Recess 20 Below- Sharing our thinking
The Red Book- No pictures, so telling our thinking as we went through the story
How Many Days to America- recording thinking throught the book (think marks)
Fly Away Home- Text-to-world connections
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Home School Journals
Home school journals go home on Friday and come back Monday.
As a class they brainstorm topics they did over the week that they could write about.
They then use class time to compose a letter to their family.
The family then writes back and Monday morning and it gets read alloud to the class
As a class they brainstorm topics they did over the week that they could write about.
They then use class time to compose a letter to their family.
The family then writes back and Monday morning and it gets read alloud to the class
Self-Portraits
At the beginning of the year have the students draw a self-portriat.
tape it to black paper so there is a small black boarder around the edges. laminate and hang up in the room.
at the end of the year have the students draw another self-portrait and follow the above mentioned steps.
use the first one to create the front of their writing portfolio and use the latest one as the back cover
tape it to black paper so there is a small black boarder around the edges. laminate and hang up in the room.
at the end of the year have the students draw another self-portrait and follow the above mentioned steps.
use the first one to create the front of their writing portfolio and use the latest one as the back cover
Plus, Minus, Stays the same
Materials- 100s chart, place markers, and cards with numbers on them, paper and pencil.
* teaches students about adding ten to numbers, minus and adding ten, looking for patterns when adding and subtracting tens
two players
students make two piles with the cards.
one child flips the card over that is on top of the two stacks of cards to create a two digit number.
Student then finds the number on the 100s chart and decides to either keep it the same, add or subtact 10.
The student then places a marker on the chart and it is the next persons turn.
The object of the game is get 5 markers in a row.
* teaches students about adding ten to numbers, minus and adding ten, looking for patterns when adding and subtracting tens
two players
students make two piles with the cards.
one child flips the card over that is on top of the two stacks of cards to create a two digit number.
Student then finds the number on the 100s chart and decides to either keep it the same, add or subtact 10.
The student then places a marker on the chart and it is the next persons turn.
The object of the game is get 5 markers in a row.
Save Fred!
Only you can help
Fred has been spending his summer boating on the great lakes. But he’s not too bright (after all, the brains of worms are pretty small): He’s never learned how to swim and he never wears his life preserver. The worst has happened! His boat has capsized and he’s stuck! Fortunately, his life preserver is in the boat, but unfortunately he does not know how to reach it without falling off and drowning.
Use the Scientific Method to:
Problem:
How can you and your partner save Fred using only 4 paper clips. You may not touch Fred, the boat, or the life preserver directly with your hands.
Materials:
- Gummy Worm
- Gummy life preserver
- 1 Plastic Cup
- 4 Paper Clips
Procedures:
1. Work with your partner and "Save Fred".
2. Follow the rules.
§ Fred, the boat, the life preserver can be touched only with the paper clips. NO HANDS.
3. Develop a data section that includes
§ Diagrams of how you saved Fred
§ A detailed protocol describing the diagrams.
4. Homework:
§ Analyze and conclude the experiment.
· This means that you must discuss (tell me what you think) about the difficulty of the task, what other strategies you and your partner worked on before you succeeded, and what you think the critical steps were for solving this problem.
§ Although this is working backwards, and not how scientists normally work, please develop a hypothesis for this lab. (Remember that a hypothesis is an ‘if-then’ statement: if I do this, then this will happen)
Use the attached pages for your all your notes and turn in tomorrow.
Teacher Notes:
Fred sits on the inverted cup. The cup sits covering the life preserver on the tabletop. No real water is involved. if the group size is 3 or 4, each person gets only 1 paper clip. Have a camera ready.I don't know that there are any real answers - since it's more of a team-building problem solving initiative rather than a yes/no answer. However, what they need to figure out is, that if they work together, then one person maneuvers Fred (without hooking him) and the other uses the paper clips to stretch the gummy lifesaver for him to slip on. (The lifesaver will have a smaller i.d. than Fred's o.d. by a fairly obvious amount)
Ask them typical debriefing-type questions: what worked, what didn't, did you plan, did you share ideas, did you just mangle poor Fred trying to make it work? etc.
I had groups of 3 and made it more of a challenge by allowing only 1 paperclip per student - that took more thought and coordination to save Fred without drowning him (I had a couple decide that if he fell into the ocean, they would fish him out and perform mouth to mouth resuscitation - so I had to remind my guys - 7th and 8th graders - that eating anything, especially 'dead worms' was not allowed in the lab)
Peanut Butter River
If you are quite often in the hotseat when it comes to providing team-building games, this is one to have up your sleeve. The game is a test of ingenuity and problem-solving skills and so has very few rules. The aim is to get people to think, rather than be a set-piece game.
What You will Need
Very little equipment is required. A supply of some sheets of paper will do but more durable material like small carpet samples or carpet tiles are better.
Tip: The size of the carpeting (stepping-stones) is crucial. The bigger they are, the easier it'll be.
How to Play
You will need to divide your group into two unequal teams. The majority are the bold explorers trying to cross the peanut butter river while the two-or-three-person minority are the crocodiles which live in the river. You are the umpire and what you say goes.
The river to be crossed is defined by the umpire - normally from one side of a room to the other - and the banks of the river must be easily identified. Each explorer is given a piece of paper/material/tile (from now on referred to as a stepping-stone). Crocodiles must stay in the river.
The first explorer places his or her stepping-stone into the river, close enough for him or her to immediately step on it. An untouched stepping-stone can be grabbed by a crocodile and disappears from the game. Any explorers that fall in the river have to go back to the starting bank.
The explorer team has to work out how they will use the stepping-stones to get from one side to the other. Stepping-stones can be picked up and moved to another part of the river as necessary. Remember: any unattended stone can be snatched away by a crocodile.
The End of the Game
The game ends when the last explorer gets across the river, or time runs out, or the explorers give up due to a lack of stepping stones.
Mix up the teams over the course of the session and see who makes the fastest crossing.
What Happens?
When children play this for the first time they tend to be very disorganised and may lose a few stepping stones before they realise that they have to use caution. It soon becomes apparent that more than one person will have to stand on a stepping stone from time to time. Stepping-stones can become very vulnerable to crocodile attack when the explorers are sharing one while trying to pick another one up.
Variations
Forfeits
You can add a rule that if anyone steps into the Peanut Butter1 river then the crocodiles can remove one stepping stone. People on that stepping stone have five seconds to get onto another stone or the bank, without touching the river.
Working with Children
If you are working with a young group you can introduce the game in stages:
What You will Need
Very little equipment is required. A supply of some sheets of paper will do but more durable material like small carpet samples or carpet tiles are better.
Tip: The size of the carpeting (stepping-stones) is crucial. The bigger they are, the easier it'll be.
How to Play
You will need to divide your group into two unequal teams. The majority are the bold explorers trying to cross the peanut butter river while the two-or-three-person minority are the crocodiles which live in the river. You are the umpire and what you say goes.
The river to be crossed is defined by the umpire - normally from one side of a room to the other - and the banks of the river must be easily identified. Each explorer is given a piece of paper/material/tile (from now on referred to as a stepping-stone). Crocodiles must stay in the river.
The first explorer places his or her stepping-stone into the river, close enough for him or her to immediately step on it. An untouched stepping-stone can be grabbed by a crocodile and disappears from the game. Any explorers that fall in the river have to go back to the starting bank.
The explorer team has to work out how they will use the stepping-stones to get from one side to the other. Stepping-stones can be picked up and moved to another part of the river as necessary. Remember: any unattended stone can be snatched away by a crocodile.
The End of the Game
The game ends when the last explorer gets across the river, or time runs out, or the explorers give up due to a lack of stepping stones.
Mix up the teams over the course of the session and see who makes the fastest crossing.
What Happens?
When children play this for the first time they tend to be very disorganised and may lose a few stepping stones before they realise that they have to use caution. It soon becomes apparent that more than one person will have to stand on a stepping stone from time to time. Stepping-stones can become very vulnerable to crocodile attack when the explorers are sharing one while trying to pick another one up.
Variations
Forfeits
You can add a rule that if anyone steps into the Peanut Butter1 river then the crocodiles can remove one stepping stone. People on that stepping stone have five seconds to get onto another stone or the bank, without touching the river.
Working with Children
If you are working with a young group you can introduce the game in stages:
- Stage One: Play it without crocodiles or forfeits
- Stage Two: Play it with crocodiles but no forfeits
- Stage Three: Play it with crocodiles and forfeits.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Parent Teacher Conferences
Things I've noticed...
~ Start with "Do you have any questions"
~ Know what is up next in the curriculum. That way you can say you aren't too worried about it because we will spend more time on it later.
~ Q: "What level is my child reading at?"
A: "All you need to know is that she/he is reading a little below where she/he needs to be" "...reading right where we want them to be at" ".... a little above where she/he needs to be at"
~ Have a list of books for them to read that are at their independnet level.
I forgot that I'd have to work around kids with two seperate families. I'll need to take that into consideration so I can have two copies of the paperwork and stuff.
~ Start with "Do you have any questions"
~ Know what is up next in the curriculum. That way you can say you aren't too worried about it because we will spend more time on it later.
~ Q: "What level is my child reading at?"
A: "All you need to know is that she/he is reading a little below where she/he needs to be" "...reading right where we want them to be at" ".... a little above where she/he needs to be at"
~ Have a list of books for them to read that are at their independnet level.
I forgot that I'd have to work around kids with two seperate families. I'll need to take that into consideration so I can have two copies of the paperwork and stuff.
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