November 29 - December 1

Happy December!!

BAILLY'S SUPER WORD OF THE WEEK:

LIBERTY: freedom to choose

~I was not here on Tuesday, our LA classes met one time on Monday~

1st GRADE LA

PERSUASIVE PARAGRAPHS: Monday I asked the class if learning Pig Latin was difficult. Some raised their hands in agreement while others found learning Pig Latin easy. I then asked, "who is right and who is wrong?" This question lead us to the idea of opinions and if  there was a right or wrong answer. Once we understood that an opinion could neither be or right nor wrong, I introduced the idea of persuasion. While children seem to have an inherent gift of persuasion, as least mine do, I wanted to formally introduce the concept as trying to convince someone to agree with your opinion . Next week we are going to write a persuasive paragraph together. We will be trying to persuade other first graders that Pig Latin is an easy language to learn. 

2nd GRADE LA

VENN DIAGRAM: This class is rocking all the connections in The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Before Thanksgiving break we read the Velveteen Rabbit. I told the students to listen carefully for similarities and differences between the two stories. Monday we made a Venn Diagram between the two stories. It was amazing to hear the depth in the connections they made  between the two. They saw the surface similarities and differences, such as they were both rabbits or one had a girl owner and the other had a boy owner. They were also able to identify the concept of love and being loved in the 'lives' of both Edward and the Velveteen Rabbit.  

THERE WAS NO HOMEWORK SINCE I WAS GONE ON TUESDAY.

3rd GRADE LA

FINISH UP: The students were able to finish their Reading Analyzers over the different Beatrix Potter books they read with partners. Next week we are going to bring them all together for discussion questions. We will be looking for similarities in theme, setting, plot and character traits between the books. For the students I had last year, we did this a little between The Tale of Despereaux and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.We will also be discussing how INTERACTIONS affect the plot of the stories.  

4th GRADE LA

TIME LINES: At this point in our Biography  Project almost everyone is working on their time lines. The students have been shown that time line dates are NOT evenly spaced. I told them, with an Agent of Change individual, they may see a cluster of events between certain times. I explained I am looking for accurate spacing, meaning I can see they took the time to understand where the dates are relative to the individual's birth and death dates. I am also looking for neatness!!!!! I have rulers, yard sticks, markers, anything they may need, organization and neatness is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. 

We were supposed to go the the computer lab and print our pictures on Tuesday, with me being gone I will need to reschedule this for next week. 

*IF YOUR STUDENT DOES NOT HAVE THEIR MINIMUM OF 10 PICTURES BY THE TIME WE GO TO THE COMPUTER LAB, IT WILL BE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND A TIME TO PRINT THEM*

IT SEEM LIKE FOREVER SINCE I HAVE HAD MY MATH STUDENTS!!!

WELCOME BACK!

1st GRADE MA

GRUPO.......FINIALLY: This has been the most well behaved week I've had with this class ALL YEAR!!! Wednesday we refreshed our memory on the rules of Grupo. The goal is for partners to find a pair of cards with 4 of the 5 attributes the same. 

After playing a couple of rounds we swapped the rules up needed to find pairs that had 2 DIFFERENT attributes. Team "A" had to tell team "B" the similarities or differences they found in the match and vice versa. If the cards were not a true match, the other team got the pair. 

We had a lot of fun with this!!

2nd GRADE MA

SMILE GALLERY: Wednesday and Thursday we worked on tiling. We first practiced tiling with a single pattern block. The students were then introduced to the concept of a  "basic pattern", this is the fewest number of blocks that are repeated to make a design. 

Our worksheet had us identify the basic pattern of two different designs. Next, the students chose 2-3 pattern shapes to create their own basic pattern. After they created a basic pattern, they cut it out and used it to fill in an entire 'wall mural' worksheet.

HOMEWORK: Any coloring they did not finish was sent home for homework.

3rd GRADE MA

Since we are a small class, I allow the students to sit or stand
where ever they concentrate the best.

WHAT'S NEXT?: This week we started a new lesson with patterns in sequences. Continuing to use the concept of growing patterns, we are trying to find a generalization or rule to determine any term in a given sequence. I demonstrated to the students what would happen if I punch 1+3 into a calculator and continually punch the " =" sign. We saw the answer of 4 continue to grow by 3's. We sampled this a few different times to make sure understanding was clear. I explained while 3+1 gave us the same previous answer of 4, if we continue to press the equals button, our answer will only grow by 1's rather than 3's. This idea was important to understand once they were given the "What's Next" charts. 

4th GRADE MA

THINK DEEPLY.....TO THE EXTREME: We have not had a regular math class in two weeks!! Two weeks ago we had part of the class missing because of Camp Goodfellow. Last week we did not have math because of Thanksgiving break. We are FINALLY back on track.

Wednesday we reviewed a little with a couple Think Beyond cards and Thursday we started our end of the lesson  Think Deeply. This was a tricky TD with many steps which we did together. THESE GUYS ROCKED IT!!! While I guided the class, they were the ones telling me what direction we needed to go next and why. So proud of them, especially after such a long break!

November 13 - 17

BAILLY'S SUPER WORD OF THE WEEK

VALUE:

hold in respect and admiration

1st GRADE LA

PIG LATIN:

We started this week by finishing up encoding an English sentence into Pig Latin and practice reading it. Next, we almost completed encoding a short song. This took a little longer then planned because we did it as a class at the board. I wanted to make sure everyone translated it correctly into Pig Latin. 

This is because..... we will be singing the song in Pig Latin next week!!!!  Also, we will only be writing one more time in Pig Latin, I wanted to be sure EVERYONE was understanding it. We've had a couple of Rock Stars that knew Pig Latin from the beginning. We had some more Rock Stars shine when they explained how we would decide if a Y word in our song was used as a vowel or consonant. They remembered our trick, vowels sounds can be 'sung' and consonants sounds are 'trapped'.

2nd GRADE LA

WE MADE SOME CONNECTIONS:

This week there was NO HOMEWORK! 

We spent Monday reviewing our chapters. If you've noticed, your child comes home with a packet in their book. The packet is labeled  #0 and is NEVER homework, but simply used for tracking details in the book. Each table told us about a chapter from our homework. If that chapter had one of the items we track, they got to put a post-it on our wall. These post-its are quite a big deal for them AND I LOVE IT!! I love to see the excitement they have about the connections they are making!! 

Tuesday we worked on a vocabulary web for the first 10 minuets of class. We then used "table talk" to share our chapter 12 Reading Analyzer homework. I wanted the student so see what kind of connections their classmates were making to the reading. I wanted them to discuss what they each thought the main idea of chapter 12 was. When we gathered as a class to share what ideas the tables had in common or disagreed about, it opened up amazing communication in the class about the main idea and the connections they are seeing. It was great to watch the students feed off of each other's statements and how they are understanding Edward's change during his journey.

3rd GRADE LA

BEATRIX POTTER:

Last week we read a short biography on Beatrix Potter. This week we read her short story The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and filled out a Reading Analyzer. I went over the expectations of the Reading Analyzer (RA) because we will be using them for future readings. 

The RA, if done correctly and not rushed, is a great tool used to help grab a deeper meaning of what is being read. In third grade we are focusing on interactions. With our RA, we will be digging deeper to help see interactions in our readings as well. 

I will give the RAs back next week with remarks on how to dig a little deeper and use more detail from the text to cite evidence to support their ideas. They will use these comments as a guide when filling out their next RA.

4th GRADE LA

CAMPING, SMALL CLASS, AND PHOTOS:

This week we had a very small class because of Camp Goodfellow. With my two students, we worked on biography summery sheets and collecting photos for timelines. Next week I will have the other students from 4th grade and we will do the same. Once Thanksgiving break is over we will go to the computer lab and print pictures. If your child is behind I will send you an email and let you know what needs to be done at home. There has been plenty of class time to stay together. If anyone has fallen behind, it is because they have not been prepared for class with their biography materials. 

~Due to me being out of the classroom Thursday, we only had math one day.~

1st GRADE MA

INTRODUCTION AND RULES:

Wednesday I introduced the students to Grupo. The students were able to see the Grupo playing cards and identify the different attributes in the cards. We were looking at the number of sides and vertices of the shapes, shape names, number of shapes inside the larger shape and the kind of inside shapes that made up the outside shape. I demonstrated how the 'dealer' will lay down a 3X3 grid of cards. Each student pair will need to find two cards that have 4 of the 5 attributes matching. If the dealer approves the match, then the team get to keep the cards. The team with the most matches win. 

2nd GRADE MA

TRANSFORMATION TRIP:

This week we used transformation to move a triangle over across a worksheet. This worksheet required the students to decide if the triangle needed to  slide (translation), flip (reflection) or turn (rotation) to get in next position. The students were given a lose triangle to visualize and perform the transformation. The class graded each others worksheets and will be returned after Thanksgiving. 

3rd GRADE MA

GAME CARDS:

If students did not finish their Think Deeply from last week, they were to finish it Wednesday. Once students completed their Think Deeply they moved onto their game cards. The game cards are Think Deeply type questions or problems the student must create. Once they create a card they are then required to solve it. We will be using these cards later in the year. Like a Think Deeply, the game cards also show me if a student understands AND can demonstrate the lesson we have just learned. 

4th GRADE MA

THINK BEYOND:

With only having one math class this week and no math class next week, plans had to be switched up a bit. We worked on 2 Think Beyond cards Wednesday. Our Think Beyond cards are similar to a Think Deeply in the questions they ask. However, Think Beyond cards only have the students find the numerical answer, while in a Think Deeply, students need to find the numerical answer along with explaining how the answer was found using math vocabulary and other strategies leaned throughout the lesson.  One of the Think Beyond cards was found to be very difficult. Needless to say, they will see this again in our post Thanksgiving review.  

November 6 - November 10

BAILLY'S SUPER WORD OF THE WEEK:

OPPORTUNITY:

 a good chance to improve your self

a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something

The students were challenged by Mr. Zeck to write something a person told them was too hard for them to achieve. They then needed to write how they could achieve it. 

~Make sure to ask your child what they wrote.~

1st GRADE LA

SILLY SPEAK:

This week we worked on developing and applying phonological awareness. The students worked on distinguishing the first vowel sound in a list of words. This began the foundation for learning Pig Latin. We worked on a couple of worksheets to help us visually see where the first vowel sound is located in a word. I then wrote a few words on the board in English and Pig Latin. I asked the students if they could recognize a pattern in the words. Some caught it right away, others needed a little guidance. They all started to see the separation between the first consonant/consonant cluster and the first vowel sound. They then saw all of the words ending in "AY". We had to stop there for the week.We will continue next week with translating Pig Latin words and encoding English words into Pig Latin.  

2nd GRADE LA

EDWARD TULANE and POINT OF VIEW:

We started this week with a grammar lesson by dissecting and labeling a sentence from our story. 

We then started our lesson defining what 'point of view' means. After reading chapter 9 aloud, we discussed how a character's connection to a particular situations can affect their point of view. We worked on a Point of View worksheet together in class. The worksheet listed ONE event and we needed to see how different characters reacted based on their specific connection to it. We looked at what kind of connections the character had to the event, what their point of view was and what evidence from the book supports our statements. 

I made note to touch on this again though out the rest of the story. I want to make sure everyone has a firm understanding on the concept of point of view. It's kind of an important one, now and through out life. 😉 Habit 5: Seek first to understand then to be understood.

HOMEWORK: READ CHAPTER 10-13

 READING ANALYZER ON CHAPTER 12

3rd GRADE LA

INTERACTIONS: 

On Monday the students read their 'After School Interaction' journal entries. They did a great job. We still struggle a little with the difference between cause and effect and interactions, but we will be working in this all year. Once I read their journals I wrote helpful hints to guide them into going a bit further in their explanations to ensure they have given an interaction versus a cause and effect. 

Tuesday we started a new lesson where the students were introduced to Beatrix Potter. We read her biography and discussed her childhood interactions with nature and animals. During the time period when Beatrix Potter was alive, she was a phenomenal woman with huge successes beyond her short stories. The students will be able to bring home a copy of her biography in the next couple of weeks. Make sure you check it out!

We will continue looking at her childhood interactions regarding to her passion for drawing and her lively imagination next week. We will then begin reading and analyzing a few of her stories. 

4th GRADE LA

BIOGRAPHY PROJECT:

We are still working on our Agent of Change projects. The students are doing a GREAT job!! I have their work with me to read over the weekend. I will be looking to make sure they continue to stay on path as to why the person they are researching is an Agent of Change, not just a famous person.

Almost everyone is gathering their timeline events from their summary pages. I have a few already saving pictures to incorporate onto their timelines. 

1st GRADE MA

SIDES AND SHAPES:

This week we categorized our polygon shapes we made from our 3X3 squares. To recap our last lesson, we took 3X3 squares and made them into rectangles, large triangles, small triangles and squares by folding them down the line of symmetry. The students could use 2-4 of these shapes to create a polygon. Once the polygons were made, the students needed to categorized them based on the number of sides, vertices and how many shapes they used to create it. Paying attention to these attributes will set the foundation for our math game GRUPO. 

2nd GRADE MA

TRANSFORMATIONS:

We are learning about transformations!! The students have been introduced to SLIDE (translation), FLIP (reflection) AND TURN (rotation). To begin, we took a note book and the students were told to slide it across their table. Next, they then needed to flip it across an imaginary line of reflection. Last, the students were told to place their finger on one corner and rotate or turn the notebook clockwise then counter clockwise. 

After introducing these concepts, we worked on a packet. The packet needed the students to write what transformation occurred to each shape or figure in order for it to have moved from the left column to the right. 

The students then had to draw a shape to match the transformation that was written. I noticed a couple of students get a little confused between reflection and rotations. Next week we will have a worksheet where they can use a shape to manipulate to perform each transformations This will help them visualize the difference between flip and turn as well as kinesthetically.

3rd GRADE MA

THINK DEEPLY:

Writing what you know! Writing our Think Deeply is not always easy; especially in math since we're here for numbers, right??  However, using vocabulary words, charts, formulas, along with explanation and reasoning does a great job helping student fully understand the lesson. It also helps me understand if they do NOT fully understand the lesson.

We do a bit of group and partner work in our class.  Sometimes if a student does not fully understand a lesson they can "hide" in their group. A Think Deeply let's me know exactly what each student is understanding.  

4th GRADE MA

FROGS AND FRACTIONS:

BIG GREEN MONSTER

We continue to work with fractions by measuring and comparing frog leaps. To summarize, the students are given 2 different leap lengths with unlike denominators, they then need to figure out which frog jumped the farthest. Right now they are using 3 foot long adding machine tape pieces to find the length of the leaps. They must first fold the tape into thirds, creating 3 1 foot section. After that, they must label all the other folds needed in order to find the length of the leap.

SWAMP PRINCE

This week we discussed problems and strategies regarding our  Frolicking Frogs worksheet. For the most part everyone is understanding how to create the lengths using the tape. We had a small issue with one of the problems because of it being misread. Once we discussed what the question was really looking for everyone understood how to correct it. 

On our second worksheet, the students were introduced (or reintroduced for the student I had last year) to the term benchmark. We needed to use the concept of benchmark to answer questions on the Frisky Frog Leap worksheet. The last question required the students to make up there own frog leap word problem. They needed to incorporate a mixed fraction and an improper fraction for this as well. As a class, we will create a frog leap word problem to be sure everyone understands how this needs to be done. 

October 23rd - November 2nd

Let's catch up.... 

October 16th-20th

Short Week Recap

After running the Columbus Marathon on Sunday, I enjoyed my Monday sitting in a dentist chair getting a root canal. So......that explains our short week 😉.

Then next Sunday rolls around and you feel the need to run the Valparaiso Half Marathon.
Congratulations to all the Valpo Half runners!! That was a windy race.

BAILLY'S SUPER WORD OF THE WEEK:

HUMILITY: being humble and respectful of others property or talents

1st GRADE LA

NO CLASS:

Monday I was gone and Tuesday 1st grade had a special guest.

2nd GRADE LA

EDWARD TULANE:

On Tuesday we went over the Chapter 4 Reading Analyzer homework. I will pass these back next week. Make sure to check your child's folder for them. I will write any missing information on it so it may be used as a guide if help is needed on a later one. We also discussed chapter 4. Chapter 4 is a very important chapter in the book and I want to make sure the students completely understand all the connections it has in it. 

HOMEWORK: NONE THIS WEEK, we will get back on track next week. REMEMBER, homework and book may be turned in early!!

3rd GRADE LA

SHOW US YOUR STUFF: 

I allowed the students to read their Pet Paragraphs aloud. This gave us a chance for everyone to get back on track with their homework and missed days from field trips. We will not always have time to read our writings aloud, however I will do it occasionally. I think it's a great to encourage young students to be comfortable speaking in front of others. No matter where their education leads them; confidence, voice, and eye contact while speaking in front of groups are skills essential for their future. 

4th GRADE LA

READING TIME: 

We spent Tuesday reading our biographies. Next week we will begin to fill out summery sheets for our project. The summery sheet will help students organize the information they find on their Agent of Change. The more detailed the summery sheets, the easier the rest of the project will go, I can not stress this enough to them!!

1st GRADE MA

THE BEGINNING OF GRUPO: 

Wednesday and Thursday we began the beginning of our Grupo Game. By the end of this lesson, students will play a game where they will have to count vertices and sides of different shapes made up of large and small triangles, rectangles and squares. The first step, students needed to take 3X3 post-it notes and fold them along their line of symmetry to make a rectangle or triangle. 

You may be thinking, 2 days for this??? First, we have a pretty large class for only 30 minuets of enrichment. Second, I spent the first day making sure everyone understood that our shapes needed to have a clean fold. I explained, this first step can not be rushed through because our other steps will be depending on this being done correctly, "kinda the definitions of all math steps". Not so sure how many caught the importance of that statement, but it will click eventually 😉. Next week we will take part of the rectangles and triangles and cut them along THEIR lines of symmetry, creating squares and smaller triangles. 

2nd GRADE MA

FLIP AND TURN:

On Wednesday we finished our 'Lots of Triangles' worksheets. With this worksheet, students needed to use two CONGRUENT triangles and make certain shapes. They had 5 different sets of triangles to choose from. These guys were really getting it by the end. If they finished early, I wanted to see if they could find different sets of triangles to make the same shape. The Triangle Design and Lot of Triangle projects have helped the children grasp a better understanding of composing and decomposing 2-dimensional shapes in different orientations. 

Thursday was missed class because of the 2nd grade field trip. I hope everyone had a great time!!

3rd GRADE MA

DEEP SEA CAFE:

Fish sitting at tables in a deep sea cafe leads to algebraic equations????? In this class, you better believe it!!!! This past week third grade had to explain how many fish could sit at 23 square tables lined up in a straight row, one side touching the next. There could only be one fish per open side of a table. Each student received 10 squares to help them visualize the problem. The end goal was for them to unknowingly find the pattern or the algebraic equation.   

This is by far, my favorite part of teaching, watching these minds work through problems like this. THEN......when one of them get it, on their own..... THEIR EYES!!!! The excitement shines so bright, so pure, so innocent, so proud; it has the ability to stop me in my tracks and think, this, this makes it all worth it! 

4TH GRADE MA

FROG FRENZY:

Wednesday we went over our strips that were labeled in mixed and improper fractions. We discussed where students were having trouble and strategies other students used. 

Thursday the students made origami frogs. While fractions were definitely used  in order to make the frogs; they were also getting a lesson on following directions, patience, helping classmates and accepting help from classmates. Sometimes those are the hardest lessons for them. 😉