Text Features

Today we introduced text features of expository text. While I went through the different text features we will be studying this week, the kids had buckets of books I selected beforehand, to look through. The students would look for the text feature and then explain to their group what it's purpose is and how it helps them as a reader. Great lesson!

Money!

Today we were reviewing money on the SmartBoard and using play money to count while we were solving problems. We used the whiteboards to write our answers down. Super fun!! We began the lesson with the poem 'Smart' by Shel Silverstein. The kids had money in front of them that the switched out as the character switched out his money in the poem. It's a funny poem. It shows how important it is to know the values of money! Pictures to come of our continues lesson!

The Students Teaching Poetry!

We have been discussing poetry these past couple of weeks. This week the students are assigned a type of poetry we haven't discussed in class (limerick, haiku, acrostic, Narrative, Shape). They are to investigate the poetry and figure out the rules and patterns it follows with their group. After they do this, they are to come up with their own 'lesson' to teach the class. The decide what their objective will be, activity, any materials they need, an search for outside resources that will help teach their lesson. They also need an assessment that will show them their 'students' met the objective. I explained to them that it is exactly what I do for every lesson and every subject. I will make the copies for them but they will be totally in charge of planning and teaching their class. Very exciting! Here are the kids brainstorming. I can't wait to see their actual presentations!

Clapping out the syllables to see if there is a pattern.

 

Reading the poems and noting any patterns.

Recording patterns they see.

Comparing the poems.

Beginning their draft for their lesson!

Here is the lesson criteria they are to have. They are to make a draft, discuss it with me and I will help them gather the materials necessary to teach their "students".

Force and Motion!

We explored force and motion yesterday. Each team had a 2 liter bottle and a 6oz cup. They had to figure out how to get the cup to move the farthest without touching the cups with their hands or with the bottle. What a fun (and loud) activity! We got a little visit from the AP but she was awesome about the kids having fun and learning. :) The kids determined that squeezing the bottle with their hands wasn't enough force to shoot the cup across the room so they began to stomp the bottle. This worked! Force and motion!

Pictures didn't come out too well because I was busy timing them!

 

You can see Ryan blowing up the bottle again (after stomping it flat) so he can stomp it! Smart kid!

After this, we categorized different objects (making a Venn diagram out of Hula Hoops) and determined whether they required a push or pull to function. Don't judge our dirty carpet - it was the end of the day. :)

 

 

 

 

 

Creating Bar and Pictographs!

'Creating' is the highest level of blooms taxonomy. If a child can 'create' what they are learning, it is evidence that they have mastered the skill. So, with that said, here are our bar graphs! We will create pictographs tomorrow. :)

Estimating and Graphing with Candy

Next week we will be learning how interpret information from different types of graphs. Today we estimated amounts of marshmallows and M & M's and graphed the actual results. Tomorrow we will learn about mixtures and solutions and the characteristics of both. The kids had so much fun with this activity. :)

After estimating, we counted all of our marshmallows so we could graph them.

 

So engaged in learning!

 

Counting the M & M's after graphing the marshmallows.

 

Graphing each color M & M.

 

We only had white marshmallows....so that left some of the blanks easy to fill out!

 

All smiles for math!

 

Making sure to count carefully.

 

Finding the difference of what they estimated and the actual amount.

Perry the Perimeter Bug!

 

We are learning about perimeter this week. The kids learned about how Perry is the perimeter bug who only goes around shapes. He likes to measure the perimeter of shapes! The kids worked in partners measuring the perimeter and area of shapes with Perry!

 

Perry working his way around his shape!

 

 

Labeling the sides of their shapes with Expos.

 

 

Counting the area!

 

 

Perry the Perimeter bug LOVES his shapes!

 

Yay for cooperative learning!