Little House on the Prairie Series

Last night's homework assignment was to reread On the Banks of Plum Creek on pages 159-169 by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Today we read about the challenges pioneers faced on the Great Plains in our Storytown book, pages 172-173.  Reading this selection helped us to learn more about the challenges that the early pioneers faced on the Great Plains.    We used this information to help us complete the essay portion of our story test today.

Do you remember this childhood series, Little House on the Prairie,  based on the Laura Ingalls Wilder book series?

Little House on the Prairie Introduction Video

Quick Oregon Trail Video

We also practiced our Spelling Unit 6 words that end in -le.  Our test is on Friday.  Here are some practice spelling sites:

Spelling City

Quizlet - Spelling & Vocab Units  -  You can use this site to practice today's vocabulary words as well

Spelling Lists:  Spelling Lists


Friday we will have an in-school "field trip" presentation about staying Drug Free.  This trip is presented by Robert Crown.

On the Banks of Plum Creek

Tonight's homework assignment is to reread On the Banks of Plum Creek on pages 159-169 by Laura Ingalls Wilder and prepare for our comprehension and vocabulary test over his historical fiction story.  The gold story sheets are to be returned tomorrow with a parent signature.  Reading out loud is a great way to practice fluency.

eBook

Do you remember this childhood series, Little House on the Prairie,  based on the Laura Ingalls Wilder book series?

Little House on the Prairie Introduction Video



We also practiced our Spelling Unit 6 words that end in -le.  Our test is on Friday.  Here are some practice spelling sites:

Spelling City

Quizlet - Spelling & Vocab Units  -  You can use this site to practice today's vocabulary words as well

Spelling Lists:  Spelling Lists


Friday we will have an in-school "field trip" presentation about staying Drug Free.  This trip is presented by Robert Crown.

Diary & Journal Entries

Today we learned how to write diary or journal entries, and we enjoyed writing about our weekend events and then changing them to events that could have happened 100 years ago.  We got a good laugh out of the ways that our lives have changed.

Tomorrow we will be reading On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Here's the link to the online book:

eBook

Here's a parent link for ideas to use when encouraging children to keep a diary at home:

Parent Link - Kids' Diary Ideas

We also practiced our Spelling Unit 6 words that end in -le.  Our test is on Friday.  Here are some practice spelling sites:

Spelling City

Quizlet - Spelling & Vocab Units

Spelling Lists:  Spelling Lists


Friday we will have an in-school "field trip" presentation about staying Drug Free.  This trip is presented by Robert Crown.

Book-it forms will be sen home at the end of this week.  Book-it is OPTIONAL and would be turned in to homeroom teachers.  Reading at home is ALWAYS encouraged.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Today we worked on Spelling workbook pages 21 & 22 for tomorrow's review test.  We also completed our classmates's word searches for fun. Our spelling test over Unit 5 is tomorrow.  We also will be attending the Big Run Wolf Ranch field trip tomorrow, but we will take our test before leaving.

Spelling Lists

We are also working to learn how to properly use synonyms and antonyms and completed Practice workbook page 26.

Synonym & Antonym Video

Friday is our Big Run Wolf Ranch Field Trip.  We will leave school at 8:30 and return for lunch.  Here's a link to information from the Big Run Wolf Ranch.  Dress to be outdoors!

Big Run Wolf Ranch


Wolf Video

Block 1 is enjoying the read aloud story Champ.  Here's a summary of this story: Champ

Block 2 is reading Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.    Here's a book review:  Mrs. Piggle Wiggle

Story Assessment and Fluency

Today we presented the Readers Theatre story Pedro Puts on a Play.  One important part of fluency is being a clear, loud reader, even if some of the words are difficulty.  Having confidence as a reader grows with more and more practice.  Reading out loud at home is an excellent way to practice fluency.  Here's a list of at home fluency tips for parents:

Fluency Tips

We are practicing our review spelling words for Friday's Unit 5 test.  Students had fun creating extra credit word searches for their classmates.

We are also learning about compound subjects and compound predicates.  Here's an online game to practice:

Compound Subject/Predicate Game

We are also working to learn how to properly use synonyms and antonyms and completed Practice workbook page 26.

Synonym & Antonym Video

Friday is our Big Run Wolf Ranch Field Trip.  We will leave school at 8:30 and return for lunch.  Here's a link to information from the Big Run Wolf Ranch.  Dress to be outdoors!

Big Run Wolf Ranch

Wolf Video for Kids

Bonus work:  Pedro Puts on a Play Crossword Vocabulary Puzzle

Pedro Puts on a Play

Tomorrow we will be rereading Pedro Puts on a Play and presenting it in small groups for fluency.  Reading aloud to our classmates is a good way to practice pacing, articulation, and confidence.

Reading book online:
eBook

We completed workbook page 23 to practice our Robust Vocabulary words, and we played "I Have, Who Has?"

We also learned how to use the browser system in the library today, and students have checked out new books.

Bonus work:  Students can create a review unit crossword puzzle to be copied for the class.

Friday will be our spelling unit 5 test.  It is also the date of our field trip.  We will be back to school for lunch.

Spelling Review Unit

Today we have practiced our spelling words for the review unit. Students completed Spelling Workbook page 19-20, and they were also encouraged to make an extra practice/bonus word search for their classmates to practice.  The class very much enjoyed working on creating their own word searches to share.  These optional word searches are due back to me by Wednesday so that I can have them copied and distributed.

We also practiced compound subjects and predicates and completed workbook pages 19-20 in grammar.  A compound subject is two (or more) subjects in one sentence.  A compound predicate involves two (or more) actions in the sentence.

Tomorrow we will be reading Pedro Puts on a Play and presenting it in small groups for fluency.  Reading aloud to our classmates is a good way to practice pacing, articulation, and confidence.

Reading book online:
eBook

10:35 Dismissal

Today we took our Unit 4 Spelling test, we reviewed subjects and predicates and sentence types.  In Block 1 we finished reading Help, Somebody Get Me Out of Fourth Grade!  

Our spelling test next week will be a review unit.  The words are listed in your child's Friday packet newsletter.

Block 2 also worked on "Character Counts" posters today.

Have a great weekend!

Immigration

Today we learned more about Angel Island, Ellis Island, and immigration.  We read the story Coming to America and have many additional books and materials available for students to read about this topic.  Some students are reading them in groups, with the teacher, or silently.  We also watched a video about the Story of the Statue of Liberty, which is a children's book written by Betsy & Giulio Maestro.

Story of the Statue of Liberty (video)

We will have a spelling test over Unit 4 tomorrow.  We completed Spelling workbook pages 17-18 today for practice.  Students will be taking their test even though we have early dismissal at 10:35. 

Spelling Lists

Spelling City Games

Bonus Work:  Kai's Journey to Gold Mountain crossword puzzle

Kai's Journey Assessment

Today we reread Kai's Journey to Gold Mountain, and we read at the actual book that includes this story in its entirety.  The book gave us further background about Kai's journey as it began in his homeland of China.  During the time that this story was written, the United States had very specific requirements regarding immigration from China.

Students took a comprehension, vocabulary, and extended response assessment.

We have several other books about immigrants available in our classroom for challenge reading, including Chun Ten comes to America, In my Own Country, Two Brothers from Italy, and How Many Days to America?

We will have our Spelling Unit 4 test on Friday, which is a 10:35 early dismissal half day.

Bonus Work: Kai's Journey Crossword Puzzle

Kai's Journey to Gold Mountain

For tonight's homework, students should reread Kai's Journey to Gold Mountain which is a story about a boy's immigration experience to California.  It is a complicated story.  We have discussed it in detail, but please set aside some time to reread it and talk about it at home.  Here's the link to the online story:

Select Theme 1, Lesson 4:
Kai's Journey eBook


Angel Island Photographs

We also completed Practice Workbook page 18 to go over the Robust Vocabulary words that will be on the assessment tomorrow, along with the comprehension skills and an extended response question.  Students may use their books and vocab sheets to assist during the assessment.

Interjections

Today we practiced our -ing and -ed spelling words from Unit 4.  Tests from Unit 3 were much better than I had anticipated.  Thank you for your practice and hard work at home.

Today we completed Spelling Workbook pages 15-16 to practice our new words.

We are learning about interjections (Hey!  Wow!  Yipes!).  You can learn more about interjections by watching these review videos.

Interjection Review

Schoolhouse Rock Interjections Video

Tomorrow we are reading Kai's Journey to Gold Mountain which is a story about a boy's immigration experience to California.  It is a complicated story.  We will discuss it in detail, but please set aside some time to reread it and talk about it at home tomorrow.  If you would like to get an early start, here's the link to the online story:

Select Theme 1, Lesson 4:
Kai's Journey eBook

Friday!

Today we completed a writing prompt.  This prompt is just a guideline for teachers to see each child's writing style and ability to generate ideas.  A variety of writing prompts are given throughout the year to help chart progress.  

We are working on subjects and predicates in sentence. 

Here's a link to some subject/predicate games:

Subject/Predicate Games

We will have a spelling test over Unit 4 next week.  Students have their new spelling words on their Friday newsletter.

Spelling Lists

Spelling City Games

AIMS fluency testing is completed and results will be sent home at midterms. 

 

Subjects & Predicates

Today we worked on learning how to find a subject and a predicate.  We completed a Grammar workbook page to practice this skill.

Here's a link to some subject/predicate games:

Subject/Predicate Games

We will have a spelling test over Unit 3 tomorrow.  The words this week were a bit difficult.  Please set aside some time to study at home.  We completed Spelling practice pages today in class to prepare for this test.

Spelling Lists

Spelling City Games

We are learning about the character trait of RESPECT.  Students have been very respectful in their classroom behavior.  We are still off to a good start.  Hooray!

Story Test

Today we reread Danitra Brown Leaves Town and practiced reading the poems in this narrative story for fluency.  The students did a great job of being loud, clear readers, and some of them even volunteered to read aloud from the front of the class.  Fluency will be one of our main focuses of our reading class this year.  Fluent readers are confident readers!

Our story test today included the Robust Vocabulary words that we learned yesterday, as well as a written extended response section.  I am always looking for complete sentences on written responses.

We will have a spelling test over Unit 3 on Friday.  The words this week were a bit difficult.  Please set aside some time to study at home.  We completed Spelling practice pages today in class to prepare for this test.

Spelling Lists

Spelling City Games

Danitra Brown Leaves Home

Tonight's reading story is Danitra Brown Leaves Town on pages 84-99.  This is a narrative poem, so the story is told as a back-and-forth dialogue between two friends.  One friend leaves for the summer, so their dialogue is told through letters from their vacation. This is a good story to oral read at home because of the smooth flow of the poetry.

eBook

We also practiced our story vocabulary words, and we completed a Practice workbook page over the vocabulary words.

Students received their new spelling words for the coming week.   Here's a link to the word list online.  We are on Unit 3. 

Spelling Lists

Spelling City Games

Today was a library day, so students have new books to read at home.  Books are due in two weeks.

Labor Day Weekend!

Today we read about Gertrude Ederle, a biography about a famous teenage woman swimmer of the 1920's.  We also worked hard on our "Magic Books" about Jackie Mitchell.  Here's a rare video movie that Babe Ruth filmed to teach children how to bat, and how hard work pays off.  The class enjoyed watching this old time short movie clip.

Babe Ruth Rare Video - "Just Pals"

Students received their new spelling words for the coming week.   Here's a link to the word list online.  We will be on Unit 3.

Spelling Lists

Spelling City Games

Tuesday is a WHITE day.  My Block 1 class has P.E.  No school on Monday.

Practice Makes Perfect

Today we practiced for our Unit 2 Spelling Test and completed workbook pages 9-10 in Spelling.

We practiced our fluency by reading The New Kid, a poem in our Storytown book.

We also practiced writing complete sentences as we identified character traits while creating a "Magic Book" project to go along with our Mighty Jackie story.

I have been working on AIMS fluency testing with the students (this consists of three passages -- one minute for each).  Please do keep in mind that there is generally a natural decline in words per minute following the summer break, but the goal is for your child's fluency to grow throughout the year.  Results will be sent home once our building has completed the testing.  Feel free to email any questions or concerns regarding fluency -- or any other questions -- throughout the year.

sdanforth@nlsd122.org

Story Test and Character Traits

Today we took our story comprehension and vocabulary test over Jackie Mitchell the Strikeout Queen.  We are working on creating character webs describing the traits that Jackie exhibited in this story.  We will be using these traits to write short descriptive paragraphs about Jackie.


Jackie Mitchell Song

Jackie Mitchell Biography Video


Our Unit 2 spelling test is on Friday.    Here are some spelling links:

Spelling Lists

Spelling City Games

Jackie Mitchell Story

Today we read Jackie Mitchell the Strikeout Queen on pages 58 to 70 in our Storytown book.  Rereading this story is tonight's homework.  The purple sheet is due back tomorrow.  Students enjoyed this biography very much, and we watched a short video of the story, including the clip that shows Babe Ruth being struck out "by a girl."  There's also a song that retells the story.  You can listen to these both by clicking below:

Jackie Mitchell Song

Jackie Mitchell Biography Video

We aslo learned the Robust Vocabulary words from this lesson and completed Practice workbook page 7.  Tomorrow's story comprehension test will include these words.

We also worked on our four sentence types as we filled in cartoon bubbles using different kinds of sentences.  Here's a game about the four types of sentences:

Sentence Games

Our Unit 2 spelling test is on Friday.    Here are some spelling links:

Spelling Lists

Spelling City Games