Greetings! This is the second post - the first after a full day with much to report. We had a fabulous day, today, and got a lot done.
We started off our morning considering our recycling program. Our class has begun collecting recycling - including compost - from the other classes in the school. Students are also sorting the papers and plastics into larger bins. This morning's discussion was about how to present to the kids in the other classes and to teach them how to clean the containers, what should go into the compost, and answer any questions the students might have. I will put together some sort of guidelines for the students to use, then set up with other teachers convenient times for students to present to the other classes.
Next, students worked in various reading groups to build fluency, learn new vocabulary, and worked independently in their exercise books. I have been a bit slow building this routine into our daily practice as I have introduced different types of reading opportunities, such as a weekly spelling program last month and guided reading of science or social studies related topics. These have been set aside as a main focus as we engage in the Readwell program and the spelling / vocabulary within it.
After recess, we did our Drills That Thrill (subtraction), then did some 2-digit subtraction with no borrowing / regrouping to build up some speed. It is very important for students to continue to strengthen their addition and subtraction facts. I can provide more practice sheets or you can access them for free on math-drills.com. This site is excellent for providing helpful practice sheets.
I very briefly introduced the students to Digital Roots - more on that another time. I replayed the MathAntics multi-digit subtraction video for students who were away last Thursday, and provided a work package based on the video. We will continue working on this package tomorrow.
Before we knew it, it was time for lunch.
In the afternoon, I continued reading Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat, a Canadian author. The students then wrote a Journal entry. We are all enjoying this playful and true story!
After P.E., where we have been practicing volleyball with a beach ball lately, [see photo], we started to learn more about Canada. This is not an in-depth study of Canada, merely an introduction to the provinces, territories, and some major bodies of water in our nation. Previously we learned that some of Canada's political borders follow lines of latitude and longitude.
Some students still have to do the Continents and Oceans quiz so you may wish to test them on this. Later in the week or early next week we will have a short quiz about identifying Canada's provinces, territories, Great Lakes, and surrounding oceans.
Students have been working on a World Map puzzle during their spare time. [see photo]
