We recorded our completed first drafts on the front page of our writing folder, choose one draft to continue working on, and filled out Peer Response forms to ask for feedback from our peers. Then we did a sample whole
Ponds
We started by coloring pond scenes and reading “Over and Under the Pond” by Kate Messner. Then we looked at birds, first building up our vocabulary by doing a group fill-in-the-blanks exercise around the parts of a bird (e.g., crest,
Drafts
In addition to time for writing and time for sharing, we talked through the goal of completing 4-6 first drafts of various types of writing, and how, after the winter break, we will work on revising/editing/publishing, which includes some partner
Sea Creatures
We started the class by listening to the stories that Anna and CJ wrote about sea turtles. Then we got out a worksheet from the week before to help us remember the ocean zones we learned about. We used light
Bingo and Mountains
We began a two-week trudge through the mountains with a raucous game of Bingo! As we read “The Golden Glow” by Benjamin Flouw, the group listened for specific words and crossed them out on their bingo cards. The cards were
Formatting
Today our mini-lesson was about writing dialogue. We talked about some formatting stuff, like quotation marks and indenting when a new person speaks. We experimented with using words besides “said” & shared examples. Everyone continued working on their plans in
Sensory
Today our mini-lesson was on including sensory details in our writing. Since it was Halloween, we wrote and shared spooky haunted house descriptions. The examples were so good & almost everyone shared! It was fun.
Oceans
The neutrons began to look at our world’s oceans today. We looked at a globe and realized that most of our planet is covered with oceans. We labeled a paper about the ocean zones and the types of animals that
Deserts
Having discussed North American deserts last week, this week we expanded our scope to deserts all across the world. We started with the biggest desert of all: Antarctica! We read a book, colored some Antarctic wildlife, and talked about cold
Action
Our mini-lesson of the day was about writing introductions that both capture reader attention and clearly state a thesis. We talked about “starting in the action,” and the use of questions and quotes. We also discussed making a thesis statement