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New Fun Stuff to Try

Hi Kids by vielleuxn, made at DoInk.com

What do you think?  Mrs. Paquette, the Technology Integration Specialist for the elementary and middle schools shared this site with me and it looks like a lot of fun.  I am wondering about how to use it in the classroom.

This week begins hot off the heels of a "snow" day-- you know, just once I would like to have a snow day with some actual snow.  Not rain and ice... snow.  This week, be on the lookout for a new homework menu.  This menu has some practice sheets and some creative outlets for kids to try out.

New Homework Format

Vielleux Crew kids are going to be more independent with their homework and learning beginning this month, and choices are a huge part of this.  Below is the January Homework Menu.  Click on it to access the document.  

The basics are outlined in the document.  If you have any questions, feel free to email me!

Review of Division so far-- Partial Quotient Arrays

Here is a video of a division problem just like the ones you're going to work on in class tomorrow.  If you listen really closely you can even hear my son ask, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"  Use this model to help you with math while I am F&P reading testing with students.

More Complex Multiplication Menu

Once students get rolling with multiplication menus, they start to work with more complicated menus.  A good example of a more complicated menu is the menu for 17 described below.  Be sure to read the thinking process as well.

1x17=17

2x17=34 (Double 17 is 34)

10x17= 170 (17 with a 0 on the end)

20x17= 340 (2x17 answer with a 0 on the end)

5x17=85 (half of the answer for 10x17-- half of 100 is 50 and half of 70 is 35, 50+35=85)

3x17=51 (17+34)

30x17=510 (3x17 with a zero on the end)

Using this menu kids could mathematically figure out how to divide 578 by 17.  For example, I could start by dividing 30 groups of 17 (which uses 510).  578-510 is 68.  I need to use up 68 more.  68 is double 34 so I could divide out four more groups of 17 using 68.

Step One of division instruction...learning to make a multiplication menu. In order to work well with the divisor in a division problem, kids need to be able to manipulate the divisor. They do this by creating a multiplication menu ahead of time. Here's Gabe telling us how to make a simple menu.

Light!

Play with light.  Check out this website and use the interactive games to learn about color, reflection and refraction.

Welcome back! 2012 is upon us

With the beginning of the new year, we will be beginning new units and focus on new parts of the curriculum.  To start, in science, we begin a whiz-bang month-long study of energy.  We begin this week by listening to a blast from the past (1950s I believe).

Here's Singing Science's What is energy?

It's the Most Wonderful Time of Year!

Wow, time flies when you're having fun.  How about a photo montage of what's been happening with the Vielleux Crew?

We spent a couple of weeks learning about exploration and what might have motivated nations and individuals to explore.  In this lesson, we roamed around the room sharing ideas by writing and not speaking.

 Then, Thanksgiving break happened.  You all know Mrs. B has been dressing up for years, right?  This one takes the turkey!

Fifth graders continue to be role models throughout the school.  They volunteer their free time (like recess) every chance they get.  The adults in the building are happy to scoop them up and put them to work.  

We had a couple of impromptu fashion shows:

Mr. Lyons came to discuss cigarette smoking as part of our Class Council with Mrs. Lallier.

We thought he was pretty interesting, because who else brings in human organs for us to touch?

We got to see and feel the difference between healthy lungs, lungs from someone with emphysema, and cancerous lungs.  The cancerous lungs looked a bit like ground beef.  

Here are some more photos of this experience:

Only those three could turn touching lungs into a bonding experience... such good friends.

And we love Mrs. Mumford.  If you ever need someone to hold your Phlegm, she's there for you!

By the way, that jar of phlegm contained about as much phlegm as a smoker with COPD could cough up in two weeks.  Blech.

We've worked on other things as well this month:

We helped out the first graders with their projects.

We've been working on some other projects in math, reading, writing and science.  Stay tuned for more to come!

Catching Up

It has been a while since the last post.  The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity.  From NECAPs (Hunter said, "Wow, my kneecaps hurt!" as he walked into the classroom on the first day of testing), to Polar Caves, we sure have been busy.

First of all, thanks to our many parent chaperones.  Even though we gave the option for driving, many took the bus and enjoyed the ride.  Mrs. McCullar, Mr. Dustin-Eichler and I all crowded into the front row barely containing our trio of bus sickness.  Perhaps the option next year should be for the teachers to drive!  Mrs. Poirier, Mr. Sneddon, Mr. Nalette, Mrs. Derosier, Mrs. Lebrun and Mrs. Noyes were our volunteers and guides.  Mrs. Peoples, the fifth grade special educator, enjoyed the Polar Caves so much that she went the following weekend with her own kids.  Here's a bit of trivia:  one Polar Caves group did the cave tour three times!

Here's the group at the annual photo.

For those of you who have never been to the caves, here's an example of the intricate walkways and paths built into the side of the mountain.  At this particular spot, kids would rush out screaming, "I made it through the Lemon Squeeze."

Trips aside, we are back into the academic swing following NECAPs.  In reading, we've moved away from character studies, and as soon as we finish our most recent book groups, we'll be focusing on shorter, non-fiction reading until after Thanksgiving.  As the kids get older, more and more of their information will come from different types of nonfiction text and it is important to study the text features of those.  Kids will still be expected to read for pleasure from fiction books during this time.

In math, we've wrapped up a unit which is a mixture of different topics to kick off the year, and are moving into area models of multiplication.  We will spend a lot of time on modeling multi-digit multiplication.  This is the time of year where a lack of math fact fluency will begin to slow the students down.  I also have been doing a lot of research on how to help the kids master their facts.  Basically I have found that constant repetition, a variety of activities, and a tracking system to monitor progress are key components.  I am always brought back to articles published by NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics), and here's one for you to look at if you're so inclined.

Click the blue words to access article.

Please encourage your child to write the facts, say the facts, rhyme the facts, or sing the facts.  Quizzing them in the car, in the shower, in line for the movies, or ANYWHERE will help!

In science, we've started our study of Earth's Changing Surface.  We've studied the layers of the Earth, the rock cycle and are now exploring rapid and slow changes to the surface.  Be sure to ask your child how the Earth is like a kiwi!

In writing, we're working on writing thesis statements, and are working toward an independent response to literature.