Our GIANT Undertaking...

So our fantastic librarian chose Jack as our Two Schools, One Book book. My class has loved our routine of reading, sketching and writing every day, but we've incorporated other activities, too. 

Check out the chalk mural we are taking part in to tie Jack to the arts...

 

 

Snakes and Toads! That's amazing!

Earth!

I guess we'd better know all about Earth before we start colonizing Mars! So, this week we are delving deep into our beautiful and fragile planet. 

I love Thinking Maps (I'm a Trainer of Trainers, after all) and I love using them across content to spark my students thinking and to organize their thoughts. 

Today we made diagrams of the earth and made a Circle Map of important words to know - Language of the Discipline. They came out great!

Class Photos

Class photos have not arrived yet, but ID's have!

We're Going Batty!

We are delving into all things bat.  We are learning so much about these little mammals and some of us have even noticed bats flying around our neighborhoods at dusk!

Take a peek into our room as we work on bat writing...

Fall Fun in So Cal

So... yeah. We are still waiting for fall here in Southern California. Come on, sweater weather! I'm a little done with the 80+ degree weather and am itching to feel a little chilly.  

We SoCal teachers know how to make-do though, so we are still having some real fall fun, y'all! 

First, you start with a little plaid (lightweight is a must).

Then you add some apples -and apple cider and apple donuts. Definitely apple donuts.

You also include some pinecones staged just so.

And hey - you get some gem corn (because your own harvest was... ahem... meager), and pinecone roses and Arkansas Black apples as you Pinterest fall-scaping ideas.

You add some pie, because - of course you add pie!

And you're careful not to attract bears, because now you are stuffed with apple cider, donuts and pie - and are probably fairly delicious.

Frankly, all this is exhausting. So, you take a break to check out some fuzzy cows along the way. And you're sure you see one wink at you because they just know you're a vegetarian.

By this time, you might be appled-out. Not from the picking - that's another story - but from the eating. So you pick up some AMAZING spicy jams!

And before you head home you pick up a few million acorns because you need them for your fall-scaping awesomeness that you absolutely will be Pinteresting - at some point!

Finally, you go home and - in real fall style - are supremely thankful for a fun and beautiful day, with fun and beautiful friends.

And pie.

Organic Gardening Update

Gem corn is not a GMO, Franken-Food developed in a lab to make purple corn. It is one of the oldest varieties of corn and was used by Native Americans well before any Europeans arrived.

Gem corn is beautifully colored flint corn, and I grew it for the sheer gorgeousness of it. 

One major pollination lesson learned - don't plant late when the heat is too great. I'm really looking forward to planting it again in the spring!

Mentor Sentences

I don't know about y'all but my precious little ones struggle with writing. This is true most every year so every year I'm on the hunt for a new way to improve my practice and up my game.  This year, I am using Mentor Sentences by Ideas by Jivey. Basically it follows the grammar structure for Writer's Workshop and uses mentor texts as exemplars for writing. 

Day One we notice whatever we can about the chosen sentence from the text (which was read aloud previously). On Day 2 we label all the parts of the sentence we can. On Day 3 (today!) we revise the sentence to make it more interesting. On Day 4 we imitate. The students come up with super awesome and creative imitations of the sentence. Then, on Day 5 we take a quiz that allows students to demonstrate skills in editing, writing and grammar. 

We've been using the Mentor Sentences since week 2 (this is week 9). I don't know what all to attribute it to, probably a variety of factors, but this year my students are making quicker writing gains! 

#winning

Check out their revisions today...