Fifty-First Day of School

In Writing today, we added our opening. We learned that one way to write an informational opening is to describe the topic without naming it. Another word for opening is "hook," as we are hooking the reader into reading our text (Insects):

    They're creepy. They're crawly. They're everywhere! 

For our content curriculum, we discussed the circulatory system.

• The circulatory system is made up of the heart, veins, arteries, and capillaries.
• Blood moves through the circulatory system bringing nutrients and oxygen to all parts of the body.
• It takes approximately 1 minute for the heart to pump blood around the body and back.
• Bonus to students of parents reading the class notes: There are approximately 60,000 miles of arteries, veins, and capiliaries in the human body.

Fiftieth Day of School

In Writing today, we drafted closings. A closing is a signal to your reader that they have come to the end of the text. It can give a hint as to why the piece was written: 

• Insects are interesting creatures.
• Cars can take you where you want to go.

The closing can pose a question:

• What insects have you seen where you live?
• Where have been in a car?

Forty-Ninth Day of School

In Writing today, we added transitions. A transition is used to connect ideas together. Examples of informational transitions include: also, another, other, more over, but.

There is Math homework tonight.

Forty-Seventh Day of School

In Writing today, some writers took some time to add more facts to their work, while others continued drafting their first facts.

Math application problem:

Jonathan has 3 stickers. Marlin has 4 stickers. Anna Marie has 5 stickers. They each get 2 more stickers. How many do they each have now?

There is Math homework tonight.

Forty-Fifth Day of School

In Writing today, we planned our first 2 facts about our topic. The planning process is making a quick sketch of what we plan to write.

So far this year we have learned 3 long vowel spellings for encoding: ee (long 'e'), a_e  (long 'a'), and 'i_e' (long 'i').

Forty-Fourth Day of School

In Writing, we touched and talked 2 things we know about our topics. A template will be sent home so that parents may follow along with the lessons.

For our content curriculum unit, we explored the digestive system:

• The digestive system helps to break down our food into nutrients which can be used for processes by the body.
• After being chewed, muscles move the food down the esophagus into the stomach staying there for 2-3 hours until it is turned to liquid.
• It then passes into the small intestine where the nutrients are picked up by the bloodstream.
• The entire process can take 2-3 days.

Math application problem:

    

    Jordan had a set of 6 pencils. His teacher gave him another set with 7 pencils. How many pencils did Jordan have now? (Strategy: think 'doubles plus one').

There is Math homework again tonight.

Room 11 will be open tomorrow night for Family Math Night from 5-6 p.m.

Forty-Third Day of School

For Writing today, we completed the brainstorming  process by making a final selection of topic for our first informational piece. Everyone present was able to select a topic.

For Math, we took the fluncy quiz for parts of 9. Grades have been posted to Schoology.

In Reading, we were reintroduced to the Learning A-Z platform. Our first goal in the platform is to progress to level G. Once the first 3 students make it to level G, the class goal will move to level H. We were also told of incentives marked by badges earned.