-Math Mania-
Math was JAM-PACKED with hands-on fun this week as we explored place value. So far, we have learned 4 place value dice/card games, and have been introduced to and practiced multiple other math centers. While students are working hard at math stations, Mrs. Petlak meeting 1:1 or in small groups with students delivering individualized instruction to every student.
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Make Way for the CHO-HAWK!!!!
Narrative writing is the focus of our authors' workshop right now and we're loving every minute! To start, we are working REALLY HARD to "target" tiny moments as our main topic for writing. Students naturally want to write about every detail of every event in their lives. Using picture books as mentor texts, I'm working to change student mindset about writing narratives. ZOOM, by Istvan Banyai is one of the books we used to illustrate this point, especially because it's a WORDLESS BOOK! Check out the video version of the book below to see how it connects to writing narratives about TINY MOMENTS.
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If you watch the video above, you'll see that the images start the MOST zoomed in on a "tiny moment" in the book...with a close-up image of what my class called "the chicken mohawk" or "CHO-HAWK." It was such a catchy, instant hit that we're now using the word CHO-HAWK and this AWESOME hand signal below to represent ZOOOOOMING in on tiny moments to write about.
Planning Our Writing
Since we are focusing on TINY MOMENTS, we used a bullseye graphic organizer to plan our writing. The BULLSEYE in the center represents our focused tiny moment. The layers expanding outward are broader elements linked to our tiny moment.
For example (working from LARGEST, outer ring into the center bullseye of the target): vacation >>> Disney World >>> Magic Kingdom >>> awesome rides >>> Big Thunder Mountain >>> rushing down the hill and hitting an automatic side turn (TARGET TINY MOMENT)
Students use the outer rings as their introduction sentence(s). Then, they plan multiple paragraphs of details about the tiny moment in the center of the target. This week we practice using either beginning/middle/end -or- see/hear/feel for our detail paragraphs to describe our tiny moment topics. We're working on editing, revising, and publishing in this coming week!
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For example (working from LARGEST, outer ring into the center bullseye of the target): vacation >>> Disney World >>> Magic Kingdom >>> awesome rides >>> Big Thunder Mountain >>> rushing down the hill and hitting an automatic side turn (TARGET TINY MOMENT)
Students use the outer rings as their introduction sentence(s). Then, they plan multiple paragraphs of details about the tiny moment in the center of the target. This week we practice using either beginning/middle/end -or- see/hear/feel for our detail paragraphs to describe our tiny moment topics. We're working on editing, revising, and publishing in this coming week!
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Modeling GREAT Reading Behaviors
We all had a BLAST discussing and MODELING both proper and TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE behaviors for reading to self and someone else. This is important as we begin independent literacy centers so that I may meet 1:1 or in small groups delivering customized literacy instruction to each student.
Lucas Had a TON of Fun Modeling How
NOT To act when reading to Self ;-)
Lucas was the lucky duck who had the opportunity to be the FIRST to model INAPPROPRIATE reading center behaviors. We all had SO-MUCH-FUN with his demonstration!
Exploring THEME in Literature:
Our Current theme is IDENTITY
We are exploring the theme of IDENTITY in our first literature unit(s). To read more about the awesome activities and learning opportunities (or very similar) that your child has to look forward to, feel free to check out my Scholastic Top Teaching blog post on our Identity unit from last year!
Below you'll see photos of us adding to our Interactive Reading Notebooks. Students added notes about THEME and CHARACTER TRAITS. They will add details to these learning scrapbook pages as we learn more about the two topics and are encouraged to reference this notebook throughout the year as they complete literature work.
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Below you'll see photos of us adding to our Interactive Reading Notebooks. Students added notes about THEME and CHARACTER TRAITS. They will add details to these learning scrapbook pages as we learn more about the two topics and are encouraged to reference this notebook throughout the year as they complete literature work.
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Metacognition During Reading:
Before, During, & After
It's important for us to THINK about reading before, during, and after we are reading. After a whole group mini-lesson, we used post it notes to jot down our thoughts before, during, and after class story time listening to In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. Afterwards, we shared with classmates and compared our metacognition notes.
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