Nidey's Notes

We are finishing up Unit 3 for Everyday Mathematics. We have had fun with this unit. The students practiced measuring to the nearest 1/2 inch, centimeter, foot, etc. by measuring different items in the classroom and different parts of their body. They have made multiple polygons using different size straws and twist ties. Experimenting with perimeter, the students measured the distance around each shape. We explored perimeter and area using geoboards, variety of triangles we made out of straws and tiling rectangles with different sized patter-block. I believe these manipulatives have helped the students in understanding the concepts and they have fun with the activities while learning. We will be taking Unit 3 Assessment on Wednesday, November 4. Therefore, you can look for your child to take their assessment home on Thursday. The pictures show some of the activities that children have done throughout this unit. I am very pleased in all the students’ progress.

During writing time the students are focusing on the writing process. They have been working with a piece of writing they started in Unit 1 from the first draft through publication. The published pieces of writing will be added to our classroom library for everyone to read. While revising their drafts, the students have reread their work critically adding sensory details, replacing overused words with new and interesting words, exploring strong opening sentences, and brainstorming an effective title for their piece of writing. Next step is proofreading before publishing a final draft.

For our first Science unit, we are learning about our Solar System. As a class we completed a KWL chart that lists out what we already know about the sun, planets, moon and space. We then made a list of questions that we will inquire about. Students will be working cooperatively to discover interesting facts about each of the planets, their order, as well as understand the movement of the sun, moon, and Earth.

Check out two FUNNY teachers reading Yo! Yes? by Chris Rashka. We are looking for thoughts about how you develop friendships in your corner of the world. View the video comment in the comment section and let us know what you think.

A few days ago we had a discussion in our room about the future. I asked the students where they were going to go to college. Many of the students said they had never thought about college before. We had an interesting conversation about the importance of thinking about the future and every child decided on a college or branch of the military to look at. Click on Our Future Choices page at the top of the blog to see where our class is headed in 2019. We will check in with students later on this year to see if they have changed their plans.

I just wanted to let you know that we have completed Unit 1 for math. Today your child will bring home their assessment from this unit. Please look over this with your child and send it back to school with them tomorrow. I have been very impressed with how the students did throughout our first unit. It is important to remember that the curriculum will continue to spiral throughout the year. We are excited to begin Unit 2!

In our attempt to reach out to 21st Century Learners, our class is joining up with Mr. Barrett’s fifth grade class for Tech Buddies. We will be getting together once a week for thirty minutes every Friday. Currently our students are working together to connect with students and classrooms all around the world. Within the past week, we have connected with classrooms located in New Zealand, Thailand, Australia, Canada and the U.S.

During this time we will also be introducing the students to a variety of websites and software programs that will enhance their learning in all curricular areas. We will explore different types of technology (flip cameras, mp3 players, GPS systems, document cameras, etc). The students always amaze us when they are given the opportunity to be 21st Century Learners.

#5 We would like to challenge ourselves as writers.

#4 It is a great way for our teacher to get new ideas from others to challenge his own thinking and also our thinking.

#3 Connecting globally with others is an important life skill.

#2 Teamwork will be used to reach out to the new friends we meet.

#1 We are 21st Century Learners!

Let us know by posting a comment why you have entered the Blogging Challenge. We can’t wait to see your thoughts. Please let us know in your comment where you are from.

What did you learn from the game Beat the Calculator today? Leave a comment on this post and explain the game to your parents tonight. You may even want to try this game with your family.

During our social studies time we have been working on key elements of a map. We are also  learning about different types of communities. We discussed Rural, Suburban and Cities with the students. They have shared similarities and differences between these. 

We have also looked at our map on the blog and created flags for the countries that have visited our site. Throughout the year we will continue to work on geography skills using our blog site.