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Hi there. What a fun, snowy day we had today. So much learning happened today, but honestly I am not even sure the kids noticed they were learning. Usually, I try to have at least one move around activity in each day for those that learn best that way, but today we were jam packed with movement. The kids did GREAT!
As you can see/hear above, we wrote our own versions of Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. The kids had to write a narrative short story with humor added in. They had to make sure they had a beginning, middle, and an end. They also had to watch their spelling, grammar, and punctuation as they wrote. The trick...they were only allowed to write one word at a time. They had to get in a line and the first person wrote the first word, then the second added on with their word, and so on. So, they had to do a little bit of planning as they went to gear the story the way they wanted it to go. They were so creative, and it was fun to hear the "voice" in each story. They will be hung at Barnes and Noble along with their adorable reindeer art. Make sure you stop by to see your child's. They are awful proud of them!
In SS today, I divided the class into groups of two. They were armed with an ipad and a crossword puzzle for an assigned NE state. Each group had a different state. They had to use their ipads to discover some fun and basic facts about each state. Most groups finished in class, but some need to finish up at home. They will share out their findings tomorrow.
Inquiry Presentations are due tomorrow. From the beginning, kids were told to keep their research report form and grade sheet until tomorrow. They need to have these to turn in tomorrow when presenting. If kids have lost or misplaced these their grades will go down. Many kids brought in their ipads and ipods today to make sure they would work. That was AWESOME and sooooo responsible. Those that did not "test it out" will just have to hope it works. If not, then the presenter will have to come up with a plan B. This was recommended when the rubric was explained. Hopefully no one has to learn the hard way. Urg, that would stink. I can't wait see and learn all about animals that are foreign to me!
Homework tonight is a spelling skill sheet. It is two-sided. We die examples of each section in class, so help should NOT be needed.
The cold weather is obviously here! How amazing does Montana look right now? BEAUTIFUL! The wind and the cold is supposed to arrive tomorrow. Please make sure kids are dressed warm. If it is above zero with the wind chill factor they will be outside, and they do get cold, especially those little ears and fingers. Kids also need to avoid rolling around in the snow and getting all wet if they don't have snow pants. Natural consequences of sitting in wet clothes for the rest of the day is no fun! By the 4th grade, we all know that they know. :0)
We converted measurement today in math. The lesson tanked and then sunk and drowned. It was totally my fault. So, we will start from scratch tomorrow with a new lesson plan and I just know it will go better. On an amazing note, I showed long division yesterday. I was not at all expecting them to catch on in the first day. But...they did! So many of them were up and helping others by the 4th problem. I showed them a fun method using the royal family. Have your child take you through daddy, mommy, sister, brother, and a dog named rover tonight by showing you how to solve 765 divided by 6. They HAVE to talk you through it. If they can, then write the answer in the planner for $10 tomorrow. Too darn cute. I will video one tomorrow too so you can see it in action with me. They really seem to get it this way. Again, the basic multiplication is the hold up for those that don't get it yet. They understand the steps, but they lack the basic skills to keep it going so get lost in the system. All I can do is BEG you to do those flashcards daily. Please, please, please. It will not go away, and it will only get worse. It is so hard to watch a child become frustrated with their basics when they so badly want to get the bigger problem correct.
In language today, we talked a lot about our three articles in the English language: a, an, and the. We will do more with these on Thursday. We also talked about how adjectives answer two questions: what kind? and how many?. Many of the kids are starting to see the connections between what a word is doing in a sentence and the part of speech it is. Very cool to see happen right before my eyes!
Lastly, we finished up our listening vs. hearing unit in CC Meeting yesterday. The kids listened to Rusty for five days straight as he explained how listening is very different from hearing. We also read a story about a little boy named RJ. Ask your kiddo what it means to have an RJ moment. It has been interesting to see how many times they say that to themselves and others in class lately. If they can tell you that an RJ moment is when they are hearing what you say, but then do the opposite or not what they are supposed to do at all then they got it. Write RJ in the planner for another $10 tomorrow.
Thanks to all the people that participated in the top secret project. I will keep you posted. Order went out today.
Have a wonderful wintery night. I will be enjoying the Honor Choir concert at the Lincoln Center. Can't wait!
Ms. Erickson
