Due to the late start today we did not have SS class today. However, yesterday we finished up lesson 2 in the textbook- this lesson focused on the impact of the Puritan settlements on Native Americans. Please see all our class notes from this unit thus far below.
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Yesterday I introduced our new writing unit- the students are going to be writing and illustrating their own children's books. I had them bring in their favorite children's book today. I read aloud a few of the books and as a class we made observations about how the various authors set up their books- looking at the illustrations, words on the page, etc. We also summarized the plots of each using our "Somebody, Wanted, But, So" strategy- I wanted the kids to recognize that even the most simplistic of the books still had plots and even a theme. Afterwards, the kids worked on their rough drafts of their own stories for the remainder of the period. They seem pretty excited for the most part about this assignment- it is a nice break from essay writing for them!
Homework: IXL; XX1-3- * Homework is still due Friday even if we have a snow day tomorrow. We finished up our note taking for the first half of Lesson 2 today- the kids are getting so good at finding evidence in the text! I love seeing them all so engaged in the lesson. See the pictures below to check out the note taking they have done (and remember- all these notes came from them- not me!).
We began our day with talking about last nights amazing Super Bowl game- many of the kids, and myself, were quite tired this morning after staying up late to watch the comeback! After, I had students write down this weeks IXL homework (should be a fairly simple skill) and then we read aloud from Where the Red Fern Grows- we got to a pretty gruesome scene in the book today (a boy fell on his ax while hunting). Tomorrow I will be introducing the story writing that we will be working on for the next few weeks.
Homework: IXL XX1-3, Dictionary Skills So today (well, I actually did it for the first time yesterday with my homeroom in the afternoon...it went so great, I decided to make it a thing!) we read aloud a few pages from the textbook- reading about people who were banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony for speaking out and then starting their own colonies, and also a bit about the Salem Witch Trials. As we read it aloud I would stop and explain different parts of the reading in more detail so that they understood what we were reading. Then, we began going through our essential questions 1 at a time...I would read to the class the essential question and ask them if there was anything in the reading that belonged on our notes under that question...the students had to say what info belonged on the notes and then prove it to us by reading a sentence from the textbook that backed up what they were saying. If they were correct- I through them a piece of candy (a peppermint). The kids were incredibly engaged and all frantically looking through their books searching for quotes and doing real deep thinking. It was so great!!! It went so well I am planning on picking up some different types of candy this weekend so that we have more of a variety. I was so happy to see students participating that normally try and blend into the background hoping I don't notice them.
We began class by taking the quiz at the beginning of class and then watching a short fun film fest video. Afterwards I read aloud for about 10 minutes from our book. The students worked on their book talks for the remainder of the period- some students worked on just reading their book (with their sticky notes) while other students worked on specific parts of their talk, seeking help from me as needed.
Homework: Book talks! Yesterday the kids worked in groups of 3 to review the information in Lesson 1 in our textbook and determine what notes they felt should be taken under each essential question. Today we went over each of the 6 questions and discussed what info we should put in our notes...I made the kids read a quote from the textbook to prove why they felt the note belonged under that essential question.
The Arbour class finished this early and so they were able to work on their book talks for the last 15 minutes of class. Today in LA I reviewed book talk due dates with everyone- please look in your child's planner for their updated due date. We read a chapter from Where the Red Fern Grows and then used that book to go over compare/contrast for the book talks. I had the kids use Old Dan and Little Anne as the two things to compare and they had to provide examples to back up their statements.
All students should bring their book talk book to class tomorrow! Homework: IXL: B1-2, D1-3 (quiz tomorrow!), book talk! |
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