Oh nooooooooo!!!

Our plants have met with a most unfortunate frost incident 🙁

 

We went out today to find many of our plants had died.  We knew this was coming, but it was still a bit of a shock for some.  We picked most of what was left on the plants, and we will set the tomatoes aside for a day or two and see if they ripen.

As for the bunch of tiny cucumbers, we’ll see if we can make some pickles!

 

Math was again focused on the standard algorithm for division.  We had a good talk about how it is important to understand what is going on with the algorithm, as opposed to simply memorizing the algorithm.  Memorization without understanding is essentially pointless.  Many students still don’t believe me yet, but they will!

 

Tonight students again have some division problems to do.  We had 3 problems and also an example that we did together.

256.8  ÷ 4

743.6 ÷ 5

94.2 ÷ 3

654.2 ÷ 4   (our example)     Nov4Example

It is very important that students be thinking/saying what is going on as they step through each problem.  For instance, in our example I would expect students to say something like:

Alright I have 6 hundreds to split 4 ways.  I can put 1 in each of four groups.  I’ve given out/put 4 hundreds in each group, now I have 2 left over.  I’m going to turn my 2 leftover hundreds into tens.  I’ll get 20 tens, and I had 5 before so now I have 25 tens to split 4 ways……

 

In Language Arts we talked about main idea and supporting details.  We had taken a short assessment on this, and the results were slightly less than stellar.  The main idea and details beatings will continue until morale (or test scores) improve!

Tonight students have 2 short passages where they are required to identify main idea and supporting details.  The first we did together as an example.  For the second, they should follow the same outline as the first: they should identify the main idea and at least 3 supporting details below the passage.  Then the second passage has a few comprehension questions to answer about (surprise!) main idea!

First passage (example)

Nov4PlanetsMainIdea

Second passage (to be done as the first, and then answer questions)

Marathon Kids Passage

Marathon Kids Question Sheet

 

In Science we talked about the respiratory system.  I am very sad that my wife (who is a science teacher)  gave away her set of plastic pig lungs the last time I moved.  I will have to find a new set of life-like lungs to help the kids really visualize what is going on in our bodies.

I think this Thursday we’ll see if we can make a little model of the lungs and diaphragm to help us with this.

 

so, tl;dr

4 math problems:

256.8  ÷ 4

743.6 ÷ 5

94.2 ÷ 3

654.2 ÷ 4   (our example)   Nov4Example

two main idea passages:

Nov4PlanetsMainIdea

Marathon Kids Passage

Marathon Kids Question Sheet

 

 

Also, please remember Thursday is our Fall Carnival! Come out and play some games and have a good time from 6-7:30 pm!

 

Friday is also early release!  we’re done at 12:30!

 

Have a good one,

 

-Mr. Potter

Vegetables!

So this was our harvest from Friday, and today we washed them, chopped them, and gobbled them right up!

 

Besides that, we had a rather uneventful day.

 

We started with a trip to the computer lab, where we double checked all of our passwords and wrote them down in our agendas.  Over track-out many of us had forgotten our passwords, so that was something that needed to be fixed quickly.

Next most of us got to finish typing out our Goldilocks stories.  Many people have completely changed their story, and some are quite……..violent 😛

Not sure about that one.

 

In math we talked about the algorithm we use for division.  We have spent a good amount of time doing this with play money, and in centers and in pairs.  Today we talked about doing it strictly on paper using the long division algorithm.  For homework tonight students have three problems to do, using this algorithm.

376.24  ÷  2

15.15  ÷  3

24.60  ÷  4

 

In language Arts we read a short piece on how energy is acquired and used by plants and animals.  This is partly review from the first quarter, and partly introduction to the human body system we will be working on this week.

Tonight students should finish the questions that went along with their energy selection, and also finish the questions that went with their selection from Friday on laughter.  If they used their time wisely Friday and today, they should have very little of them left.

 

 

so, tl;dr

3 math problems using the division algorithm

376.24  ÷  2

15.15  ÷  3

24.60  ÷  4

laughter reading and questions

energy reading and questions

 

read for 30 minutes!

 

Also, this Thursday is our FALL CARNIVAL from 6 – 7:30 pm!! Students today took home an envelope with four free game tickets.  It’s a fun night at Lockhart where we will have games, food, prizes, and other neat things to do.  If you and your family can make it, we’d love to see you!

 

Have a good one,

 

-Mr. Potter