Making Connections

This week, we are studying the biography genre. We read a biography about Cesar Chavez. Today we read a biography about Marian Wright Edelman. We talked about the biography features of each. We worked as a class the first time, as we read about Cesar Chavez. We worked with groups when we looked at the features for Marian Wright Edelman, then we went over the features as a class before moving on to our next step.

Today, we compared and contrasted the texts and made connections. We started it with our original Marian Wright Edelman groups. Then as students had questions (our meta-cognitive strategy), we were able to determine what we needed to know to continue. We worked together.

The exciting part about reading, when people read, not everyone notices the same details. It makes for great discussion. There is no one "right" (or "wrong") answer. There are lots of thinking and talking that happens. If you peek at Ms. Leom's homeroom, you will see that the class agreed, both Marian and Cesar were heroes. One person throat it was because Cesar left school to support his family, another thought it was related to Cesar's work to help farm hands get fair pay. In another class, they might not decide how the subjects are alike is because they were heroes ... they may come up with something completely else!

Ms. Leom's homeroom

Mr. Greninger's homeroom

This is how we make connections to the biography genre.

The Opportunity

What I love most about the job, after my students, is my opportunity to be a learner. I learn everyday. It requires that I am open to the idea that there is still mountains of learning for me, and many days, my best teachers are my students.

Take our spelling today. We were looking for challenging plurals in our text. What the "textbook company" had wrong, we figured out. We had the plurals that follow the usual pattern and you add s or es. We decided we would underline these patterns. There were words that followed our challenging pattern, where it was "datum" and we changed it to "data". It was a "um" to "a" change. These we decided to circle. Then there was a plural pattern that we didn't have a name. These are the plurals that don't change "irregular plurals" from singular to plural, like "deer". It doesn't matter if there is one deer or a heard of deer, it is still deer. These we decided it was a squiggly underline would identify the irregular plurals.

Where the learning begins is in the conversations. As a class, determined that "leaves" was a plural that adds s/es. We moved on. Later, a student came to ask a question, "Isn't leaves a challenging plural?" Open to the idea of learning, I asked, "Why?". He explained, "Leaves is originally spelled with an f, and we change it to v ..." So, this student became the teacher, and he explained to the class. What a GREAT day of learning - when the students become the teachers, and everyone benefits!!

Note, our spelling, we started with naming the assignment, "Spell Wk.3 Read". Then we took notes about what our learning focus for today would be. We did the first paragraph together. Then students worked with partners. We would "meet" as a whole class and share what we found with our partners. In this way we moved forward. Some of our best learning happens when we have the chance to work with others, to talk, to explain, to listen, to think ... we take advantage of our opportunities.

Reading Buddies

Ms. Leom's homeroom met with their first grade reading buddies today in Mrs. (Michelle) Anderson's classroom.

Reading buddies are a wonderful way we build community in our school. For younger students, it is an opportunity to KNOW an older student. It is always nice to have friends and to have someone watching out for you. It is an added bonus to see another smiling face in the hallway who is excited to see you for years to come!

We will meet every Day 5 from 1:40 to 1:55. It is part of our milk break reading time. It was the only time that worked. We are working on our transitions to make this successful! It is such a great opportunity to connect within our school!

Biographies

This morning, we started our first genre study. We are learning about biographies! Students asked the questions, and Ms. Leom answered. Then we took notes, filling in key ideas about the features.

 Students read a biography about Cesar Chavez, and together we identified examples of the features in the text.

Ms. Leom's homeroom

Mr. Greninger's Homeroom

The Best!

We have the BEST staff!! Ms. Leom moved hallways this year, and one of the first things she does every year when she prepares for a new school year is to hang up her diplomas. It has been an active start with the moving, the unpacking, the need for basics (pencil sharpeners come to mind), and a hundred more other details. So finally, this week, when Mr. Lee, our custodian, told Ms. Leom that he would be able to drill the holes in the wall of her new classroom for her diplomas ... she was beyond excited!!!

This Fall, Ms. Leom returned back to school for a second masters degree in Literacy Instruction. She looks forward to the day when she invites Mr. Lee back to class for a third nail!

Learning is the BEST!! Our staff, especially Mr. Lee, makes Milaca Elementary a special place to work! Our students make Milaca Elementary the BEST place to learn! Someday, Ms. Leom looks forward to seeing the many diplomas and accomplishments of the learners that share in this space!! The BEST get started right here!!

Three Branches

This week, in Social Studies, we are working on the learning standard, 4.1.4.7.1: The United States government has specific functions that are determined by the way that power is delegated and controlled among various bodies: the three levels (federal, state, and local) and the three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) of government.

We started by watching three short videos about the three branches of government. The links are on the right and down below.

 Three Branches Rap

Branches of Government

School House Rock Government Branches

Now we are making a mind map of what we learned about. This is what Ms. Leom wrote on the board. Students are making their own individual posters.

Ms. Leom's homeroom's start

Mr. Greninger's homeroom's start

More details and learning to come!

Planner

This Fall, Ms. Leom hunted down Mr. Meyer (it was a extra busy back-to-school), and asked for his help. For nearly a decade, Ms. Leom has been using the same planner to communicate missing work, and it was looking worn. There were so many holes that the corners were barely solid, and the layers of assignments over the years had taken their toll.

old

new

It was nothing short of happiness when Mr. Meyer arrived this week with an updated planner!! It looks fresh, new, and works fabulously!!!

LOVE the people who work at our school, who go out of their way for the details!!!

Google Classroom

Ms. Leom is starting to use Google Classroom with her students. We still have a few glitches to iron out yet. We are loading the daily Reading and Social Studies learning on Google Classroom. This allows students to access the pages, often directions, and an image to go along with the assignment as they need it.

One issue with loading the homework, we are doing all of our learning on paper. So on Google Classroom, it says, "not done" or "missing". We aren't using Google Classroom to complete learning, grade, or track our learning in that way ... yet. Please ignore this feature for now.

I am able to add parent emails for families who are interested in the added communication and ability to access details. I am slightly overwhelmed at the idea of personally loading over 90 email addresses, so for now, I will gladly add interested parents who contact me by email or student planners.

When students are absent, they are able to log into Google Classroom and access their learning from home. Please understand, when students are home sick, it is not my intention to expect them to be accountable at that day and time for what they missed. I appreciate the idea of being sick. For students who are anxious or worried about what they are missing, or want to at least see what we are doing in class, or even access some of the videos or other materials, this is an option. It is not an expectation.

This is new to me. I've used other learning on-line communities, but each has advantages. My goal is to continue with the learning targets already in place, and add this technology in as it fits and benefits our students. Our iPads can be glitchy, so somedays, our best laid plans are at the good intention level, and we work to be successful beyond the hurdles.

CWR

For the last week, we have been practicing determining the main idea and details in the text. One of the skills, is to write your own main idea paragraph with details.

After going over our learning goals, we did some brainstorming in the quiet of our minds. What was a subject we know something about or something we like to do?

We had a Construction Written Response (CWR) prewriting paper to organize our thinking. Ms. Leom shared an example. Students worked, and she walked around the room and helped students.

We reviewed our goals, then started translating our prewriting ideas to a paragraph. Ms. Leom modeled as we started. Today, we talked more about a closure sentence, and how it is the next step in writing. Early writers use "the end" to tell the reader that the story is finished. As more mature writers, we reword the topic sentence for our ending.

Our Reading units are three weeks long. The first two weeks have a CWR writing expectation. It is exciting to watch students grow and develop as writers over the year! The best is just beginning!!

Soil

This week, one of our texts we used to practice determining the main idea and details was "Soil".

We read the text together as a class. We reviewed our tools to find main idea and details. Students were put into partners to find the main idea and details.



Afterwards, we went over the learning together.

Challenging

This week's spelling is all about Challenging Plurals (week 3). The homework this week is complicated. Ms. Leom went out of her way to break down the steps and set students up for success.

For example, on the back of the weekly homework, we knew we needed to write the plural form of each word to complete the sentences. We looked up the plural word forms together in class. Ms. Leom wrote them on the board. Then we knew some of the vocabulary words were new to us. We talked about each word. The more challenging examples we did together in class.

Ms. Leom even offered times she was available to help students with this assignment: before school, when the buses arrive, at the beginning of Recess, or Homeroom at 1:30 PM.

We are stepping up to prepare students for success on challenging learning. Are your fourth graders stepping up to do their best?

A Peak

A peak at our plan for next week:

Pepfest

Today we had a peppiest for Homecoming! What a great time to be part of the Wolf Community!

Our hosts

the Homecoming Court

Asst. Football Coach, Mr. Talberg spoke

Our Milaca Wolves football team

Grades 4-12 football players show us Wolf Jacks

We love the band!

There is an activity for everyone at Milaca Schools!

Go Wolves!!

Step-by-Step

In fourth grade, Ms. Leom (and Mr. Grenigner) do not just announce the skill, talk for five minutes, then expect students to sit and complete the paperwork. Our learning is carefully planning, scaffolding in place, and we work together. Two examples from the last two days ...

In Spelling, Ms. Leom introduced "Spelling Week 2 Read" assignment. We usually do it the day before the test. Students have the opportunity to find examples of the spelling pattern IN a text. We start by writing our name on the paper. We title the assignment. Then we take "notes". We write down the skill we are developing (on the left, under the assignment name). After that, we list the steps: 1. Read. 2. Underline -er/-est. 3. Label. Ms. Leom reads the title. Together we check for the pattern. She reads the first sentence. Someone raises their hand. They found one. We underline it on the board. We label it. We talk about how it fits the pattern. The student who found it shares how they noticed (looking at the ending). We continue, one sentence at a time. Ms. Leom walks around the room to make sure students are on track and understanding the direction. We write the number of expected examples in the left margin. We start the second paragraph. This time, we do not point out each example as we go. Students are asked to find them on their own. At the end of the paragraph, students check with a partner and discuss. We are now at a point that we can point out examples that do NOT fit our pattern: deer (because the "er" ending is not a suffix, but part of the original word) and reader (because the "er" is not comparative. We don't say, "Read. Reader. Readest." Reader refers to the suffix -er meaning a person who does that). We go over all the answers. Ms. Leom reads the third paragraph. Only on the final paragraph, do students work independently. At the end, we encourage them to connect with a neighbor. We don't be this thorough later in the year, when we KNOW that students understand the expectations.

Our second focus of learning this week was Main Idea and Details. We started by reviewing the goal on the board, "I can name the main idea and details of the text, so I can comprehend, and I will be successful when I name the main idea with details for "Land Beneath the Waves". Then we look at the "tools" we will use ... title, pictures and captions, repeating words, asking ourselves, "What is the entire text mostly about?", as well as first and last sentence. Not all these strategies work ALL the time, but some of them overlap and help us. Ms. Leom reads the text. We apply our "tools" and see what makes sense. Ms. Leom models on the board. She walks around the room and makes sure students are on track and participating. The work didn't fit on the space, so Ms. Leom wrote on the picture. She encouraged students to use the lower margin.

Mr. Greninger's homeroom

Ms. Leom's homeroom

Our learning is very specific, with lots of examples, modeling, and support. We use a step-by-step approach. Being in class matters.

Indoor Recess

What does indoor recess look like in fourth grade?

Games, coloring, homework time, or just spending time with friends.