Procedure Writing

We started this week with a new writing unit - procedure writing. We began the unit of study by writing a classroom procedure together as a class (how to work with your math partner). We then decided that each student would select a different classroom procedure to write about, and we would put them together to make a class procedure book. This would be extremely helpful for new students, subs, and for those of use who need reminders. Before we began developing and drafting, we stepped back and studied the example we wrote together. We thought back to how we went about composing this writing piece, and we came up with a class chart entitled, "What Good Writers Do." We noticed that good writers...

• Make lists of ideas before writing
• Organize their ideas in a way that makes sense
• Use leads that capture their readers' attention AND introduce the writing piece
• Re-read their writing a lot
• Make changes as they write
• Try to make their writing "sound good"
• Explain their ideas clearly
• Cross out, add in, move words around
• Use transition words
• Think about their audience when they write
• Write endings that summarize their main idea 0r "circle back" to their lead

Students then got together with a partner to "talk out" their procedure, taking notes and organizing them in a way that makes sense. By the end of the week, most students had almost finished their draft. Here are a few pictures of the kids at work...

What Can You See?

In Science, we have been exploring light. In this week's experiment, we took several objects and tested them to see if we could see our reflection. We labeled them as clear reflection, blurry reflection, and no reflection. After categorizing the objects, we tried to find common characteristics with the objects that would show a reflection. We inferred that objects with smooth, shiny, and glossy surfaces reflect light. Our next step is to find out why! Here are some pictures of the kids testing the objects and recording their findings...

Sharing Our Reading Lives - Mrs. Selby

On Tuesday, we were so fortunate to have Mrs. Selby (Alex's mom) come and share her reading life with our class. Mrs. Selby taught us about audio books! She told us how she uses the internet to download books to her iPod, and then listens to them at her convenience. She also showed us how you can check out CDs from the public library and listen to books at home or while you're traveling in the car. Many of our students had never done this - this Thanksgiving would be a perfect time to listen to a book while you're traveling to visit relatives. Mrs. Selby shared with us some really cool books that use interesting graphics. The kids were enthralled with the "Gallop!" book (I saw it at Barnes and Noble this weekend - it's fascinating). Thanks for sharing, Mrs. Selby!

Estimating and Measuring

One of the best was to understanding measuring systems is to find personal references for certain lengths. Each student found common examples for millimeter, centimeter, decimeter, and meter. We then used these personal references to make estimates for objects in the classroom. To check our estimates, partners worked together to make an exact measurement. Tape measures, rulers, and meter sticks were all over our classroom - it was great! The kids found out that they were very good at making estimates when using their personal references! I was proud of them.

Jo'nae and Ben estimated the length of the classroom. They're using their meter stick to see how close they came.

Alex and Andrea are discussing strategies for using their measuring tape.

Another Non-Fiction Thursday

Non-Fiction Thursdays are becoming a favorite activity of Room 241. On these mornings, friends get together to read their favorite non-fiction texts. On this particular morning, I put a big piece of chart paper on the wall, and I invited the students to write down the new facts they were learning. Below is a slide show of some of the facts they collected. What a variety of subjects and ideas!

How To Leave a Comment

Blogs are so powerful because they allow us to communicate and collaborate with each other. Watch the video below to learn how to join in on the conversation.

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Studycast - Social Studies Chapter 5

Click here to listen to the Social Studies Chapter 5 studycast. You can also right click on the link, "save target as," and download the file to your computer.

The study guide for the test came home on Wednesday, November 5. If you need an extra copy of the study guide, click on the homework page on our class website. The test will be on Tuesday, November 11. If you have any questions, you can let me know by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post. I'll get back to you quickly with an answer. Enjoy learning about these early explorers!

Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon Week ended on Friday with the annual Red Ribbon Parade. Our class theme was "Show Good Character; Say No to Drugs." For the parade, we created a class banner and everyone was encouraged to dress as their favorite book character. We had LOTS of characters show up: Ivy from the Ivy and Bean series, two Harry Potters, Dr. Seuss' Thing 2, Jack from the Magic Tree House series, detectives from the Animal Ark series, Molly Moon, and many others. After the parade, we enjoyed some excellent treats provided by our wonderful parents. It was a great ending to a great week. Enjoy the pictures!

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Non-Fiction Friday

Last Friday morning, we took a break from Challenge Problems and fiction - we decided to have Non-Fiction Friday! We spent the morning reading non-fiction texts with friends. I put a big piece of paper on the white board that said, "What did you learn while reading non-fiction this morning?" As they read, students had the opportunity to add their new learning to the chart paper. You can click thorugh the pictures on the slide presentation below. I'm looking forward to another non-fiction morning next week!