Apologies

Parents:

I apologize for not updating the blog for the past week.  I have been sick since right after Thanksgiving and started an anitbiotic on Monday night... I am slowly starting to feel better and promise to start updating the blog and teacherease reminder emails very soon.  Thank you for understanding.

Mr. McD!

Tuesday, November 20th

• Breakfast 
• Writing:  Thank You Letters
• Prep - In Auditorium 
• Reading:
• Reading the Weather - Session 9.  The focus today was doing research on the same topic.  The second time you read an article, your focus is now to see if what you read adds to what you already know, or challenges what you already know.  You take in information from various sources and then synthesize the information and come up with understandings on the topic that might change.
• Students then had 30-40 minutes to continue looking up information and adding the information they found to their categories.  We will wrap up our research tomorrow.
• Math:
• We started by reviewing our homework.  Then we moved into GoMath Lesson 5.2 on making a list to check factors for numbers.  After students did group work, we had a quiz to check for understanding.  Tonight they will be doing practice 5.2 for homework.
• Lunch / Recess
• Social Studies
• We have been studying New York Natives.  The Haudenosaunee which are also known as The Iroquois.  Students have been working on learning the Thanksgiving Address that the natives used to say before gatherings.  We filmed their parts today and I will try my hardest to upload the video.
• Thanksgiving Address Video Link

Homework:

• Thanksgiving Packet - Day 2
• Math Practice 5.2

Monday, November 19th

• Dance With Mr. Nunez (held in classroom because Mr. Nunez was out).
• Book Fair in Library
• Math 
• GoMath Chapter 5 - Lesson 1
• Finding Factors of numbers through modeling.  We used counters to model different ways to factor numbers.  Like the number 12 can be shown as 1 x 12, 2x6, 3x4....   Then we learned how to write the factors in order of least to greatest without duplicating a factor.

• Reading:
• Reading the Weather Session 8 - Planning a Research Project. 
• We broke into groups of 3 and then students picked a topic from 6 weather conditions.  The group decided which of the six sub topics they would research so that they didn't copy each other.  They worked at gathering information to add to their boxes and bullets for that topic.  
• Writing
• The Art of Information Writing - Lesson 5  Organizing Matters in Texts Large and Small
• Students worked on organizing their research for their own nonfiction topic (book).  They were tasked at reading a section, taking notes, and "writing" a chapter about that subtopic.
• Students also started writing thank you notes for ETA Hand2Mind who donated a math fluency pack to our classroom.  Saying Thank You is always a must when people do nice things for you!

Homework:

• Homework Packet Section 1 (Math and Mayflower)
• GoMath 5.1 Practice
• Reading - Continue to research your topic for class activity

Rainy Tuesday

• Music with Ms. Young
• ELA Catch Up
• We had to reread the articles from Friday in our Scholastic Weekly.  Then students made sure they finished their MAIN IDEA graphic organizer for the main article, and then finished their opinion letter for the second article.  This was supposed to be finished on Friday, so since it wasn't finished, we played catch up!
• Reading:
• We did the mini-lesson for TC Reading the Weather section 6.  The focus was how to attack the tricky words you encounter in nonfiction texts.  The said we would "Look In and Around the words" to try and figure out the meaning.  Inside means looking at root words, prefixes, and suffixes.  Looking around the word means looking at the text, the pictures, the rest of the paragraph to see if we can figure out the word.  We also said trying substituting similar wards to see if they make sense.  Students will make a WORD BANK in the back of their reading notebook to keep track of new words they learn.
• Math:
• Picked up the homework and went over the Friday FRIZ to look at misunderstandings.  Then we moved into the last lesson of the chapter - GoMath 3.7.  It was using multiplication in multi-step word problems.  After reading and doing many problems together, students practiced by doing the PRACTICE we normally do for homework as YOU DO work.  We checked it.  Students have to work on the Chapter Review for homework.  ONLY questions they don't understand will be explained before we do the unit test tomorrow.
• Writing/Social Studies:
• We combined writing with social studies.  We read a text "Native American History: The Iroquois people" We practiced using a highlighter to ONLY highlight key words and phrases.  NO COLORING THE PAGE with highlighter.  It is just important information.  After reading the article, we looked at the questions attached to the reading.  Then we talked about MAIN IDEA and Supporting Details for the article (Writing).  Students came up with the main idea, and then they had to work on getting details that support this main idea from the text.  Many didn't finish so it became homework.

Homework:

1. Math Chapter 3 Review (test tomorrow)
2. ELA Packet - page 1/2 should be complete
3. Reading - Reading Log and create a WORD BANK in your reading notebook (5-7 words tonight)
4. Writing - Finish your Boxes and Bullets from class

Friday, November 9

• Sadly, I had to get a root canal, so I was not at school today.  I was in the dentist chair from 10:45AM until 1PM.  

The plans I left were...

• Guided Math Friday
• Friday Math Quiz - FRIZ!
• Then, students had a review of the skills we have learned in chapters 1 - 3 of the GoMath book.  
• After completing that, they were to get with partners and work on some math problems on their desk.
• There was a math packet left (review) for students to work on over the long weekend for homework.
• Guided ELA Friday
• I left an issue of Scholastic News Weekly Reader for students to work on with the teachers.  As part of the skill review, they had to do a Main Idea graphic organizer looking at a nonfiction text by each section (boxes and bullets style).  They also had to do an opinion letter based on the Pro/Con article (another nonfiction structure) they read.  Finally they had to complete a reading comprehension check of the entire magazine by taking the end of the magazine quiz.
• Science
• Students read an article about 10 fascinating facts about ecosystems and had to answer four comprehension questions.  This will get them ready for the nonfiction we will be reading next week and the project they will work on over the holiday.

Homework

• Math review Sheet
• ELA homework packet #9 (passed out early since no school on Monday)
• Reading - Reading Log and Boxes and Bullets notes

Thursday, November 8th

• Digital Literacy - Advertising 
• Math
• GoMath Lesson 3.6 - Picking a method to solve double digit multiplication problems.
• After going over the lesson, we did problems in a variety of ways.  After I do and we do, students went off to use the dry erase markers and their table tops to solve 8 more problems.  We checked them to make sure we had understanding.  Students who finished became student teachers and helped other who needed help.  Others worked on their nonfiction books until we were ready to discuss.

• ART
• Reading:
• We combined our reading and writing today.  We went over the steps of taking our notes and turning them into paragraphs.  After modeling, students were instructed to return to their nonfiction texts the have ALREADY READ (so they didn't have to read for comprehension, but for gathering information), and do a series of notes on what they had already read.  They had between 15-20 minutes to go back, reread that last chapter, and take notes using the boxes and bullets we worked with yesterday.  Once they did that, I stopped them and modeled turning notes into paragraphs.  We stressed you don't just write your notes, you create a hybrid paragraph combing the notes with your own personal writing voice.

• Lunch
• Reading/Writing:  
• Students had a little time after lunch to finish their writing from their boxes and bullets.  Those who didn't finish were asked to finish for homework.
• Science:
• Lesson 3.7 - Underground Farmers ( Earthworms as Decomposes)

Homework:

• Math - GoMath 3.6 Practice
• ELA Packet - Finish - Due Friday!
• Reading/Writing - reading log, boxes and bullets, finish paragraphs if necessary

Wednesday, November 7th

• Digital Literacy Lesson: 
• Citing sources you use online.  After looking at videos and discussing, passed out take home for parents and students.
• Math:
• Practice with multiplying 2digit x 2 digit using area models.  Students worked with partners to complete 16 problems.  After checking each other, they turned papers over and solved 6 word problems too.  
• Library:
• Ms. Sestak took students to the library to allow them to check out new books and quiz since they missed their Tuesday library day.
• Math:
• Groups finished their group work.  Those who finished early were given choice to work on Ipad's with math games, read their nonfiction books, or decorate room for Thanksgiving.
• PE:
• Students had Mr. Hoffman for Gym today.
• Writing:
• We read one of our articles from reading "TSUNAMI".  I modeled how to read a nonfiction text and take notes carefully with a highlighter, only doing small chunks of information.  Then I modeled doing Boxes and Bullets to take notes from a text.  Students then practiced the skill using the article Yum Yum, Plants That Eat Meat.
• Lunch
• Writing/Science:
• Students finished their boxes and bullet note-taking from earlier.  Then we read a new Science article about the Mangrove Swamps and the ECOSYSTEMS they create.  Students answered 6 comprehension questions on the article.

Homework:

• Math:  Multiplication Review QUIZ - Examples on one side, 4 quiz questions on back!
• ELA:  Day 3 of ELA Packet
• Reading:  Reading Log

Monday, November 2nd

• Digital Citizen Lesson:  
• You've Won a Prize - what to do if you get SPAM.
• Math:
• Problem of the day and subtraction fluency review
• Lesson 3.5 - multiplying multi digit numbers using regrouping.
• Practiced with pages 171-173
• Students paired up and worked on 2 digit by 2 digit problems on their desk with the dry erase markers. They checked each other's work and discussed what errors might have been made. 
• homework:  175-176

• Reading:
• Teacher's College Reading the Weather - Session 5 - The Challenges Posed by Texts that Are Structured as Hybrids.
• The focus was understanding that some text have both nonfiction and fiction elements and you have to read them differently.  
• I passed out a packet of articles to practice looking at the text through a narrative lens or nonfiction lens.  They will continue this work tonight.

• Writing:
• The Art of Informational Writing:  
• Lesson 3 – New Structures Lead to New Thinking
• The focus was on different ways to structure writing.
• Science:
• Lesson 3.5 - Creatures of the Night
• Read nonfiction text, discuss, answer questions to show understanding.

Homework:

1. Math Practice 3.5
2. ELA packet - Section 1 and 2 (Monday and Tuesday)
3. Reading:  Pick 2-3 articles from packet to mark (S/I) and look at how they are structured
4. Reading/Writing:  read nonfiction books / take notes from sections in ordered way based on writing lesson