Learning is fun!
Posted in fifth grade, technology, and TTESS 1819
Last week in the Jackson Library, fifth graders analyzed a biography about the pioneer of hip hop music, DJ Kool Herc. After answering STAAR-formatted questions that explored verifiable facts, inferences about finances, and how we can tell Kool Herc was attentive to his audience within the book When The Beat Was Born, the kids used an interactive Google Doodle game, The 44th Anniversary of Hip Hop, to mix their own record using actual instrumental samples from the 70s. Awesome!
Posted in fourth grade, media literacy, nonfiction lesson, and TTESS 1819
Fourth graders analyze media by scrutinizing fake websites, identifying propaganda techniques in commercials, finding the purpose of print ads, differentiating between formal and informal language, explaining how design elements of advertising affect the viewer (pacing, sound), spotting scams and hoaxes and more in the Jackson Library. In this video, they are exploring the website Edumosis and discussing whether this app should be purchased or not and why. This involves critical reading and they find out something interesting when scrolling to the bottom to read the disclaimer!
This lesson is in the 12-10-18 portion of the 4th grade section of my media literacy minute Google Slides on my Media Literacy blog page link below.
4th TEK 14 Reading/Media Literacy – Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning.
A) explain positive and negative impacts of advertisement techniques genres of media to impact consumer behavior
B) explain how various design techniques (pacing, close-ups, sound effects) used in media influence the message
C) compare various written conventions used in digital media (language in formal e-mail vs language in a web-based article)
Lessons
Posted in fourth grade, reading skills, technology, and TTESS 1819
Fourth graders analyzed procedural text in the Jackson Library. I gave them a QR Code to scan which took them to a page about how to fold an origami dog. They then took a screenshot of the pages and used the iOS 12 markup tools to show their text evidence. They also had to answer STAAR-formatted questions I created for them. This opened up good discussions and strategies to make sure they were paying attention to details in the text and interpreting the diagrams correctly. Check out the video of their work!
fix number 4 – ‘step 9’
Posted in apps, fifth grade, holiday, picture book lesson, and TTESS 1819
Fifth graders “gathered around the fire, where embers of a dying flame glowed upon the hearth” (to quote from our story) in the Jackson Library this week. They huddled around the imaginary fire to hear a spooky story that is also a mystery to solve, The Widow’s Broom by Chris van Allsburg. We tacked STAAR strategies like using context clues, making inferences, and mapping the broom’s character traits. At the tables, the kids had a choice to use Texting Story to re-create a text message ‘conversation’ between two of the characters or to use Toontastic to animate one section of the story. They had fun and were so creative!
Teacher’s Guide for The Widow’s Broom
Widows Broom II questions
TEK 6: Reading Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction: Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:
A) describe the incidents that advance the story or novel, explaining how each incident gives rise to foreshadow future events
B) explain the roles and functions of characters in various plots, including their relationships and conflicts
Posted in holiday, picture book lesson, second grade, and TTESS 1819
Second graders came to the Jackson Library today and had fun with an October classic, Creepy Carrots! We discussed cause and effect, read the story, and they identified causes and effects involving Jasper the rabbit. Sometimes they had to identify the cause and sometimes the effect.
CAUSE EFFECT
Jasper started taking carrots The carrots began to follow him
Jasper had nightmares. He called his dad in his bedroom.
Jasper was worried. He devised a plan/idea.
Jasper built a fence. The carrots were happy.
At the computer station, the kids played Carrot Crave on the Cool Math website.
Safeshare
Be sure to get the sequel to Creepy Carrots, Creepy Pair of Underwear! Out now!
Posted in apps, assessment, fourth grade, holiday, poetry, technology, and TTESS 1819
Fourth graders came to the library this week to explore different formative assessments. Yesterday we tried Pear Deck but it isn’t ideal for the library in that each student has to log in to his/her Google account and we have to share iPads (work in pairs). So today we tried GoFormative and loved it! I gave each pair of students a Pokemon character’s name on a card and that was their login. Then I gave them all the same password. I set up the class in advance on the site and I took screenshots of a Google Slides presentation I had ready about spooky poems. Then I entered the questions in GoFormative. I like all of the media possibilities- you can import a pdf, video, ask them to draw something on the screen, use multiple choice, audio, etc. I also like how the students can answer at their own pace. In the settings, I marked the choice for ‘after student submits.’ It will be interesting to see how this lesson goes the rest of this week!
Reading Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry: Students make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain how the structural elements of poetry (e.g., rhyme, meter, stanzas, line breaks) relate to form) (e.g. lyrical poetry, free verse).
Choose the assessment you want them to take (in background screen here) and then choose your class (Jackson Library).
In optional settings, choose ‘return scores’= after student submits.
Now give the students a QR code or bookmark the Go Formative login screen. Then they are ready to login and click their assignment.
SAMPLE STUDENT LOGIN CARD
@charizard
library
Posted in fifth grade, games, holiday, reading skills, technology, and TTESS 1819
Last week in the Jackson Library, fifth graders played a Jeopardy-like game called Factile.
I created questions in categories based on the book, Halloween Motel, on a Jeopardy-style board. Then I purchased the Premium version of Factile to 1) print out my questions and answers and to 2) be able to play in Buzzer mode. If you use the free version, you can still play but you have to have the teams take turns or determine yourself who raised their hand first. In buzzer mode, the computer tells me who buzzed in first by putting a yellow thumbs up on that team’s avatar.
First, you open your saved game in Factile and then click ‘Buzzer Mode’. Then it generates a code like Kahoot. Give one iPad to each team captain and have them type in the code. Then you start the game and choose a category and question amount. The computer will tell you who buzzed first and then you either click the check mark to issue their points or the red x to deduct points. The kids loved it!
TEK 2d: I can identify the meaning of common idioms in the story. 11b: I can identify details that contribute to the theme and can draw conclusions about the ending.
Posted in apps, fourth grade, picture book lesson, and TTESS 1819
In the Jackson Library, fourth graders read Interstellar Cinderella on the big screen and made predictions, pre-loaded vocabulary (video of socket wrench in action), observed foreshadowing by the author (Why did the author have Cinderella put the socket wrench in her pocket?) (How will Cinderella escape from the attic?), used context clues, and made comparisons to the original fairy tale. Then I paired the students to take a Kahoot! quiz.
RIF Guide for Educators- includes vocabulary
TEK 6; Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction: Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:
A) sequence and summarize the plot’s main events and explain their influence on future events
B) describe the interaction of characters including their relationships and the changes they undergo
Posted in apps, fifth grade, reading skills, third grade, and TTESS 1819
Last week in the Jackson Library, third graders played a Kahoot assessment (see links below) after our Goldilocks and the Three Martians read aloud. Fifth graders played one after our Old Henry read aloud. These assessments are not only fun, but the new Kahoot Pro! for Educators gives me an inside look at which questions were the most difficult for students which helps me to adapt my teaching to better meet students’ needs. Plus, we had lots of fun!
Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text: Fiction: Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding.
FIFTH GRADE LESSON
Old Henry
6.b: I can explain the roles and functions of characters…including relationships and conflicts
GS Story WM 3-5
Kahoot Pro for Schools Feedback
Posted in fourth grade, reading skills, and TTESS 1819
Fourth graders reviewed context clues during their library orientation! As we read Do Not Bring Your Dragon to the Library! by Glassman, they interpreted vocabulary words using context.
