Hello! Well, this is one of those posts where I have so much to share! Book A Day As you know, we are reading a picture book each day in our classroom. The students tend to love this intimate time of day, during which the students tune out everything except the book. So far, we have read over 30 books! We have learned about interesting people like Amelia Bloomer, Trombone Shorty, and Sir Ernest Shackleton, and have met characters, like Grace and Charlie McButton, whose determination and perseverance inspired us. We have made inferences about characters and settings, like in Two Bad Ants. And, we have laughed, sometimes we even cackled. So far I think the funniest moments shared have been when listening to Stuck and Arnie the Doughnut. Sometimes our books are sweet and simple, like Life, which after hearing about all the devastating hurricanes, brought us reassurance and hope. Sometimes our books highlight different cultures, as in Suki and Her Kimono. Sometimes our books highlight messages thematic with a growth mindset, such as to never give up, or keep trying, or it is OK to make a mistake or feel frustrated. My hope is that for each child in my classroom, I will have shared a book that resonates with him/her. If you are ever in need of a question to ask your child, a great one is "What did you think of your Book a Day book today?" If you want to follow it up, you can always ask, "Why do you think Mrs. Kirsch chose to share that book?" "Is this a book you would like to check out of the library and share with us?" Above is our Book A Day bulletin board. We are keeping track of our daily reading adventure and also holding Mrs. Kirsch accountable for not forgetting! ;) Catapults As part of our Energy Unit, we have been learning about how energy is transferred. Using a tissue box, pencils, rubber bands, tape, and two plastic spoons, students had to create a catapult that would transfer energy to a ping pong ball. In groups they designed and built a catapult, and put it to the test. The students then reflected how their catapult showed a transfer of energy and what changes they could have made to have made their ping pong ball go a greater distance. Using See Saw, the students recorded these reflections. Below is a slideshow of pics of us testing our catapults and click on this link to see a video of our distance and height contest! See Saw
How did I ever teach without this app? This app is a keeper! We have had so much fun recording ourselves reflecting on our learning. We are now adding a 40 Book Challenge Review Component on See Saw. Our friends and family can listen to what we think of a book. Directions for how to view your child's See Saw posts are coming home. Be on the lookout! Comments are closed.
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Welcome to Room 314!
Have fun following our fabulous 4th grade journey! Important Dates
August 22nd- First Day!
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September 2018
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