Writing Workshop

You probably read quite a bit in reading workshop today.  You might have really enjoyed your buddy reading today.  As you were working, thinking went on in your head.  Since I can't be there today, I'd still love to know what you read and what was going on in your head.  You are going to write me a letter telling me all about your thinking!  I know...some of you are excited and some of you just groaned inside. 

Here are some questions to help you get started...

• What book did you read?
• What happened in the book?
• Did you like it or not?  Why or why not?  Use a BECAUSE!
• Were you inferring?
• What tricky words did you find?
• Did you learn something in your book?
• What lesson did the author try to teach you?

You will turn this letter in TODAY and you need to do your very best and edit it when you finish it.  Please DO NOT put it in an envelope and work on the spacing of the letter...remember under, under, under!

I'm excited to read your letters!

Happy writing!

Student Poetry

Every morning we have stations.  This is a time where I can differentiate and work with small groups on various topics in reading and literacy.  During this time, students are off in their own activity of their choosing at their station. 

At our poetry station, two of our students wrote their own poem.  Enjoy!

Math Fun

Math on the iPad

Playing Kaboom (Thanks to Pinterest!)

Playing Coin Twister (I made this one up.)

Money War

MLK Day

Today we discussed what civil rights are and what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for.  After we had read a book and talked, I had the kids write in their notebooks about what they want for the world.

Here are their thoughts:

"His words meant a lot (lot was underlined) to the world." - Grant
"When I grow up, I want the world to be a better place.  I do not want to trash on the grass." - Kylie
"I have a dream to live in a world with peace and justice and no bad people." - Leah
"My dream is that people get along no matter what color.  No wars." - Jake

Pretty big dreams!!!

Word Fun

Each week we have a word family as part of our spelling test.  I try to have the students play with these words throughout the week.  They are required Friday to write any five that they can spell correctly.

Here is Josephine's sentence where she used as many as she could from the -ay family.  Downside...she beat me!

I like to play in gray hay and my parents say to stay and lay in the gray hay.  I say, Okay, let's see a display.

Writing Workshop Lesson

Today, as you look at your letter and my letter, what do you notice?  Do you see those red marks on my letter?  What are they called?

Yep, commas!

Writers place commas in the date, the greeting, and the closing.  They aren't stopping, so there's no reason for a period.  By inserting a comma, the writer pauses.

Check your letter.  Check again...did you put a comma in the date?  Did you put a comma after who you are writing to?  Did you put a comma after your closing?

In all of your letters from now on, place those commas!

Also, feel free to write me a letter and tell me all about your day.  Or, feel free to write to another teacher and tell them how much they mean to you.  We'll be delivering them on Monday, so write on!!!

Happy writing!!!

Where in the world?

Where were we today?  Well...we traveled to New York City and Mount Everest.  How?  Through books and websites.  Thanks to The Curious Garden by Peter Brown, we found a website about the Highline. 

After lunch, we traveled to Mount Everest by Google Earth and by Wonderopolis. 

The kids were amazed and it provided great lessons for us to learn and read about.

Before and After...

Wyatt took a giant risk today!  He chose to revise his writing and used Gail Gibbons as his inspiration.  Noticing her frames for text and her setting for the pictures, he revised!!!

What do you think?

I wish you could have seen his face after he shared his after picture with me...huge smiles on his part!