Plans Week of March 30th, 2015

Students working hard to finish their Informational Writing Projects.

Highlights from the Previous Week:

We celebrated the completion of our Informational Writing Unit on Friday. Students presented their work to the class and answered questions about their topic. I will post pictures of these AMAZING project on the Student Work page. You can also find them hung outside of our classroom. They are not to be missed!

Math was exciting this week. Students tackled one of the most challenging math concepts of the year --multiplying mixed numbers. We learned how to multiply these whole number plus fraction combinations using a grid, using partial products, and turning them into improper fractions. As a finale, we discovered that all three methods can be modeled together in an impressive connection of operations and diagrams. Students confessed their minds were joyously "blown away". 

In Reading, we wrapped up our unit on Memoir and students ran their own book groups for a day. The insight and critical thinking students display during our reading discussions is thrilling to witness. 

Students took two PARCC tests in Reading this week. They did their best to channel the three qualities needed for successful standardized test-taking: Focus, Rigor, and Endurance. I was proud. Our literacy specialist discovered that, unfortunately, the texts that test creators selected for students to read and analyze were far above grade level. Although students were faced with overly challenging texts to analyze, they did it with excellent effort and focus. We'll send that feedback to the PARCC creators.

Monday we had CAP (Chid Assault Prevention) and student learned strategies for staying safe, strong, and free. They saw how to handle pushy strangers, deal with peer pressure, and escape uncomfortable situations with relatives or family friends.

Students decorated their yearbook pages on Thursday. They came up with some very clever, creative ways to share about themselves through pictures, quotes, and drawings. 

Ms. Faucon, our student teacher, has been introducing us to some very fun Morning Meeting greetings and activities. We've greeted each other in serious voices, high-pitched voices, as robots, and in yodels. I can't wait to see what she'll come up with next! It's a great way to wake students up and start our day off playfully.

Here is the general plan for this week:

Special:
Monday:  All School Meeting.

Wednesday:  PARCC Math #1  at 11:45am.
Thursday:  PARCC Math #2  at 9:00am.

Friday:  no school.


Reading: 

• This week we launch our reading unit on Survival and Resilience. Students will learn to identify "survival" as a theme in a text. They will see how characters and real people have overcome obstacles in their lives and consider how these lessons apply to our own lives. We begin this unit with some whole-class read aloud stories.

Writing:

• This week we launch our writing unit on Memoir to complement our recent reading unit. Students will revisit the qualities of memoirs that they learned about through our reading unit and learn how to choose experiences from their own lives to shape as a memoir. Students will also learn how to interpret their experiences from a reflective and meaning-making perspective.  

Math: 

• We wrap up our unit on Fraction Multiplication this week. We'll review the methods for multiplying fractions and mixed numbers, as well as the various models that demonstrate the concept. We'll have an assessment mid-week.
• We also have math PARCC testing on Wednesday and Thursday.

Social Studies:

• Our new American History unit is on a favorite topic of mine, The American Revolution. Students will read, watch videos, create skits, and write journal entries to study this epic event. Student will learn about five major causes of the revolution: The French & Indian War, The Stamp Act, The Boston Massacre, The Boston Tea Party, and The Intolerable Acts.

Thanks for reading! As always, please contact me with any questions, comments, or feedback.