know a lot about Ypsilanti's history or another nearby city and want to come in to talk with the class about it, please let me know.  The objectives cover communities over time including economic changes and traditions.  I am not from this area and would love for the students hear first-hand accounts.

Spellingcity.com has been updated with the new spelling words for the week.  We are still working on the same wordly wise words this week.  The test will be Thursday or Friday.

Reading Buddies, Fire Safety, and the Scientific Method

This past week was amazing!  We started off reading Corduroy and invited our reading buddies to join us for two days at school.  On Tuesday, we took our reading buddies to listen to the middle school choir.  They invited us to sing as well.

Wednesday was a busy day.  In the morning each student found a "lost" button on their desk.  They created narratives about their lost button.  Their writing was extremely creative.  I cannot wait to share their stories with you at conferences.  Later that morning,  we took part in a Fire Safety Assembly. The firemen talked with us about safe and smart decisions and we took a close look at the fire truck.  

Also on Wednesday, we took our reading buddies with us when we experimented with button tossing in the stairwell.

On Friday, we used the steps of the scientific method in two different experiments.  Ask your child about the reaction of raisins in soda and what happens when you add soap to milk and food coloring.

Golden Volleyball Award & Math Vocabulary

Golden Volleyball

Our class won the Golden Volleyball Award!  This award is given by Mr. Bolling to the class who earns the most points in P.E.  To earn points, students have work together to follow directions, show good sportsmanship, line up appropriately (without pushing, with our shirts tucked in, and in a straight, quiet line) and listen to one another when we consider game rules and safe, healthy behaviors. Congratulations.  I am so proud of our students!

Our "being silly" photo purposefully cropped.  Drop into the classroom to see the whole version :)

Math Vocabulary

As a hands-on way to learn and understand our math vocabulary, we draw and write what we know on whiteboards and then share it with a partner or the class.  This instantly clarifies which students need extra support and which topics to cover more quickly or more thoroughly.  I love this paperless way to informally assess and support.  If you have a whiteboard at home, try it.  Our vocabulary in math can be found on spellingcity.com.  Just search for 2nd grade math vocabulary and it lists the words by topic such as "algebraic thinking," "measurement", "geometry" etc. This week we are covering place value which gets into "numbers and operations."

Defining: number pairs and other terms

Using examples and phrases to share our understanding

Showing what you know in words, tables, organizers and numbers

Homework, Chester, Wordly Wise and "R" on class work

Homework
So I sent home the wrong version of the WW spelling homework.  It has an extra sorting column and last week's crossword puzzle.  The students with this top page know that they do not need to complete the extra column or the crossword.  I am sorry, I copied the wrong page.  On another note, thank you for supporting their efforts in homework.  We are doing wonderful work.

Chester
We are so lucky to have Chester, a registered therapy dog, visit us from time to time.  He tends to stop in on Fridays to wish us luck on our spelling tests. We love Chester!

Wordly Wise 3000

We began Wordly Wise on Monday.  This is our vocabulary program.  We will study each set of words for two weeks before we are assessed on them.  This vocabulary program is definitely rigorous.  I'm in the process of adding a vocabulary board in my room to help us learn the new words and add them to our every day language. I've also added the link to the WordlyWise3000 website to the front page of the blog.  The students know that they are in book 3 and can use this website to learn the words.

'R' on papers/assessments

From time to time, your student might come home with classwork or assessments with a 'R' circled or written at the top instead of a score.  The 'R' is my way of noting that the student needed a reteach opportunity. For example, we discussed the compass rose last week in Social Studies.  We did several chants and movement activities to memorize the cardinal directions.  We also looked at maps and shared various mnemonics to remember the four (and then eight) directions most commonly used on a compass rose. Most, if not all, of our students had prior knowledge of the compass rose and all appeared ready to be assessed after the initial lesson or two.  I provided a blank compass rose matching page to assess them independently.  Approximately 85% of our students could complete the assessment perfectly without assistance; the other 15% needed a "reteach."  I placed a R on the top of the pages that needed to be retaught.  Later that week, I met with those students to reteach the concept or have them come up with ways to fix their misunderstandings.  They were then reassessed and an actual score was given.  The new score was noted on the new assessment and stapled on the top of the original assessment.    Rs never go into the gradebook; however, there is a delay in scoring because I need to meet with students and determine a new way to present the material and then reassess.  This keeps students from getting a low score in the gradebook just because they didn't "get it" the way it was taught or assessed the first time. It also allows the class to continue with new content and not sit through stuff that they already know.  

As always, please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.