Happy Halloween!

Oh boy! I can sure tell these kiddos went trick-or-treating last night! C-razy! :)
Our morning was a hodge podge of stuff: graphing for those that chose to complete an assignment for my OSU course, Numbers of the Week, M4T assessment, LEGO characters and setting... After gym, we read more from Number the Stars. Students are beginning to get a good picture of how good we have it these days. In Reader's Workshop, we completed a critical thinking activity on "Like Magic," about theme and author's craft. Then, we used QR codes to come up with characters and settings for Halloween stories. We also read independently and visited the library if it was our day. We started outside for recess but it started to rain so recess finished indoors. Afterwards, in Math, we continued with multiple digit multiplication, word problems and writing equations. Our day concluded with working on our weathering Science experiments.

Really?!

The kiddos were crazy today...and that is BEFORE they get the candy!! I'm scared for tomorrow...
Some students have volunteered to participate in my Ohio State class homework so they might be sorting and counting their candy tonight. Thank you in advance for letting them stay up a few extra minutes to do this!
This morning, we worked on our numbers of the week and Rock and Roll Spelling which they had a lot of fun with. After gym, we began a new read aloud, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. This is historical fiction and takes place during the holocaust. We are discussing setting and it's importance while reading this book. In Reader's Workshop, we blogged and read and some visited the library. After recess, we had a Number-ish Talk where students solved multiplication word problems. They did awesome! We then moved on to harder multiplication problems and again, they did awesome! Some that never seemed to grasp understanding of place and value or addition and subtraction are really understanding multiplication and we're talking tough multiplication like 52 x 15! Kudos to you and whatever you are doing at home to help out! Our day concluded with setting up our Science experiments for weathering.
Be safe Trick-or-Treating!

Yaaawwwnnn!

It took us quite awhile to get going this morning... Everyone was sooo tired after the amazing fall concert! Our morning was a hodge podge of things. We completed Wednesdays part of our Numbers of the Week, finished our Branches of Government from yesterday, prove-it to show silent consonant patterns and continued developing our characters and settings for our LEGO stories. (Next week, we'll be ready to "show" our story maps using LEGO's so any that you are able to donate, please do so this week!) After special, we finished Nightmare at the Book Fair with fiction for girls...OMG! :) What did your child think about the book? Did they find a new genre to try out? In Reader's Workshop, we read and read and read. Columbus State bloggers finished their blogs and some worked on their Story Works but for the most part, students read independently. By choice! They LOVE to read!! Instead of recess, some kiddos came into the room and watched a LIVE cooking demonstration from the White House Kitchen with Sam Kass about nutrition. He made a recipe from the Ohio winner of the Kids; State Dinner contest. Visit letsmove.gov to find more information and a TON of healthy recipes developed by kids! In Math Workshop, we modeled with math and persevered through problem solving with multiplication and division. Students worked pretty hard and were really good! Hopefully, they have the confidence now to know they CAN do this! Finally, we ended our day with Science and designing weathering experiments.

Yuck!

This weather is yucky! I was out this morning to take Adison to the pulmonologist but Mrs. Riches was in again and everything went swimmingly! In Writing, they focused on the details of their setting and in Reading, continued working on characters and how they change over time. After lunch and OUTSIDE recess (the rain hit later!), we worked on multiples in Math. Students have learned the bits and pieces of multiplication: prime and composite numbers, factors, multiples and basic facts; and tomorrow will be applying all of these things to solve multiplication problems in the real world. After math, we showed our understanding of the branches of government by making trees! (Check out some pictures of them on twitter @ADE4thGrade.)

See you at the concert tonight! No sooner than 6:30 pm in room B154 at Bradley HS.

Productive day

Overall, today seemed like a productive day. I hope your kiddo felt like that too...
This week, we are working with number sense for morning work. Students have 2 numbers of the week. Each day, they have tasks to complete for each number. Today, they needed to write each number is word, standard and expanded form. They also had to draw their numbers, using base-10 blocks, in two different ways. (5 students went to Bradley to practice for in-between acts for the fall concert tomorrow and were gone until about 11:30.) In Writer's Workshop, we continued adding detail to our LEGO characters. Students are realizing that the more detail they add, the more interesting the character. Today was gym--no concert rehearsal! We finished up the fantasy chapter in Nightmare at the Book Fair and it was hilarious! Ask your child what their favorite part of Trip's adventure they liked best. Then, they had time to read independently, visit the library, blog and read Like Magic from Story Works during Reader's Workshop. Recess was gorgeous! We had a chat about taking it easy on the playground...things have been a little rough lately. In Math Workshop, we continued our inquiry into prime numbers and found why they are so special. Finally, we ended the day with some videos (and karaoke?) about weathering and erosion.

TGIF

Woohoo! We made it through another week! Today, we celebrated another full Mr. Potato-Head with a stuffed animal day. Our morning consisted of rehearsal for fall concert, rehearsal for fall concert and rehearsal for fall concert! (I tweeted quite a few pictures during practice!) This afternoon, we worked more with factors and multiples and through this work, got a preview into prime numbers. Our day ended with a Weathering and Erosion video for Science (with stuffed animals, of course...).

Yesterday, our schedule was a crazy mess! I was out Wednesday afternoon for a meeting with the other 4th grade teachers and then had to be out yesterday afternoon as well with a sick kiddo. I didn't want them to miss my instruction in Math 2 days in a row, so we had Math Workshop in the morning and discussed factors and made posters with arrays and factor rainbows to show our understanding. In Writer's Workshop, we continued with character descriptions of our LEGO characters. Mrs. Kline was in for the afternoon and they worked with the story "Beast of Loch Ness" in Story Works and Mrs. Riley, our technology teacher, came in to finish up with Google Maps and Mystery Skype preparation. We are almost ready for our practice run through!

Typical

Today was a typical day this week-one of only two we'll have! We began by working on some problem solving math work. Then, we read Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman and discussed the character traits of Grace. Then, students had a chance to read other books and describe the main character using a list of character traits. Finally, they added to their descriptions of LEGO characters they made yesterday by adding some character traits. After music, we finished the historical fiction chapter in Nightmare at the Book Fair and read the Intermission 2--Easy Reader about Reed McReedy and began the animal fiction chapter. Trip is a cat in this chapter and not happy! Then, we read independently, some blogged and we worked with the "Beast of Loch Ness" informational text story in our Story Works magazines. Some students are in book clubs and are reading chapter books and meeting periodically to discuss the books. Ask your kiddo what they are reading. Unfortunately, we had indoor recess and students informed me that there was some pillow fighting happening...hopefully, your child was not involved. Anyway, we did not earn our final potato head piece--maybe tomorrow. In Math, we started with a 100 multiplication fact 5 minute timed test. I think the highest score was a 43... yikes! We need to get these mastered in order to make multi-digit multiplication and division less challenging. We then noticed multiplication in quite a few books and read Amanda Beans' Amazing Dream by Cindy Neuschwander about how multiplication is nothing more than counting in a more efficient way. We worked along with Amanda to count sheep's legs, balls of yarn, cookies in the bakery window, etc. Then, we practiced our basic facts with a color by number as well as our extended facts and other practice problems. (How many legs would 7 beetles have?) We finished our day with discussing Mystery Skype job descriptions and then practicing using the technology we will use during Mystery Skype. We can't wait but decided it is better to take our time to learn everything correctly than to look like fools during our first skype because we don't know what we're doing! :)

Tomorrow will be crazy!! Rehearsal is from 9:20-11:45 and then I'm at a meeting, here at school, from 12:00 to the end of the day. There will be a substitute in the class. They will be working oodles more with basic multiplication facts and then Mrs. Vidic will be in for Guidance.

Marvelous

I was out for a doctor appointment this morning and the substitute said that the class was amazing! Kudos~we earned a potato head piece! The morning was also a weird schedule due to rehearsal and will be a few times this week actually.
This afternoon, we received our math tests back-which they are supposed to show you tonight. We also read Marshall, the Courthouse Mouse and learned about the judicial branch of government.

Because I'm happy!

Today was a great day! It was completely crazy and out of sorts with crazy socks, a weird schedule and a Math assessment but we enjoyed ourselves anyway. We began the day practicing writing our names in cursive. We discussed about being able to read cursive and write our signature. (I noticed on the math test that some signed their name on it!) Then, we finished writing our Harris Burdick stories and shared them. Most were creepy but I guess they really got into the "mystery" part of The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. We had rehearsal today-which ran over into Reading but OMG-I got goosebumps when they sang, "Roar!" I can't wait for you to see the fall concert! :) After lunch and outdoor recess (we really lucked out this week), we took the dreaded Math Assessment...duh, duh, duuuhhh! I am not that excited to grade them, unfortunately. I think they are ready and we've spent SO long on these basics but they are just not used to taking tests and showing their work and checking back over their work. I handed about 8 tests back to students that either forgot to answer or some forgot whole pages! I'll grade them this weekend and send them home on Monday. The test took the majority of the afternoon so as we finished, we read, wrote, blogged or worked on government crossword puzzles.

Almost there

We are almost finished with this short, crazy week...almost...  We began our day with a maze and word search, just for fun. Then, we continued writing our Harris Burdick stories. I can't wait to hear them tomorrow! Trip was stuck in the Dictionary today in Nightmare at the Book Fair but then woke up in space! Will he get to walk on the moon with Neil, Buzz and Mike?? In Reader's Workshop, we compared and contrasted Minecraft with Lego's. How are they similar? Different? It seems ucky out but we made it through outdoor recess! Then, in Math, we practiced more for our first assessment tomorrow. We had our first Lockdown drill and then for Social Studies, we learned about the Legislative branch of government by reading House Mouse, Senate Mouse.

Busy, busy!

Wow! Today was a busy day and I'm sorry for not posting yesterday but I had a meeting after school and then a paper due for my Ohio State class and when I finally sat down, it was after 8:00 pm and I was EXHAUSTED! So...here's our week so far...
In Writer's Workshop, we began working on a shared writing. We read, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg which introduced us to some amazing illustrations and such a mysterious story behind them. Using these pictures as inspiration for a story, we got into groups and began writing. We continued this work today. One student said, "There are just so many ideas that I have!!" LOVE that! I tweeted about this yesterday and tagged @HarrisBurdick_ and he responded to our tweet!! Cool! Wait...I thought he was dead?! Even more mysteries and even more intrigue and interest in Writer's Workshop! We read Science Fiction and Humor in Nightmare at the Book Fair during Read Aloud. Ask your kiddo about "Boogers and Snot!" :) In Reader's Workshop, we got our October edition of Story Works and read about Minecraft. The room was silent. Today, we worked with the same Paired Texts about Minecraft and Lego's and focused on new vocabulary. See if your child knows what 'drab' means. After lunch and recess yesterday, we received our study guide/review sheet for our first assessment. We worked on the practice sheet and our assessment will be Thursday. The best way to study for math is to practice and re-work problems. I have opened some challenges on Mangahigh and ST Math too that could be helpful. Today, in place of Math, we watched a live interview with Lemony Snicket--well, actually, Daniel Handler, who spoke on behalf of Lemony Snicket. This man is hilarious!! We tweeted a question but ours didn't get picked. :( Then, we spent an hour in an extremely hot music room to watch the Fire Safety video with Norwich Township Fire Department. We received major kudos that because our students know so much about fire safety, we only have about 1 fire per month in Hilliard. Keep up the safety! Do you have an escape plan? Finally, we began learning about the three branches of government in Social Studies yesterday. We read, Woodrow, the White House Mouse and learned about the Executive Branch of our government. Then, we worked on a crossword puzzle about this branch. We also watched the School House Rocks video about the branches called "3-Ring Circus." I love School House Rocks!

EdCamp

Really, the only thing you'll probably hear about from your kiddo today is all about EdCamp. It really was a lot of fun and neat to work with kiddos at all grades and from both buildings. Have conversations with your child about what they did and their thoughts on this type of learning.

(We did do some reading, writing and math but who cares?! It was all about EdCamp today!)

Even better

Today was even better than yesterday. Thank you!

This morning, we continued to work on our Punctuation Personification and Rockin' Rats StoryWorks activities. Students are practicing/learning figurative language and paragraph writing by completing these. Then, we met with our buddies! We read, Spookley, the Square Pumpkin and talked about how we are all different and love these differences about each other. Then, we made pumpkins...in all different shapes and colors and embellishments! LOVE! (Check twitter for pics @ADE4thGrade) After special, we read the Sports Fiction and Adventure chapters in Nightmare at the Book Fair. Then, we continued our work with the Time For Kids and analyzing a new story as well as reading independently and visiting the media center. It was another indoor recess day...boo! Our Number Talk today, consisted of number patterns and creating the rule for finding the next numbers. We practiced this algebraic thinking in Math and ended, as always, with independent math. We finished our day with Social Studies and working on landforms and water forms.

Better

Today was better but we still have work to do. Thank you for talking with your children at home. It made a big difference today that they know that we have this partnership.

To begin our day, we looked at reading an Infographic and taking the bits of information and formatting into a summarizing paragraph. We also proved that we know our word study generalization by finding 10 words that fit the pattern. Our new book for read aloud is Nightmare at the Book Fair by Dan Gutman. Each chapter of this book highlights/is written in a different genre and over-exaggerates the characteristics of that genre. Ask your child about today's Horror section and Professor Psycho! :) Then, we worked with our TFK, read, blogged, visited the library, etc. In Math, we completed 3 x 149 in Number Talks and they were great! Ask your kiddo how they solved that challenging problem. Then, we continued our pattern work and completed some In and Out boxes. We ended our day with Guidance with Mrs. Vidic.

Frustrated.

We began the day with another activity from our Story Works magazine about personification-giving human characteristics to something non-human, in this case, punctuation. Then, we sorted our words and found the familiar generalization of "when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking." Hopefully, since this generalization is familiar, we'll have an ok time proving it tomorrow! In Writer's Workshop, we continued to publish our small moment stories. If your child is still not finished, maybe they can work on it some at home as we typed them up in Google Apps. If they don't finish during class tomorrow, I'll have them bring their rough drafts home. Thanks for your help with getting these completed! We finished Wonder...sniff...sniff... What did your kiddo think of the book?! In Reader's Workshop, we continued with our Time For Kids work and reading independently while some blogged and/or visited the Media Center. We had a good Number Talk today to show that by knowing, truly knowing, those basic multiplication facts, they can really solve any problem. The problem that taught them this was 4 x 49. No big deal! I pointed out that they have so much confidence during mental math that they should carry this into all aspects of math! After our Number Talk, we looked at patterns on the number line and then patterns within a growing staircase. They are doing really well with this. Finally, we continued our work with landforms in Social Studies.

Now to the frustration. These 26 children (yes, Karleigh moved :( ) are amazing! I hold them at such a high level of expectation because they are so wonderful. So today, when the room was atrocious and they were socializing and keeping each other from working, I got very frustrated. Please help remind your child that when it is time to work, they need to get to work. Also, are their rooms really messy at home?! Some of them are SOOOO messy!! :) We'll work on it, no biggie, just wanted you to be aware so you could reinforce this at home too. Thank you for all you do!!

Soggy day...

It started raining just as we were headed out for recess...bummer! Instead of daily language review, this week, we will be working in our Story Works on some of the extra features. Today, they worked on the Grammar Cop section that dealt with capitalization. We also worked on Math 4 Today and then took a pre-test in Word Study. In Writer's Workshop, we either finished our publishing of our small moment stories or free wrote. We are almost finished with Wonder. Auggie is graduating 5th grade! We should be finished with it tomorrow. I'm excited but sad...this is such a great read! In Reader's Workshop, we worked with informational text in Time For Kids and completed comprehension questions over 2 of our StoryWorks stories. There was also time to read independently or visit the media center. We moved on to patterns in numbers and algebraic thinking. The students did great but they are building their own walls thinking that because it is called "algebra" they can't do it. They are good thinkers and I believe will do well this week. **I've asked them to practice their basic multiplication facts this week. This will help when we move on to multi-digit multiplication.** We ended our day learning about landforms in Social Studies. Ask to see your child's masterpiece we made!

TGIF

Friday mornings are pretty busy...daily language, M4T assessment, word study games... We didn't have a lot of time to continue publishing our stories but we'll try for more time next week. In Wonder, Auggie never found his hearing aids. He wasn't going to tell anyone what happened that night in the woods but word got around and the principal and teachers found out and took care of him and made sure that his parents were aware of what happened and that he was ok. He returned from his school trip and his parents were super excited to see him. They even got him a new puppy! We completed our work on theme from Pandora's Box and read independently. Some students were able to blog as well. In Math, we finished our word problems with QR codes as answers. So fun!! Finally, we brought out the ancient artifact, our Ohio textbook... ooooooo... :) We read a little about Ohio's geography and got some practice with informational text too.

Thoughtful

Our morning routine is getting more, well, routine...We completed our daily language review, Math 4 Today and then they got started on vocabulary for 4 of their words. Once all of that was completed and we watched the ADE news, they picked up right where they left off with their small moment stories. Some are almost finished publishing! In Reader's Workshop, Auggie fits in more with his peers and is feeling more accepted and even gained a few more friends, however, he got into a tussle with some big kids and lost his hearing aids! Will he find them? What's going to happen next? Students also solved some unknown mythological vocabulary and tried to discover the theme of "Pandora's Box." After lunch and recess, we continued our work with addition and subtraction word problems and continued writing our own. I am very impressed where they are as of now with their addition and subtraction and word problem writing skills. Now, if only they would check their work for accuracy and precision, their exit slips might show me this! We took a brief intermission during Math to learn Google Maps with Mrs. Riley, our new technology teacher. We are hoping to begin Mystery Skype and this is something that we'll use to help figure out where they school is that we are skyping with. Ask your child to show you how it works! (And check out our tweets about today's lesson... Green Bay Ocean?!)

What day is it?!

We had a busy morning! Students completed their daily language review, Math 4 Today and then found 10 words to fit this week's generalization. Afterwards, we published (or continued in the writing process) our small moment stories. We had a good amount of time for writing today because our special time was moved to 10:30 for rehearsal...which lasted until 11:30 so Reader's Workshop was cut pretty short. We did have time to read through Pandora's Box and a little bit of time to go to the library or read independently. After lunch and recess, we practiced adding and subtracting with word problems and then wrote our own word problems. We will be typing these up and displaying the answers as QR codes out in the hall. So cool that this is interactive for other students. Our exit slip today was better but there are still students that are not showing understanding with addition and subtraction...keep practicing at home! We took an assessment to show understanding of the balance project we did in Science and from what I've seen, they totally got what I had wanted them to get--Woohoo! Then, we completed our Ohio Studies Weekly that we began yesterday over Ohio's Regions.