*This has got to be one of my favorite songs and videos.
*The message is powerful, meaningful, and important.
*I love how the video was put together and it always captivates my students' attention.
*This was our twelvth Monday where we featured a musical selection.
*Each Monday I highlight a piece of music to share with my writers.
*We begin with showing a video that goes along with the musical selection.
*The class will watch the video between 1-2 times.
*After the second viewing, the writers begin to record their thoughts in the notebooks.
*As they write, I play the music in the background (minus the video).
*My fourth graders can record their thoughts, ideas, connections, likes/dislikes, or reactions to the song. They can also write about the message of the song.
*I have my students write between 5-10 minutes. At the end of our writing time, I see if a few of the writers would like to share what they wrote.
Music Monday Selections (2015-2016)…
Week #1: What I Am by will.i.am Week #2: Proud by Heather Small Week #3: Dreamer by Chris Brown Week #4: Live Like a Warrior by Matisyahu Week #5: Sunshine by Matisyahu Week #6: Better When I'm Dancin' by Megan Trainor Week #7: Thriller by Michael Jackson Week #8: Hopeful by Bars and Melody Week #9: Keep Your Head Up by Andy Grammar Week #10: The Rainbow Connection from The Muppets Week #11: What Does the Fox Say by Ylvis
Hi! I'm Grace and I'm reading the book called Wonkenstein: The Creature From My Closet and written by Obert Skye.
I think this book is fantastic because there are lots of funny parts in the story and I like reading books that make me laugh.
My favorite part in the story is where Robert tells about his thumb buddy because it is cool that he collects them.
The character that I liked best was Robert because he is the main character and was finn to read about.
I think the author wrote this book because he had this funny idea and wanted to share it with kid readers because he knew they would like it. He also wanted to take two characters and put them together into one character.
I would recommend this book to my friends because it is super funny and at times can be scary so I'm pretty sure they would enjoy it.
Reading to me is fantastic and excellent because it takes you to different places. **Grace is a 4th grade reader in my class. *After book talking this book/series, she was the first to read this book. *Based on how much she enjoyed the first novel in the series, I'm pretty sure she will continue on to the other books.
How I Heard About It: The Imaginary Veterinary Series is one of my favorites for middle-grade readers. I have read all the books and enjoyed each one of them. This is the final one and I was a bit sad to learn that the series was coming to an end. What It Is About: Ben and Petal are back again for their final adventure in Buttonville. They have spent the summer working for Dr. Woo and their tasks aren't over yet. This time around, a swarm of fairies have arrived in town and are causing problems for everyone. Petal and Ben are quickly on the "case" and want to do their very best in capturing these fairies to impress and help Dr. Woo. The kids try to protect the people of Buttonville, catch the fairies, and keep one step ahead of of Victoria; the girl that is always getting in their way. In addition, they must also "battle" the poacher Maximus Steele. When the kids learn from the fate of Dr. Woo and the worm factory, they want to do their best even more. Their good old friend (from book #1) will prove to be a valuable asset. What I Thought Of It: As I mentioned above, I really enjoy this series. I have also found my fourth grade readers from year to year really love it just as much. It is awesome when young readers find a series that takes them from book #1 all the way through until the end filling them with wonder, enjoyment, and fun. The final story in the series did not disappoint. I enjoy the characters of Ben and Petal and loved their adventures in Buttonville. The final story brought everything together and had quite the satisfactory ending. It is exciting to me to have ALL six books in the series in my classroom library and know they will be read by many students. Who Should Read It: In my opinion this is the perfect book/series for readers in fourth grade. It could actually be used in grades three through five. The stories have the perfect amount of text and illustrations. The chapters are the perfect length along with the perfect length of the entire story. This is definitely a series you need in your classroom. Happy Reading!
*Today was the last day of school before the Thanksgiving holiday.
*I wanted to find something fun for my students to write about and celebrate the holiday.
*This particular photograph fits the bill and then some. We got some great laughs when we first saw it!
*Each Wednesday we write in our writer's notebooks about a particular image.
*They can record their thoughts, reactions, connections, likes/dislikes, reminders, noticings, or anything else they would like.
*Some of the writers choose to write a fiction story based on the picture.
*We write between five and ten minutes and then do a quick share at the end.
*The photos always lead to lots of conversation and the sharing of ideas. I try to get them to write first and then we can share what we wrote and what we were thinking.
*The writers are really enjoying writing about these photographs.
Treat Tuesday - Banana Chocolate Chip
*The kids are both coming home for the Thanksgiving holiday.
*When my wife asked what they wanted over the weekend, they both replied with this "treat".
*It is one of our favorite breakfast foods to enjoy.
*They are SO tasty. Enjoy...
Ingredients... *1/2 cup shortening *1 cup brown sugar *2 cups flour *1 teaspoon baking soda *1/4 cup sour milk (to sour milk, add 2 teaspoons vinegar to 1/4 cup of milk) *1 cup mashed bananas *1 teaspoon vanilla *2 eggs beaten *Dash of salt *12 ounce bag of chocolate chips
Directions...
-Cream shortening and sugar, add vanilla and eggs.
-Stir in dry ingredients alternating with sour milk and bananas.
-Mix until moistened, stir in chips and pour into muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Treat Tuesday: Middle-Grade Novel
The Fairy Swarm: The Imaginary Veterinary-Book Six
by Suzanne Selfors Treat Tuesday: Adult Novel
*We have a short week because of the Thanksgiving holiday.
*I wanted to pick something different and just plain fun for these three days.
*I tried to find something with a "turkey" but had no luck. I went with a FOX instead.
*This was our eleventh Monday where we featured a musical selection.
*Each Monday I highlight a piece of music to share with my writers.
*We begin with showing a video that goes along with the musical selection.
*The class will watch the video between 1-2 times.
*After the second viewing, the writers begin to record their thoughts in the notebooks.
*As they write, I play the music in the background (minus the video).
*My fourth graders can record their thoughts, ideas, connections, likes/dislikes, or reactions to the song. They can also write about the message of the song.
*I have my students write between 5-10 minutes. At the end of our writing time, I see if a few of the writers would like to share what they wrote.
Music Monday Selections (2015-2016)…
Week #1: What I Am by will.i.am Week #2: Proud by Heather Small Week #3: Dreamer by Chris Brown Week #4: Live Like a Warrior by Matisyahu Week #5: Sunshine by Matisyahu Week #6: Better When I'm Dancin' by Megan Trainor Week #7: Thriller by Michael Jackson Week #8: Hopeful by Bars and Melody Week #9: Keep Your Head Up by Andy Grammar Week #10: The Rainbow Connection from The Muppets
Hi! I’m Mackenzie and I read the book called, Giants Beware written by Rafael Rosado.
I think this book was brave and adventurous because Claudette, Gaston, Marie and a puppy named Valiant had a very brave adventure.
My favorite part in the story was when they met the giantbecause he didn't like eating baby feet, but he liked tickling them.
The character that I liked best was Claudette because she was brave and fun to read about. She was a girl, but did many things that people would think only boys could do.
I think the author wrote this book because you should put trust in everybody and especially yourself.
I would recommend this book to my friends because it is a funny story and I know they would like it and the pictures.
Reading to me is awesomebecause it inspires me to be the best person I can and to do brave things. *Kenzi is a fourth grade student in my class. *This is one book that I feature to my students to encourage them to read. *She was excited to get to read it first and seemed to really enjoy it. *Now it is getting passed on to the next reader.
*It is Thursday and that means it is time for another "Life Lesson" video clip.
*This particular clip is one of my favorites and I find that the students love it just as much.
*A simple video with a powerful punch.
*One of my goals is to help my students reach their full potential.
*Each Thursday I feature a different video with a "life lesson" in it.
*After viewing the video once or twice, we chat a bit about it as a group.
*I then have the writers record their thoughts in their writer's notebooks.
*They can write their thoughts, reactions, connections, wonderings, learnings, or whatever is on their mind regarding the video.
*Encouragement is also given to reflect on the "message" of the clip.
*After about 5-10 minutes of writing, we listen to a few of the students share what they wrote.
*It is my hope that through these "life lessons", my students can become the best young people they can be.
Life Lessons (2015-2016)...
Lesson #1 - Be Courageous
Lesson #2 - Be Kind
Lesson #3 - Be Courageous (part two)
Lesson #4 - Be Motivated
Lesson #5 - Be a Buddy, Not a Bully
Lesson #6 - Be Inspired
Lesson #7 - Be Spooky (Halloween Edition)
Lesson #8: Be Kind (Kindness Retreat)
Lesson #9: Be Shoutful
How I Heard About It: One of my favorite series for fourth graders is The Quirks by Erin Soderberg. The last few years Erin has visited my classroom and been our guest author to discuss the first book in the series. I have also read book #2 and book #3 which were so fun and entertaining. This past Saturday I went to the book signing party for the fourth and final book in the series.
What It Is About: The Quirk family is back with this fourth and final installment of their "quirky" adventures. This time around Uncle Cork is visiting from Europe. He spends several days with them and brings a new "spirit" to this already crazy family. The girls class is heading on a field trip to a spooky museum. Grandpa and Uncle Cork volunteer to be chaperones. Of course little brother Finn wants to go, but everyone tells him NO. If you know Finn, you know he always finds a way to get what he wants. The time of year is Halloween so everyone is gearing up for costume time. Penn and Molly end up on different teams on the field trip to create the best monster at the museum. During the field trip Penn's imagination runs wild which can only mean one thing: Chaos! What I Thought Of It: I loved this book as much as I have loved the other three. Erin writes such an engaging story. This family is awesome and to be honest, I'm a bit sad their story is over. Many of the questions readers had during stories one, two, and three are finally revealed during the telling of this story. The character of Uncle Cork added a new dimension and showed a new side of the mother. The overall message at the end of the story is heart-warming and one that all of us should remember. Who Should Read It: The series is perfect for fourth grade readers. They are chapter books, include illustrations, and aren't too long. All of these elements make it perfect for the middle-grade reader. Strong third grade readers could handle the books all the way up to a sixth grade reader that enjoys magic, fantasy, and quirks. The stories would also make for excellent read alouds. Be sure to introduce book #1 because I guarantee the reader will then move on to the rest of the series. Happy Reading!
Wonder Wednesday - NCTE Here I Come...
*I can't believe that this convention starts tomorrow.
*Back in December 2014, I was at a local workshop that Donalyn Miller was presenting at. We started talking about the convention being here in Minneapolis.
*The next thing I knew I was being asked to join the "Nerdy Book Club" panel during the convention.
*My first instinct was to say no because public speaking isn't my thing. But after further thought, I knew I had to say yes because I might not get this chance ever again.
*After finishing up my reserve teacher plans this afternoon, I headed home and grew more and more excited for the next four days.
*I'm so excited to attend the various sessions, visit the author booths, meet "online" friends in person, socialize with members of the "Nerdy Book Club", and of course participate in the round table presentation.
*Here is a screen shot of my portion of the presentation...
*I know it is going to be an exciting four days of learning, connecting, socializing, and heading out of my comfort level to experience something I think I've been waiting for my entire teaching career.
*I'm sure I will be "tweeting" and taking pictures to document the experience of #NCTE2015.
*This has to be one of the cutest photographs we have written about this year.
*I saw this photo via Twitter on "Fascinating Pictures" and knew my fourth graders would love it.
*Each Wednesday we write in our writer's notebooks about a particular image.
*They can record their thoughts, reactions, connections, likes/dislikes, reminders, noticings, or anything else they would like.
*Some of the writers choose to write a fiction story based on the picture.
*We write between five and ten minutes and then do a quick share at the end.
*The photos always lead to lots of conversation and the sharing of ideas. I try to get them to write first and then we can share what we wrote and what we were thinking.
*The writers are really enjoying writing about these photographs.
