...frozen fractals all around...

This is my favorite line from the song, "Let it go!" from the movie Frozen. Fractals are a mathematical term for an never ending pattern. So, this morning, we created fractals! We made (tried to make) the Koch fractal. See if your kiddo can help you get started...it starts with an equilateral triangle.

After working on our fractals, Mrs. Vidic came in and worked with us on feelings and Zones of Regulation. These zones and understanding feelings can really help at home too-help remind your child to get in and stay in the green zone; help them to build their toolbox. After guidance, we reviewed fractions and some took or began taking their unit 3 assessment. Thankfully, a sub showed up for Mr. Burkhart and I didn't have to teach gym today! Then, we had lunch and indoor recess. We finished The Beaded Moccasins and the class cheered. I love when they enjoy our read alouds! This book was not only enjoyable but also taught us a lot about the early people of Ohio. Then, we went down to Miss Gates room for a Reader's Theater for Henry's Freedom Box, one of my all time favorite books about Henry Box Brown. Once we returned to the classroom, we read independently, visited the library to get books for break, completed our opinion essays-if needed, finished our Earth's Processes comic-if needed, finished up our Science experiments-if needed and many blogged, wrote freely and continued to read for the rest of the time. 

Trying to finish up

We are trying to get to so many different stopping points before we head home for two weeks and it is super stressful! It is also very challenging as some have been finished while others are just beginning! Sigh. We'll get there, I know!
After completing our M4T assessment, we completed a MakerSpace challenge of creating an alarm system for the 3 boys to keep intruders, like Goldilocks, out! Then, in Math Workshop, we took a little Kahoot quiz that Ally and Anisa made for us on fractions (I won!) and then each student received an index card with a fraction written on it. We found a partner and compared our fractions two different times and then found a four-some and put ourselves in order and ended up, finally, in one giant number line of fractions from smallest to largest. We also had some Kindergarten friends come down and share their persuasive writing with us! After music, (a lot of music this week!), lunch and indoor recess, we took a survey on our year so far. I loved their feedback! I learned that although I thought/felt I knew them and their needs really well, they aren't so confident that I do so this is something I'm going to work on. I also learned that they want more Science and enjoy the flexible seating and eating in our class. :) When I asked, "I want more..." and "I want less..." one kiddo wrote "no" and "yes." :) Lol! In Read Aloud, we found out that Mrs. Stewart MARRIED Sequin and is expecting a baby that she will either name Samuel or Samantha after baby Sammy! In Reader's Workshop, we continued our work comparing and contrasting the paired Pokemon Go texts and finished up the day working on our opinion essays and Earth's Processes comics.

Musical day

Today was mostly changing into our costumes, walking to and from the gym, performing and doing it all again! In between, we practiced comparing fractions and worked on either our opinion essays or Earth's processes comic.

No BCD!

Ask your kiddo about No BCD! This is something that we are working on and is part of the R-factor. We totally understand E + R = O and "Press Pause" and get your mind right and above and below the line behaviors. So now, we are working with No BCD! as a Response. A lot of times, our first reaction is to Blame, Complain or Defend, when and Event happens. So, we are going to work to just stand up and own it. No BCD and leave your grumpy pants at home! :)

After discussing this at our morning meeting and creating a reminder poster, we practiced identifying if fractions are less than, greater than or equal to 1/2 and comparing fractions. Then, we really, really worked with trying to explain our thinking. We are stuck with drawing a picture/model to identify the larger fraction but then, need to USE the picture to help explain the reasoning behind it. We'll be taking an assessment on Tuesday to see if we need to continue our work with equivalent fractions and comparing/ordering fractions after break or if we can move on to adding and subtracting fractions. So, please help your kiddo to solidify their understanding with these skills at home. After Math Workshop, we had Gym, lunch and another indoor recess. It doesn't look promising to be outside this week... In The Beaded Moccasins, Mary made a friend! She finally understands the Delaware language enough to understand and have conversation with the Delaware members. She also talked Grandfather into taking her to check on Mrs. Stewart when they go to Sequin's to get more gun powder. We got a new StoryWorks for Reader's Workshop and read the paired text about Pokemon Go. I think this was the most excited about reading they've ever been! They also worked with some new vocabulary that is found in the article. If not finished with our opinion essay, we then worked on that but those that are finished, continued with Reader's Workshop, blogged or did some free-writing. We ended our day discussing the sandbox from yesterday and reviewing what we've learned about Earth's Processes and will be creating a comic strip showing what we know.

Crazy day!

Oh my goodness, what a crazy day! We were busy all day but weren't in the classroom working until 1:30 this afternoon! Our day began with "playing" in the Interactive Sandbox that I arranged through Ohio Farm Bureau to teach us about landforms, weathering, erosion and deposition. Then, we had our final musical rehearsal and then music, lunch and indoor recess. Since it was snowing and beautiful, I found some big white paper and had them make us some giant snowflakes during indoor recess. After recess, we went down to the 2nd grade community room and saw a Reader's Theater that was created by Mrs. Hughes' 3rd grade kiddos. When we finally arrived in our classroom, we read independently, continued our work with parts of speech and had some fun with Mad Libs while doing so. We then wrote thank you letters to Mr. Jordan from the Ohio Farm Bureau and some worked on their opinion essay. Finally, we ended the day trying to understand feelings with a little Zones of Regulation Bingo. It's so funny to see that they don't always truly understand a feeling until they are trying to win a game of Bingo! :) Some feelings that we discussed in further detail were: overwhelmed, annoyed vs. frustrated, sad vs. upset and uncomfortable.

Throwback Thursday

We had a pretty productive day even with a short morning because of music rehearsal. We started our day discussing things we've done this year that we enjoyed as well as things we've learned this year. Then, we lined ourselves up by birthday without talking for a little challenge this morning. It took them 10 minutes and yes, they were silent the entire team so it is possible! :) We only had a bit of time before rehearsal so we played another round of equivalent fraction land. It was indoor recess, thank goodness, because of the cold so we played board games and did a little GoNoodle for movement. In The Beaded Moccasins, they made it to Sequin's and did a little trading with him. He actually tried to trade 4 muskets for Mary! Grandfather did NOT allow that but he got an idea... Mary also had lied to Grandfather about being able to read and he found out her secret today which led us to discuss this idea about lying and if it is ever ok to lie. We then read independently and worked on dictionary skills, reading, padlet, blogging, word puzzles, etc. for Reader's Workshop and worked on our opinion essay in Writer's Workshop. Our day concluded working on weathering and erosion using our experiments and an online game, "Shape it up."

Short mornings

We had another short morning due to musical rehearsal--it's almost here, 1 week from tomorrow! So, after completing our morning work, i-time and our meeting, we didn't have much time for math workshop. We continued working with equivalent fractions by playing a game similar to Candy Land, Equivalent Fraction Land. After recess, in The Beaded Moccasins, the weather is turning warmer and the snow is beginning to melt, so Mary is headed to Sequin's (a French trading post) to "help do her part" and read the treaties and declarations for Grandfather, BUT, Mary can't read... After reading independently, we finished (hopefully) our Dictionary practice work and some blogged while I met with small guided reading groups. We continued writing our opinion essays and finished up our chart comparing Native Americans we've learned about so far. We even used Google Earth to see the Great Serpent Mound! (And we used what we've learned about weathering and erosion to describe why it is smaller now than in the picture in our books and why there is a path around the mound.)

Yuck.

The weather was icky and our behavior was blah. Some did fine but others did not. We began our day enjoying some donuts since we FINALLY had 1/2 of the class receiving 9 or 10/10 on our M4T Assessment on Friday. In our morning meeting, we shared the highs and lows of growing up and getting older. While we have more privileges, we also have more responsibility. Then, we played category challenge with "healthy snacks." The winner had 14 examples! After saying the pledge and writing our SMART goal for the day, we started Math Workshop with a vocabulary/word sort with fractions. Then, we used the fraction kits we made yesterday to play some games. Today was gym, lunch and indoor recess and then, in The Beaded Moccasins, we learned how the Delaware tan deerskins...ewww! It was a bit much for Mary. After reading independently and conferencing with me and setting December Book-it goals, we continued our work with dictionary skills. Today was difficult for them! They had to use alphabetical order to decide if words would come before, on or after a page in a dictionary given the guide words on the page. We transitioned into Writer's Workshop and continuing our work with our opinion essays and then ended the day looking at the similarities and differences of the Native Americans we've learned about.

Working on our independence

This week, we are working on our independence (responsibility and self-discipline)... at this time in the year, we should be much more independent than we are. We discussed having confidence that we KNOW what to do and should just do it. They do not need my approval every step of the way. We also discussed that I am hoping that they begin to develop an intrinsic motivation. They complete tasks when we were checking on their completing using task sheets. They did awesome on M4T last week because I checked each individual's work each day...so, why can't they ALWAYS do this well? It's kind of like cleaning your room. You are going to clean it better if you know mom or dad is going to check it. Help me out by periodically "checking" on things like task completion, accuracy and homework. It is very rare that I "assign" homework or something specific but if I do, it is because I am noticing a need... only 15 people completed their blog last week!
In Math Workshop, I gave some kiddos colored paper and a list of the finished product needs and sent them to work independently to create "fraction strips." The rest of us, worked together to fold and cut paper to create "fractions strips." (We had a musical rehearsal that we didn't know about :) so we ended up finishing these after recess.) Afterwards, we read independently and conferenced with me and set December Book-it goals. In Reader's Workshop, we practiced understanding how to use a Dictionary (one kiddo last week tried to use a Table of Contents with using a Dictionary...) but also how to understand a definition and everything involved with defining words-no matter if we use an app or Dictionary; while I met with smaller reading groups. Then, we continued working on our opinion essays in Writer's Workshop and finished up the day checking in on our Weathering experiments.

Rough day...

Deep breaths. In...Out... We began our day a little rough as we are in a dry spell when it comes to potato head pieces so we each said one word to describe what we would be responsible for to help us to earn some pieces. However, we didn't even get to the "game" or "fun" part of our meeting because we had too many side conversations or were talking over each other. We pressed pause and got our minds right and then went down to 2nd grade to watch one of their Reader's Theaters. Ta-woo! Ta-woo! (Just say it to your kids and see if they smile like I do!) Then, we got to work with fractions. We discussed and created equivalent fractions and shared different numbers of pizzas and candy bars among different numbers of students. We ended with an exit slip writing about the math and although they can make equivalent fractions with pattern blocks, they cannot yet transfer that understanding to decide if two fractions are equivalent. So, we'll continue with this work tomorrow. We had gym today and although it wasn't raining, spent recess indoors because of all the puddles and mud. Overall, our morning was ok. However, the afternoon was a struggle. During Read Aloud, we were all very tuned in to The Beaded Moccasins as we were reading a very pivotal and dramatic part. We also did well with our independent reading and many "cashed" in on their Book-it goals for a free pizza. Here's we things got rough. Reader's Workshop should be a time where students are reading and writing about their reading. This is an independent time so that I can meet with groups to better their reading abilities. They know this but continued and continued to talk and distract and stay off-task. So much so that even after they had more time and we didn't even get to Science, they still did not complete the work/task assigned. Needless to say, some will be working during recess time tomorrow since they chose to spend work time as recess... Hopefully, your kiddo was one of the ones that was able to complete their Reader's Workshop work and work on their opinion essay.
Our goals for tomorrow will be INDEPENDENCE and RESPONSIBILITY.