Room 322 News
A weekly review
December 7-11, 2015
Math- We have been working a lot to practice our 2D and 3D shape names and attributes. Students have been figuring out how to sort, group, and classify shapes by their attributes in a variety of hands-on methods (they LOVED playing our Geo-Bandz game!) Our creative class also had their minds blown when we thought about ways to use geometry outside the classroom by learning that animators and illustrators need to be geometry experts! They found shapes in popular TV and movie characters (like Phineas and Ferb and Disney characters) and described them to peers using the shapes attributes. Then they had to take their knowledge and design a new character for a Shrek movie! Their character was made of shapes and they had to take it even further by naming, counting, sorting, and describing their character's shapes.
Additionally, we have introduced how to partition a rectangle into same-sized squares by rows and columns and will continue this into next week.
Word Work- Stations have yielded high levels of engagement with words and students seem to be getting more meaning from their work. We will have the WTW test on this weeks words on Thursday.
Writing- Students have been hard at work on two projects this week. They have written letters and cards which will be delivered to a local nursing home for the holidays. We have also been making progress in our informational writing unit by creating how-to books. Students picked a topic they thought they were experts at then developed a sequential list of steps. Following this, they expanded their list into a draft with words like first, next, last, then, etc... and are working on editing and transferring this into book form.
Reading-In reading mini-lessons and independent time we have been learning pre-reading strategies (like KWL charts) and how text features can help us gain more meaning from a non-fiction text. We have learned how to "talk back" to our books by doing stop-and-jots on post-it notes with what we are picturing in our minds, what we wonder/think/feel/find interesting, and what we can connect to. This will be helpful when I have brief weekly conferences with individual students on how they are being good readers. Small groups have started and students are really into their new books-some great conversations have been had! Our read-aloud with accountable talk (Sideways Story of Wayside School) book has finished with an ending that surprised many of the students! In an overwhelming vote, students decided our next book will be another book in the Wayside School series.
Social Studies- Students traveled to study Germany with Mr. Dally and Sweden with Mrs. Guerity this week.
Looking forward to another busy yet exciting week of learning to come before break!
WTW Speed Sort
Cards for Nursing Home
Building vocabulary in reading small group
Some Reminders/Updates
-Math flashcards (17+) were sent home on Thursday--the test for these will be on Wednesday of next week
-WTW Test for this set of words will occur on Thursday of this next week
Partitioning Rectangles in Math Journals
Shrek Characters Wanted!
Creating Shrek Characters
Please remember to send your students with headphones if they don't have a pair they keep in class. Ask your child if his/her pair at school is working.
It's Party Time!
On or before Wednesday, December 17th the following things are due:
- The returned portion of the red paper letting me know if your child is buying lunch from the cafeteria that day or will be having pizza (so we can plan for how much and this is a school-policy that gets put in there :) )
- $5.00 to be put towards pizza/cost of materials. Cash or check made out to Brittany Fitch (McKinly's mom)
- A wrapped book for the book exchange--remember this does not have to be a new book! Let me know if this poses a problem for your family to send one in. Every student will be leaving with a book to keep because it's a book exchange!
- Donations for the party--there are plenty of options on the signup genius and they are all very appreciated!
Thanks for your help!