PRINCIPAL to TEACHER: April 2015

Friday, April 24, 2015

Field Trip Idea

Visit an art store. Observe the many kinds of pencils, markers, paint and other art supplies. After the visit have fun back home or at school creating your own work of art.

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Saturday, April 18, 2015

Common Core English Language Arts Mapping Project Grade: K

Dawson Education Co-Op

Unit: 1-A Colorful Time with Rhythm and Rhyme by Tyger Sims, Kimberly Johnston, Angela Weaver and Kara
Jones at ArchFord Coop
Overview: In this series of three lessons, students will learn about rhyming words and the differences in the
CAPS of a storybook and a poem. Students will also explore the habitat of animals and the winter hibernation
habits of a bear.
A. Topic: Listening for, identifying, and producing rhythm and rhyme within literature
B. Objectives:
● The student will develop phonological awareness by identifying through a common sign (e.g. thumbs up,
thumbs down) rhyming words in literature.
● The student will develop phonological awareness by producing rhyming words through reciting and
drawing.
● The student will recognize the differences between a storybook and a poem through independent sorting
work in centers.
Focus Standards
• RF.K.2(a) Recognize and produce rhyming words
• RL.K.5 Recognize common types of text (e.g. storybooks and poems)
C. Instructional Resources:
Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin, Jr.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, by Bill Martin, Jr.
“Despite their endless differences, effective lessons share the same, well known core structure. Though terms may differ, the essential parts of a good lesson include a clear learning
objective with some effort to provide background knowledge or create interest in the topic, teaching and modeling, guided practice, checks for understanding/formative assessment, and
independent practice/assessment.” (Excerpt from ASCD Focus by Mike Schmoker)“Five Little Bears” www.nanascorner.com
“Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear” www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZnzMIwe_gE
Scare a Bear, by Kathy-Jo Wargin
“Time for Sleeping” and “Big Brown Bear”http://www.edu.pe.ca/mtstewart/Grade1/Poems.htm
D. Procedures:
Day 1
1. Set: Practice responding with thumbs up and thumbs down. Ask simple questions such as “Did you
ride the bus to school today?” and “Do you have a pet at home?”
2. Teach: Tell students that some words have chunks of sounds that are alike. We say these words rhyme.
Give examples of pairs of rhyming words and pairs of words that do not rhyme. Introduce the text Brown
Bear, Brown Bear and have the students actively listen for rhyming words in the story.
3. Closure: Reread the story Brown Bear, Brown Bear. Model showing a thumbs up or thumbs down for
words that rhyme in the book. Throughout the book, give students pairs of words that rhyme or do not
rhyme and have the students respond with a thumbs up or thumbs down.
5. Differentiation: Brainstorm new words that rhyme with a given word. Repeat sets of rhyming words.
6. Connections: Science: Sort the animals from the book with their habitat.
Day 2
1. Set: Teacher will show the You Tube video “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear”. Have the students listen for
rhyming words.
2. Teach: Introduce the poem “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear. Show the students the format of the poem. Talk
about the placement of lines, verses, and title. Show the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear. How do the
two look different? Discuss. Read the poem and have the students thumbs up or thumbs down to note
rhyming words.
3. Closure: Have the students answer the following questions while showing the poem and the book.
Where is the title of Brown Bear, Brown Bear? Where is the title of “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear”? Look at
the CAPS for the storybook and for the poem.
4. Assessment: Reread “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear”. Have students clap when they hear a rhyming word.5. Differentiation: Have the students sing the song “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear.”
6. Connection: Science: Read the poem “Time for Sleeping”. Have the students listen for rhyming words.
Discuss the winter habits of a bear.
Day 3
1. Set: Teacher gives a word and directs students to buzz with a partner. The students will buzz
rhyming words for the teacher given word.
2. Teach: Introduce Scare a Bear. Instruct students to identify rhyming words in the book and to
identify CAPS in the book. Have the students compare and contrast the CAPS from Scare a Bearto
“Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear” and Brown Bear, Brown Bear.
3. Closure: Have students discuss with a partner and decide if Scare a Bearis more similar to Brown
Bear or to “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear.”
4. Assessment: Have students share their decision from their buddy discussion.
5. Differentiation: Match picture cards of things that rhyme.
6. Connections: Read the poem “Big Brown Bear”. Have the students act out the bear’s actions. Tell
about hibernation.

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Monday, April 13, 2015

Successful Students

Allow students to choose tasks that varies in levels of difficulty. This gives all learners a better chance to be successful because they will choose based on their readiness level.

What do you think?

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Field Trip Idea

Go see a Children's Theater production. Middle Schools and High Schools sometimes put on children's plays.

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Sunday, April 12, 2015

Morning Meetings

Morning meetings are a good way to prepare students for another day of learning. Use morning meetings to review concepts from the previous day or give your students the opportunity to discuss things that are on their minds, or even use the time to talk about your expectations as far as behavior issues. As always, be creative.

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Common Core State Standards 2nd grade - Lesson Plans: Language Arts and Math

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Consider......

One of the greatest motivators is parental approval. If misbehavior is an issue, consider speaking with the parent about loss of privileges in school and at home. It can increase the chance that the student will improve his/her behavior.

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Saturday, April 11, 2015

Field Trip Idea

Set up a pizza restaurant tour. Many do this and it is a fun and interactive experience. All those that I have been to even let the children make their own pizza!

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Friday, April 10, 2015

Classroom Resources

Educational Quote of the Day

"I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework." -- Edith Ann, [Lily Tomlin]

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Old School Teaching........Anticipatory Set

Get all students involved by beginning your lessons with something that grabs students' attention and engages them right from the start (props, puppets, a great passage from a book, etc.).

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Thursday, April 9, 2015

Family Math Night

Design programs or events that require strong parental support. These types of programs help students perform at a higher level. One example is "Family Math Night".

http://www.familymathnight.com

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Wednesday, April 8, 2015

There is no 'Common Core math' -- only good and bad teaching materials

Cathy Kotlarek is the elementary instructional specialist with the Chelsea School District. By Cathy Kotlarek Lately it seems like I come across the term "Common Core Math" almost daily. I hear it in conversations: "I don't like Common Core Math." I see it on Facebook: "Common Core Math - If you have 4 pencils and 7 apples, how many pancakes will fit on the roof?"...........read more

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