Learning About Research

For the past few weeks we have been busy preparing to do our first research project with Ms. Zbacnik. In guided reading groups, we practiced locating important information in what we read.  Next, we spent time exploring and learning about non-fiction features such as table of contents and index.

On Monday, we thought of some questions we would want to answer in our research about Thanksgiving.  We came up with three big ideas; Thanksgiving Today, Thanksgiving Long Ago and Food.  We prepared a note taking sheet and headed to the library to meet with Ms. Zbacnik.

On Tuesday, Ms. Z helped us to know how to find facts, how to record them and how to site the books we used.  It was a lot of work, but we had some good information that we could use for our Symbol Book.

Busy researching with Ms. Z!

On Wednesday afternoon we used our notes to write a paragraph that used most of our information.  We wrote a topic sentence and then several sentences with interesting and important information about Thanksgiving.  It was a lot of work!

Thursday and Friday

Thursday during Literacy we learned about non-fiction features.  We learned about the purpose of the table of contents, index, glossary and title page.  We had the chance to practice finding and using these things in real books!  It was lots of fun to work together and read about an animal.  We will put these skills to use next week when we do some research with Ms. Zbacnik in the library!

We love to read!

On Thursday we also learned about the parts of a letter.  We wrote a class letter to Mrs. Brink.  We found out we will be writing letters to our fifth grade buddies.

Our first letter - Pretty good!

On Friday, we started writing to our buddies.  We did a pre-wirte first and jotted down some ideas of what we could include in our letters.  Then, we started our rough draft of our letter.  It is very fun writing to a new friend.  

Busy writing!

We earned extra recess for working hard during Literacy Workshop!  It was such a nice day outside we didn't even need jackets!

Recess friends

Playing together

Determining Importance

For the past few weeks we have been learning another good reader strategy called determining importance.  Good readers are always thinking about what is the important information in a text.  Often they need to separate interesting from important information.  

Today we talked about this chart below.  When we start reading a book, it is like the noodles in a pot of water.  While we read, our brain acts likes the strainer and separates the important information from the interesting information.  By the time we are done reading, our brain has held onto the "noodles" or important information.

Our example with a pot and a strainer

Searching for "noodles" as we read.

Mrs. Biros working with a group to find the "noodles."

Monday Fun!

Today we had the chance to finish our Pigeon project.  Last Friday we learned how to draw Pigeon from Mo Willems famous Pigeon series.  It was lots of fun to draw Pigeon and we learned how to change small things, such as the eyes, to show different emotions in Pigeon.

Today we wrote three sentences about our picture.  We have been learning about writing sentences that end with a question mark, exclamation point or period.  We have talked about why and when you would write each type of sentence along with various words you would use.  It was not challenging to think of three sentences about our picture, but it was a bit harder to think of three types.

Thanks Mrs. Rowan for the fun idea!

An example of the Pigeon writing.

I continue to be on the look out for Secret Leaders in our class!  Many students are doing a wonderful job listening, following directions etc.

Secret Leader for 11/11/13

Math Madness!

Each afternoon just after recess we have math time in our classroom.  We are very busy with a lesson and then Mind on Math time.

Often, we play "college" and take notes on the lesson as we learn.  The kids usually name the lesson and add the date before adding important information.  

Taking Notes is fun!

Today we learned about Magic Number or Number of the Day.  This is an activity to help students think about numbers, what they mean, how to change the number by 1, 10 and 100.  

Magic Number example.

Starting with Unit 3 I gave the students challenge work.  Each day during Mind on Math time students have math related to the lesson and mathboxes to complete.  Once those are finished, they have Challenge work they can work on for the remainder of the time.  Some students get to the challenge work each day and others may not have time.

Challenge Work!

Another example of Challenge Work!

Wrapping up the week!

Whew!  What a week!  We were so busy this week with learning and special projects.  Today, we had two tests!  Here is a quick recap of the last two days:

Thursday afternoon we did a special art project making fall trees.  We made the ground and traced a tree onto black paper.  Then we started cutting the circles that would be the leaves.  We talked about abstract versus real.  This was going to be an abstract tree because the leaves are circles.  It was a fun project that the kdis worked very hard to complete.  Look for them in the hallway outside of our class.

                                         

                                         

Today, we were very busy this morning with Literacy Workshop, a Literacy test and some extra read aloud time as a reward for good behavior.  We finished the second Mercy Watson book and started the third book.  We love Mercy Watson!

This afternoon, we had a math test and made our calendar pieces and pattern for Mr. Nelson's class.  Just before music, we had a chance to plant bulbs in the inner courtyard area otherwise known as the Peace Garden.  The PTA has asked the second grade to help beautify this area and keep it looking nice for the school.  We study plants in the spring and thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to talk and learn about bulbs and plant some!   We talked about bulbs this morning including what they are and how they grow.  This afternoon, we went outside and each of us planted a bulb.   We were the last class to plant bulbs in our area, so we also got to help put the dirt over the bulbs.  We are very excited to watch for our bulbs to come up in the spring.  

Listening as we learn how to plant the bulb.

Everybody had a chance!

Getting them in just the right place.

We planted Muscari also called Grape Hyacinth

Star of the North Picture Book Award and Bengal Blankets

Today we learned about the Star of the North Picture Book Award.  It is a special award given to picture books and students are the only people who get to vote for the winner.  There are 10 books that have been selected as nominees to win the award this year.  Here is a link to learn more about the Star of the North Book Award. 

In Library today, Ms. Zbacnik read us one of of the nominees.  We listened to  Bear has a Story to Tell by Philip Stead, illustrated by Erin Stead.  Ask your child what is special about the author and illustrator.  Ms. Zbacnik talked to us about circle stories and we were able to remember another circle story we read this year, Asha in the Attic. 

Today if students were doing a great job during Read to Self, they were invited to use a Bengal Blanket.  They were reading quietly and really focused on reading.  Keep up the Great work!