Our trip to Plymouth Plantation was so much fun and a perfect complement to our curriculum. We have been comparing and contrasting the lifestyles of the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims. Friday's weather was beautiful, and students were able to explore all areas of the historical site to better contextualize day-to-day interactions between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag. Students put a lot of thought into truly imagining what the challenges of life must have been like in 1620, and how history influences their lives to this day.
The week started with our Halloween Show. Students had been preparing our 'Haunted Classroom' with decorations engineered with knowledge learned from our Forces and Motion unit. Students also built a concession stand, and hosted FOUR performances for the other classes. Grade 3 and 4 students were admirable hosts, as they shared their snacks, and provided entertainment by reading aloud spooky stories. they had written during writer's workshop, (focusing on strong leads, and supporting details). I was so proud of how students worked together, the gracious attitude they had toward their guests, their excitement to share their writing, and their respect for our classroom space. Thanks to parents for sending in so many snacks! It allowed for a few well intentioned spills, with still plenty leftover for everyone to eat. :)
In science we did many hands on activities involving magnetic and electrical forces, and energy transfer. Students love the Snap Circuit kit, and have been working their way through the projects, learning about how currents, resistors, and insulators function in a circuit.
We introduced our October Poem of The Month; "Fall", by Kaila Kuskin. We read through the poem, and identified what it means to sharpen ones senses to observe nature, and how authors often relate to their observations via imaginings in order to find meaning, and tell stories. We then took a gorgeous Autumn morning nature walk with our notebooks, deeply observed our surroundings, and turned our notes into poems hanging on the wall outside our classroom. As a group, students were intrigued by the observation that leftover halloween candy littered the sidewalk, and the contrast between a sunny sky and chilly air. Many of the comments/poems captured the idea that time goes quickly, seasons change, and the our surroundings are imbued by meaning based on our perceptions and memories. They are beginning to tackle symbolism and metaphors in their writing.
We are plugging along in Math and Reading. Students were all working on fourth grade place value lessons this week, and actively engaging with our group and individual reading texts. We did an in depth reading of 'The Wretched Stone' to examine its use of symbolism and to practice inferring author's intent, (to persuade, inform, and/or entertain). We have been reading more non fiction social studies and science texts as a group, and as such sometimes follow paths of student led inquiry to research specific topics of interest. This week, students were especially curious about optical illusions, Helen Keller and Jane Goodall. We read some biographical material and watched some short primary source materials. Students learned two new strategy games, (Dara and Chess). I'm always working to build on what inspires students, and will be adding even more books to our class library this week. Please continue to encourage students to read and write in their reading response logs.
The week started with our Halloween Show. Students had been preparing our 'Haunted Classroom' with decorations engineered with knowledge learned from our Forces and Motion unit. Students also built a concession stand, and hosted FOUR performances for the other classes. Grade 3 and 4 students were admirable hosts, as they shared their snacks, and provided entertainment by reading aloud spooky stories. they had written during writer's workshop, (focusing on strong leads, and supporting details). I was so proud of how students worked together, the gracious attitude they had toward their guests, their excitement to share their writing, and their respect for our classroom space. Thanks to parents for sending in so many snacks! It allowed for a few well intentioned spills, with still plenty leftover for everyone to eat. :)
In science we did many hands on activities involving magnetic and electrical forces, and energy transfer. Students love the Snap Circuit kit, and have been working their way through the projects, learning about how currents, resistors, and insulators function in a circuit.
We introduced our October Poem of The Month; "Fall", by Kaila Kuskin. We read through the poem, and identified what it means to sharpen ones senses to observe nature, and how authors often relate to their observations via imaginings in order to find meaning, and tell stories. We then took a gorgeous Autumn morning nature walk with our notebooks, deeply observed our surroundings, and turned our notes into poems hanging on the wall outside our classroom. As a group, students were intrigued by the observation that leftover halloween candy littered the sidewalk, and the contrast between a sunny sky and chilly air. Many of the comments/poems captured the idea that time goes quickly, seasons change, and the our surroundings are imbued by meaning based on our perceptions and memories. They are beginning to tackle symbolism and metaphors in their writing.
We are plugging along in Math and Reading. Students were all working on fourth grade place value lessons this week, and actively engaging with our group and individual reading texts. We did an in depth reading of 'The Wretched Stone' to examine its use of symbolism and to practice inferring author's intent, (to persuade, inform, and/or entertain). We have been reading more non fiction social studies and science texts as a group, and as such sometimes follow paths of student led inquiry to research specific topics of interest. This week, students were especially curious about optical illusions, Helen Keller and Jane Goodall. We read some biographical material and watched some short primary source materials. Students learned two new strategy games, (Dara and Chess). I'm always working to build on what inspires students, and will be adding even more books to our class library this week. Please continue to encourage students to read and write in their reading response logs.