Kiker's Strength-Based Learning Cohort

This week, we switched up our groups and are learning Power Point in our Project Block. To create the slides, we are using our knowledge of summarizing fiction with a picture book related to acceptance. The students used CSERT to analyze the book, and are now putting that information on slides piece by piece. It will be exciting to see how using technology brings new energy to our learning! Each grade level has had some challenging sessions in ELA and reading! Second Graders have reached the midway point of our chapter book, The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes. With the volume of events that occur each chapter, finding the character's main struggle is more difficult! We have de-constructed and analyzed each part to see a clearer picture. There were quite a few "ahas!" Third Graders have been mesmerized by Rain Reign , and we have discussed, analyzed, and theorized about Rose's struggle. We discovered the climax of the story, and are now seeing how the end fou...

Hello, super scientists! Click on the links below to complete your Energy Websurf. Read all directions and double check your work for accuracy!  When you complete your Websurf, leave a comment telling something new that you learned today. Remember--comments with errors will not get posted, so double check before you post! :) 2nd grade Part I: Sources of Sound http://www-g.eng.cam.ac.uk/mmg/teaching/peterstidwill/interact/resources/oceanodyssey.htm Part II: Light and Shadows http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/physical_processes/light_shadows/play/popup.shtml Part III: Watt's That, Jr. http://energyquest.ca.gov/wattsthat_junior/power/index.html 3rd grade Part I: Geothermal http://energy4me.org/all-about-energy/what-is-energy/energy-sources/geothermal/ Part II: Tiki the Penguin-Energy http://tiki.oneworld.net/energy/energy8.html Part III: Types of Energy http://c03.apogee.net/contentplayer/?coursetype=kids&utilityid=demo&id=16168 Part IV: What ...

We packed a lot of learning into our short week! In project block, we read several stories about Martin Luther King, Jr. with varying perspectives, including March On! by Christine King Harris, Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport, and My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Martin Luther King III. Analyzing and comparing these texts facilitated incredibly rich discussions, heartfelt engagement, and application of empathy. We've definitely got a group of scientists in our midst! We presented our projects, recorded what we found interesting about the topics of our peers, and reflected on the experience. Our projects will line our hallway for another week and then be sent home next Friday. Super job, Science Fair participants! In social studies, second graders have conducted family interviews and used technology to research their heritage. We've loved learning about our past and discovering the details that make our SBLC family so diverse! Third grade...

This has been another week filled with long division for fourth graders.  We also read The Thirst Quencher and designed our very own vending machine. Then we used multiplication and division to tell how many items the machine holds. We also went on to everfi.com  to practice personal financial literacy. Third graders continued to work on 2 digit by 1 digit multiplication. We read Party Plans by the Number!  Then we broke up into groups and started working on plans for a picnic. This event planning involve a lot of math. Second graders enjoyed using dry erase boards to practice multiplication. We also read Each Orange Had 8 Slices  then we drew pictures and math problem that went along with the pictures in the book. This week in reading we continued our novel/author studies. We continued to analyze and discuss the many layers of meaning. We started our passages for homework as a way to practice analyzing text. Our writing centers started this...

Happy New Year! We have been working hard all week and getting back into routines. Some new (ask about reading logs and writing centers) and some old familiars. In project block, we've been using our presentation posters that we made in December to learn more about and from, each other. We are writing letters to one another, and finding opportunities to find commonalities and to learn something new as well! Second Grade began an Author Study of Kevin Henkes. Third is delving into Rose's life in Rain Reign , and Fourth has started,  When My Name was Keoko   by Linda Sue Park. Ask your child to fill you in! Our writing plans include centers in the next few weeks. Along with writing group with Mrs. Forrest two days, they will also rotate through Homograph, Mountain Language (not HW anymore) and cursive handwriting activities. We will be busy! Spelling is back in swing as well! In addition, we will start our weekly reading passages Wednesday nigh...