We are starting multiplication! :)

This week Ms. Wild will take on full time teaching for the next few weeks. I am very impressed with how much she has learned and think she will do a wonderful job! :)

Math- We had a few days of discussing equal groups, things that come in groups, and how when we multiply it is a matter of determining how many groups x how many in each group. Another way to solve until we learn some facts is repeated addition. I am including 10 ways to practice multiplication from the blog TeachingWithSimplicity.com. 

1.  Use the traditional flash cards to play a game of Sparkle, multiplication style.

Instructions

1. • 1
     Instruct students to stand at their desks or in a large circle facing one another. Depending on the configuration, the game will progress up and down the rows or clockwise around the circle.
   • 2
     Use Sparkle to practice spelling words. Select a child to start and choose a word from the week's spelling and vocabulary list. If the word is "learn," for example, the first student will say, "l." The second student will say, "e," the third will say, "a" and so on.

2.  Students roll two dice, then multiply the 2 numbers they rolled together.

3.  Create a memory game–one card contains the factors, the other contains the product.

4.  Dominoes-students draw a domino that is face down.  They multiply the dots on either side of the domino together.

5.  Play Pick-a-Card with a set of flash cards.

6.  Number Draw-no materials needed except your fingers!

7.  Play Ask-n-Switch which is a whole class game using flash cards.

8.  Multiplication War with a deck of cards.  Students each draw two cards, then multiply them together.  The student with the largest product wins the round.

9.  Math Poke-A-Fact.

10.  Multiples pyramid-students practice writing the first 12 multiples (or amount of your choice) for a given number.

 *I will send a packet home this week containing the directions and pages for Pick-a-card, Number Draw, Ask-n-Switch, Poke-A-Fact, and a multiples pyramid.

Reading Since we had a unit test this week, we used some extra time to read a few Text Talk books. We read Grandpa's Teeth by Rod Clement. 

This is a story about a grandpa who wakes up to discover his teeth have been stolen. He suspects the whole town of stealing them. Everyone in town has to smile all the time to show they are innocent. The mystery is solved when it turns out that the dog had taken them. Words we discussed were: complain, description, mystery, suspect, conspiracy, and sleuth. Our second text talk book was Dear Mrs. LaRue by Mark Teague. 

This story is written from the dog's perspective of an event versus how the newspaper reported it happened. Words we will work on are: despair, obedience, melodramatic, misconception, neglected, and persistent.

Writing- This week we spent most of writing time working on our cursive. We are hoping to try and get it completed before winter break if possible. 

Science- This week we were detectives, we played a game called Mystery Prints. Students were placed in groups and took their index print and middle finger print. Then they selected one member of the group to be a "mystery person." This person added only one print to the Mystery Print card. As cards traveled to different groups, they had to solve who's print it was by looking at the patterns.

Students were also introduced to chromatography this week. Chromatography uses water to carry pigments from one place to another. Today the kids learned chromatography separates a mixture of pigments in watercolor inks. The process of water moving through paper is called wicking. We marked cut stripes of coffee filters, marked them with a marker and let the water move and separate the pigment.

 

Upcoming dates:

Wednesday, November 20th- BIG BLAST PARTY (from our fundraiser)

Thursday, November 21st- 1:15 Dismissal, Conferences 1:30-5:30

Monday, November 25th- Conferences 3:30-7:30

Wednesday, November 27th- Friday, November 29th- No School, Thanksgiving Break


Just a reminder conferences are this Thursday, November 21st and Monday, November 25th. Please try to show up on time as conferences are scheduled every 15 minutes. I will do my best to stay on time also! :) 

 

Have a great week!
Mrs. Jodie Yuska