Slowly Getting Back on Track....

Today was better than yesterday.  It wasn't great by any means, but it was better.

For those of you who don't know, I start each day with a class meeting and we go over the flow of the day.  This is a modification that I use so students with different learning needs know what is coming up and can mentally prepare for the tasks ahead.

I put up the flow and we discuss what we will be doing and discuss the standard/ I can statements that go with each learning task.

Here is an example of what the FLOW looks like:

Today we started with Dance Class with Mr. Nunez.  There was again, a group of a few boys, who are giving him a hard time and in turn, taking away instructional time from the rest of the kids who really want to learn the dances.  

Second period we did a test prep unit looking at the homework from last night (100% got the right answer for Question #3 - R.I.4.8), and then we looked at two more questions that went with yesterday's text.  We read the question and decided if it was a "right there" question or a question that you had to "infer" using the text.  We then decided ways to exclude some answers based on the question and the text.  We then looked at the remaining two choices and decided what made them the "BEST" answer.  The students have to practice that skill tonight in answering question #6 from the packet. 

We also did some editing practice.  Though the students are able to state a claim, use the text for evidence to support their claim, they still are having trouble with basic editing.  When to capitalize, when to use punctuation, is the verb in the wrong tense?   So we put a couple sentences up on the smartboard and we practice.  

In ReadyGen today, the focus was not just the text, but how important the visuals were to the text.  We read pages 10-13 and closely examined the visuals.  Then we talked about how to use the visuals as part of their evidence in their writing.  Their homework tonight was to practice this skill by answering the following prompt:

"Write an opinion paragraph telling which of the maps more effectively supports the topic of the text. Include two examples of details from the text that are supported by the map. Also, use modal auxiliaries to explain what each of the maps is about."

For math today, we spent the day playing a matching game using the math terms and processes we have been studying.  We should be taking the unit test, but we finished right before break, and it seems they are not quite ready for it now.  We will have the unit test tomorrow and Thursday and  the Performance Tasks on Friday.  We will quickly be moving into Chapter 7 which is taking fractions to the next level (Adding and Subtracting).  PLEASE - learn your multiplication tables!!!  I keep hearing the kids say "Fractions are easier than I thought!"  If you learn the multiplication tables, they are very easy!

After our Fractions Number Talk and Matching Game - we moved across the hall and did 25 minutes of ELA Waggle.

After lunch, we ended the day by reviewing what we learned yesterday in Social Studies about the different colony regions.  We read the review section, we looked at the vocabulary, and we reviewed the map skills that go along with the section.  I want the students to really understand how important the harbor in New York was.  Because of the calm harbor and the directness to the open ocean, it made New York a perfect  place for shipping, trade, and culture.  Luck of Geography!  After marking the text, the students were told to put the text in their social studies folders to help them prepare for the test on Friday.

Homework:

• Test Prep - ELA Packet - Question 6  and Math Page 4.OA.2 (back side)
• Writing - 1/2 sheet RACE prompt
• Math - Simplifying Fractions Practice
• Read for 30-45 minutes to you can finish your IR book by FRIDAY!