Day 1 – Language Arts
Spelling: The first day of class, we worked with digraphs. I used the word dish to explain that when a sound is spelled with two letters, the two letters are called a digraph. We took the sounds of the word /d/ /i/ /sh/ apart in order to find the one sound made up of two letters. We practiced this several words on his spelling list. The student wrote his words and underlined each digraph. He also categorized his spelling words according to the digraphs, sh, ch, th, wh, and ck.
Grammar: We reviewed what makes a sentence. I wrote parts of a sentence onto individual index cards for him to put together (My mother on one card, jogged on another, and to the park. o¬n the last). By removing one card, he could see that what was left wasn’t a complete thought. We tried it again, taking out a different part. Then, he rearranged the cards to form a complete sentence as we pointed out the necessary parts of a sentence: complete thought, capital letter at the beginning, punctuation mark at the beginning.
We also reviewed the four kinds of sentences (statement, question, exclamation, and command). He chose a stuffed animal and wrote four different sentences about it (one of each kind). Together, we checked his capitalization and punctuation.
Guided Reading: Our first book is Clara and the Bookwagon by Nancy Smiler Levinson. We started by learning some vocabulary words from the text (dough, weather, promise, thread, plodded, station, cupped, charged), and then he read the title and the names of the author and illustrator. We discussed that this book is historical fiction, and skimmed the book to find evidence that this story could’ve really happened in the past. To review text features, we found the table of contents and read the titles of the first two chapters. Then, he read chapters 1-2 silently, and then aloud. We discussed the characters, the setting, and the problem of the story. To wrap up, we started an activity which will be continued throughout the course of this book called a Book Mobile. He created a miniature book jacket out of paper. The ‘cover’ has the title, author, and genre. The inside is a place to illustrate pictures and write a few sentences about the story. It will be displayed on a wire hanger with yarn threaded through a hole-punch at the top.
Read Aloud: We started reading Book 1 from the Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician’s Nephew. We previewed the book, by reading the cover and back of the book, and scanning through to look at pictures. I read Chapter 1aloud.
Day 1 – Math
We worked on counting aloud through 500. We completed a series of online activities, and then did a practice activity before completing a lesson checkpoint. In the first online activity, a character had 92 pennies in a jar. She needed help adding more to the jar. Students counted the rest of the pennies as they put them in the jar. The next activity was to start at 1 and count all the way to 100. Using some countable objects was an option for kids who might have trouble. Next, he counted from 1 to 9, then from 101 to 109, and from 201 to 209. We discussed how counting from 1 to 9 could help with the other two sets mentioned above. He practiced counting other groups of numbers (410 to 430, and 477 to 499). We practiced changing hundreds by starting at 295 and counting up to 306. When we changed hundreds, we clapped. We did the same thing from 386 to 412 and jumped when we changed to the next hundred. We did some more practice on an activity page that was given, and then completed an end of lesson quiz.
Day 1 – History
The first few lessons are an introduction to history. Today’s lesson was all about geography. We started by reviewing the seven Continents. We taped animal pictures to an inflatable globe that represented each Continent. Next, we reviewed North, South, East, and West. We used the four walls of our classroom to locate each, and practiced the directions on the globe by starting at North America and jet-setting around the globe, by walking two fingers, in the directions I gave to see where we ended up. Third, we reviewed the Poles and the Equator by finding them on the globe and discussing the type of clothing you’d have to wear if you visited each place. We taped an ‘N’ to the North Pole and an ‘S’ to the South Pole. We also discussed that countries make up continents. We located the three countries of North America, and we discussed that each has its own government and flag. Lastly, we reviewed all that we did today in a question/answer session, using the inflatable globe.
Day 2 – Language Arts
Spelling: Today we reviewed digraphs and did a Hunt for Digraphs, where my student found digraphs from a given Word Bank. He had to categorize the words according to its digraph (ch, ck, sh, th, wh). Then he did a Sound Search. We broke words up by their sounds (whip = /wh/ /i/ /p/) in order to help identify the digraphs in each word.
Vocabulary: Today we learned some vocabulary words that have multiple meanings (calf, couple, groom, share, yard, etc.). We discussed each word and the different meanings for each word. To reinforce the learning, my student did a multiple choice page where he was given a short phrase and he had to select the correct word, then he was given a word and had to select the correct phrase.
Guided Reading: (Clara and the Bookwagon: Session 2). We started out by reviewing yesterday’s reading. My student summarized the first 2 chapters as he recalled the genre, characters, setting, and problem. Next, he skimmed the pages of Chapter 3 as I asked him some prediction questions. He read Chapter 3 silently, and then we discussed today’s passage, using higher-level comprehension questions (how would the character feel, etc.)
Read Aloud: Chapter 2 from The Magician’s Nephew.
Read to Self: My student selected his own book to read independently.
Day 2 – Math
We completed 2 math lessons today. The first focused on writing numerals through 500. Each day’s math lesson starts with an online skills update. Today’s review questions included 2-digit subtraction. Next, we used a completed hundred chart and discussed patterns we noticed. Then, my student filled in missing numerals on a grid which had rows of missing numerals. There were similar charts in the hundreds, two-hundreds, three- and four-hundreds. We also practiced writing numbers. I would call out numbers up to 500, such as 347 or 112, and he would write each numeral on a whiteboard. He was also expected to read some numbers that were written in word form and write them in standard form.
The second math lesson reviewed identifying place value. We used base-ten blocks to represent different numbers up to 500. He could place the blocks on a place-value mat in order to see hundreds, tens, and ones. We discussed the value of each digit in a number. For example, the number 125 has a 2 in the tens place, which means 2-tens so the value of the 2 is 20.
Day 2 – Science
Science Unit 1 is Metrics and Measurement. In this unit, students will learn the tools and methods for measuring length, mass, weight, temperature, and volume in standard metric units.
Today’s lesson is called “Meet the Metrics.” We discussed different types of scientists (astronauts, geographers, medical scientists) and that those scientists need to make exact measurements when they perform experiments. In order to do that, they must use scientific tools. We explored the balance, graduated cylinder, metric ruler, and thermometer. Then we read a nonfiction passage about scientists labeling their measurements. (If they just stated that a tree was 32, it wouldn’t make much sense. We have to know that the scientist means 32 meters tall.) We also read a passage that taught the importance of accuracy in measurements. There was a Mars probe that crashed into the planet in 1999 because the scientists weren’t accurate in their distance measurements! Next, we discussed the different units of the metric system: meters, liters, grams, and degrees Celsius. My student was able to practice using the tools. He measured the length of a notebook in cm. We looked at a diagram of the graduated cylinder and talked about measuring from the bottom of the meniscus. We used the pan balance to measure the mass of a pen. Finally, we discussed the units of measurement on the thermometer and measured the temperature of a bowl of ice water. To wrap up, we played a card game. On each card was printed, balance, mass, grams, graduated cylinder, volume, milliliters, metric ruler, length, centimeter, thermometer, temperature, and degrees Celsius. First we matched each tool with what it measures, and then we matched each tool with its unit of measurement. We shuffled the cards again and practiced identifying the tools, units of measurement, and tool properties in random order.
Day 3 – Language Arts
Spelling: To practice this week’s word list, my student completed a ‘Words that Rhyme’ activity. He used words from a Word Bank to find words that rhyme. Then, I dictated two sentences to him that contained 2-3 words each as he wrote them on our whiteboard. This way, he could practice some spelling words in the context of a sentence. Next, he completed the independent activity: Study, Cover, and Spell. His words were listed down the left side of a table, with blank spaces to the right. He read each word, and then covered it with an index card. I had him spell it out loud and then write it. Then he could uncover the word and check to see if his spelling matched.
Grammar: We reviewed the four kinds of sentences. To prepare for this activity, I prepared a display of four pictures, cut out of a magazine. My student then wrote a statement about the first picture, a question about the second picture, a command about a third picture, and then an exclamation about the fourth picture.
Guided Reading: (Clara and the Bookwagon: Session 3). Today, we wrapped up our first book. First, we reviewed vocabulary words that would pertain to the text. Then, my student summarized what has happened so far. Then, he made predictions about how the book would end. He read the final chapter silently, and then we discussed whether his prediction matched the book.
Read Aloud: Chapter 3 from The Magician’s Nephew.
Read to Self: My student selected his own book to read independently.
Day 3 – Math
This was a great lesson to help students understand expanded form. I laid out index cards labeled 100, 20, and 5. They were overlapping so my student could see the number 125 in standard form. Then we discussed the value of each digit. In this example, there were 1 hundred, 2 tens, and 5 ones. We slid the cards apart and put plus signs in between each value to show the expanded form: 100+20+5. He represented this number on his place value mat with base-tens blocks. This was a great visual representation of how the standard form of a number could be expanded to show the value of each digit.
Day 3 – History (no history lessons were taught this day)
Day 4 – Language Arts
Spelling: We started out our day with a spelling test. My student repeated and wrote down his words as I said each one. Then he wrote sentences as I dictated them to him.
Guided Reading: Today’s reading lesson uses the fable, The Girl and the Milk Pail. Before reading the fable, I activated background knowledge by asking questions about day-dreaming. My student read the fable silently, and then we discussed the events in the fable. One event leads to another in this fable, so we used a chart write down what happened first, next, and last.
Read Aloud: Chapter 4 from The Magician’s Nephew.
Read to Self: My student selected his own book to read independently.
Day 4 – Math
Today’s math lesson included modeling addition problems. We started with problems that didn’t require regrouping, and then used models to demonstrate regrouping.
To begin, we created models in order to add 3-digit numbers. Using the place-value mat and base-10 blocks, my student modeled the numbers 132 and 145, keeping them separated on his mat. We combined the two groups, and discussed how many ones, tens, and hundreds. We noticed that we did not have to regroup any blocks in order to find the sum (each section had less than 10 cubes, rods, or flats). Next, we tried a similar problem on the whiteboard: 315+124. Then, we discussed that sometimes you might have 10 or more ones cubes, and you will need to regroup them into 1 tens rod before you can find your sum. We used our blocks to show 146 and 128 on our place-value mat. After we combined the two groups, my student noticed that there were 14 ones. We traded 10 ones for 1 ten. My student found the sum to this problem and practiced a few more that were similar.
We wrapped up today’s lesson by practicing some problems with pencil-paper in order for my student to demonstrate proficiency. He was allowed to use the base-10 blocks and place value mat, but realized that it was easier to complete the problem without, starting at the ones place and moving to the left.
Day 4 – History (Geography)
Today, my student learned about different landforms. We read short passages about deserts, mountains, rivers, etc. After each selection, he selected the landform from a group of pictures, colored it, and labeled each one with the correct name.
Next, we discussed map legends. He completed an activity sheet called ‘Anywhere Land.’ We located the compass rose and determined each direction (north, south, east, and west). We located the lakes and rivers, and my student colored them all blue. Next, we found an island on the map and colored it orange. Lastly, we found a peninsula and colored it red. We used the map key to help identify the other items on the map.
The last activity was fun, and was a great way to solidify today’s learning. My student created his own map of a make-believe country. He gave the country a name. Next, he drew a coastline with a peninsula. He added islands, lakes, rivers, and mountains, referring to his activity sheet with all the different landforms. He labeled each item and placed the symbols he used for a land features in the legend box. Lastly, he drew a compass rose and labeled it.
Day 5 – Language Arts
Spelling: Words with Three Sounds and Short Vowels e & u
We began today’s lesson by reading our spelling list together. I explained that some of the words have digraphs. I used the word then to explain that the first two letters make one sound /th/, so it was a digraph. After writing it on the whiteboard, my student underlined the letters th with one line to show that they make one sound. We practiced each of his words for this week’s list on the whiteboard. Then, my student underlined the digraphs.Grammar: Subjects and Predicates
Today in grammar, my student learned about subjects and predicates. He learned that the subject is the naming part of a sentence, and it tells who or what the sentence is about. The predicate is the action part, and it tells what the subject does or did. We looked at different sentences together and discussed what each sentence was about (the subject), and what each subject was doing in each sentence. To practice identifying the subject of each sentence on an activity page, we underlined it once. We underlined each predicate using 2 lines. Lastly, I gave him some sentences with one part missing. He made up a subject or a predicate to fit each given sentence.Guided Reading: The Fox without a Tail
This is a fable in which one character tries to persuade another to do something. Before we began reading, we discussed what persuasion means. We also discussed what a fox looks like (making sure to point out that foxes usually have long, flowing tails). Then, my student read The Fox without a Tail silently. We discussed the fable with comprehension questions (How does the Fox feel about not having a tail? What does he try to do to make himself feel better? What reasons does the Fox give, to persuade the other foxes to cut off their tails? What does the Old Fox say that stops the other foxes? What is the moral, or lesson, of this fable?)Read Aloud: Chapter 5 from The Magician’s Nephew.
Read to Self: My student selected his own book to read independently.
Day 5 – Math
Today, my student compared and ordered numbers through 500. He learned to compare the value of each digit – hundreds, tens, and ones – to see if a number is greater than, less than, or equal to another number. We used base-10 blocks, and index cards labeled (?, <, >, and =). First, my student modeled the number 483 using the base-10 blocks, and placed it on the left side of his desk. Then, he modeled 239 and placed on the right side. In the middle, I placed the “?” card. We discussed that when you compare numbers, you “read” the numbers from left to right, just like when you read a sentence. Both numbers had hundreds, so we started by comparing the hundreds. My student found that because the first number had 4 hundreds and the second only had 2 hundreds, then the first number given was greater than the second. We discussed the symbol cards and reviewed what each means. He was able to place the correct card in the middle. We continued this activity with a few more examples until he could do it successfully without assistance.
Next, we used an online animation in order for my student to practice this concept without the models. It required some practice, but my student was able to recognize that we start with the highest value to compare numbers.
Then, my student compared different numbers using a number line. We made a number line from 100-111. He compared three numbers by using the less than symbols in between each number ( 101 < 109 < 111). He practiced this concept using different number lines and different numbers. We discussed that putting the numbers in order from to least to greatest needs the “less than” symbol. But putting them in order from greatest to least uses the “greater than” symbol.
Day 5 – Science
We started by reviewing the tools that scientists use to make careful measurements. Today, we explored the length of objects using the meter stick. Looking at the metric ruler, my student counted that there are 10 millimeters in 1 centimeter. We discussed that if we tried to measure something small, like a seed, we would need a measurement smaller than a centimeter (the millimeter), but if we measured something large, like a couch, we would need a larger ruler, called a meter stick. We compared our two tools for today. My student came to the conclusion that the metric ruler would be used to measure small items, and the metric stick would be used to measure larger items.
For an investigation, my student practiced using the metric tools to measure a pillow, phone book, and height of a table in centimeters. We also took our meter stick out to the garage and measured the length of our car. We measured the length of our school room and discovered that our car is almost the length of our room! Next, he measured some small objects (a grain of rice and a penny) in millimeters. It was great practice using the tools. To wrap up, we discussed why it’s important for scientists to label measurements with the units they use.
Day 6 – Language Arts
Spelling: Sort Words by Vowel and Digraph Sounds
For our spelling practice today, we took a few words from our list and sorted them according to their short vowel sound. To practice spelling the words, I dictated them to my student while he placed them in the correct category. Then, we used different words from the list to sort them by their digraphs.Guided Reading: The Fox and the Grapes & Boy Who Cried “Wolf”
Today we read two fables. I introduced the first of today’s two fables, The Fox and the Grapes. I asked my student to think about a time when he wanted something he couldn’t have. I explained that this first fable is about a fox that wants some grapes. I encouraged him to read the fable to see if the fox gets what he wants. After reading silently, we discussed this fable. I reminded him that we can learn about a character by the things he says, does, and thinks. We discussed the character of the fox by his actions. Next, I introduced the second of today’s two fables, The Boy Who Cried “Wolf.” I explained that it is about a boy who has a very important job. His job is to take a large flock of sheep to the pasture and call for help if he sees a wolf. After my student read the second fable silently, we discussed the plot, the character of the boy, and the lesson that the boy learned. Finally, I asked my student to identify which moral goes with each of the fables he read today. (Which of the fables tells us that it is best not to lie (because no one believes liars even when they tell the truth)? And: Which fable tells us that when some people can’t get what they want, they say they didn’t want it anyway?) To wrap up, he told which fable from today was his favorite and explained why.Read Aloud: Chapter 6 from The Magician’s Nephew.
Read to Self: My student selected his own book to read independently.
Day 6 – Math
We began today’s math lesson with a review of comparing whole numbers through 500. I wrote various numbers on the whiteboard with a “less than” or “greater than” sign either before or after. His job was to fill in the blank with another number that made the sentence true. For example, 126 < ____. Any number greater than 126 would be considered a correct answer. Next, we worked on writing a number that is between two given numbers. The first example I wrote on the whiteboard was: 364 ____ 375, and left enough space to write another number and two comparison symbols. My student chose a number that was between the two numbers. Then, I asked him to explain why his number was greater than the first and less than the second number. For example, 370 has more tens than the 364, but fewer ones than 375. He discovered the first number was less than the second number. To make the sentence complete, he wrote in the “less than” symbol between them. We repeated the activity with other numbers, sometimes writing the numbers from greatest to least, and using the “greater than” symbol. To wrap up, my student completed an activity page with similar problems. Day 6 – History – What is History?
We began today’s history lesson by reviewing the globe (the seven continents, oceans, poles, and equator).
To learn what history is, we read a fictional story that demonstrated that history is a record of the past. My student was fascinated that the word story was in the word history. He discovered that history is many stories about people who lived long ago. Then, we discussed how people lived long ago could record their history. He learned that people today can study the things that were left behind long ago (like medals, coins, or tools), pictures people drew, or from letters or journals. We discussed that a historian is someone who studies letters, journals, and monuments to find out what happened in the past.
To wrap up today’s lesson, I explained that a timeline is a way to visually represent the events that have occurred during a span of time. I worked with my student to create a timeline of his history. He began with his birth date and went to the present, marking significant events in his life with dates, descriptions, and drawings, using index cards. Then, we taped the cards together to make a wide, horizontal strip for the timeline. It was a fascinating activity which allowed my student to understand that history is a story of the past.
Day 7 – Language Arts
Spelling: Putting Words in Alphabetical Order, Writing Sentences
For our spelling today, my student practiced putting his words in alphabetical order. Before he began his activity, we discussed how to look at the first letter of each word and compare it to an ABC strip. If he had two words that started out the same, he looked at the second letter. To help him complete an activity page, we wrote each of his words on index cards first, and then arranged the cards. To further practice his spelling words, I dictated three sentences to my student so that he could practice capitalization, punctuation, and correct spelling within a sentence.Grammar: Finding Nouns, Telling Common Nouns from Plural Nouns
First, we reviewed that a noun is a person, place, or thing. My student was given some sentences where he had to identify nouns. Then, he had to tell whether each of the nouns that he circled was a person, a place, or a thing. Next, I introduced two kinds of nouns: common nouns and proper nouns. On one side of the whiteboard, I wrote three common nouns, and explained that they were common nouns because they mean ‘any’ of each kind. Then, in the next column, I wrote a proper noun for each of the above. I pointed out that the proper nouns were capitalized and that they are names. Then, we played a noun game. On index cards, I wrote some common nouns. They were placed face down in a pile. As my student picked a card, he would turn it over and say the word on the card. Then, he would say the name of a proper noun that related to the card he chose. It was fun to play a few times to see if he could come up with different proper nouns. After the first round, I had him sit down when he said the common noun (because it’s lowercase) and stand up when he said his proper noun (since it begins with a capital letter). Guided Reading: Poems about Pets
Today’s reading comes from the book Surprises by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Today, his assignment was to read and talk about three poems about pets. We read each one aloud, and then I modeled how to read with expression. My student also practiced reading with expression. We discussed each poem as we read them together. My student selected his favorite and explained why it was his favorite. Then he reread the poems and identified the rhyming words.Read Aloud: Chapter 7 from The Magician’s Nephew.
Read to Self: My student selected his own book to read independently.
Day 7 – Math – Read Number Words Through 500
Today, we started by practicing reading number words through 100. My student completed an online activity where he was given numbers to read, and he had to identify each one by typing in the corresponding number. These numbers went up to 100.For the next activity, I had labeled index cards with number words one through nineteen, tens 10 through 90, and hundreds 100 through 500, and a hyphen. I also prepared in advance index cards labeled with numerals, one set numbered 1 through 4, and two sets numbered 0 through 9. To begin I placed the three groups of numeral index cards (0-4, 0-9, and 0-9) in a row in front of my student. I explained that the stack on the right is the ones place, the middle stack is the tens place, and the stack on the left is the hundreds place. Next, my student formed a number in the hundreds by choosing one card from each stack. He read the number aloud. Then, I gave him the three groups of number-word cards (0 through 19, tens, and hundreds) and the card with the hyphen. He chose the correct cards to create the number we formed earlier. He read the number word aloud to check that it matched. We repeated the activity four times. Then we reversed the process for further practice. We wrapped up with an activity page where my student completed the same types of problems: writing numbers to match given numbers (written in words), and writing numbers in word form.Day 7 – Science
In this lesson, my student learned about temperature. First, he compared different types of scales to the metric system scales. Next, he discovered how a scientist invented a scale for measuring temperature. Last, he performed Gabriel Fahrenheit’s experiment to create his own thermometer.
To demonstrate how a scale works, we rated our favorite foods by creating a measuring system that shows which ones we liked best and which ones we liked least. I explained to my student that this type of rating system is called a scale. We discussed that his scale isn’t very scientific, and that scientists use scales that have standard units so all measurements they make will be the same. Next, we read a passage together that told about how Gabriel Fahrenheit invented his scale, and how Anders Celsius created a different scale. We compared the two scales. Then, my student made his own thermometer using the same method that Fahrenheit and Celsius used to make theirs. My student named his thermometer after himself, and compared his readings to the standard temperature scales. Below are the steps we took to create our own thermometer:1.In a waterproof container, make a mixture of 1 cup of ice cubes, 2 tablespoons of salt, and a little bit of water. Stir the mixture.
In a waterproof container, make a mixture of 1 cup of ice cubes, 2 tablespoons of salt, and a little bit of water. Stir the mixture. 2.Place an unmarked thermometer in the mixture and watch the level of the red liquid go down.
Place an unmarked thermometer in the mixture and watch the level of the red liquid go down.3.When the liquid stops, mark that point with a permanent marker. This is the 0 point.
When the liquid stops, mark that point with a permanent marker. This is the 0 point. 4.For the high mark, gently put the thermometer under your arm and hold it there until it no longer feels cold (at least one minute).
For the high mark, gently put the thermometer under your arm and hold it there until it no longer feels cold (at least one minute).5.When the liquid stops rising, place another mark at that point.
When the liquid stops rising, place another mark at that point. 6.Create degrees on your scale. Draw a mark halfway between your two marks, so you have two equal parts.
Create degrees on your scale. Draw a mark halfway between your two marks, so you have two equal parts.7.Use your metric ruler to divide the distance between your two marks approximately in half.
Use your metric ruler to divide the distance between your two marks approximately in half. 8.Divide the halves in half. You will not have three additional degrees between your 0 point and your high point.
Divide the halves in half. You will not have three additional degrees between your 0 point and your high point.Lastly, my student used his thermometer scale and the Celsius scale to take some temperatures. He measured a cup of ice, a cup of warm tap water, and a cup of water that was room temperature. Before measuring, he predicted which would have the lowest and the highest temperatures.
Day 8 – Language Arts
Spelling: Study, Cover, and Spell
Today’s lesson began with an activity that will become familiar during the course of the school year: Study, Cover, and Spell. It is a great way for students to independently practice spelling words. My student’s words were listed down the left side of a table, with blank spaces to the right. He read each word, and then covered it with an index card. Next he spelled it aloud before writing it. Then he uncovered the word and checked his spelling. He was encourage to correct any mistakes before moving to the next word.Guided Reading: More Poems about Pets
Today we continued to read from the book Surprises by Lee Bennett Hopkins. My student read each poem silently as we discussed each with basic comprehension questions. We read each poem aloud, and continued to practice reading with expression. Since all of today’s poems were about pets, we discussed that different pets have different needs. I asked him to think of our pet that we already have or one he would like to have. Then, we discussed the needs of the pet he chose (food, shelter, care, grooming, and exercise). In his writing journal, we divided his paper into fourths. In each space he wrote the same beginning sentence: My pet needs… He completed each sentence, based on the needs of the animal he picked. Then, he illustrated each sentence. Read Aloud: Chapter 8 from The Magician’s Nephew.
Read to Self: My student selected his own book to read independently.
Day 8 – Math – Unit Review / Unit Assessment
Today’s math lesson was simply a review of all the place value and addition concepts that have been taught during unit 1. We looked through all the activity pages that have been completed and reviewed what had been missed. Finally, my student completed an assessment to demonstrate mastery of all the concepts in this unit.Day 8 – History - What is Archaeology?
We began today’s lesson by reviewing what we learned in the previous history lesson: What is a story of the past called? How do we know what happened in the past? What do we call a person who studies the story of the past?Next, we read a passage that explained how we can learn from discovering artifacts that were left behind from people long ago. My student learned that people who dig objects out of the ground and learns from them are called archaeologists. Next, I created an archaeological dig for my student to investigate. In a sandbox, I buried small items (a piece of a broken flower pot, an old toothbrush, a bead necklace, a pencil with no eraser, and a gardening shovel) in the sand at different levels. He was able to dig around and discover the items. I gave him instructions to remove each item he found, dust it off, and label them all using index cards. He then explained what he could tell from each item about the people who left it behind. Day 9 – Language Arts
Spelling: Today my student was tested on his spelling words: words with digraphs. He had to dictate two sentences, which we checked for spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
Grammar: Today we learned the difference between nouns, verbs, and adjectives. I wrote up a large N, V, and A on a flip chart. We talked about what a noun is, and inside the ‘N’ I wrote (in a different colored pen) Person, Place, Thing. Next, I introduced Verbs and we wrote Action inside the large ‘V.’ Finally, we discussed that an adjective is a describing word, so I wrote Describe inside. Then, I gave my student a word box of various words and he had to place them in the correct category.
Public Speaking: We practiced the following skills when speaking in front of an audience: stand up straight and tall, as well as make eye contact with your audience. My student will memorize a poem today and recite it in front of family members.
Read Aloud: Chapter 9 from The Magician’s Nephew.
Read to Self: My student selected his own book to read independently.
Day 9 – Math
Today we did 2 math lessons to make up for the holiday yesterday.
In the first lesson, my student learned how to tell time to the nearest quarter hour using an analog clock to help him make the connection between minutes and hours. We began by reviewing the parts of a clock (hour hand, minute hand, second hand). We watched an animation of a clock that moved from 12 to 12:30, and figured out that from the 12 to the 6 was 30 minutes.
Next, we used a clock model to understand that as the minute hand moves around the clock, we count by 5’s. We also discussed that there are 4 quarter hours in an hour. We used our clock to estimate different times that were close to the 3, 6, 9, and 12. My student practiced this with paper/pencil activities to wrap up this lesson.
Lesson number two was a great lesson on time relationships. We watched an animation that illustrated that 60 seconds = 1 minute (that’s how long it takes the character to tie her shoes), 60 minutes = 1 hour (that’s how long it takes the character to read a mystery), 24 hours = 1 day, etc…Finally, to reinforce these concepts, we played a game together. My student answered question about time relationships using index cards (labeled: 7, 12, 24, 52, and 60). He was allowed to use the clock model and a calendar to help him answer questions such as, How many minutes are there in 1 hour? How many hours are there in 1 day? How many weeks are there in 1 year? Then we shuffled the index cards and placed them face down in a stack. My student picked a card and told me a time fact about that number. We played this until all the cards in the stack were used.
Day 9 – Science
Today’s lesson was great practice with measuring volume. First we discussed the different definitions of the word volume. I showed my student a liter container which held water so he could visualize that the water’s volume is the amount of space it takes up in the container. Then, we discussed the tool that scientists use to make exact measurements of liquids: the graduated cylinder. He looked closely and noticed the tiny graduations along one side, and that they counted in increments of 20 all the way up to 250. He learned that a liter is the standard unit for measuring the volume of liquids, just like the meter was the standard unit for measuring length. Then, he predicted how many milliliters it would take to fill up a liter container. He practiced pouring water into the cylinder to measure different volumes of liquids. He discovered that he could make an accurate reading by examining the graduated cylinder at eye-level.
In ‘The Secret Formula’ activity, my student had to follow directions in order to create a mixture that is believed to give children the super thinking powers of super scientists! I had prepared 3 different flavors and colors of Kool-Aid for this investigation. He had to measure specific amounts of each kind into a mixture. Once he measured it accurately, he could drink it.
Day 10 – Language Arts
Spelling: Today introduces a new word list. This week’s spelling words are made up of words with blends (two or three consonants). They can come at the beginning of the word or at the end. All of this week’s words have blends at the end of the word. We read each word on his list and talked about where the blend is located in each word. On the whiteboard I wrote the word gift and we found the blend at the end of the word. We underlined the f and the t and talked about how each letter has its own sound. The word gift has four sounds total. My student underlined all the blends in his list with two lines, one under each letter of the blend.
Grammar: Today, we learned how to make plural nouns. We reviewed nouns and discussed that some words need an –s to make it plural, while others need –es to become plural. I wrote the words chair, flower, and dog on the whiteboard. My student added an –s to the end to make them plural. Then, he completed a pencil-paper activity to practice adding –s to the end of various words in the context of a sentence. Next, we discussed the rule for adding –es to the end of a noun. My student wrote the words, peach, fox, bush, and glass on index cards. Then we underlined the endings and pointed out that if a word ends in –ch, –sh, –x, or –ss, then it needs an –es at the end to create a plural. On the reverse side of the card, he wrote each word in the plural form, and then completed a lesson assessment. He was able to determine how each singular noun became a plural.
Guided Reading: Today, my student read a nonfiction article about events that lead up to the American Revolution. It provided background for two upcoming books. First, we discussed the difference between fiction and nonfiction. My student read the article silently first, and then aloud so that I could help with pronunciation, where needed. We used a world map to locate England and USA so he could understand the setting. We discussed the article with various comprehension questions.
Read Aloud: Chapter 10 from The Magician’s Nephew.
Read to Self: My student selected his own book to read independently.
Day 10 – Math
Today’s lesson takes a difficult topic (Elapsed time) and makes it easy, fun, and interactive. To begin, we learned the difference between a.m. and p.m. by watching an animation. The character had swim practice at 6:00 p.m., she read a book in her bed with a flashlight at 12:00 a.m, and she ate lunch at 12:00 p.m. My student learned that a.m. is the time between midnight and noon (morning), and that p.m. is the time between noon and midnight (afternoon and evening). Then, we worked on Elapsed Time using a model of a clock and counters that we could lay on the clock. We started at 6:00 p.m. and then laid counters on each hour after our starting time until we got to the ending time (8:00 p.m.). See picture below.
The counters helped visualize how much time passed. Once my student was comfortable counting elapsed time using the counters and the clock, we practiced using our fingers. I wrote the starting time and ending time on the whiteboard. We said the starting time aloud together, and then counted up once we said the next hour aloud, using our fingers. It took some practice crossing over 12:00, but with continued practice, my student picked it up pretty well! This is an easy activity to practice anywhere, at any time throughout the day. For example, “We start school at 8:00 a.m. and finish at 3:00 p.m. How long are we in school?” Or other activities throughout the day such as, “How many hours until we have lunch?”
Day 10 – History
Today’s history lesson was the first in the Unit: Ancient Rome. To get ready, we located Italy on a map and noticed that it’s a peninsula, found the Tiber River, and located Rome. My student traced the border of Italy with brown, the river with blue, and colored in the dot for Rome with red. Next, we read a passage which introduced Rome, and what a great empire it became. Then, we read a fascinating story about Romulus and Remus.
(AppleSeeds, a Cobblestone publication, features the Children of Ancient Rome in the December 2000 issue. It is still available for backorder at the website (http://www.cobblestonepub.com/book/APP0910.html). It is a nicely illustrated publication that offers a version of the story of Romulus and Remus along with other information and interesting articles.)
To wrap up, I had my student write a letter to his pen pal, retelling the myth that tells of the founding of Rome.
