This gives a whole new meaning to "stretch your thinking." LOL
Hello,As we near the end of the first term, this week will be used to review some of the things we've been working on. We will also tie up some loose ends. Each teacher at Clairlea has been working with Math instructional leader Susan Pitre and we have been learning how to support our students in the area of problem solving. Last month, students were given a set of diagnostic problems. Following that, I spent a fair bit of time looking at different problem solving strategies with our class and we unpacked the wordy Math Achievement Chart. Students rewrote it using their own words. Last week, the boys and girls were given a set of problems for a summative task involving four math problems to solve. I am thrilled that our class did as well they did. Our marks went up significantly. Way to go! Using the Math Achievement Chart, four students in our class received a Level 4, and many others received strong Level 3s. I will be meeting with students throughout the week to discuss how they did and I will retain the test for parent interviews as a discussion piece. I will be sending a multi-strand Math test home this week, as well as our multi-chapter spelling quiz. I am retaining the CASI reading assessment for parent interviews. Written work will be filed in each student's portfolio. Students will reflect upon their writing this week in their Writing Journals.
Please remember that learning is a process and so is assessment. Most children (and adults) learn best when they have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding in a variety of ways. I strive to give students the foundation of what they need to be critical thinkers and proficient in Math and Language. I'm also trying to balance this with opportunities for learning that take into account the visual and kinesthetic learning styles of many children in our class. We're a diverse class and that's a good thing.
I have been looking closely at the writing of students in our class and there is a wide range of abilities and needs. For this reason, I'm in the process of planning differentiated Language homework each week that will target the needs of individual children, including extra challenge for some students. I hope to have this in place for next week.
This week:
Language:
The research students did for one of the human organ systems will provide the foundation for their explanatory writing piece, which will be written in class this week. Students will also be creating a brochure promoting the Liberal MPP that he/she was assigned to investigate. I will fill the class in. We will look at text features of brochures and students will be given templates to use. We are starting a new chapter in our spelling program this week and there will be a short quiz on last week's words (likely Wednesday morning).
Math: We will be completing Data Management. Thursday morning, students will use their data collected when they tracked the food they ate over five days and related it to the Canada Food Guide. They will create either a double bar graph or a double broken line graph. There will also be a short Data Management quiz Friday morning.
Social Studies: Students will choose a political party to represent as we continue the planning phase of the class election. We will also be looking at the long journey to becoming a Canadian citizen.
Science: We will finally complete the Respiratory System and will begin the Circulatory System. Next week we will cover the Nervous System and that will be it for the Human Body. Sniff...
Health: Students will conference with me to go over their public service announcements for alcohol abuse.
Homework: I am sending home reading with follow-up questions (to be completed in the Home Writing Journal). There will also be a math sheet to work on . Due this Friday.
Have a terrific week,
E. Hawkins
Core English Corner: This Week in Room 210
Hello,
I am in the process of reading the personal narratives from your children. This week, students will be writing a second CASI reading assessment. We have been working on summarizing and pin-pointing the main idea of texts. The results of this CASI should be more representative of where they're at now. Spelling is a huge area of need, largely due to the fact that students have been immersed in the French Language - not that there's anything wrong with that! I will be starting a spelling program with Room 210 this week with the aim of mastering the spelling of high frequency words. If time permits, we will write some poetry. Thanks for the kind comments I've received both from parents and students. I love coming into Room 210 each day. Learning is both rich and fun.
Homework: Noun and Adjective hunt - due Friday.
E. Hawkins
