Month: April 2019

Amazing Answers, Angles, and Activities

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Today, after spending some time working with our reading groups we reviewed what it means to “reflect on the questions, and respond in complete, thoughtful sentences.” We also our Secret Agent Tip: TTQA (Turn The Question Around) to help STRUCTURE our sentences. Going back in the text and determining the importance of details to justify our thinking is critical.

For example, one of our questions today was:

What do Koly’s mother and grandmother enjoy doing? How does this activity affect Koly?

Which answer do you think is more complete and thoughtful? Why?

  1. Embroidering. Koly learns to do it too to make money and to pass the time.
  2. Koly’s mother and grandmother enjoy embroidering. This skill, passed on to them from many generations before them, enabled them to sew all their hopes and dreams into the cloth… and earn money for the family. For Koly, embroidering allowed her to sew all her worries into stitches and to capture in cloth all the things she loved and valued. Her embroidered quilt was a source of comfort.

As we work though our novel, one goal is to develop the STRUCTURE of our responses and reflections into something solid, sustaining sentences that show scholarly synthesis.

We also explored ideas about angles today by creating and using a valuable angle-measuring tool – a paper protractor. To make the paper protractor, we used what we already know about the attributes of squares, rectangles, and triangles to partition our paper and label. We also tied in our work with fractions and division to help justify our thinking.


Part of our work today involved using benchmark angles to identify angle types and estimate angles sizes.


Our goal is to become increasingly precise in measuring angles using a variety of tools and strategies.

If you want to extend and challenge your thinking, check out the following videos. I learned some things about the origins of the words, which was interesting.

 

To end our day, we took a few minutes to talk about Earth Day, which is coming up on Monday, April 22. We will be participating in a learning exchange with third and fifth grade students, and we will be responsible for creating a set of activities that engage our peers’ in learning and thinking about issues that affect our earth. One big question is, how will we STRUCTURE our time and tasks to make the biggest impact?

 

Homework for Apr. 15-19 (Week 30)

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  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:
    • Math
      • *Division (E.6 – E.10)
      • Unit Conversions (N.1 – N.19) **Multiple Source**
      • Prime and Composite (A.14 – A.15)
      • Word Problems (D. 24, 26, 28)
    • Language
      • Poetry (K.1-K.2)
      • Sentence Variety (P.1) *STRUCTURE*
      • Context Clues (AA.1 – AA.4)
    • **A Scholar has a goal: This week, we answered 3,285 questions and almost 28 hours on IXL. What a great start for our final quarter.
    • Log on and “Launch” into some learning with Everyday Math. (Note: Log on information is in your planner.) **Alert: Any lessons in 5 can be reviewed.**
  3. Reflect back on Week 29 and complete the “Reflection: Learning Habits” form.
  4. 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.
    3. ASAs resume this week.
    4. Student Council Book Drive

Coming Soon

  • April 15 – DRA Testing (Mrs. Rupp will continue reading with each student individually.)
  • April 19 – No School
  • April 26 – Celebration of the Arts
  • April 29 – MAP Testing (Language)
  • May 6 – MAP Testing (Reading)
  • May 13 – MAP Testing (Math)

 

Learner Profile Trait of the Month – BALANCED

A Myriad of Multiple Sources

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As we continue to dive deeply into the text, analyzing different aspects of the literature, wonder-filled words and writer’s craft are key.

One of our tasks will be to solve and create anagrams. Anagrams are words or phrases created by rearranging the letters in other words or phrases. They can be related or unrelated.

For example: The letters in L-I-S-T-E-N can be rearranged to spell S-I-L-E-N-T.

This anagram happens to be a set of related words because when you listen, you are silent.

Another example is the word A-N-A-G-R-A-M. These letters can be rearranged to make the phrase NAG A RAM. The letters in the word have been rearranged to make a phrase. This anagram is, obviously, not related.

To learn more and see additional examples, watch the following video.

Secret Agent Tips: How to Solve Anagrams Effectively

Like anagrams, palindromes provide another way to play with the STRUCTURE of words or phrases.

Scholarly Challenge: Find and post examples of anagrams and palindromes in the padlet below. As an extra scholarly challenge, try to create your own.

Made with Padlet

We will also be discussing “the best figure of speech hands down: hyperbole”. Well, maybe that’s a bit of an overstatement, but that’s the point. Hyperbole is meant to be an exaggeration.

Check out the video below to learn more about hyperbole and to take an opportunity to practice.

Don’t forget to add some of your own examples to our figurative language Padlet.

Since our central idea for our unit is related to STRUCTURE, poetry is a perfect genre to explore as writers. After reflecting on Koly and the events in Homeless Bird so far, we will communicate some of our thinking through the writing of quatrain poems. As you will learn in the following video, one of the elements of a quatrain poem is that it is about a specific subject, we will be able to highlight a big idea or theme from the first chapter.

Multiple Sources:

Finally, some of your work this week will require you to think about text STRUCTURES, specifically sequential or chronological text STRUCTURE.We can use this STRUCTURE to think about Koly’s wedding.

The following video is great because is ties into some ideas explored in our last unit on struggle and survival, explains sequential text STRUCTURE, and highlights brain-crossing strategies that help grow neurons! Whoa! (Oh… how might the growing of neurons relate to STRUCTURE? Hmmm…)

Sequential (a.k.a. Chronological)

Preview

Throughout our reading and analysis of Homeless Bird, we will be learning about these other text STRUCTURES, as well.

Compare and Contrast

Problem-Solution / Cause-Effect 

Structures in Stories and Strategies

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Today was the day we’d all been waiting for… finally beginning to read our new novel – Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan!

After reviewing STRUCTURES students established for their groups, they were ready to jump in to chapter 1.

Students set fluency, expression, comprehension, and reflection goals and put forth tremendous effort to achieve them. Engagement was high and thinking scholarly.

 

Today, we also dug deeper into division by discussing and dappling with a variety of strategies. As you explore each strategy, think about which one is most efficient and effective. Also, really think about which strategy helps you understand the concept of division most deeply.

The Magic of Multiples

The Amazing Area Model


Partial Quotients 

Delving into Dictionaries and Division

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With only 41 days remaining until we become fifth grade scholars, independence, initiative, and insightful inquiry are areas in which we are desiring to demonstrate readiness for the rigor that awaits. As we stepped into our new unit of inquiry on the sustenance of structure, we were ready to shine.

Working in their table groups, students began the day by establishing a structure for their group. Students discussed and established expectations for how they will read, write, speak, and think. In each group, the standards for success were high.

Once the structure was set, students were introduced to the document that will help guide their novel study. Strategically structured, the document is designed to promote independence, initiative, and inquiry. Our first activity, though, was a guided visible thinking routine – creativity hunt. With our central idea of structure in mind, our challenge was to consider an ordinary object from a different perspective. Our object was… a pencil. As we thought about this everyday object, we really exercised our brains and had a rich discussion about a pencil’s purpose, audience, and unique design and structure.

If you are interested, you can push your thinking about pencils further by reading an article featured on the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) website entitled “I, Pencil,” by Leonard E. Read. It’s worth the read! You won’t believe how many people it takes to make a single pencil.

I, Pencil


After analyzing a pencil, students read a brief biography of our author and put into practice our first reading skill – predicting. Based on a synopsis of our text, Homeless Bird, students recorded ideas using what they know about the author, Gloria Whelan, and prior knowledge of books we’ve read by her.

Then it was time to delve into the dictionaries, previewing some new vocabulary words that will be sprinkled throughout the first chapter. Students showed how scholarly they were by using multiple sources, including traditional and online dictionaries. Each group eagerly embraced the challenge with an exciting level of enthusiasm, engagement, and excellence.

Multiple Source: Dictionary Entry

Quote of the Day: “Mrs. Rupp, I feel like there is big ball of neurons exploding in my brain. I am learning so much!” ~ M.W.

Multiple Sources:

As we inquired into our new topic and text, our work was nothing short of amazing!

   

The best part is… the excellence was extended into our math lesson about… division. Division is an always-anticipated aspect of fourth grade math. Today, we used what we knew about multiples, fractions, and area to lay the foundation of our thinking and problem solving. Attentive and active during the lesson, scholars were ready to show what they know when it came time to work with a thinking buddy.

Alert: As you watch the previous video, what is one REALLY important math idea we, as math-magicians, know about extended facts that this video is missing. In other words, what is the mathematical reason why we can use basic facts to help us with extended facts? If giving feedback to the creator of this video, I would encourage her to revise her thinking about how the extended facts are formed.

 

The following image features extended facts for addition, but the creator of this image understands the secret to extended facts. Can you see his or her evidence?

Picture

We are looking forward to digging deeper into division tomorrow with specific division strategies.

 

A Marvelous Monday!

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We are incredibly grateful that Mrs. Wilson was able to join us today as our guest teacher. Settling right back into our routine, we were ready for analysis of spelling words, Jolly Phonics, math practice, and a series of specials. At the end of the day, Mrs. Wilson shared a strong set of compliments. She noticed how much we had grown since her last visit and is looking forward to spending the day with us again next Monday.

At the end of the day, we had an opportunity to document what we already know about our new country of focus – India. Working in our new table groups, we completed the first three portions of a KWHLAQ table – What do we KNOW about India? What do we WANT to know about India? and HOW do we plan to find out more? Over the course of the next few weeks, as we dive into our new inquiry on structure, we will expand our knowledge based and be able to document our LEARNING. Hopefully, an ACTION and addition QUESTIONS will result, as well.

      

We finished off our first day back with some festivities. What a better way to break the break than with a birthday and brownies. As someone who shares smiles and conveys caring generously each and every day, it was truly a privilege to sing and celebrate Cadence, a gift to our class.

      

Homework for Apr. 8-12 (Week 29)

lrupp Classroom Community, Homework, Learner Profile, Literacy, Math, P.E., TASOK 0 Comment
  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:
    • Math
      • *Division (E.1 – E.5)
      • Data and Graphs (J.9 – J.12)
      • Prime and Composite (A.14 – A.15)
      • Word Problems (R.15)
    • Language
      • Reference Skills (BB.1 – BB.4)
      • Organizing Writing (L.1 – L.3)
      • Text Structure (C.1 – C.5)
    • **A Scholar has a goal: Over break, we answered 5,898 questions and over 52 hours on IXL. Another great week of learning!
    • Log on and “Launch” into some learning with Everyday Math. (Note: Log on information is in your planner.) **Alert: Any lessons in 5 can be reviewed.**
  3. Reflect back on Week 28 and complete the “Reflection: Learning Habits” form.
  4. 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.
    3. No ASAs this week.

Coming Soon

  • April 8 – DRA Testing (Mrs. Rupp will begin reading with each student individually.)
  • April 12 – Progress Reports
  • April 13 – TASOK Gala
  • April 15 – ASAs resume.
  • April 19 – No School
  • April 26 – Celebration of the Arts
  • April 29 – MAP Testing (Language)
  • May 6 – MAP Testing (Reading)
  • May 13 – MAP Testing (Math)

 

Learner Profile Trait of the Month – BALANCED

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