Congratulations, Gage!!!

Congratulations to Gage Brugoto!!!  He got his first deer a few weekends ago!

Adverbs Avenue

I saw an idea on teacherspayteachers.com for adverbs and though I would try it in my classroom.  I have a classroom full of young artists and I knew they would be really interested in the project!  First, we discussed them and made an anchor chart.  I had adverbs on cardstock paper and we sorted them based on WHAT? WHEN? and HOW?, and then made up sentences using adverbs.  To end the lesson, the students worked in groups to create an avenue in the hallway.  Each group got a piece of chart paper, chose a sentence to illustrate, and created a scene to hang together with the other groups in the hallway.  Hence the title "Adverbs Avenue". It was awesome seeing their creativity go wild!

#www.teacherspayteachers.com

Last Friday's Book Jackets

As I graded last Friday's book jackets, I was very disappointed in the results.  I only had 3 100s, and a total of only 4 A's.  All students were given the rubric, it was projected onto the board, and I read and explained it before they started.  The part of the jacket they had the most trouble with was the connections.  This was what several students put down as connections:

"I like to draw."
"I have read a book about clocks."
"I have a dog."

I see this type of connection when I walk down the 1st grade hallway.  :(  A GOOD connection states what you are connected to and what part of the book it is that connects you.  For example, I had one student write down "I have a text-to-self connection to Diary of a Wimpy Kid because Greg has an older brother and so do I."  THIS IS THE TYPE OF CONNECTION (and sentence) THAT FOURTH GRADERS SHOULD BE WRITING!

All rubrics were sent home this afternoon.  Please take a minute to look at your child's grade to see what he/she missed.  These book jackets are fun for them and should be an easy grade.

Thanks for all of your help!!!

P.S.--The covers were fantastic!  I will NEVER complain about their artistic abilities!

4th Grade Crime Scene

To end our unit on writing mysteries, I decided to do something BIG to get them excited about what to write and how to write it!  With the help of my good friend Seth Higginbottom, I got some crime scene tape to help rope off a section of the classroom.  By the time the students returned from Art, we had a murder mystery on our hands!  I got shoes from Mrs. Brown so that I could make some "muddy footprints" on the white paper.  I used some red paint for "blood" and left clues throughout the room.  Bloody handprints on the walls, bathroom doors, fingerprints on the paper towel machines, and then washed it off in the sinks and left a little residue.  This helped them to correctly fill out their "clues" section in their graphic organizer.  We talked about how it was in the girls bathroom AND in the boys bathroom.  Someone said, "It must have been at least 1 boy and 1 girl." I then asked them about distractions.  Another student piped in and said it could have been a girl and she left fingerprints and blood in the boys bathroom to "throw us off".  WOW...  I totally wanted them to get that and they did!

#sethhigginbottom

#ArkansasStatePolice

We love Furry Visitors... :)

Brandi Schulz found a small kitten in her field one day.  Thinking it was lost from its mother and the mother would come back for it, she left it there, careful not to bother it.  When it was still there the next day, Brandi decided to take that little kitty and nurse it back to health.  She came to our classroom to share her story with us, telling us about "Richard Parker" and how she took care of him.  "Richard" was also present for the story and we got to pet and play with him.  What a great morning!!!

#brandischulz

#keymomentsphotography.com

Reading Guest

We were surprised Tuesday morning with a special lady to come and read to us!  Ethan Ball's grandmother is with Farm Bureau and brought a book to share with us.  It was about growing vegetables and eating them.  The students really enjoyed her!  And I think that Mrs. Staggs enjoyed coming to read to us, as well!

Reading Minutes

I have pondered a way to hold students accountable for their reading every night.  I have been doing the "honor system" since school began, but, after Friday's poor turnout of book projects, I have decided to do things a little different.

In 4th grade, students need to read an average of 60 minutes independently each day in order to grow as a reader.  We took the STAR Reading test last week, and each and every student's report has them reading this much each day so that they can be a better reader.  I gave each student their reading levels this morning.  They go to the library to check out books today.  Each post-it note had the reading level for books in the library and for books in my classroom (Because my library is set up differently than Mrs. Lemonier! :) I do not want students to get discouraged while reading!!!!

With this long post, here is what I am going to require:  Students will have reading homework each night:  READING INDEPENDENTLY.  They will have a sheet to fill out.  They will record their minutes and answer a quick question.  Examples:  What happened to the character today?  What kind of connection did you have to the character?  What was the setting?  Along with writing, students may draw a picture or fill in a graphic organizer.  They are short questions, but they help to comprehend.  They will make students go back and "think" about what was read.  I am crossing my fingers this works!!!  I want students to jump from where they are reading now and to go beyond 4th grade reading levels!

Oh, and, psst....  SHHH...  If students are good...and don't fall behind in math... This reading will be the only homework they will have most  nights.  But, shhhhhh.... I don't want them to know.  :)