A Busy Friday--Have a Great Vacation!

Fifth grade boys discuss which materials are most important for survival during the CerritoBerry meeting

This morning at our CerritoBerry meeting students used their communication and teamwork skills to "survive a plane crash".  Students broke into groups to rank the top five most important items out of a list of materials.  According to the "survival experts" the top five were a lighter (for sparks), steel wool (for fire), clothes (warmth), can filled with Crisco Oil (rub on to keep warm/use can) , and a 20 foot squared canvas sheet.  

Students counted $185.00 from yesterday's bake sale!  Thanks again for those who baked.  This morning Strawberry students and their buddies chose to buy the following (the criteria were that they had to be physically or academically "educational"): skateboard for Eninea (9 yrs.old), an activity center for Ashley (1 year old), a board game for Keyira (9 years old), and educational game for Johnson (9), a warm blanket for Edward (3 months old), an infant toy for Daniella (infant), and a baby doll with stroller from Emily (3 years old).  

Finally, the day ended with Secret Santa gift giving, decorating cookies (thanks, Deborah Lambe, for organizing)!and appreciations.  More photos from today.  

Decorating cookies

Margaux does a "math trick" for Talent Friday

Also, thanks so much for those who contributed for the teacher fund.  The gift was really generous and your notes on the card were sweet, sincere and valued.


What a busy and fruitful first part of the school year!  I hope everyone has a restful, enjoyable and rejuvenating break.  When we return, we'll begin a short study on Mountain Men, the tough trappers who ventured West after Lewis and Clark.  We'll also continue reading groups (but be sure your child has a Just Right Book for the week we come back in case there's down time), botany, measuring (fourth grade math) and typing (to name a few).

See you in 2011!  Happy Holidays!

Jed

Almost Finished Watching the Lewis and Clark Documentary

Students respond to questions while watching the Lewis and Clark documentary.

We have almost finished watching the PBS Lewis and Clark documentary.  Between reading groups, PE and typing, we managed to fit it in today.  Students completed four pages of note taking questions like these while watching the movie, and since the documentary is pretty specific, they’ve learned a lot from it.  Students love getting the right answers and knowing what's important!  Here are a few more pictures Charlotte took while watching the movie (scroll past the typing ones).

We're planning two culminating events to end our Lewis and Clark study.  One is a field trip to Tilden Park on Wednesday, January 12th.  Students will "become" part of the Corps of Discovery and complete a Scavenger Hunt. On Thursday, January 13th we will have a Lewis and Clark feast (we won't be eating dogs, horses, or roots, but we'll try to get "appropriately" close to what they ate).  Deborah Lambe will e-mail a sign up sheet when we come up with the menu.

Thanks to everyone who baked for the bake sale.  It was a huge success!  Tomorrow we'll count the money and decide which gifts to buy.  

Homework for tonight is to:

1.  Read for thirty minutes 

2.  Spelling

***Students should bring their Secret Santa gifts tomorrow.

Have a good night!

Jed

Reading Aloud Picture Books at Morning Meeting

Leo Leoni's Six Crows

When things are busy and hectic during the holiday season, it's always nice to have routine.  Each day (except for field trip days) we have a morning meeting.  The meeting begins with a greeting-- a handshake, eye contact and "good morning."  Next, I share announcements (usually happenings of the day).  If it's Monday, students share one "moment in time" from the weekend.  Often, we'll review subject matter covered from previous day, a current event or a story.  The meeting ends with a short game.

A favorite Leo Leoni read aloud anthology

Fourth and fifth graders love to hear picture books; during meeting this morning I read Six Crows by Leo Leoni (out of the Frederick Fables anthology).  It's a story about a farmer who built a scarecrow to protect his wheat from being eaten by six crows.  In retaliation, the crows made a "ferocious kite"; the farmer built another, scarier scarecrow "brandishing two swords"; the crows built a "more ferocious kite" until an owl had the foresight to get the two parties together to talk "first in anger, then more reasonable, finally like old friends."  Stories like these are a great springboard to discuss social/emotional growth (specifically cycles and communication).  Students also hear colorful writing and voice that transfers to their own writing.  Plus, picture books are so fun to look at, listen to and read.

Students are learning lots about Lewis and Clark from both our read aloud and Kevin Burn's PBS documentary.  Ask your child about their journey--"How did they get along with Native American tribes?"  "Which tribes were easier to get along with?"  "What were the Native American tribes like at the time?"  "What major problems did Lewis and Clark encounter?"  "What did Lewis and Clark have that the Native Americans didn't?"  "What were they ultimately trying to do?"  Questions like these show that you're involved, and students love to discuss this colorful journey.

Homework tonight is to:
1.  Prepare for reading groups tomorrow (read chapter and do job).
2.  Spelling

***try to bake something for tomorrow's bake sale
***make sure your child gets lots of sleep for the last two days before break

Have a good night!

Typing!

Strawberry students getting into their "first day" of typing

Whether a student struggles physically with the task of writing words on paper or writes fluidly in cursive,  students feel empowered while practicing and eventually learning to type.  Cerrito took a field trip during this morning's math time (their Lewis and Clark field trip that we'll do in January) so we used part of the time to formally begin typing.  We'll continue this practice through January usually once or twice a week after lunch.  .  We plan to use the Herzog approach to typing in addition to freetypinggames.net.  Here are more pictures of typing.

Listed to the right are good online typing sites (a great down time during the break).  Students received this form today while using freetypinggame.net to track their progress.  They begin on lesson #1.  Fourth graders set their goal at 15 wpm while fifth graders tried for 25.  After students complete a lesson, they are allowed to play a typing game.  (Often, students need reminders to keep their fingers in the home row position, just in case they practice at home).  While working on a Powerpoint Presentation, a fifth grader looked at a fourth grader and gently said, "Practicing typing is going to really help you."  It's always nice to hear that practice pays off.

Bake sale reminder:  Strawberry students teamed up with their Laurel Creek buddies to raise money for the Family Giving Tree, an organization that allows less fortunate children to post their holiday wish list.  Although it's not mandatory, students should try to bake something--it would be nice to have lots of goodies to sell.  The money we raise will be counted by buddy groups on Friday; next, we'll choose two or so items to purchase for a child via the site.

Homework for tonight is to:
1.  Be prepared for reading groups (completing reading and job).  Terebithia groups should read up to chapter 5.
2.  Spelling
***plan ingredients to bake something on Wednesday night for the bake sale
Have a good night!

Jed

Sampling and Categorizing Like Lewis and Clark

Margaux shows her off her plant collection before sketching and classifying

I hope everyone had a nice weekend!  Sorry for not updating Friday's blog.  It was a really tiring last day of the week. On Friday during the CerritoBerry meeting we played Geography Jeopardy.  Click here to see it.

We had a busy, productive day today.  Students wrote a second Lewis and Clark journal entry for their quick write.  After lunch recess students became part of the Corps of Discovery and took samples of various plant species (as well as some insects).  They brought them back from school, categorized and sketched them just like Lewis and Clark.  Looking at details and assigning categories (even creating them) is a key scientific skill.  Lewis and Clark spent a huge amount of time sketching and keying plants and animals.

Ready for sorting

Example scientific journal entry

Click here for more photos.

Due to popular demand, Strawberry Students chose to do Secret Santa for this last week.  Students chose names today and will give a gift to the chosen person on Friday.  The purpose is to find out a little more about what that particular student would like and surprise she/he with something nice.  Ideas are a  homemade card with a special pencil, stickers, a freshly made brownie, etc...Students should spend no more than $10.00 (if they elect to spend any money).

**Just a reminder that tonight's Holiday Sing-a-long is at 6:30 at Northbrae Community Church.
Homework for tonight is to:
1.  Read for 30 minutes (no reading log)
2.  Fourth math page (due Wednesday but most have already completed it in class).
3.  Spelling

Class Meeting

Reading groups were really successful today!  Reading logs were complete and everyone was engaged during discussions.   Thank you for helping read with your child (if you did).

Thursdays are a class meeting day.  We discussed an entry (in the class meeting log) about friendship forming and how some people are feeling excluded.   Friendship and acceptance is a key topic, especially because the feeling of "belonging" is quite powerful and transfers to how "ready" a student is to learn.  The quote this morning was "When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves."  We talked about it this morning; it's a good topic for a discussion at home, too.

Towards the end of the day after Spanish and reading groups everyone seemed pretty tired.  Please be sure your child gets lots of sleep especially during these last few days before the holidays.

Have a good night!

Homework for tonight is to:
1.  Read for thirty minutes
2.  Spelling

This morning we watched a Strings Performance (Strawberry Creek's Uma did a fantastic job) which interfered with some reading groups.  Unfortunately, not all of the reading groups were able to meet, but each group should continue to read the next chapter and do their next job.

This afternoon we watched a bit of the Lewis and Clark movie (at the part where they finally make it to the beginning (headwaters) of the Missouri River).  It really helps to have questions to answer while watching.

Homework for tonight is to:
1.  Reading group reading and job (students should read for a total of 30 minutes which may be a Just Right Book if necessary).
2.  fourth math
     fifth math
3.  Spelling

Have a good night!

Getting into Lewis and Clark

Example Lewis and Clark journal entry--10 minute quickwrite

On Tuesdays before lunch and after music students do a ten minute quickwrite.  Today's topic was to "become" a character on the Lewis and Clark expedition and write a journal entry.  Just like the Holes perspective pieces, the opportunity to become someone else and mimic their voice captivates students.  Much is written in a short time; often these quickwrites become "seed" ideas for larger stories or just remain as a single gem.  Finishing the day reading Streams to the River River to the Sea gives fodder and voice for further journal entries.

Another quickwrite example

United States geography integrates nicely into Lewis and Clark's journey as these places slowly come to life.  Students are also beginning to understand that the current United States was inhabited and "owned" by different cultures and countries.  This afternoon students mostly finished their PowerPoint presentations and will teach their topics beginning tomorrow.  Example Power Point presentations one and two.  Also, I showed students how to make a Jeopardy game as a quiz on the content they presented.  Some really got into it.  Click here for an example of one.  

Homework for tonight is to:
1.  Re-read reading group chapter and be sure job is complete (reading groups are tomorrow).  If finished with this then read Just Right Book.
2.  Fourth math
     Fifth math
3.  Spelling

Students as Teachers

I hope everyone had a nice weekend.

To feel more comfortable with the Geography Bee (and to learn more) students will become experts on a topic then teach classmates.   While working in pairs, students are creating Powerpoint presentations about a facet of United States Geography.  The United States topics are: highest and lowest points, size of states, original ownership (Britain, Spain, Russia), Civil War loyalties, major bodies of water and geographic regions.  I'll post examples of the presentations tomorrow.  Ask your child which topic she/he has.

Students spent a little time watching the PBS Lewis and Clark documentary, and we finished our third read aloud, Small Steps.  Tomorrow, we'll begin Streams to the River, River to the Sea by Scott O'Dell which is a story of Sacagawea.

Homework for tonight is to:
1.  Read for 30 minutes (students can re-read the chapter they're responsible for reading group or choose a just right book).  No reading log tonight.
2.  fourth math
     fifth math
3.  Spelling

Have a good night!

Posting a Recording and Announcements

Tyrell, Ze'ev and their buddy design a poster announcing the upcoming bake sale.

Happy Friday!

A couple of updates:

I figured out how to record Reading Group conversations with my iPhone and post them here (after a couple of steps).  I was Discussion Director in this particular group (the student Discussion Director was absent).   Now that I know how to record and post, look forward to listening to more recordings.

More poster design with buddies.

Geography Bee:
Strawberry and Cerrito classes are entered in the National Geographic Geography Bee.  The way it will works is that Mike and I will run our own Bee with Cerrito and Strawberry students,.  The two winning students then take a test, and if they score high enough, they will go onto the State Bee then National one.  The Bee is not meant to intimidate students, and it's a great excuse to delve deeper into geography.  Ultimately, students choose to participate in our Bee, but after focusing on it for a few weeks, students should feel comfortable and excited.  Next week we'll practice state mottos, borders and topography.   Our Bee will be held the second week in January.  Also, posted on the right are links to geography websites (lots of which focus on world geography which we haven't covered yet, but is pertinent to the Bee).

Buddy Holiday Service Learning:  
Strawberry and Laurel are planning a bake sale for Thursday, December 16th.  The money will either go to a chosen cause or to buy toys to give to less fortunate children.  Students designed signs today and will become a liaison with a particular class to remind them.  If you or your child could bake something on Wednesday night of the 15th, it would be much appreciated.

Sam and Riley act as a taxi driver and passenger in a game at the end of morning meeting.

Friday Folders:
Students brought home Friday folders today.  Please set time aside this weekend (or next week if you don't have time), find a quiet place, and look over the contents as a parent-child team.  Sign the folders and send them back to school with your child.

Click here for a few pictures from Thursday and Friday.

Looking ahead next week will be more reading groups, Lewis and Clark and botany.

Hope you have a nice weekend!

Jed

Helping Students Filter Information

Last year TBS teachers took a Chuck Ahern workshop.  Chuck studies how the brain works and how it pertains to learning.  One key idea is that students need to know (or be trained) about what's important.

On Monday students watched a snippet of the PBS Lewis and Clark documentary.  Although the students began to show interest, they quickly drifted off--maybe because it was in the afternoon after a holiday weekend; plus, there was lots of information to disseminate.  Yesterday, however, was a different story.  Students received a list of key points and questions to complete.  Telling students facts to listen for really focused them; their interest level peeked; they chose to sit in chairs rather then on the rug, took notes on a clipboard, asked questions, and showed general excitement.  Witnessing The West for the first time, interacting with Native Americans, surviving in an unknown land (in addition to plowing the way for others) are concepts that really interest this age level--as long as it's presented in a manageable way.

This afternoon students completed their first reading group discussions, and each one was a huge success--students frequently participated in their groups, and as a result, interesting, high-level conversations filled the air.   Tomorrow I'll try to post a short recording of a discussion.

Instead of reading for thirty minutes, students should read their next assigned chapter tonight.   Please check in with your child about their reading (you may take turns reading it together).

Homework for tonight is to:
1.  Finish Reading Group reading and job (Bridge to Terebithia Groups should read chapter 3).  Read for thirty minutes if already finished with reading group.
2.  Spelling

Have a good night!

Quote of the day compliments of Uma:

"Be happy.  Eat chocolate."

Rabidly Reading

Neema and Charlotte industriously read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh

Happy Wednesday and Happy Hanukkah!

Students excitedly began reading groups today!  Each received a special journal.  The first task was to decide how much of their book to read each session (most groups chose to read a chapter) and who does which job when.  Students now know the chapters that they are responsible for and the assigned job for each session through the remainder of the book.  Click here to see the reading group job descriptions that were posted in student reading journals.  Ask your child which job s/he has for tomorrow.

Riley and Ze'ev partner read (each reads a paragraph aloud)

After assigning jobs, groups rabidly read.  To be a witness to this intensity and excitement to both read and complete the group task was inspiring.  Click here for some more photos.

Reading groups occur on Wednesdays and Thursdays for forty five minutes while students are in half groups for Spanish.  Generally, a group discussion lasts for twenty minutes, and students spend the rest of the time reading then doing their group job.  Homework for Wednesday and Thursday nights will be for students to complete their assigned job.  Posted in a previous blog entry are the reading groups--please check in with your child periodically about how things are going in regards to understanding their book.  It really helps to re-read chapters and even preview chapters by listening to a tape first.  Reading aloud or taking turns reading would also be a help.

Tyrell dives into Bridge of Terebithia

Because it's the first night of Hanukkah, there is no homework.

Have a good night!

Quote of the day:

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."