Teaching and Learning
of course!
     

Sample daily schedules for lower and upper grades are shown below.  You'll notice that from 8:30-10:00 both grades are focused on reading and literacy.  In fact, everyone in our building focuses on Literacy from 8:30-10:00, every day. That's why it is so important that students are on time and ready to begin their day when they arrive.  If at all possible, please schedule dentist and doctor appointments in the afternoons.

Kindergarten Day   

TIME SUBJECT/ACTIVITY COMMENTS
8:00-8:30 Morning Work/Broadcast Unpack, Journals, Broadcast, Exercise
8:30-10:00 Literacy Block Reading, Writing, Daily 5, Phonemic awareness
10:00-10:30 Calendar/Math-Whole Group Calendar, Math Flip chart
10:30-10:35 Line up/walk lunch Practicing hallway procedures
10:35-11:00 Lunch
11:00-11:15 Restroom Break Practicing hallway procedures
11:15-11:20 Walk to specials
11:20-12:00 Specials
12:00-12:05 Walk to recess Exercise
12:05-12:30 Recess
12:30-12:40 Walk to class/water Exercise
12:40-1:00 Math-small group Work with individual tables
1:00-1:45 Rest time
1:45-1:55 Story Snack  Read story that correlates with lessons
1:55-2:15 Science/SS Whole Group
2:15-2:45 Read Aloud/Writers Workshop/Centers
2:45-2:55 Review of day/Pack up
3:00 Dismissal

 
 

Fourth Grade Day   

TIME SUBJECT/ACTIVITY COMMENTS
8:00-8:30 Unpack, morning work, announcements, attendance, collections
8:30-9:25 Reading
9:25-9:30 RR
9:00-9:45 Students leave to go to Title class (Clark & Green)
9:45-10:30 Intervention (Clark & Green) Thursday’s only
9:30-10:30 Grammar/Writing
10:30-11:00 Recess  Students eat snack at recess
11:00-11:40 Finish Grammar/Writing
11:40-11:45  Wash up for lunch
11:45-12:10  Lunch
12:30-1:00 ELL (Rm 308)  T, Th
12:10-12:30 RR/Walk
12:30-1:20 Math
1:20-2:00 Activity
2:00-2:10 Restroom/Water
2:10-3:00 Science
3:00-3:15 Pack Up/Read/Dismissal

       

A sample of weekly lesson plans are shown below.   Lesson plans are posted outside teachers' classroom doors. Feel free to take a look at lesson plans when you are visiting our building.
 

Reading  Content:  Unit 2, story 1 “What Jo Did” Leveled Readers: Cheers for the Cheetahs(below) Fabulous Female Athletes(on level) Equality In American Schools (advanced) Remember to load the leveled readers on to the Pearson site for students. 4.1.08-b-8—Cause & Effect 4.1.06—Vocabulary 4.1.3 use prefixes, suffixes, and root words as aids in determining meaning within context 4.1.07 – Organize prior knowledge using a variety of strategies 4.1.14 – Interpret information using a chart 4.1.19  Identify different forms of text 4.1.06-d—Context Clues 4.1.05—Read to develop fluency, accuracy, expression, and confidence Cross Curricular Content: Social Studies – determine how groups resolve conflict and recognize how groups work together to accomplish goals Math – Select correct unit of measures Science- select an object according to its physical properties UNIT THEME: What is the value of work and play? Story questions for the week:  How can we learn to appreciate the talents of others?  Do you think Jo would have had a chance to show off her talent if she hadn’t worn her hat? What do the other basketball players think about Jo’s talent? How does the speaker in “Fast Break” feel about himself? Skills:   Vocabulary • Listening Skills • Cause & Effect • making Predictions using prior knowledge • Build concept vocabulary • Read aloud and listen for fluency Procedure:   WHOLE:  Introduce vocabulary (we should all be using some kind of a vocab graphic or glossary for this….) See 144B Read pg 142L to the class Set up Concept Web (142L) and activate prior knowledge (pg 144A) –Build a chart SMALL:  Read Leveled Readers, practice fluency, set up Leveled Reader worksheets on To Do list. WHOLE:  Wrap up with a Preview and Predict of What Jo Did     Skills:  • Vocabulary • Read aloud for fluency • Cause & Effect • Draw conclusions • Forming Generalizations • Story Elements Procedure:  WHOLE:  Read pgs 142-143 together and discuss Cause and Effect and the Prior Knowledge strategy  Use the cause and effect graphic organizer on pg 146 of any of the Leveled Reader workbooks (or draw one on a foldable sheet using that for a model….) to do the activity on the bottom of Pg. 142  SMALL:  Read the story!  Can use CD at the listening center for your lowest group.  WHOLE:  Review vocabulary using pg 144/145.  Put the Writing activity on Pg. 145 on the To Do List. Skills  • Demonstrate comprehension • Practice fluency • Summarize by retelling  Procedure:  See teacher’s pages 161C and 161 D for vocabulary and speaking ideas! WHOLE:  Review vocab (finish or do pgs 144 and 145 from yesterday….) Discuss Women’s Rights – see bottom of pg 149 and Title IX – see bottom of pg 153 Have centers set up that you are using for the week:  Show students.  See pgs 142 J and 142 K SMALL:  Finish the story.  Students will answer Reader’s Response questions on Pg. 156. (add this to the To Do List) Have students retell the story to each other using the story illustrated cards and ten sentence strips.  Centers should be active today with students rotating through them.  Advanced students can be researching Women’s Suffrage Movement and Title IX or even Candace Parker (a former Lady Vol basketball player who can dunk and now plays for the Los Angeles Sparks)     Skills:  • Cause & Effect • Forming Generalizations • Vocabulary • Comparing texts • Rhythmic language in poetry • Review author’s purpose • Procedure:. WHOLE: Read page 157 together.  Discuss author’s purpose. Look at page 158.  Discuss features of poetry (title, text, illustration, use of color and font changes) SMALL:  Read pgs. 158-161 Do the reading across texts found on pg 161.  Can build a triple venn diagram if you’re brave, and then have students write an essay comparing the three texts.  WHOLE:  Demonstrate the triple venn diagram.  Use this or the three column chart foldable (directions on pg 161) to set up essay.  Revisit questions of the week.  See pg 161 B…discuss short story and use the assess at the bottom of the page.  Skills:  Demonstrate mastery of vocabulary, cause and effect, generalizations, summarizing and use of graphic organizers! Test Skills listed above for the week Procedure: 1. Selection Assessment Test on paper or online. 2. Complete centers rotation 3. Finish To Do List

Language Content:  Common and Proper Nouns/Poetry and Figurative Language 4.3spi.1  -  Identify the correct use of nouns ( common and proper). 4.1.spi.26 – Recognize the sounds of language (alliteration, rhyme, repetition). 4.2.11.c  -  Write and expository/”how to” paragraph with multiple steps. Can you identify a noun?  Can you identify a proper noun? What makes a noun a proper noun? What is the difference between a common and a proper noun? What is figurative language? Can you write a clear, step-by-step description of how to perform a task? Skills:  TSW define and identify common and proper nouns.   Grammar: Procedure: 1) Assess prior knowledge. “What is a noun?”  What’s the difference between the words, “car” and “Corvette?”  Aren’t they both nouns? Using the World of Language text, pg. 58, review the definitions and differences between common and proper nouns.  Use the Guided Practice, 1-5 to assess student knowledge. 2)  Use the Grammar Transparency #6 for further review, calling on students to fill in the answers on the whiteboard. Homework: In the World of Language text, assign pg. 59, 6-22.   Go over instructions and a couple of examples together.  Complete as homework.   WRITING:  1) Explaining that the story, “What Jo Did” is actually an exaggeration of something that happened, tell students that this is called “hyperbole.”  Taking the word apart, ask students what they think that the prefix, “hyper” might mean.  Give some examples of the prefix use: hyperventilate, hyperactivity, hypersensitive. Bring in the term, “figurative language.”  Give some examples:  Frog in my throat, etc.  2) Use Writing Transparency 6A and read the poem.  Point out the different strategies that the writer uses when writing the poem, especially the use of figurative speech. Have students make an attempt at writing a poem or paragraph in their journals utilizing exaggeration/hyperbole.  Skills:  TSW review the concept and definitions of common and proper nouns.  TSW utilize the rules of correct capitalization of proper nouns. Grammar: Procedure 1) Use Day 2 in the Teacher Edition (161e), reviewing the definitions of common and proper nouns.  Assess student understanding by going over yesterday’s homework.  Reteach if problems.  2) Remind students that such words as titles of books, magazines, newspapers, works of art, musical compositions, and the names of organizations may contain two or more words, and that all will be capitalized. Examples:  Duck River, Professional Golf Association, Graymere Country Club, Pillow Park, Bear Creek Pike.  Ask students for some examples of their own. Use page 60 of the WOL text and review capitalization rules for proper nouns.  Work Guided Practice and Part A, pg. 61 together in class. 2)  Students will do Grammar and Writing Practice Book, page 21 for homework.  Work the first couple of questions together in class, and this can be completed as homework.   Homework: Complete page 21 of the workbook for homework (for a grade). Writing: Read some of the student examples from yesterday’s assignment aloud in class.  Show Writing Transparency 6B and point out the similarity between simile and metaphor.  Explain that all of these are forms of figurative language and are used to make writing more colorful and interesting to the reader.  Assignment tonight will be to complete the second part of Transparency 6A, writing a paragraph using figurative language to describe a day at the pool or beach. Skills:  TSW demonstrate the ability to identify and differentiate common and proper nouns in everyday print.   Grammar: Procedure: 1) Go through day 3, TE 161f.  Demonstrate to students how writing can be more vivid and interesting to readers when proper nouns are used. 2)  Using newspapers or magazines, students will locate and highlight proper nouns in the text.  ***Extra credit if student can find a common noun and then locate a proper noun that means the same thing. Homework:  1) Students will highlight at least 25 proper nouns in the newspaper or magazine.  Remind them of the extra credit.  I give 10 points ~ it’s harder than it sounds. ?  This can pretty much be done in class.  Wednesday is traditionally an easier homework day.         WRITING: Ask students if there is something that they particularly enjoy doing. Get a few examples.  Then ask the students to ask themselves to describe how doing this activity make them feel.  Have students write a poem (remind them from last week that poems do not necessarily have to rhyme) about this feeling.  Getting started is the hardest thing.  Have students do a web, with activity in the middle.  Write all around it some of the feelings they have with the activity.  Write some descriptive words and remind them about the thesaurus.  Read some of these aloud (may have to be done as homework for completion  ~  read tomorrow). Skills:  TSW comprehend the importance of replacing common nouns with more exact proper nouns in writing.   Grammar: Procedure: 1) Give students instances of where the more exact sample of proper noun makes the sentence more dramatic than a common noun would.  (The dog frightened the girl.    The Pit Bull frightened Rachel.) 2) Begin Grammar and Writing Practice Book pg. 22 in class and complete for homework. Homework: Complete Grammar and Writing Practice pg. 22 for a grade. WRITING:  In journals, write a step-by-step description of how to do some task or activity that the student feels comfortable doing.  Have a neighboring student read the instructions.  Is it easy to read?  Easy to understand?  Could the neighbor perform the activity?  Reiterate the importance of writing clear, logical steps in a process. Skills:  TSW convey knowledge of common and proper nouns.     Grammar: 1)  Review  2) Assess knowledge of material with Grammar and Writing Practice Book pgs. 23/24.  Grade in class for immediate feedback of student understanding

Spelling Content:  Plural words by adding s and es 4.1.tpi.3  -  Decode words using learned strategies. Can you spell these words correctly using decoding strategies? Do you know when to add s or es to words to form plurals? Can you use these words in a meaningful sentence? What are the meanings of these words? Skills:  TSW identify the new spelling words associated with this week’s story.    Procedure: 1) This week’s words are: monkeys friends plays supplies taxes holidays months companies costumes sandwiches hobbies daisies delays scratches counties teammates memories bunches batteries donkeys eyelashes ambulances trophies secretaries inventories Dictation Sentence: The teammates and their friends, the monkeys, bought costumes and sandwiches to celebrate the holidays for the months to come.   2) Pronounce the words aloud in class, having the students repeat the words as you say them. 3) Write this week’s “Dictation Sentence” on the board and have the students copy this in their spelling folder. 4) Review the definition of any words with which you feel the students may be unfamiliar.  Homework: Write the spelling words in ABC order, 3xs each in the spelling folder and copy the “Dictation Sentence” two additional times. Skills:  TSW demonstrate understanding of the meanings of this week’s words. Procedure: 1) Review again the meanings of the new words with the students. 2) Students will choose ten words from the spelling list and define these in their spelling folder.  This may be started during class period and assigned for homework tonight. 3)  The Spelling Practice Book transparency of pg. 21 can be used on the front board to allow students to place the list words in their correct sort column.  Homework: 1) Complete definitions.  2) Study for Speed It Up. Skills:  TSW demonstrate familiarity with the new spelling words by correctly spelling them.   Procedure: 1)  Call on students randomly to give one of their chosen spelling words and the definition.  Have them then use the word in a meaningful sentence. 2)  Use a transparency of Spelling Practice Book page 22 to further aid students in understanding the definitions and correct usage of list words in sentences.  Students will complete sentences on the whiteboard. 3) Use the classroom participation game of Speed It Up (or “Cherry Pie”) to informally review the spelling words. **See me if I haven’t already explained these games. Homework: Study for the practice test tomorrow. Skills: TSW show knowledge of the spelling words by correctly completing the practice test. Procedure:  Give the oral test and go over by correcting these together in class for immediate feedback.  Students will write their missed words five times each. Those with 100% correct do not have to retake the test on Friday and may have free computer time instead. Skills: TSW demonstrate knowledge of the spelling words. Procedure: 1) Give oral test and grade immediately.  2)  Pronounce next week’s list words if time.

Math Content: Chapter 3 Multiplication and Division Concepts and Facts 4.1.3.d Multiply efficiently and accurately with single-digit whole numbers 4.1.3.k solve real world problems using whole numbers 4.2.1.b Represent and analyze patterns using tables  How can multiplication be used when equal groups are combined? How can multiplication be used when you only know the number in one group? What are the patterns for multiples of 0,1,  2,5,9,10,11, and 12? How do you make a table to solve a problem? Review Sets 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-5 – pages 180-181 Test page 184-185 Sets 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, & 3-5 Give Multiplication and Division Timed Tests all week. Use the TCAP Prep book corresponding lessons for additional practice. Skills: TSW use sharing and repeated subtraction to solve word problems with division. TSW complete multiplication and division fact families, and write fact families for given numbers. Procedure: Lesson 3-6 Pages 146-147Model some division problems using classroom items or students as models.(Or you can get out those little red bags and use some of the manipulatives to model division.) Do some of the word problems on P 3-6 to practice. Lesson 3-7 Pages 148-149 Use workbook page R 3-7 to practice fact families.    Homework: P 3-7  Skills: TSW divide using a related multiplication fact. Procedure:  Lesson 3-8 Pages 150-151 Give division timed tests. Do Wbk. R 3-8 to practice. Homework Wbk. P 3-8

Science/ Social Studies Content: The First People in Tennessee 1.00-1.02, 2.0-2.04, 3.0-3.04, 5.0-5.03, 6.0-6.02 What do we call the first people who came to  Tennessee? When did they come? How did they get here? TSW Read  realistic fiction – “A Day in the Life of a Nomad.” (If time, students could write their own story or illustrate the one in the paper.) Students complete crossword puzzle and “Be am Archaeologist!”. Assess information covered in Week 5 newspaper using question sheet for week 5 Use back to complete “Let’s Write” activity. TSW begin week 6 newspaper. Read “The Time Machine” page 1 and “Pre-  Columbian Natives” page 2.   Tennessee Native American groups are on the map on page 35 of the little green Tennessee book.  If time, draw this map in spiral. Students read pages 34-37 and answer questions on page 37. Read “This Week’s Question-“How did little changes affect the early people of our state?”. Add this region to Tennessee notebook. Read about the “Wild Turkey” trace or draw in notebook with summary paragraph. Optional Art activity “American Indian Dream Catchers” Read  realistic fiction – “Raising the Sun.” Students complete crossword puzzle. (Word search optional) Assess information covered in Week 6 newspaper using question sheet for week 6 Use back to complete “Let’s Write” activity. Use today as a “catch up” day or to research Tennessee’s Native Americans more thoroughly.