Weathering and Erosion

This year, I've been working on curriculum mapping out lessons, so I have a better idea on how the year flows-and make it easier to plan for years to come!

During our parent-teacher conference day, I took some time to plan out my Science-making it easier for me to teach the same thing three times and making sure the kids had consistent information!

We start our science off with Weathering and Erosion-which is broke into two multi-day labs.

I introduced them to the topic by doing a thinking strategy-Zooming In.

I took pictures of rocks that had been weathered, and cropped and zoomed a tiny piece. We talked about what they thought it was and why before showing the 'full' picture.

I tried to show different examples for the different kinds of weathering-and I had to stick in the Old Man in the Mountain-a New England favorite (although his face fell off in 2003!)

The next day, we drew a model of the weathering and erosion cycle, with examples of the different types (gleaned from the Study Jams video we watched the day before)

Now we moved onto the labs! I do a skittles lab-to simulate weathering, as well as a soil lab-to simulate erosion.

For our skittles lab, we use skittles, vinegar (chemical weathering) and water (physical weathering) to slowly wear away the skittle. Kids love seeing what happens!

I have everything set up on trays before hand, and students work in partners.

 They use an eye dropper to concentrate the liquid.

 Some of them get really into it!

For erosion, we do a soil lab.

Students 'erode' the soil by being the wind (THAT was a messy day-but I got smart and had them do it on the floor this year so it could just be vacuumed up!)

Or a glacier

We had 'fake' glaciers-the ice would have melted before we did the lab!

And water-which I set up a little differently (and emphasize that the color change, nor the dact that turns to mud are acceptable answers on why it erodes!) so they can really see what happens.

I have them suction out the excess water so they can see what the water did!

After each step, we talk about that happened and how the soil was eroded.

Then, we test! Students do get to use the model that we drew at the beginning of the unit. Overall, they do a very nice job, and they love the hands on part of it.

Now we shift to states of matter-another fun topic!

Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn

A Christmas Conversation

Forgive the double post today, but I saw the cutest linky from The Inspired Apple!
I just had to link up!

Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn

Combining the Puzzle Pieces

We've started working on synthesizing while reading, which is always interesting to teach.

I've talked before about how I've taught it here and here.

This year I did things a little differently, and I feel much more comfortable with the kids command of this skill so far!

We started by do a chart and talking about what we thought it was.

I talked about how it was monitoring your thinking while you were reading, and tracking how it changed throughout your reading.

I did add the sentence stems while the kids were working.

After we created our chart, I modeled the skill using one of my readers about Pluto.

I showed them how to write down what they know, and then when their thinking changed, to write down how it changed, and to write the section of the text that helped it change.

After I modeled it, it was their turn!

I spread out a bunch of my NatGeo Readers for them to choose from (and we talked about how they were getting 'easier' books to read because I wanted them to focus on practicing the skill-just like there would be times that they would get harder, more complex reads)

As the kids returned their books, one of my cuties lined them all up! When she saw there wasn't enough for an 'equal' top row, she did the in between thing-too cute!

I set them free to choose their own and to synthesize while they read. We did it as a reader response in our notebooks.

From what I saw, they were doing a great job! We talked about how you write while you read-it's the only way to track you changing thinking effectively!

We'll continue with this for the next few days-and I'll introduce them to how to do it with fiction text-which is a whole 'nother beast!

Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn

The Sub That Never Was

I was at a workshop yesterday, and I wanted to share how I set up for a sub.

But...

My kids had a snow day. (Although it was bad out at all-it was icy-with no snow!)

Hey! He worked! Too bad I already had the day 'off' with a workshop!

So-no sub.

But I still went to my workshop! (The start was delayed an hour due to weather, but we still had it!)

So I'll share about the sub that never was! :)

I always start with my Sub Binder. I got this from Lesson Plans and Lattes.  I only have to update at the beginning of the year and I'm set!

Next, my plans.

I save them, so I just copy and paste the day into a new word document and changed certain aspects. 

I try to plan easy to do things that go along with what we are currently learning.

Everything gets stacked in the order of the day, and I'll often leave little post its on it, either labeling or explaining more.

I have a stock of Scholastic News saved, so if it's a Social Studies day, that's what they are working on.

For Math, I try to have a fun game/worksheet that not only goes along with a skill we've been practicing, but is also seasonal!

Since I never know who might show up (unless it's planned way in advanced like this one was), I don't want to try to have them do a Math in Focus lesson (especially since I'm not 100% comfortable with the program myself!)

In Reading, I always try to have a story with an activity-again, themed to the season!

For my guided reading groups, I wrote the plans on a sticky and attached to my binder, as well as additional instructions on each book.

I had previously written them in my plans, but with this method, I can write it up immediately after group, so I know the direction they go it.

If it is a 'surprise' absence, I write the GR plans in my regular lesson plans. It'll usually be having the student read aloud from previous chapters, or do a close reading article.

I overexplain everything, so my plans are usually 4 pages. Plus, I used to sub, so I know what it is like to get plans and have no idea what to do!

So these activities will be stashed away, and when I'm out again, they'll be dusted off for use. The best thing is that the activities can be used from year to year, so it is an easy copy and paste for a new day!

Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn

Smunday Made It

It's Monday Made It-on a Sunday! (Smunday-get it? :)

I've been busy with holiday cheer-making snowflakes!

I still have some left to go-I'll chain them together when I'm done, making a snowflake garland.

There's 3 different kinds of yarn-a pure white, white shot with silver, and white with sequins. It should look awesome when finished!

I also got my craft on for a teamie gift!

I got the idea from RepeatCrafterMe-who had the idea in the magazine I got for a gift from said teamie!

In case of a crochet emergency! :)

I've also done some paintings.

The first one I did at a paintbar with a new coworker-a fund night out!

This next one is a Christmas present for my mom-she liked on of the paintings I had done with a sunset, and she loves the ocean-so I thought I would combine the two!

I hope she likes it! (She's very difficult to please-so we'll see)

This last one wasn't made by me, but is  handmade-I picked it up at a craft fair.

I thought it would be perfect-and maybe give good luck! I couldn't pass this cutie up.

Isn't he adorable?! I can't decide whether to keep him at home or bring him to school for a little bit.  He'll definitely be hanging around for awhile! 

Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn

Writing an Ad

After we talked about Informational Writing, we zoomed in on our project for the week-writing an ad!

I thought an ad would be a great introduction to informational writing, fun, as well as seasonally appropriate!

The kids have been working a little bit with advertisements in their Library class, so they were familiar with what an ad was.

Since we have already done our prewriting and they had their objects, I wanted them to define what their ads should have, so we did a brainstorm session on the board.

They did a wonderful job! This is also going to be the rubric their ads are graded on-it has stayed up while they've been working, so they've had a clear view of the expectations.

I also did a quick example, to show them what I was looking for.

We went online to look at some ads and how colorful they were, and what stores included when featuring a product. (We looked at a Michaels ad, Target, and then went to the Toys'R'Us site to focus on individual products.)

I gave them the option of just going right to their final copy or doing a draft-since we did a lot of prewriting, I felt comfortable giving them that option.

In progress...

Completed! (I had them write a paragraph on the back answering the questions from the previous day-why it's cool, why would people buy it and why it's the best-a little opinion writing thrown in as well!)

They're coming out nicely! I think this was a great info intro, as well as a fun activity. They certainly seemed to enjoy it!

Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn