Here is this year’s first episode of The Mathlete Show. It is about numberline subtraction, and the hosts are Pepperoni, Pizza, and Guacamole & Chips.
It is sometimes easier to count up when solving simple subtraction problems. Numberline subtraction allows you to count up when solving large subtraction problems.
(Check out these other numberline videos by students in Mrs. Delgado’s third grade class in Michigan and 4WS – a fourth grade class in Canada.)
Starting December 3rd, the voting will be open for the 7th annual Edublog Awards.
Our blog has been nominated for Best Class Blog!
The 2010 Edublog Awards
This is very exciting and a great honor, but the best thing about the Edublog Awards are that you get to learn about other great blogs that you might not know about.
One amazing blog that we do know a lot about is Mrs. Yollis’ Class Blog. Their blog always has interesting posts, great images, slideshows, and videos, with fantastic conversations taking place in the comments. In fact, their blog was what inspired Mr. Salsich to start a class blog.
During reading and writing we have been learning about similes, synonyms, and… snowballs?
"Snowballs"
First, let’s focus on similes and synonyms. These are two ways to make our writing more descriptive.
Here is an example from Madison: The chameleon’s tongue was as fast as lightning.
And here is one from Jacob: The new student is tall like a skyscraper.
*
We have been learning a lot about synonyms at The Reading Round-Up. We added comments with synonyms we found in our reading books to a post called “Circle Up Your Synonyms.”
Circle Up Your Synonyms
Here is a synonym that Alexandra found and posted as a comment:
I found a synonym for said in the book Molly Moon’s Hypnotic Time Travel Adventure. It was, “No you fool!” he thundered.
Thundered means he yelled it.
Sometimes we need to move a little bit in the afternoons. It gets hard to do our best work if we are sitting too long. So, we have been having “snowball” fights in our classroom!
Well, they aren’t really snowballs. First we do some writing work on a small piece of paper. Then we crumple up the paper. These are our “snowballs.”
Paper "Snowballs"
When Mr. Salsich gives the signal we throw our snowballs around the room and at each other. After everyone gets a few throws we stop and pick up the nearest snowball. Then we gather on the carpet and share what other people wrote on their snowball. It is a fun way to get some movement and share our ideas.
Snowball Fight!
Here is a simile from Derek about what the room was like when we were writing our similes:
The room was quiet like a street at midnight.
And here is a simile from Amanda about what the room was like during our snowball fight:
Suddenly the room was as noisy as a cage full of monkeys.
*
Here is a video that Emmett and Mr. Salsich made after school while learning about computers and digital videos.
(images used courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
Here is another student produced voicethread about the amazing ruby-throated hummingbird.
Maggie and Amanda did all the research and recording for this voicethread.
We have been learning how to share our reading ideas through writing. Being able to explain our reading thoughts to others is very important.
Below is a video with tips for how to answer “reading comprehension” questions. These questions want you to show that you understand what you read.
*
Mr. Salsich’s class loves to work with other people and to share ideas. We have learned that when you collaborate, everybody wins!
Welcome to "The Reading Round-Up"
We have been focusing on adding details to our writing so the reader can visualize what is happening. We want them to feel like they are right there in the story. One way to do this is to describe how characters are feeling instead of just saying they are mad, or cold, or scared.
Below is a PowerPoint slide show with some of our descriptions that “show” how characters are feeling instead of just “telling.”
*
