We are comparing and contrasting a poem and a work of prose today.  First, we did a warm-up with point-of-view:

Students were given a paper copy (I do not have an electronic copy) of two works.  On the left side was the poem The Spider, by Jane Taylor (1883).  The other one was an African folktale featuring Anansi the Spider:  Why Anansi Has Eight Thin Legs.  The first task was to compare and contrast both.....what did they have unique to each piece?  What did they have in common?  We used a Venn Diagram to express the comparison and contrast in a visual manner.

The students then worked together to answer the four questions pertaining to the Anansi story.  Below are both texts side-by-side:

The Wax Museum has come and gone.  As I had mentioned before, I was very impressed and pleased both by the effort of my students and how much they took ownership of their work. Though it was time consuming, I feel that it was well worth it considering how students were able to apply what they had learned in literacy and do something that they were interested in!  I believe we will soon be shifting towards a science project once we really get into the ecosystems unit of instruction.  As always, any relevant information will be shared via Parent Square, the newsletter, and by creating a dedicated page on this website.

First, we began with a warm-up to review theme:

In literacy, we are continuing the study of how poetry, prose, and dramas are similar and different from one another (comparing and contrasting).  For today's lesson, I had the class get on their Chromebooks and do a Nearpod lesson.  I originally had it as a live lesson then switched it to self-paced.  

In science, we are finishing up the rocks and minerals unit.  Our focus today was a hands-on simulation of the Law of Superposition and of metamorphic rock.  The Law of Superposition states that with sedimentary rock, the lower layers are the oldest ones since sedimentary rock is the result of a gradual build-up.  Sediment gets dropped in layers (sedimentation).  As layers above it accumulate, the lower layers are hardened over long periods of time into rock (cementation).  

The simulation involved each student getting a sheet of wax paper and five Swedish Fish in different colors (after washing their hands).  The Swedish Fish represents layers of sediment.  

Students placed layers of "sediment" one after another on top of each other to make a small stack.  We waited one minute between layers and wrote down the time on the wax paper.  They then noted which layer was the oldest (the bottom) simply by looking at the times written down.  

The second part of this simulation involved metamorphic rock.  As layers of rock accumulate more and more on top of existing rock, the heat and pressure eventually become great enough to cause the rocks to change, which is exactly what metamorphosis means.  This process was simulated by covering the layers of the "rock" with the rest of the wax paper and smashing it down.  After unwrapping it, they drew a picture of how it changed.  

At long last the Wax Museum came!  The students were excited and nervous but as us teachers knew all along, they did a fantastic job!  

Today was the fourth and final early release day of the year.  What we did was review the differences between poetry, drama, and prose.  Then, students worked on a practice quiz.

Today the posters for the Wax Museum were due.  Therefore, the focus for today was for students to share their works (very impressive!) while I graded them.  

At long last we have come to the week where the Wax Museum is finally here.  Friday is the day!

In literacy, our focus for the week is on telling the differences (contrasting) between poetry, prose, and drama.  First, we did a warm-up to review the three points of view:

Then we went over the differences between poetry, prose, and drama:

Then I showed them the poem Spaghetti, by Shel Siverstein.  

Students collaborated in small groups to orally fill in the following graphic organizer:

Below is the same poem but rewritten as a prose.....

Finally, students read it as a drama.  

The students were given four questions to answer in small groups, with a partner, or individually if they so chose.

In science, we continued with rocks and minerals.  Today was a review while tomorrow is scheduled to have a special activity to simulate the rock cycle.

The in-class activity was to do the following, using their existing knowledge of Moh's Scale of Hardness. 

We bring this week to a close and we have one week to go until the Wax Museum.  

What we focused on today in literacy was comparing and contrasting similar themes in two different stories.  Of course, I went over what comparing and contrasting are first.  Comparing means to look for what things have in common.  A contrast is that which is different.  

​But, before all that, we started with a warm-up:

We then continued to review the three types of point of view:  1st person (the narrator is a character, usually the main character); 2nd person (the narrator is speaking to the reader; 3rd person (the narrator is not a part of the story.

We also discussed what comparing and contrasting are.  A comparison is that which things are in common while a contrast is what is different.

In science, students did a Nearpod presentation at their own pace.

Today was the checkpoint for most students and while it only contained 5 questions, it was a good mini assessment to see how well the students understood the three different points of view:  1st person, 2nd person, and 3rd person.

Other students were finishing up with last week's mid-quarter assessment.  Since we have had a lot of absences it has taken this long to ensure everyone had the chance. Formal assignments are such that all students need to have them completed.

In science, students did an in-class activity on the rock cycle by filling in the blanks.  This one was collaborative in the sense that they were encouraged to work together either with a partner or in a small group.  Those who wished to work individually were allowed to if they so chose.

Today we continued to focus on the three points of view.  Students did more independent work on their own.

We continued with narrative points of view, especially from the first and third person.  We started off with a warm-up while gathered at the carpet.....

The answer is that the story was told from the perspective of a mom since the words "....my daughter" were used in the text.  Then, after reviewing quickly, we did a series of task cards, one at a time.  Below is the four of them in one image.

Then, they did the Exit Ticket before returning to their seats.

For science, we reviewed the rock cycle, the three main types of rocks (igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary), along with Moh's Scale of Hardness.  We started off with a warm-up: