We're well into our earth science expedition's first case study, "Hunka' Hunka' Burnin' Earth." We've been doing simulations with clay to learn about the rock cycle and the interaction of the Earth's crust and mantle (hot magma layer below the crust). This includes deepening our understanding of earthquakes and volcanoes, as well as concepts like viscosity and longitude/latitude.
A Major Factor to Consider
We're close to finishing our first math unit, which focuses on important multiplication concepts such as factors, prime and composite numbers, and exponents. A couple of the components of our math instruction are computer work on Khan Academy and Friday math games:
What's the Message?
Our reader's workshop usually begins with a lesson on a particular strategy that helps readers understand a text and think more deeply about the ideas presented in it. Over the course of the year, we'll explore many reading skills, strategies, and "thinking routines." Two key ideas we keep in mind as readers are that "Every Word Matters" and that every text is trying to convey some kind of message--so, it's essential that we monitor our thinking to make sure we're picking up on it. After the short strategy lesson, students read silently for up to an hour as I pull individuals and small groups for focus work. Frequently, all students are required to write a response to their personal reading that links to the lesson the reader's workshop began with.
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