Weekly Word

Reader's Workshop
This week we focused on the nonfiction genre--Informational.  Students read several bat books with a partner and gathered facts in their own bat booklet.  Students learned how to take notes from the books they read.  They recorded their notes on sticky notes.  Then I taught students how to turn their notes into an informational paragraph.  Students had a choice to write a paragraph about what bats eat, where bats live, what bats look like, or interesting bat facts.  We talked about how to start a paragraph with a topic sentence, include at least three supporting detail sentences, and finish with a closing sentence.  I was very impressed how well students gathered facts from the nonfiction books this week!  Our classroom is full of bat experts!

Writer's Workshop
Students committed to one personal narrative from their Writer's Workshop folder this week.  Then we focused on working hard to make the piece even better.  Students learned how to make revisions to their piece with their partner.  We also focused on trying our best to spell words correctly.  Students learned to use their resources--spelling dictionary, word wall, spelling patterns, and partner.

Math Workshop
We wrapped up Unit 2 this week and took our unit test.  We continued to practice addition and subtraction basic facts.  Students have learned several different strategies to use if they don't yet have their facts memorized--doubles, doubles plus one, +0, +1, +8, +9 shortcuts, and Touch Math.  Keep practicing the facts at home.  We will take another basic fact assessment next week for a report card grade.  I also gave a brief introduction to estimation and nonstandard versus standard units of measurement for a bat activity.  We will revisit these math skills later in the year.

Science & Social Studies
Although we are still waiting on our waxworms to turn into adult moths, we finished up our insect science unit.  Students did an excellent job on the insect test!

Because of the upcoming election, we are jumping ahead in our social studies text.  This week we learned about voting for community leaders.  We learned to vote for leaders who want what we want.  We also learned about what community leaders do, such as make laws, pay for services, and decide what to build within a community.