Quality Questioning… Quenching Curiosity

After being hooked yesterday by Gloria Whelan, the author of Goodbye, Vietnam, we were anxious to continue our reading of the story featuring Mai, a 13-year-old girl from a village in Vietnam. The first chapter introduced us to the characters and allowed us to envision life in her village. The details provided by the author caused us, as readers, to QUESTION… an important (and scholarly) reading strategy. Our inquiring minds caused us to wonder about Vietnam and Vietnamese culture.

In an effort to satisfy our curiosity, we paired up and logged into our Google Classroom, where we found an assignment entitled “Visualizing Vietnam.” The primary resource we used today was an article from Encyclopedia Britannica. As we read, we tried using Cornell Notes to save and organize our ideas. Since this was our first official attempt at Cornell Notes this year, we realized there is a lot of room to grow.

To learn about Cornell Notes as a note taking structure, listen to Mr. G explain. While it sounds like he is talking to an older audience, I think his visuals will be beneficial.


If you’d like to take your Cornell Notes to the next level by combining them with Sketchnotes (which we talked about on Tuesday), check out Doug Neill’s video. I think you’ll LOVE this as an option for learning.

In the personal example he shares, I was especially amazed at the neatness of his work and how purposeful and patient he was in putting together all 11 pages. I can infer that the book he read and the topic he was researching was important to him.

As I was researching sketchnoting AND our region of study last night, I came across an amazing site that combined the two. Eva-Lotta Lamm has posted some of her sketchnote journal entries from her travels. Two are posted below (one about Cambodia and one about Vietnam). In addition to the unique facts and bits of information sketched,

  • what are some common, organizational elements that she includes in her sketchnotes?
  • Also, what elements do you notice that connect to the videos we watched about the building blocks of sketchnotes?
  • What do these examples make you wonder about?

This afternoon, we revisited partitioning, looking at some larger numbers, one of which had some unusual characteristics. One of the most powerful QUESTIONS during our math time today was about zeroes.

  • What do you do with the zeroes in the MIDDLE of  number?
  • How do you represent those using an array (PARTitioned rectangle)?

Lots of GREAT thinking came out of that QUESTION.

Visualizing… Vietnam

Today we started looking at another country in our region of study… Vietnam! Right next to Cambodia, Vietnam also provides us with an opportunity to inquire into our central idea of struggle and survival.

We started our new book, Goodbye, Vietnam by Gloria Whelan, which prompted us to make prediction and connections to Chu Ju’s House, by the same author.

To get a glimpse of what life might have been like in Mai’s village, take a tour of these villages. How might where Mai lives be connected to our central idea?

For math today, we played with a practical problem set right here in Kinshasa – a traffic jam! By visualizing the road and the long rows or cars, we made connections to arrays and PARTitioned rectangles. We connected the visual representation to a numerical representation of partial products. In addition, we wrote equations to represent our process. We will continue looking at this tomorrow and extending our thinking over the next few days.

At the end of the day, we were introduced to sketchnoting… a new strategy for all of us. While we only began to get a glimpse of the building blocks, we already see the potential for academic doodling.

Rewatch the videos from class and continue learning how to sketchnote at BrainDoodles.

Half a Spoon of Rice… and a WHOLE bunch of Determination

Our spelling list this morning sparked some critical conversation. We discussed the synonyms and antonyms listed and really zoomed in on the math vocabulary. Two words that seemed new to us were “urban” and “rural.”

Made with Padlet

To learn more about urban, suburban, and rural, watch the following video.

We then reread Half Spoon of Rice by Icy Smith, our third book about Cambodia. Today’s read generated quite a bit of discussion, which could lead to further inquiries.

In library, Ms. Kraft provided another perspective on our central idea of struggle and survival by sharing a video about the Panyee Football Club on the island of Koh Panyee, Thailand. We were all engaged in these boys’ struggle. (Note: Thailand is another country in our current region of study.)

After music, P.E. and French, we returned to the room to extend our thinking from Friday’s math challenge. For those of you who want to keep thinking, here are the details:

Use what you learned on Friday and the following facts to solve the problems below:

  • A stack of bills 1 inch high has about 250 bills.
  • A ream of paper is 2 inches high.
  • The box holds 10 reams of paper.

Is it possible to fit the reward of one million dollars in $1 bills in your box? Show or explain how you know your answer makes sense.

Ahhh… struggle. SO satisfying!!

Homework for Jan. 28-Feb. 1 (Week 21)

  1. Read for at least 30 minutes each night. Complete the online reading log OR one on paper. (Copies are available in class).
  2. Explore some lessons on IXL.com and / or Khan Academy in the following areas:
    • *Metric Measurement*
    • *Multidigit Multiplication*
    • Logical Reasoning
    • **A Scholar has a goal: This week, we answered 2,776 questions and spent almost 23 hours on IXL. 
  3. Log on and “Launch” into some learning with Everyday Math. (Note: Log on information is in your planner.) **Alert: Any lessons in Unit 3 can be reviewed.**
  4. Reflect back on Week 20 and complete the “Reflection: Learning Habits” form.
  5. Note: Homework is due on Fridays.**Check back later in the week for additional homework related to in-class discussions and activities.

    Announcements

    1. Library is scheduled weekly on Mondays from 9:30 – 10:10 a.m.
      • Be sure to bring your book bag!
    2. P.E. is scheduled weekly on Mondays and Fridays. Come dressed to exercise – sneakers, hat, sunscreen. (Welcome back Mr. Wilson! Thank you, Ms. Toni, for helping us learn badminton, while Mr. Wilson was away!)

Coming Soon

  1. Feb. 18-22 – I Love to Read and Write Week

Main Message, Multiplication, Metric Measurement, and… Mistakes

This morning, we used ideas saved from yesterday’s reading of A Song for Cambodia to complete our summary graphic organizer. Since the story was more complex than The Caged Birds of Phnom Penh, we had to think more critically about the main character’s motivation, conflict, plot, and theme.

We then watched a video featuring the REAL Arn Chorn Pond. In his own words, he shared about his struggle to survive in Cambodia and the different, but equally challenging, struggles he had in his new home in New Hampshire. It was amazing to hear his story and to think about our own stories and the stories of those around us.

In math today, we merged our work with multiplication with the measurement of liquids with the metric system. We created a double number line to help us visualize and compare liters (L) to milliliters (mL). We also used an input-output table to convert the units. Students worked diligently to demonstrate understanding of these concepts, making sure they showed their thinking for each question.

Tomorrow, we will revisit some of our “Favorite No’s,” which were mostly found in multi-step word problems. Since those are most connected to how we use math in real life situations, it will be important for us to identify important information, prepare a plan, and solve with efficient and effective strategies. What we found out today was that we can apply a lot of what we have been learning the last two weeks. Thankfully, we have created multiples sources to which we can refer.

Check out this video from YouCubed (one of my favorite math and mindset resources).

Mistakes

How does this video connect to our central idea related to struggle and survival?

Here’s another one that celebrates the brain-growing power of mistakes.

  • What mistakes can you celebrate today?
  • How did your mistakes provide an opportunity for you to struggle?
  • How did your mistakes help your brain grow?

Challenge: Think of a metaphor or simile to illustrate the power of mistakes?

 

Pondering, Preschool, and PARTitioning

Our second reading of A Song for Cambodia caused us to ponder Arn’s experience more deeply. Before rereading, though, questions were posed about the book’s genre. Is it fiction or nonfiction? If fiction, is it realistic or historical? If nonfiction, is it narrative nonfiction? How can we tell?

Today, we also spent a bit more time talking about the foreword and the afterword, each containing important historical information that made us yearn for more information. What keywords could we use to find out more about this story and whether or not it is true? What other factual information related to the setting (time and place) would help use better understand this story? What kinds of multiple sources would be most helpful? Lots to think and wonder about…

Prior to recess, we headed over to preschool for our first meeting with our buddies in the new year. Everyone was excited to reconnect through play and painting, creating and counting, reading and relaxing. We were extremely grateful to Mr. Matthew and Mrs. van der Merwe for hosting us this week.

                                   

As we continued to build our understanding of more complex multiplication, we applied our work with extended facts to a new model for solving problems. By decomposing factors and PARTitioning area models (a.k.a. the partial product box), we were able to efficiently and effectively solve multi-digit problems. In the days ahead, it will be important to save our ideas, so we can apply them in increasingly complex situations.

 

 

 

Struggling to Survive

On Tuesday, we tackled a tougher text titled A Song for Cambodia by Michelle Lord. This story takes us on a treacherous journey with Arn, a boy from a village in northern Cambodia. With well-chosen words, the author allows us to step into Arn’s shoes (an idiomatic phrase meaning to see life from someone else’s perspective). This story prompted a number of important inquiry questions related to survival and struggle and Cambodia’s history, which we will investigate further in the days ahead.

(Note: I am working on recording a read aloud of this text, which will be posted in your Google Classroom (Stay tuned)).

After French, we continued our work with multiplication extending our extended fact exploration. We also reasoned through the reason for reasonable estimates… an important process for our everyday lives. Students spent significant time working in their Everyday Math workbooks.

After art, we revisited our inquiry topic of survival and struggle by writing about one time we struggled. For some… thinking of or narrowing down a topic was a struggle. A similar assignment is posted in your Google Classroom with the Compass Points: Struggle to Survive activity. There is a description of the task and space to write on the second page of the document.

We ended our day with our first birthday celebration of the new year. Mohammad’s mom brought in a beautifully decorated cake to help us celebrated her son. Special!! Happy Birthday, Mohammad!

          

 

 

 

 

Metaphors and Multiplication

Monday is always our busy day beyond our classroom walls, so we try to make the most of our minutes.

Another list of spelling words sparked some interesting discussion. Several spelling words, in conjunction with a noticing of a holiday listed in our planners, caused curious scholars to connect our central idea to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

If you are interested in learning more about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., check out the following links:

“I Have a Dream” Speech (Full)

A few new words also prompted some scholars to dive into the dictionary. There they found a definition and synonyms that helped us better understand some new vocabulary.

What do you notice about the words? How will you make connections and inquire further?

Made with Padlet

After a very thoughtful discussion, we moved into a second reading of The Caged Birds of Phnom Penh by Frederick Lipp. As we read, we discussed more purposefully the author’s craft and how he created inspiring images painted through a variety of figurative language. We then completed a summary using the SWBST model. The added “Finally” part prompted some serious debate and discussion as we tried to articulate the theme. We also noticed that then main character exhibited a LOT of learner profile traits. (Note: I am working on recording a read aloud of this text, which will be posted in your Google Classroom (Stay tuned)).

Our work with words continued in the library as Ms. Kraft read us the book Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis. There was lots of discussion during the read aloud as we tried to make sense of the nonsensical words the author used. As detectives, we used clues from the pictures, punctuation, and pronunciation to help us understand. We then had an opportunity to try to translate the book into English. Tricky.

While the following isn’t as amazing as a live reading by Ms. Kraft, it will hopefully get your brain thinking. What do these words mean?

After music, P.E., and French, we finished out our day with some fact triangles. This was our first lesson in our new unit about multiplication. We used the visual of the triangle to review the elements of a multiplication equation and how they are related to division. We also learned about extended facts and how our work with place value and multiplying by 10 can help us solve problems efficiently.

Homework for Jan. 21-25 (Week 20)

Thank you to those who are faithfully checking the blog, pensively posting on the padlets, logging in to the various online resources, and carefully completing tasks on Google Classroom. Your efforts and engagement are appreciated!!!

    1. Read for at least 30 minutes each night. Complete the online reading log OR one on paper. (Copies are available in class).
    2. Explore some lessons on IXL.com and / or Khan Academy in the following areas:
      • *Metric Measurement*
      • *Multidigit Multiplication*
      • Logical Reasoning
      • **A Scholar has a goal: Over the break, we answered 3,732 questions and spent almost 43 hours on IXL. 
    3. Log on and “Launch” into some learning with Everyday Math. (Note: Log on information is in your planner.) **Alert: Any lessons in Unit 3 can be reviewed.**
    4. Reflect back on Week 19 and complete the “Reflection: Learning Habits” form.

    Note: Homework is due on Fridays.

    **Check back later in the week for additional homework related to in-class discussions and activities.

    Announcements

    1. Library is scheduled weekly on Mondays from 9:30 – 10:10 a.m.
      • Since we will miss our official library time this week, you will be able to check out books at another time. 
    2. P.E. is scheduled weekly on Mondays and Fridays. Come dressed to exercise – sneakers, hat, sunscreen.
    3. We will be spending time with our buddies on Wednesday at 9:15 a.m.
    4. Report Cards will be distributed on Wednesday.
    5. We will have our first elementary assembly of 2019 on Friday at 8:15 a.m.

Finishing Up with a Full Day on Friday

After a two-day break in recognition of Heroes’ Day, a Congolese national public holiday, we finished our week will a full day of learning.

We began our morning with a brief discussion about Heroes’ Day. We then completed our Compass Points activity by reflecting our our Worries (W) related to struggle and survival and also explored what Excites (E) us about this central idea. Once everyone had recorded ideas, we did a gallery walk of our compass points, reading all the reflections and recording what resonated.

         

Google Classroom: A copy of the document we used in class is posted below. A digital version is posted in your Google Classroom for you to record your ideas.

Made with Padlet

In an effort to dig more deeply into the idea of struggle and survival, we shared a read aloud of the book The Caged Birds of Phnom Penh by Frederick Lipp. Prior to reading, we paused to make predictions about the text, based on the title and Ronald Himler’s illustrations. To guide our predictions and our ponderings, we used a summary-style mneumonic device – SWBST-F (Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then, Finally). This graphic organizer will be used again on Monday when we revisit the text. Then, as we read, we paused after each page to peruse the pictures, ponder the plot, find figurative phrases, and consider connections to our compass point conversation.


Our discussions were deep and diverse, often diverting to delve into interesting individual incidences (here in Kinshasa, in our home countries, and from our travels around the world) that have influenced our ideas and impacted our lives. How will all these things intersect as we conduct our inquiry?

In math, we made another multiple source related to metric conversions and measurement. As we assembled our table, we applied our understanding of fractions and decimals.

Math is Fun: Common Big and Small Numbers

We also connected the final product to another multiple source in our grid book. Which one do you think it is? How can we apply these tools to solve problems?

Khan Academy: Measurement and Data (Log in to Khan Academy through your Google Classroom to learn more and track your progress).

Alert: This video is really for 8th grade thinkers, but you might be able to make some connections to what we’re doing in 4th grade.

French and P.E. got us out of the classroom and moving around, exercising both our bodies and our brains.

To end the day, the 13 problem solvers present put their problem solving skills to work in order to organize our table groups. As we considered how to sort ourselves out into sets of six, specific criteria had to be met. In addition to attending to individual learning needs, final table groups needed to include scholars who were:

  • thinkers (thinking buddies).
  • principled.
  • focused.
  • reflective.
  • self-controlled.
  • bucket fillers.

We are looking forward to testing out our new arrangement with scholars who join us next week and to seeing how we can shape and sharpen one another each day as we inch ever closer to fifth grade.

 

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