PA and TD for the Week of 2-19

KTD Math will be exploring some building challenges this week with a game I bought at the IAGC convention.  We will be using Brain Builders to create different structures. 

KTD Literacy will be exploring the differences in text features by comparing fiction and nonfiction books to see how they are different from each other.

1TD did a great job with their first chapter book reading with me last week.  This week we will be exploring two new short novels and discussing how the point of view of different characters shape the story. We will be reading the Newbery Honor novel 26 Fairmount Ave by Tomie DePaola and Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish. 

2TD just got to the part in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where Charlie found the golden ticket.  The group is loving this shared reading experience and are taking copious notes about the five children and how different they all are.  We will continue reading this novel together this week.

3PA has finished learning about the ten greatest discoveries of Ancient Egypt.  At the end of PA today, one student said, "These ancient people really did a lot of modern things!" which is so true.  The rest of the week will be spent going on virtual tours of the 63 tombs found in The Valley of the Kings using a link I have on the website.  

4PA will continue our introduction to neuroscience using the book Broken Arrow Boy by Adam Moore.  Adam suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was in fourth grade.  By learning about what happened to his brain, we will begin to understand what certain parts of the brain are responsible for and how the brain works.

5PA will be diving into some philosophy this week as we explore conformism and individualism using the picture book The Big Orange Splot. After reading this short book, we will be discussing questions like: Which is better, being like everyone else or being different? Is it ever okay to be like everyone else? If so, when? We will also be reading a poem by Billy Collins titled "On Turning Ten" and writing a version of our own that celebrates childhood and dives into the transition to middle school.

3PA Decoding the Great Pyramid

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/

This week's episode of NOVA on PBS was Decoding the Great Pyramid.  It was amazing, and you can watch it online using the link 3PA.  Enjoy!  See you on Monday. 

PA and TD for the Week of 2-11

KTD Math will learn about the magic cross with me this week.  The kids will be tasked with creating different magic crosses using the numbers 1-5 in a cross pattern that have the same horizontal and vertical sums. Here is an example...

KTD Lit will spend the week with the wordless picture books of Aaron Becker, specifically his trilogy Journey, Quest, and Return. We will examine the use of color and what role it plays in telling the story, and also what the colors represent in the theme of the books.

1TD is going to read a short novel this week, Nate the Great, by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat.  This is a beginning chapter book, and there are dozens of Nate the Great books that the kids can check out and read on their own.  We will be using the text to examine point of view and the main idea and supporting evidence.  The kids will use laminated hexagons and dry erase markers to link ideas connected to these two topics. 

2TD will begin reading the Roald Dahl classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this week.  We will be developing fluency and focusing on how the points of view of the children in the novel help to shape the content of the story.

3PA spent their time in the classroom during PA testing reading the book Pyramid that went into greater depth than the documentary we watched in PA. We will discuss the detailed notes they took and what additional information they found in the text.  This week, we will explore the top ten greatest discoveries of Ancient Egypt.  The students will see the unfinished obelisk of Aswan, Khufu's boat, the treasures found in King Tut's tomb, and other ancient wonders.  I will also share information that was discovered on February 2, 2019 in the Egyptian city of Minya.  40 new mummies were found just days ago.  You can read about it here: NY Times Egypt Unveils Dozens of Newly Discovered Mummies

4PA will present their Google Slides about The Harlem Renaissance beginning Monday.  The students were guided by 8 questions that connect to PA standards, and then given the opportunity to explore any aspect of this period of American history.  We will see projects on actors, musicians, fashion, poetry, and the history behind The Great Migration.  By mid week, we will transition into a unit on neuroscience.  I'm going to introduce this unit using a book written by a fifth grader after an accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury when he was at a boy scout camp.  Adam Moore's story explains what different parts of the brain do, and what happens when they are injured.  The book shows his sense of humor and his courage through his recovery.

 

5PA will finally present their TED Talk about a catalyst for change.  Everyone should be ready to go on Monday.  I'm excited to watch what the kids have been working on during PA testing.