The new week kicked off with a handful of math warm-up problems from Chapter 14. Last week we began our new chapter on expressions (numerical and algebraic) and equations. We learned the difference between the two with a little saying: Equations we solve. Expressions we simplify.
The warm-ups included problems such as: Sarah had 17 stickers. She gave 5 to her brother and 9 to her cousin. (17-5-9) An example of an algebraic expression would be: Mike put 3.5 cups of flour into the bowl. He a little more in when it was ready to serve. (3.5 + x)
Just prior to math warm-ups, everyone was in the room enjoying the music of Mozart which I had playing on our DVD player because it was a bit wet outside. I had a bucket out to collect everyone's library books.
After taking attendance and solving the math warm-ups, the first library group was excused. With half of the class gone, I introduced our next lesson from Ch 14 in math on Using the Distributive Property. We learned about the DP earlier this year when we covered multiplication.
Now we're doing the DP in problems like 7 x (n + 4) for n = 50. Students start by using the DP: (7n) + (7 x 4). Then they replace the n with 50 to get (7 x 50) + (7 x 4). Using mental math, we do the multiplication to get 350 + 28. Adding the products, the answer is 378.
The other type of DP problem in the chapter looks like this: 3 x 85 = (3 x 80) + (3 x ____) and the students have to figure out that 5 belongs in the blank place.
Around 8:50 I brought the kids I was working with down to the cafeteria where Mrs. Pane was waiting for this morning's PE lesson.
We switched library groups after I picked up the class at 9:40 and I brought the other half of the class back to the room with me to review the DP lesson. Apparently Mrs. Pane gave the kids a "Good" and not our prized AWESOME ticket. We've done well earning those AWESOME tickets this trimester. We've earned 5 of them so far but a recurring note from Mrs. Pane is that the kids are "chatty."
With everyone back in class at 10:10 it was time to do a little whole group practice out of the math textbook with a partner. We completed a review of those extra practice problems right before recess and came to a good understanding of the DP with expressions and equations.
Despite the weather, we caught a break and the kids went outside for recess though the grass and playground equipment were off-limits.
Upon our return to class we immediately dove into The School Story which is all about a girl, Natalie, who is attempting to have a book she wrote - The Cheater - published at the company her mom, Hannah, works out, undetected through the use of a pen name, Cassandra Day. It's quite exciting and the class has been making predictions about what will happen next. It's one of the lengthier selections we've read, so we're now about two-thirds finished.
Around 11:25, Amy from Soul Shoppe showed up for a brief classroom visit. Basically she encouraged the class to treat everyone with friendship and respect, especially since we're close to the end of elementary school. She wrapped up around 11:40 and we'd end up seeing more of Soul Shoppe at an afternoon assembly.
So we finished up the morning with writing. I distributed a new writing handbook which covers the basics of the Step Up to Writing program I was formally trained in back in 2005. Each student is to keep this handbook in their binder's Language Arts section. It contains helpful suggestions for each part of an effective paragraph from topic sentences, transitions, middle paragraph sentences, and conclusion sentences, as well as a host of other great ideas for writing.
This week the class is working on a narrative scene involving two characters working together to solve a problem. Each essay needs to include dialogue, vivid word choice, and details to describe how they solve their problem. Students are showing me their pre-writing ideas and then starting their rough drafts. We had about 25 minutes of class time for writing before lunch.
After lunch the class came back to the room and because of the rainy day recess I had a movie on to keep everyone a bit quiet while stuck in the classroom. We watched about 15 minutes of A Bug's Life. Following recess, I put on a PPT all about Chinese New Year's which everyone enjoyed.
It was time to record homework and prepare for the end of the day around 1:55 for Soul Shoppe. We headed over to the Arts Center and Amy took over for the end of the day at her assembly.
Once the assembly ended, everyone headed to the classroom to get their backpacks and head home. All in all, it was a productive day of work in Room 16!
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