This Week In Room 21!

While the beginning of the week is off to a slow start with the surprise snow day and more bad weather pending , we have plenty to keep us busy once we arrive at school. We have completed our six week study of the Mystery genre. We will begin our next genre study, Biographies this week. This is an exciting unit that has something for everyone! Whatever a student's interests are, there is a biography for him/her to read.
For our mentor text, (A text that we read, discuss, analyze then constantly refer back to throughout the unit.) I have chosen Milton Hershey's biography. I've chosen this biography for many reasons. First, I'm sure you've heard of my love of chocolate! (I said there was a biography for every interest! haha!) Seriously, Milton Hershey was born into a farm family. He wanted something different for his life. The biography tells about this man's ability to hang in and steadily move toward his goals while overcoming adversity. His steadfast approach is inspirational. I think the timing is perfect with CMT's just about a month away! Additionally, he truly believed in "paying-it-forward" which teaches a valuable lesson in and of its self.
Stay tuned for biography anchor charts. As we progress through the unit, I will post my classroom anchor charts discussing "What Good Biography Readers Do" as they read. Hopefully, this is one more way to promote conversation about what your child is currently reading.
I mentioned CMTs and the fact that they are about a month away. I'd like to remind everyone of what I tell the students: CMTs assess everything that students have worked on since kindergarten. We do some  test prep that centers on test taking strategies and unique formats that the students may need to understand in order to take the test. In the weeks to come it is not a time to "cram" for the test, but rather relax and rest so that our mind is in a comfortable, confident place. All that is expected is that students give their personal best each day for the hour-plus that we test.
In math, we will review perimeter with some fun lessons called "Walking Around Shapes." These lessons encourage students to discover patterns while realizing the perimeter formula of regular shapes. Here is a website to practice finding perimeter of regular and irregular shapes while reinforcing mental addition. Have Fun!