Drama with Comprehension

Nonfiction Main Idea with Supporting and Cause & Effect

Social Studies: Map Skills and Landforms

Students viewed BrainPopJr's Reading Maps. Each student has their own MyBrainPop account and thus were able to be independent logging in and watching the video. We focused on three main points about reading a map: compass rose, map key, and the map scale. Our last quadrant was a reflection question we used as an exit ticket. 

This is a Sheltered Strategies method called Pictorial Input. Students  and teachers create vivid color-coded visuals with high academic language. This one is about how people adapt to their desert environment. 

This Pictorial Input is about how people adapt to living on a mountain in Social Studies. 

This Pictorial Input is about how people adapt to living on a wetland such as Galveston. 

Writing with the coLAR App

We tried a new app to inspire us to writing outside of the box. We are trying new things to make incredible things that were once unimaginable. Introducing the app colAR Mix.

I printed the free pages for the students to choose to color. They were so eager to start after I showed the website's demo video that they didn't even put their back pack away. Just jumped right in! 
 

Students simply captured the image and animation created! Students were inspired to make fictional stories. 

Here is one student's draft of a story inspired from the bird page. 

Poetry with Text Evidence

We started poetry this week. We are using myfavoritepoemproject.org. We are looking at line breaks and stanzas and how it relates to the meaning of poem. Why do poets choose to use line breaks here?

We also wrote the things we notice with all ideas being welcome, right or wrong. 

We also looked at lines and sensory images.

Starting Storyjumper

My students starting using storyjumper.com recently as a means to create fiction, nonfiction, procedural, and poem books. I started with an exploratory initial lesson with the choice of personal narrative, a Halloween fiction story, or a nonfiction book about Helen Keller or Ruby Bridges.

Students are able to use pre-made template or from scratch. Storyjumper has a variety of different setting and pictures that can be manipulated into full illustrations. It also has a nice choice of text for the students to choice from.

The Classroom Edition is designed to give teachers an interface to manage and review students' work, enable kids to share stories between the classroom and home,  and maintain strict privacy controls over student information (Storyjumper, 2012).

Storyjumper (2012) Storyjumper-Classroom Edition. Retrieved from http://www.storyjumper.com/main/classroom

Language Arts Anchor Charts

Social Studies: Communities

We watched the Brainpop Jr about Community Helpers. We made a grid of important people in the community and discussed What If We DIDN'T Have Them. Students responded on post-its in pairs.

Comparing and defining Rights and Responsibilities of a citizen.

We watched Kid Nation and charted what a community/government needs to run properly. Please note it should say "did not set any rules."

Read Aloud App for Literacy Stations

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shadow-puppet/id700902833?mt=8

This fine little app called Shadow Puppet is great for literacy stations. Students take a picture of the cover of the book. Then they record themselves reading the book or create a summary of the book. Amazing!

Beginning of Year Anchor Charts

We activated our schema by talking what we know about choosing a Just Right Book. We also view BrainpopJr.com.

We are implementing Positive Behavior Invention System with the theme: Knights are Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Learn. I used the projector to trace the knight. The students worked in groups to write ways to show each area.

Summarizing with Somebody Wanted But So Then with Wemberly Worried and Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. 

Story Arc for Structures of Fiction Stories using The Kissing Hand.

Metacogitative Awareness as a reader.

Story Arc for Structures of Fiction Stories using Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse.

Setting up My Classroom for Reading and Writing

I put the students in long groups so they can utilize the other parts of the room for pairs/triads/group work.

My literacy stations for two classes. I put the students in groups on Post-it notes and rotate the Post-its. I have the ability to change the groups if friends get off task or not ability to work together. I keep the stations for two weeks because I am pulling guided reading groups and meeting with Book Clubs. 

I use Ikea magazine boxes for the students to keep their spirals, books, and earbuds in. 

My classroom library is sorted by genres. On each label has the genre and a kid-friendly definition. I try to create space for reading as well. Think that you need at least 100 books per student. I have a couple thousand at the moment. Students are always welcome to take them home. I do it on an honor system. I look into their eyes and tell them that I trust them. I usually get my books back. My friend and I have a philosophy: if the book does not come back, then the child needs the book more I do.

Get FREE Genre Labels Here

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My read aloud chair with more genres and small bookshelf. We are starting the year with Roxie and the Hooligans by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. 

This shelf had an old Dell computer and hundreds of skinny books from the adoption. Totally clustered. I purchased a couple of lamps and put a few book tubs for another reading space for the kids. 

I put both classes names on the desk. Lime green for my class and blue for the other class. First thing the students will see is their Writer's Notebook (and fun silly bands). 

A long view of my class. Empty walls to build with the students. Try to avoid pre-made anchor charts.