This week, we've been keenly aware of how often discussion occurs in our daily routine! Our first week of Cliff Notes focused on the question: Describe a discussion in class today. What is something you learned from listening to a classmate's contribution? How did it push you to think? This reflection has us zeroing in on our thinking, both individually and as a community.
A ten penny challenge energized our focused brain during FIT time on Thursday. We learned that our brains also have a diffuse mode too. We found that we can ping pong between the two to really absorb new information and find creative solutions to all kinds of problems. Ask them what diffuse mode activity they're thinking about employing when they need to take a break from focused mode!
In reading and ELA (with social studies integration), we've read several types of text about the same topic. We've discovered that the different genres are just as important as different versions/perspectives. We spent time looking at Nonfiction text about an Olympic refugee team, a poem about the Lost Boys of Sudan, Infographics about refugees and water usage around the world, and realistic/historical fiction about the journeys refugees take around the world to find a safe place to live. We have discovered that each genre broadens our understanding, adds to our learning, and brings out emotions in different ways. ALL these are important when digging deep into topics.
We've begun center work and reflections using our independent reading books and in writing. We love applying new strategies to our personal selections and seeing the power that charges how we read and craft pieces for an audience.
In math, we've explored the relationship between area and multiplication using a variety of tools. Our new Cuisinaire rods and graph paper notebooks came in handy as we built rectangles and studied patterns. We have made deeper connections to length and width of rectangles and factors of multiplication equations. We've also discussed and written about the variety of ways to efficiently count area inside of a rectangle. By mid-week, we defined squares as special rectangles with 4 equal side lengths and studied a special type of rectangle that we called a near-square partner. Each square's area decreased by one square unit as we transformed the square into its near-square. This was an exciting pattern to see and to represent in a variety of ways in our notebook. Our week ended with review of place value understandings and a new problem of the day to keep those problem-solving muscles strong.
Looking forward to seeing many of you on Monday for conferences! Have a fabulous weekend!
A ten penny challenge energized our focused brain during FIT time on Thursday. We learned that our brains also have a diffuse mode too. We found that we can ping pong between the two to really absorb new information and find creative solutions to all kinds of problems. Ask them what diffuse mode activity they're thinking about employing when they need to take a break from focused mode!
In reading and ELA (with social studies integration), we've read several types of text about the same topic. We've discovered that the different genres are just as important as different versions/perspectives. We spent time looking at Nonfiction text about an Olympic refugee team, a poem about the Lost Boys of Sudan, Infographics about refugees and water usage around the world, and realistic/historical fiction about the journeys refugees take around the world to find a safe place to live. We have discovered that each genre broadens our understanding, adds to our learning, and brings out emotions in different ways. ALL these are important when digging deep into topics.
We've begun center work and reflections using our independent reading books and in writing. We love applying new strategies to our personal selections and seeing the power that charges how we read and craft pieces for an audience.
In math, we've explored the relationship between area and multiplication using a variety of tools. Our new Cuisinaire rods and graph paper notebooks came in handy as we built rectangles and studied patterns. We have made deeper connections to length and width of rectangles and factors of multiplication equations. We've also discussed and written about the variety of ways to efficiently count area inside of a rectangle. By mid-week, we defined squares as special rectangles with 4 equal side lengths and studied a special type of rectangle that we called a near-square partner. Each square's area decreased by one square unit as we transformed the square into its near-square. This was an exciting pattern to see and to represent in a variety of ways in our notebook. Our week ended with review of place value understandings and a new problem of the day to keep those problem-solving muscles strong.
Looking forward to seeing many of you on Monday for conferences! Have a fabulous weekend!
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