Quick and smooth days, just how I like ’em.

 

The day absolutely flew by.  We spent our morning on math centers, and talked again about ways to split up wholes using decimals.  I’m very happy with the progress our students are making here.

In Language Arts we read some more Mysterious Benedict Society and discovered quite a few new things about Mr. Curtain’s diabolical plot.

In Science we made quick work of measuring our plants, and they looked VERY nice today after a good drink from yesterday’s storms.  Our data is showing that many of our plants are growing at 1cm per day, which is good progress.  I was very happy with how well the students handled being outside with our gardens today.  We had no problems like yesterday, and the measuring and checking went very smoothly.

As it is Friday, our day was also peppered with quizzes on all sorts of things: multiplication, decimals, word problems, reading comprehension, drawing conclusions, plants, ecosystems, food webs, the whole shebang.

While I try to keep these quizzes as short and to the point as possible, I’m sure the students are tired at this point.  They worked hard today, and it was a good day.  Please let them know you are as proud of them as I am.

 

Read over the weekend and get your reading log signed! (Just fill in the date)

 

Also remember there is no school on Monday, so enjoy your looooong weekend.  I know I will!

 

-Mr. Potter

 

What a very topsy turvy day

 

So we had a fantastic morning.  I gave the students quite a difficult problem to solve this morning, and while only two students eventually arrived at the correct answer (great job Isabella and Thalia!), every student definitely worked relentlessly on it until they were finally asked to stop.  Give it a go and see how you do:

McDonald’s needs 1450 cups each day of the week.  On Monday morning, they receive a shipment of 6 boxes of cups.  Each box has 3 bags of cups.  Each bag has 300 cups in it.  On Friday morning, they receive another shipment of 6 boxes of cups.  How many total cups did they receive on Monday and Friday?  Are they going to have enough cups for the whole week, or will they run out?

 

In math we talked more about decimals, number lines, and all of that fun stuff.  We only managed to get two center rotations in today, so we’ll have to pick that up tomorrow.  In small groups during center time we’re talking about different ways to break up wholes into decimal parts, oftentimes using the concept of dollars and cents as examples.

For homework tonight, students should do page 40 in their motivation math books (if they were absent and didn’t bring their motivation math book with them, that’s ok I’ll accept it on Monday).

In Language Arts we did quite a variety of things.  We talked about quotation marks and some of the rules for their usage.  In our sneaker stories, many of us are using dialogue, but aren’t using quotation marks in a consistent manner.  Hopefully our discussion today cleared up some of those issues.

We also re-read our selection on the diamond-back rattlesnakes, and started up a word-ladder.  The students also did some typing on the computer, and they should be a good ways into typing up their sneaker story at this point.

In science we talked again about producers and consumers, and how we classify these.  We took some quick notes, and then it was outside to water/replant/measure our little gardens.

This is where things took an unfortunate turn for us.  We have been having some problems lately with following directions and listening, and we definitely struggled with staying on task today as we tended to our gardens.  We had a few students on-task and taking measurements and doing as they were instructed to do.  However we also had some students who unfortunately decided they would not record their data, or play with the spray bottles, squirting each other and things other than the plants.  This had some unfortunate consequences, and we had to cut our outside time short.  Hopefully the students will get this under control and we will not have another incident like this.

For homework students have a very simple worksheet on producers and consumers and food webs.  They should be experts on this stuff by now!

Food_WebAug28

 

so, tl;dr (That means “too long; didn’t read”)

Page 40 in motivation math

Food Web worksheet in science

Food_WebAug28

Tomorrow is a new day!

 

-Mr. Potter

We are busy, busy, busy.

 

Today was another day where we just could not fit everything in.  We started our day talking about decimals, and counting by decimals.  We focused on how to divide number lines, and if we are counting by tenths, we go….

one tenth, two tenths, three tenths, four tenths, five tenths, six tenths, seven tenths, eight tenths, nine tenths……ONE.   This threw some of our students for a loop.

We did math centers, and at this point the students are really getting a feel for them.  Many students actually managed to complete an entire center’s problems today.  They also did a wonderful job keeping their voices at a reasonable level while they worked together and individually.

I also started pulling small groups during center time, and this is very helpful for checking understandings with individual students.  We have a group that is ready to go on, and another group that still needs some practice.  We’ll continue to use center times and small group times to make sure these students get the attention they need, where they need it.

For homework tonight, students should fill in a short number line sheet.  There are five number lines, each followed by a list of numbers.  Students should place those number lines on the above number line, and label them accordingly.

Number_Line_Aug27

 

In Language Arts we talked a good bit about the Mysterious Benedict Society and the foreshadowing that the author sprinkles throughout the text.  Even some of our students who had read this book before hadn’t noticed some of the hints.  It got many of the students thinking.

We also read a short text about diamondback rattlesnakes, learned the difference between venomous and poisonous (do you know it?  If not, ask your student!), and watched a short video on venom being harvested from said snakes (which totally creeped out many of the kids).

Next we started typing our sneaker stories.  I was pretty impressed with how well the students were able to expand upon their small moments from yesterday.  We are going to do much of our revising and editing on the computer, as it makes the process just so much easier, and it is a skill they will definitely need in the future.

Finally, we had almost no time for science so we ended up rushing outside to measure and water our plants as fast as we could.  The students got a little chart to start recording their data, and we will see if we can notice any trends.  One group decided that their plants looked very dried out, and opted to move their plants back into a more shady area.  Could it be that some plants need more light than others?  Is too much light a bad thing?  We will be observing and asking ourselves these questions in the weeks to come.

 

In Science, students need to read pages B42-B47, and answer the 5 questions on page B47 tonight.

 

ok, so tl;dr

number line worksheet

Number_Line_Aug27

Read pages B42-B47 in science textbook, and answer the 5 questions on page B47

 

Have a good one!

 

-Mr. Potter

Never enough time!

 

We spent a LOOOoOoOOoOoooong time this morning talking about decimals.

specifically, we did a lot of work with number lines, and we focused on finding the number half-way between two numbers.

 

For instance:

the number halfway between 1.2 and 1.3 is 1.25

the number halfway between 1.4 and 1.5 is 1.45

the number halfway between 1.11 and 1.12 is 1.115

the number halfway between 1.223 and 1.224 is 1.2235

 

etc etc.

We talked a lot about this using number lines, and also using the concept of money.  One main point was how we group things in 10s in the decimal system.  Therefore when we are going from something like 1.1 to 1.2, it takes 1/10 or 10/100.  Therefore if it takes 10/100, halfway between 1.1 and 1.2 would be 1.1 plus 5/100, or 1.15.  This is an important concept for students to wrap their heads around, and we will continue to work on this.  Our bread and butter in math this school year will be decimals, percents, and a real solid understanding of our number system.

 

Tonight, students have a single page in their motivation math books to work on: page 41

 

We ended up doing our centers late today.  Although we had run out of our normal math time, I really wanted the students to still get into the habit of running through these.  Things went much smoother today, and the students appear to be working diligently on their own and in small groups.

 

In Writing today we talked about taking our sneaker stories, and expanding upon small moments.  We read through our stories, and picked one small moment that we can improve upon.  We are going to focus on that moment, and re-write it, making sure that we are truly painting a picture for our reader, and that what we put on the paper matches the image in our heads for our story.  This was an example that we talked about:

Taking something like:

Just then, a giant sneaker came crashing through the roof of the classroom.  It was a giant Mrs. Seawell, and she shouted into the classroom “I won’t let you get more paws than  my class!”

And turning it into:

It was a day like any other in Mr. Potter’s classroom.  The sun was shining outside, and in the classroom the students were hard at work on their math centers.  Just then, a giant sneaker came crashing through the roof of the classroom.  Pieces of the roof went everywhere, and the poor smartboard was completely destroyed.  The students screamed.  Mr. Potter looked on in disbelief at the giant white sneaker.  Attached to it was an equally gigantic leg, and attached to that, a giant version of Mrs. Seawell.  “I WON’T LET YOU GET MORE PAWS THAN MY CLASS!” She shouted into the shattered classroom.

 

The second one definitely paints a better picture for the reader of what is going on in that small moment.

So tonight, students should re-write their small moment by adding details and imagery as they see fit.

In Science, we took a look at our plants, and decided we like where we moved them.  We started taking measurements today as we have some growth worth recording.  We’ll begin collecting this data regularly, and talking about graphs and trends eventually!

 

so, tl;dr

p 41 in motivation math

pick a small moment from your sneaker story, and expand upon it.  Add details and imagery so the reader sees what you want them to see.

 

P.S. if you haven’t gotten your permission form for the field trip in yet, please see if you can get that signed and turned in!

 

Have a good one!

 

-Mr. Potter

 

What a fun-filled day!

No homework except to read read read read read, and get reading logs signed.

 

So we started off with tons of math, tons of review, and then tons of quizzes! (It being Friday and all)

We did a lot of work with decimals today, and that will continue to be par for the course for a while yet.

If you’re curious if your child is ‘getting it’ or not, ask them which of these is larger:

0.4   or 0.04  (four tenths or four hundredths?)

0.12  or 0.105 (twelve hundredths or one hundred and five thousandths?)

We do a good bit of talking about it in these types of terms to start:

“Would you rather have 4 tenths of a dollar (4 dimes) or 4 hundredths of a dollar (4 pennies)?”

 

We had lunch and recess in the classroom today, while we had our game day!  I was impressed with the number of devices and games the students brought in.  It was quite a variety.

We then took some quizzes, and finished up with a bit more gaming, and finally the library.

I actually had a very important function to attend today, so we had some of our other Lockhart teachers come in to cover for part of the afternoon.  It was too bad because I missed the afternoon game day  🙁  However the student assured me they had a great time.  Thank you to Ms. Champion and Ms. Hayes for covering for me.  I know the students very much enjoyed having them.

 

so tl;dr

Read!

Get reading log signed!

 

P.S.  Ident-a-kid order forms went home today.  These are child safety cards you can order that can be used as identification and provide information to law enforcement and emergency personnel should the need ever arise.

 

Have a great weekend!

 

-Mr. Potter

Today was a very very busy day.

 

We started off with a LOT of talk about decimals.  We talked about money, we made a big number line, we went over yesterday’s homework, and we did quite a few example problems.  I believe the students are starting to wrap their minds around this concept, but we will continue working on it for quite some time yet.

Tonight, students have 5 problems to do in their motivation math books, on page 37.  These are 5 very simple questions dealing with decimals, and it should give me a very good idea of where some problems in our understandings still lie.

We are finally getting to the really good parts in The Mysterious Benedict Society.  Many students are so excited that they have checked out the book themselves.  I just hope they don’t spoil it for the rest of the class!

Next we took our class pictures, where the photographer gave many of our students brand new names.  Ask them about it – it was pretty funny.

In Language Arts we talked quite a bit about reasoning, and using evidence to support our answers.  I was a tad disappointed in the responses that were turned in yesterday, so we went over what makes a good argument, and does our argument and answer actually answer the question that was asked?  We did a few new questions together in groups, and then students tonight should try again to answer the next 6 questions for the same reading selection on pages 163-164 of their motivation reading books.  They should have a real reason and argument for their answer attached to each question in the form of at minimum one sentence.

In Science we talked about food webs and ecosystems, and paid a visit to our newly transported plants.  They survived our intermittent storms from last night, and it appears they are liking their new homes.  We had some new growth today, and I am hopeful that we can have some fresh veggies before track-out!

 

so, tl;dr

page 37 in motivation math

page 163-164 in motivation reading, with reasoning/evidence for each answer!

Also, students received their field trip permission forms today. Please get those signed and turned back in as soon as you can

 

.

P.S. tomorrow we are having our game day celebration.  Students are welcome to bring in a game to play during lunch/recess, and we will be having a pretty good time I am sure.

 

Have a good one!

 

-Mr. Potter

Long time no post!

 

I really must apologize for the lack of updates this week.  I had been feeling quite under the weather since Saturday, and did not get a thing done at all over the weekend.  I then made a poor decision to come to school Monday, went home early, and then missed yesterday altogether.

As such, I am quite a bit behind on things, and I am sorry for that.

Today, we started to really talk about decimals, and place value with decimals.  We had been working quite a bit with play money recently, and that helped us with our discussions today.  Students have a decimal place value worksheet to do tonight, to practice their understandings, and naming conventions.  They should have TWO answers for each question.  One should give the value of the underlined digit, and the other answer should be the decimal re-written as a fraction.  This re-written number is actually how we name our decimals.

For instance:

3.426

their first answer would be 2/100, since the underlined digit has a value of two hundredths.  Their second answer would be 3 and 426/1000 since that is the equivalent fraction, and also how we name our decimals: three and four hundred twenty six thousandths.

Here is the worksheet, with the first done as an example:

Decimal_Place_Value_Aug20

In Language Arts we read a selection about polar bears and their disappearing habitat.  This ties in nicely to our talks in science about ecosystems, producers, consumers, and all that jazz.

Students have five questions to answer tonight about their reading selection.  They are on page 162 of their motivation reading book.  As always, each answer should be accompanied by at minimum a sentence explaining or proving their answer.

 

In Science we finally transplanted our little seedlings into bigger containers.

We all got COMPLETELY soaked and TOTALLY dirty!

It was great.  Many of the children had never done any gardening like this before, and were surprised at what hard work it was.  I am definitely sending your children home a little rougher for the wear.  Sorry about that!

 

so, tl;dr

one worksheet on decimals/place value

5 questions on page 162 in motivation reading

 

I will get caught up with website and other stuff by Saturday, and ‘Monday’ folders will be going home tomorrow.

 

P.S. Picture day is tomorrow!  Send your children in their absolute best clothes that are in no way comfortable.  They love it, trust me!

 

Have a good one

 

-Mr. Potter

It’s Friday!

There is no homework!

Except read.  Read and get your reading log signed for tonight (Friday) AND for the weekend.

As is our custom, today we did lots of review, and took lots of quizzes.

 

We reviewed a bunch of math, specifically word problems and multiplication, and then took a quiz where Mr. Potter tricked the socks off the students it seems.  Ask your student about whether they got the Gustavo problem or the last problem correct.  It was definitely tricky!

In Language Arts we talked a bit more about the elements of a story, and then took a reading comprehension quiz.  From what I’ve seen from just glancing at them, they look pretty good.

We also had a short talk about the differences between they’re, their, and there.  When reading some sneakers stories the other day I noticed a few problems with this.  Students did some exercises identifying these, and also some proofreading work.

In Science we read a bit more about plants and their uses, and then (surprise!) took a quiz on that too.

Finally, we decided that we will have an electronics/game day next Friday.  Students are welcome to bring in a game to play during recess/lunch next Friday.  This is our celebration for earning our bronze paw.  We still have to decide what we are doing for our silver, and actually today we earned our gold!  This class is just too good, seriously.

 

so, tl;dr

read!

read!

read!

 

Have a good weekend!

 

-Mr. Potter

Today was a bit rough.

We are having some issues with calling out and talking when it is inappropriate.  We have changed our number line behavior focus to this, and we ended our day at positive four….ooof

But tomorrow is another day, and I’m confident we can become just as amazing at this as we are with our lines.

 

We spent a LOT of time talking about math today.  Switching to word problems has been very interesting, as we are seeing some breakdowns in understanding when students have to derive their own meaning from a problem.

After going over quite a few problems as a class, students set to work in groups on some more word problems, before we had to do our vision screening today.

Students have another page of word problems to do for homework tonight.  It is page 51 in their motivation math books.  They should NOT do page 50, as we will do those in groups tomorrow.  JUST page 51 please!

In Language Arts we did TAG with our sneakers stories, and then talked about what our purpose and audience are for our short story.  These should determine how and what we write.  We also talked about five essential elements of stories, and what these are.  We watched a great little rap about these here.

Tonight, students should fill in a paper that describes the five essential elements of their sneaker story.  We will use this to focus our writing, and make sure that we are truly telling a story instead of just throwing some sentences together.

We did an example together, of the story of the 3 little pigs:

Elements_Example

In Science we continued our discussion of what is making our plants grow in different directions.  After doing some reading, we have narrowed down the options to photo tropism, health of the plants, and strength of the stems.  We are getting a little worried about some of our plants that might be getting too big for our planters.  We might have to move them outdoors pretty soon.

Finally we started talking about what we will do for our celebrations.  We have already earned TWO celebrations from getting so many paws, and are 5 paws from our THIRD!  We didn’t finish our voting, but we narrowed down our choices to electronics/game day, marshmallow fight, or 2 days without homework.  Here’s hoping that last one doesn’t win!

 

 

ok, so tl;dr

P51 in motivation math

One piece of clean paper that describes the plot, characters, conflict, theme, and setting of their sneaker story

 

Also, please remember that tonight is curriculum night!  We would love to see you come out.  In case you didn’t see the letter I sent home, it is from 6-7:30pm tonight.  There is one session from 6-6:45 and another from 6:45-7:30.  It’s a good opportunity to hear about what will be happening in 5th grade, and to touch base if we haven’t had a chance to talk.  If you come out, please come up and say something to me, as I might not quite know who is who.

 

Have a good one, and hope to see you tonight!

 

-Mr. Potter