This week we will share Finding Winnie.  A recipient of the 2016 Caldecott Medal, it's the true story behind A.A. Milne's most famous bear, Winnie-The-Pooh.  All I can say is be prepared for anything!  

Here's an author interview to get us started:  Lindsay Mattick interview
CBS Evening News article and interview

We'll talk a little bit about the Caldecott Medal and what characteristics make for a good children's picture book.  You'll also get a chance to practice your opinion writing by writing a book review on Finding Winnie, as well as completing some other Pooh-themed activities. 

Next Monday, we will be off from school in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.  Many folks like to spend this time as a day of service in their local communities to honor the King legacy.  You may not think that, as a kid, you can offer very much to help others...but you might be pleasantly surprised.  Be nice to someone,  carry groceries, picking up trash, plant flowers, write a nice note to someone, spend time with an elderly neighbor...none of these activities costs you any money - but they do require some of your most precious resource - TIME. 

Original I Have a Dream speech

Kid President on Martin Luther King, Jr.

Random Acts of Kindness

Installing an outdoor garden at an elementary school

​Hands on Atlanta

So last week, we had a bit of a crazy schedule with Revved Up Kids and voting in the Media Center...this week will be a bit similar with 2nd grade play practice on Thursday.

2nd & 3rd - Holiday stories/Martha Calling, Retro Tech and Kahoot activity OR Animal Planet Quiz & Share.  Center activities.
4th & 5th - Holiday stories/Martha Calling, Retro Tech and Kahoot activity OR Animal Planet Quiz & Share.  Center activities.

Your class also has one more week to earn the Grinch slime experience during our Grinch festivities next week.

Retro tech playlist 2nd & 3rd
Retro tech playlist 4th & 5th


Technology Vocabulary List (excellent overview)

This week we will learn about Tad Hills, the author/illustrator behind the Rocket series and Duck & Goose. 

Shared Reading:  How Rocket Learned to Read (link to book trailer)
Author interview on KidLitTV (see the REAL Rocket) (Rocket as puppy)
Discussion and recap
Follow-up activities

The lesson will be modified on the days we are in classrooms due to the Revved Up Kids program being held in the Media Center.

 

Welcome Back Block B!

This week, we are going to spend time reviewing River Role Model expectations in the Learning Commons. This will include transitioning to the tables to work on activities during check-out. Finally, we will practice lining up as we transition from one class to the next. Only when your class is able to meet the Learning Commons expectations will the Maker Space centers be rolled out to your class.

Turkey Day comes really early this year.  We're going to talk a little bit about it this week and even more the week AFTER Thanksgiving.

Nelms/Weldon, Ellis-Paul and Ramos will pilot the Read Explore Create concept (Ozobots and Origami, book reviewer and read to a friend centers with Typing Club following the library lesson) 

Monday's classes will review Veteran's Day (see previous post).
Tuesday - Friday will learn about Thanksgiving.
4th & 5th - Balloons over Broadway (Videos in Discovery Education)
Students will break into groups to read facts about Macy's Balloons and share out with the group.
2nd & 3rd - Tops & Bottoms (Tumblebooks) + other related stories
Students will a complete reading comprehension activity for Tops & Bottoms.  A Thanksgiving art project is also planned, as well as the Turkey Hokey Pokey.

This week we will be learning about Veteran's Day.  Since it falls on Sunday, November 11th, I hope you'll be able to attend a parade in person to honor those who served in our country.  Smyrna and Marietta both have parades/services scheduled for that day.

Shared Reading:  The Wall, Remembering Vera, Tuesday Tucks Me In  and other selections.
Veteran's Day Videos & Discussion
PBS Kids Veteran's Day Holiday
Kid President on Heroes
Operation Got Your Six

​ECAD (Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities)
​Tuesday's website


Response to Literature:  Students will write thank you notes to veterans on the Riverside staff and veterans with ties to the local community.

Our theme for this rotation will be informational writing. To help you with your reading comprehension and writing, we will add two new activities to our weekly class sessions:  Typing Club and ReadWorks. 

​This week we will share the following read-a-loud:

This week we will review continents and map features, plus explore a couple of neat places in the world. There may be a Kahoot! activity as part of the lesson.

Typing Club and Read Works will also be rolled out to select enrichment classes. As we move to a more digital society with less paper, we These two skills are vital for students to perform well on the Mil

We FINALLY get to see the other half of the school!  For consistency, we will mirror what we did in Block A as much as possible, but will vary instructional activities in keeping with themes, holidays and events taking place during the months of September and October.

​We will take our "show on the road" next Friday, September 7th due to Picture Day in the Media Center. 

Link to Orientation Activities from Block A
​Ellis-Paul 4th - Genre Review video  Kahoot (missglc & eperkins)
​Introduction to Book Talks
​Ramos - DLI 2nd - Resources in Spanish (Tumble Books & Mango Languages)

Last week we read Be Quiet, the story of Rupert and his quest to make a wordless book.  As a follow up, we are going to explore wordless books this week so students will have a better understanding of this particular "genre" of book. 

Basically, the reader does an in-depth picture walk of the book to create a story map and then drafts of his/her own version of what happened in the story. No two stories will be exactly alike as you'll discover when we share out. 

Let's look at this example of how to "read" a wordless picture book.