We started just like usual, with a schema chart...
Most of our new learning came from our big book of the week. I love how proficient my students have gotten at gathering non-fiction info from pictures in addition to the text!
On Tuesday, we re-read the big book, and wrote the adjectives we found on this fun chart:
We then added all of our own adjectives that the author "must have forgotten to use in his story." :)
We have been working on using commas in a series in our writing, so the students used their own lists of adjectives to describe their own fish:
During Wednesday's Chit-Chat message, we brainstormed things found in the ocean.
Before heading to literacy stations that day, the students made their own lists of 4 things that live in the ocean, using those good 'ole commas again.
We also read The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark.
I re-wrote the repeated phrases out on the chart paper (I'm as fast as a sail fish, I'm as strong as a shark, I'm as smart as a dolphin...) and we examined them to make observations about their similarities. We then discussed similes and the students wrote their own!
Love that confidence, don't you!? ;)
I hope you are all having a wonderful week, we made it over the hump again! My class is currently studying dinosaurs, and we are having a RARW-ing good time! I'll be posting our fun soon.
Looks amazing!!!! I love the literacy/ science combo, especially commas in a series and similes! :)
ReplyDeletePaige
Nora, have you ever read "If The Dinosaurs Came Back..." by Bernard Most, or "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague? I also recently did a post (http://teachingwithsight.blogspot.com/2012/04/dynamic-dinosaurs.html) called Dynamic Dinosaurs which has some nice dinosaur freebies. Good luck with your unit. Stop by my blog if you have a second! I'd love to hear from you. :)
ReplyDeleteSharon Dudley, NBCT
http://teachingwithsight.blogspot.com
What wonderful fish activities! Thanks for including The Pout-Pout Fish In The Big-Big Dark.
ReplyDeleteMay you and your students have a wonderful summer, filled with lots of books!
Best Fishes,
Debbie Diesen (author of The Pout-Pout Fish books)