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January 19, 2014

Planning for the Week


Busy week ahead!  I know I say that every week, but this week really is going to be a busy one.  Why?  Because of having a 4 day week.  I love 3 day weekends, but 4 day weeks seem like they are extra stressful with trying to tackle way too much.  Linking up with Mrs. Laffin's Laughings to share!  

Here's what's up with my class:


We are almost done with our Medicine Unit.  After Medicine comes Survival…  I love our Survival unit and the stories that are included.  A couple of months ago my district was trained by Nancy Fetzer and she recommended switching to a 10 day plan (instead of 5 days).  The plan switches from a story a week to a story every 2 weeks - allowing less testing and more skill building.  The first week is the normal routine, the second week uses the reading time to work more in depth on the skills, bringing in read alouds and nonfiction to tie into the topics.  It also encourages a bunch more writing about the stories.  We don't exactly know how it will look in the classroom, so we are considering trying out this new plan in the upcoming unit.  I might end up being the guinea pig for the team, finding the pros and cons.  What does your reading plan look like?  Do you have a 5 day or 10 day plan?  Something different?   


Last week in math we started focusing on organizing data in graphs.  We reviewed frequency tables, sorting information into venn diagrams, mode & median of a set of numbers, and using that information to build a line plot.  
On Friday I gave them a review sheet - they did all the steps using their own collected data.  I wanted them to see how all these different steps were connected.  This week we are continuing graphs, specifically bar graphs… more fun to come!  


Last week we finished up Stone Fox, so this week we are moving onto The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.  
I'm all set to use my free mini pack to help keep us organized for our chapter summaries.  
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Mini Pack


This week we are focusing on Martin Luther King Jr.  I have a couple of biographies we read, and will be using this freebie by Blair Turner.  Our main writing will also be about students brainstorming their own dreams for the world.  

{FREE!} Martin Luther King, Jr.: Create a Mini-Book


Last week we finished up our study about Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Landslides.  We started making our interactive folders.  
We tackled the inside of the folder with the vocabulary, and I used a couple of pages from this freebie from LAPEdu Resources.  
 Fierce Volcanoes and Extreme Earthquakes
This week we will use our science time to write acrostic poems using descriptions of the different natural disasters to go on the outside of the folders.

On Thursday we also will be celebrating the 100th day of school…  I can't believe it's already been 100 days!!  To celebrate, I use this freebie ELA pack by Collaboration Cuties.  They also have a freebie math activity and a special banner to share in their store.  

100 days Smarter in Language Arts Scavenger Hunt for Big Kids

Hope you have a great week!  Thanks for visiting!  

3 comments:

  1. Earthquakes, landslides and volcanoes was my favorite topic to teach when I taught science. The kids really love those topics!

    Have a great week & thanks for linking up again! (Enjoy your long weekend!)

    Jennifer
    Mrs. Laffin's Laughings

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  2. I've switched to a 6 day plan this year, and I love it! Regardless of testing, holidays, etc. I always have 5 days to teach plus an assessment day. I feel so much less rushed this way! Good luck with trying out your 10 day plan!
    ~Kristen
    Chalk & Apples

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  3. I really like Nancy Fetzer! I've never used her plans as applied to a reading program, just her writing and expository notes. Love both of those! Good luck if you're the guinea pig!

    Brandi
    Success in Second Grade
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