Reader's Workshop
Students continued to practice becoming strong readers by stopping to think when the story line becomes unclear. At that point they are using different strategies to clear up the questions.
Writer's Workshop
Students are getting ready to publish a personal narrative story. They are continuing to edit and go through a checklist of requirements. When they are ready they will be recording their stories rather than typing. When we have accomplished this task, likely in a couple weeks, you will be invited to a celebration!
NW Coast People
Students have created their environment and identified their natural resources. We have begun to figure out how we will meet our basic needs (food/water, clothing and shelter) using natural resources and skills. Students will be developing their characters and figuring out how to work as a tribe to build our new dwelling.
Math
We are continuing work with place value up to millions, specifically working towards rounding. The students were challenged this week with a couple difficult logic (tug of war between grandmas, acrobats and a dog) and word story problems. It's exciting to hear students share their strategies. Most the time, students build off classmates knowledge and challenge each others thinking.
Students explored Khan Academy and the features (map, practice questions, tutorial videos) that they will use this year. We are still unable to sign students up under my account but will let you know when we figure it out.
Other
The students participated in a cooperative activity. Each group had to save a worm, Fred was his name, who was trapped on top of a raft (cup) with his life preservers stuck underneath the boat. Fred couldn't swim so the students needed to figure out how to save him. The only tools they could use were paperclips. The students could only use one hand each. We shared different strategies on how to work together.
Homework
Earlier in the week a student recalled hearing about an organization that built instruments from garbage. After speaking with her parents, they sent me a link to a video for Landfillharmonic. After viewing the video the students were quite inspired to make their own instruments (not to mention, inspired to help the kids out in other ways too)! It's a beautiful story!
The gallery this week sounded a bit different than usual because students were given an opportunity to move around the room (gallery style) and play classmates instruments. At the end of our session, we got together and played our instruments all at once (see video under photo gallery - homework tab). In a way, its our own Landfillharmonic orchestra!