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Friday, January 11, 2013

Five for Friday and Freebie!!

This week just flew by!!  It was really refreshing to get a whole week in the classroom.  I had to take two sick days (one on 12/21 and one on 1/2) and it was so exhausting being out.  We got a lot accomplished this week and I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for her "Five for Friday" linky where you share 5 random things about your day or the past week!

 1.  State testing seems like it is just around the corner!!  We are so lucky (insert sarcasm) to have THREE state tests in 4th grade:)  One thing I started this week is a measurement station for students during our morning math meeting.  This helps prepare them for the hands-on portion of the state science test.  I post a math meeting every morning and, as students arrive, they work on the questions and record the answers in their notebooks.  For the "measurement" portion, I post a question like "find the mass of the object at the measurement station."  Students take turns going to the back of the room and using any of the measuring tools to answer the question.  Then, we go over the math meeting later with a math meeting "helper" at the SMART board.


2.  We also started really getting into our science motion and design unit.  These are our vehicles that we will use to explore concepts such as force, friction, load, inertia, speed, work, energy, and simple machines.


I am loving the Force and Motion Lapbook and Foldables from Amber at Adventures of a Third Grade Teacher!  It has added some new excitement to this unit:)

 3.  In ELA this week we were working on the them "The Earth and Sky".  We read nonfiction material about the stars and solar system as well as Native American myths of the sky. I love "Glow in the Dark Constellations" because it has a picture of various constellations (and they glow in the dark!) with a thorough but not overwhelming description.  "They Dance in the Night Sky" is a great resource for Native American myths dealing with the stars and solar system.

Students researched a constellation using this website.  They answered some questions on the front of this paper and then wrote a summary of information about their constellation on the reverse side.  It was difficult for many of the students to not use words like "my constellation" or "I" in their summaries.  I wanted them to focus on writing an informational summary.  The highlighted colors below are topic sentence and conclusion (green), details (yellow), and explanations (pink).  We use the Step-Up to writing model.



4.  I put to use the fraction centers I made.  Here the students are working on them in a small group math intervention class with my guidance.  They can also work on them during morning work time when they finish their math meeting.  



5.  Random....My hubby texted me today and said there would be a surprise waiting for me at home on the porch.  You can imagine my excitement when I found TWO boxes of cupcakes...not just any cupcakes...GEORGETOWN CUPCAKES waiting for me at home!!  Yummy!!  They were having a 40% off sale and he said he just had to order:)  This is coming from the guy who complained the entire time I made him wait in line with me in DC for over an hour to get them for the first time.  The same guy who then ate EIGHT of these cupcakes that night in the hotel room!  I think he loves them more than me:)  We have some quite serious sweet teeth in our house!!

This one already has one missing...guess who ate it before dinner?  YEP, my hubbie!  Maybe this wasn't a surprise for me...haha!

My personal favorite (if I had to choose one) would be the peanut butter fudge.  They are pictured below as the two middle in the top row.

Now, I have a freebie for you and am linking up with Teaching Blog Addict!  
Freebie Fridays
My students really enjoyed the fall story starters that I got free from the generous Tara at 4th Grade Frolics.  I decided to make some new winter story starters.  
You can find them FREE here.

You also have to check out this HUGE giveaway by Rockin' Teacher Materials!  One lucky winner per grade level will get a flash drive full of teaching resources for their grade!!!  How awesome is that?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway that ends January 17th.  There are many prizes being offered by 19 amazing bloggers and two winners will receive an additional $20 of educational resources.  



5 comments:

  1. Hey Holly!
    I love your little force and motion vehicles! Did you make them or was that in a kit? I'll have to check out that lapbook! We do our force and motion towards the end of the year when things get really hairy with testing coming up so that may be a life saver!

    We just started something similar with our writing process, but we aren't using step up to writing (although that makes a little more sense than what we've started, in my humble opinion, but it's schoolwide...so...ahem...I'll be positive and keep going with what we've been doing).

    I bought your fraction centers and I'm so excited to get it put together! Someone messed up our color printer at school and I couldn't print it all (sniff sniff) but I'm printing it at home this weekend! It's awesome!!

    Those cupcakes- wow. So yummy looking! I can't have stuff like that at our house. I'd make myself sick and eat eight like your hubby!! :O)

    Thank you so much for the freebie!! You rock!!

    Sorry for the long comment!! I just love my 4th grade bloggy buddies!! It's nice to feel a connection personally and through curriculum!!

    Have a great weekend!
    Amanda
    Collaboration Cuties

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  2. I LOVE your Force and Motion activities - too cute!

    And I have a soft spot in my heart for all things cupcake, so your husband's surprise made my heart smile. I'm going to have to show this to my hubby as a "subtle" hint! :)

    Thanks for the freebie - my kids are going to love this!

    ~Jessica
    Joy in the Journey

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  3. I found your blog through Sister Teachers and I'm so glad I did! I am your newest follower :)

    Rae
    Mindful Rambles

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  4. Great post! I found your blog through the Listening Rather Than Speaking giveaway and I am so glad I did, I love it and I am now following you!

    xx
    Kelly
    Sparkles and Shoes

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