Thursday, March 29, 2018

3/29/18

It was another blustery day out here on the farm!  I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some wonderful spring weather!
Our day began with a test over our vocabulary list.  We'll begin a new list at home tomorrow.  The class then worked on their math independent study, followed by a spelling review game with our favorite stuffed anteater!  

In grammar class, the Happy Horse group learned how to diagram sentences with compound subjects and compound verbs.  We decided that sentences with both two subjects and two verbs look like X-wing fighters when you diagram them!  We worked through many examples of sentences, reviewed different parts of speech, and practiced recognizing prepositional phrases.  They took a very long sentence and removed all of the prepositional phrases to find one simple sentence hidden inside.  Memorizing that preposition song really helped them point them out easily!  The Girly Goat group did an excellent job pointing out and correcting run-on sentences.  If I can help them to avoid run-on sentences, fragments, and comma splices, I will be one happy teacher!  The class then learned about comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs.  They will be working on this more at home Friday and Monday.
In history, the class shared their papers on important inventions, and reviewed their Pony Express reading comprehension activity.  Then, the class further incorporated writing into the lesson by writing letters to distant family members as if they were in the time of the Pony Express.  They did an excellent job writing formal letters!  Next, they rewrote the letters as if they were written in modern language.  Some of these had us in TEARS!  They were great!

The class headed out side for a Pony Express relay game.  They were positioned at different stations, and had to ride their "ponies" as quickly as they could to deliver the mail all the way to the destination.  Along the way, they had to switch "horses" and "riders".  Ms. Hillary timed them to see how quickly they could get the mail to its delivery location.  They will be completing another writing/history combo assignment next!

Science class was a blast!  Ms. Sally continued the lesson on states of matter.  After a great discussion, the class performed an experiment using different liquids.  They stepped through the scientific method, writing their hypotheses, results, and conclusions in their notebooks.  Then, they stepped outside and had some fun!  Between this week's excitement and last week's gooey, fun experiments, these kids have had physical science lessons to remember!


 

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

3/13/18


Today in a nutshell:

  • Spelling test
  • Vocabulary review for Lesson 9
  • Lesson on indirect and direct objects
  • Completed the review game boards for our game (Happy Horse Group)
  • Reviewed adverbs and prepositional phrases used as adverbs (Girly Goats)
  • Discussed Ivan activity projects 
  • Worked on breaking down The Hobbit into storyboard
  • Introduced "Reader's Theater" project for both Ivan and Hobbit groups
  • Presented "Honeycomb" biography pages for Civil War historical figures
  • Discussed important inventions in American history
  • Made amazing newspaper hats in art class!




 


Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Tuesday, 3/6/17


In like a lion and out like a lamb!  Ms. Nancy's art project for today was a lesson in texture, with a lion project!  First, they used chalk pastels to create the lion's face, and then they used different "visual textures" to create the mane.  The results were fantastic!


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After today's spelling test and math independent study time, we broke up into our language arts groups.  The hobbit group read together and discussed the recent adventures, and the Ivan group worked on a gorilla habitat project using pizza boxes!  In grammar, the Happy Horses continued to work on contractions, and diagramming sentences with "not" contractions.  We talked about getting out our great big ax and chopping those contractions into two pieces in order to diagram them.  The class decided that instead of an ax, we needed a "Grammar Hammer"!  Next, the group learned about direct addresses.  The Girly Goats had worked on a direct quotation review assignment at home, as well.  Today, this older group also learned how to diagram sentences with a direct address.  They then reviewed prepositional phrases, and sentences with more than one direct object, more than one predicate adjective, and more than one predicate nominative.  Both groups will continue today's lesson at home tomorrow.




In history, the class continued their Civil War lesson with a discussion about Abe Lincoln and Jefferson Davis.  They will be working on an activity at home to sum up the relationship between the two and their roles during the war.
Today was icky and rainy... the perfect day for a pajama day!  The kids wore their pj's and brought in their favorite book to share with the class.  At the end of the day, we all gathered around as they explained why they love their books!  We have some very avid readers, and some that would rather not read.  It's my hope to spread the joy of reading, and to get the students' excited about a new book to check out for themselves!