Skit on Geometry using i Movie

My math class searched places in our school building showing examples of geometry; this was a way of making connections with the real world. Next, I wrote a script for each person to read. Hey look, this bulletin board is a quadrilateral. All students then ask; What is a quadrilateral?  A quadrilateral is a polygon with 4 sides! Hey look, I see a right angle on the window!  What is a right angle?  A right angle has a measure of 90 degrees and it forms a square corner! Hey look, the shape of this tile is a rhombus!  What is a rhombus? A rhombus is a parallelogram with all sides the same length!  Hey look, these lines are parallel lines! What are parallel lines? Parallel  lines never cross!  Also, parallel lines stay the same distance apart!...

Fishing for plurals

Fishing plurals center; s,es,ies,ves

Teacher directions:  On an envelope give an example of when students add s, es, ies or ves.  Next, write words that students will make into plurals on strips of paper and put the answers on the back.  Next, purchase a fishing pole with 4 fish. Write the following with permanent marker on each fish; s, es, ies and ves.  
Student directions:  All of the students in the group write the plural for the word on the paper strip on a white board or paper.  Next, one student uses the fishing pole and picks up the fish with the correct answer.  That same student turns over the word strip to check the answer.  Students make corrections if they need to on the white boards or paper.  Students take turns with the fishing pole. 
Accountability:  The teacher checks the white boards or papers to make sure they are correct.  If the students are using white boards, they put all of their answers on the board and don't erase it until it is checked by the teacher.

READING, PERSUASIVE WRITING, BOOK TALK, AND TECHNOLOGY WITH QR CODES ALL IN ONE

• Students read a book.
• Students write a book talk persuading others to read the book.
• Students create a youtube video persuading others to read the book they have read. Teachers or students will need to create their own account on youtube and upload the video.
• Next, students copy the url code for their youtube video.
• Then, find a website that offers free QR Code Generator from your computer.
• http://www.qrstuff.com/index.html  this is a web site I used
• Once at the site QR Code Generator, you have the option of choosing the data type. The options include website URL, next is youtube video and many more options. You need to click on youtube video and then paste the URL from your youtbube video under video URL.  It is very easy.
• Next, click download QR Code and print it off from your printer.
• Put the QR Codes on a bulletin board.
• Lastly, obtain a QR Code Reader on your ipad (there are many free ones) and have your students, students from other classes, parents... scan the QR Code and watch the videos.
• After you watch the videos you can go to history on your QR Code Reader on the ipad and clear it.

Attention Grabbers

I use one of these attention grabbers  to signal when I am going to give them information pertaining to what we are learning. After the signal I say "mirror" and they copy what I say.

Cinnamon Synonyms

• Students write synonyms of a word on one side from the dictionary app on the ipad or thesaurus
• Students write the antonym on the back side 
• Students make a pumpkin and write words describing it using synonyms to improve their word choice
• Students make a pet monster and write a 3 paragraph story using synonyms to improve their word choice.  Their story includes a description of the pet, what you feed your pet and what you and your pet do together.  

LET'S MAKE CONNECTIONS!

Thoughtful readers stop and think as they read to understand the story.  Good readers make connections before, during after they read. Text to self connection: The reader might make a connection from an event in the story that is similar to something from their life.  (Ex. This reminds me of when I rode a horse.)  The reader might make a connection from how the character is feeling to how they have felt in their life.  (Ex. I have felt scared just like the character when I went on a roller coaster. )  Text to text connection: This book reminds me of another book I've read.  (Ex. The book, Testing the Ice, reminds me of the book, Martin Luther King Jr.)  Text to the world connection: What is happening in the book reminds me of something from history, science, social studies, the news, or from the web.  (Ex. Little House on the Prairie reminds me of the western movement.)

Students wrote a sentence from the book on the left puzzle piece and made an illustration
Then students wrote their connection to the text and made an illustration on the right puzzle piece

Teaching Inference

Make inference anchor poster with scrapbooking paper or wrapping paper. Add ribbon on the bottom  to add pizazz!  TEACHING INFERENCE IS TEACHING HIGHER LEVEL THINKING!
My students had difficulty with inference, so I decided to back up and take baby steps.  Now, they can do it! Teach the students that inferring is taking a guess based on evidence from the book (clues) and their schema (what they already know).  First, I drew a picture of a person smiling and asked them what they infer that means. The clue is the picture. Their schema is what they know.  They know that when people smile they are happy.Thus, they inferred the person was happy. Next, I showed pictures of my family and had students infer about each picture. If I ask students what do you infer?  They answer back stating, "I infer....". Then, I gave situations and had students infer:  I am walking alone in a dark woods.  I infer I would be scared.  A car was speeding down a road. I infer they might get a speeding ticket.  My dog ran away. I infer that I would go and look for the dog.  The baby was crying. I infer the baby is hungry. We bought tickets and popcorn. Then we sat down and waited. I infer that they are at a theater. The man put a hose,  bucket and some soap next to his car. I infer that the man is going to wash his car.
 Next, we viewed a wordless picture book, CHALK, by Bill Thomson and they inferred what might happen next based on the picture clues from the book.  The pictures are amazing. Chalk is one of my favorite books. I used this book with 3rd and 5th graders.

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I wrote down clues and what students inferred from the book Chalk by Bill Thomson. One of the clues or picture from the book shows kids going to a park and seeing a bag hooked on a play dinosaur. Our schema tells us that kids are curious and would probably look inside the bag.  Thus, I infer that the kids in the story are going to look inside the bag. I also wonder what is in the bag.

When the students are done reading the book, have them write down what they are wondering. My students were wondering if other kids would find the chalk. My students also wondered if they kids would tell their parents.

The following are examples of evidence or  text taken from other books and inferences:

I looked and looked at the trash. Then I did a teeny frown. I infer Junie B. Jones is upset.

Toad woke up. Drat he said. This house is a mess. I infer Toad will clean his house.

No matter how hard we pressed, Dad always found a reason not to get into the water. I infer Dad can't swim or is afraid of the water.

Practice inferring with different picture books. Stop at different points and have students write down what they infer. Make sure they start out saying I infer. Give students assistance by asking them to use their schema.  An example is ; if the character is frowning, what does that mean. If your house is a mess, what do you know that means. Students can practice this also when partner reading by telling their partner what they infer on each page.