PLC+Notes+-+Feb.+2012

2-8-12

We looked at data from our fraction pretest. Strengths: identifying fractions when shaded in parts or parts of a set Areas to work on: comparing fractions

We talked about the progression of lessons through comparing fractions. Bring ideas for this unit next week. Start making fraction cards to match the fraction fish game.

Literacy- We went over data for our check in on index and glossary. Angela shared what she did to practice the glossary and index. Students used the questions on the check-in as a sentence structure and wrote their own questions. They then got into lines of communication and one line asked the questions while the other line answered (using the glossary/index in hand) and then switched roles.

Bring the check in #3 nonfiction text features data in two weeks. Bring materials/ideas for teaching comparing fractions. Bring ideas for our next reading unit- reading for the purpose of taking a reading assessment.

Angela will email pictures to use for language development for fractions. Her kids did lines of communication with these after writing three things they know about fractions.

2-15-12

Literacy

Wrapping up the nonfiction text features unit. Do the nonfiction text feature check in #3 this week (charts, tables, graphs) and bring data next time. Bring nonfiction post test data to our meeting on March 7th.

We looked at Edusoft reading data. One of our low areas was fact and opinion and cause and effect. We worked on sentence frames for talking about fact/opinion. Do we want a mini pretest/post test? One for cause/effect and one for fact/opinion? Victoria will do one for fact/opinion and Kalina will do cause and effect. We’ll look at these at our next meeting.

Come prepared with materials for our next mini unit on reading to take a test. ODE has a new sample test up.

Math

Comparing fractions

Victoria and Joel came up with some sentence frames to use with comparing fractions. We can use the fraction cards with these.

Students are working on making fraction cards and comparing the fractions on them. We can have a class discussion about which paper to use to make which cards, leading students to use words like factors and multiples. Consider making a chart that shows examples. Consider color-coding the different fraction square papers. Make a class chart to color code which papers go with which fractions. After plenty of practice with comparing the models, teach the algorithm by talking about how we could compare two fractions if we didn’t have our fraction cards with us.

Next time, bring ideas for decimals and a decimal pretest.

We need to come back to area and perimeter. There will likely be a lot of that on OAKS.

2-22-12

We started by looking at the nonfiction text feature check-in #3 (graphs, diagrams, charts, and tables). Strengths: Did better on the graph than expected, were able to answer the basic questions Weaknesses: diagram #1- the word “follows” may have tripped them up- double meaning, graph #1 and 2- needed to read through each possible answer, didn’t do the math, chart #1- did not look at the elapsed time

Have nonfiction text features post-test data by our meeting on March 7th.

Test-taking strategies (reading a test as a genre) (mini-unit)

-Kalina and Victoria developed a pre/post test on fact and opinion and cause/effect. We’ll be mostly on our own evaluating the data, as this unit will be over by the time we meet again. We can email needs/questions.

Fact/opinion- sentence frames for fact/opinion, students write facts and opinions on note cards, then do an oracy structure to practice.

Cause/effect- Angela will look up sentence frames and graphic organizers for cause and effect.

Vocabulary/context clues

Math

Fractions have been slow-going. Some kids get the fraction models and others don’t. Students are still working on building fraction models and comparing them.

Next up: comparing fractions with an algorithm, base ten decimals and connecting fractions and decimals (need a pretest and will need to give it before our next meeting).