This is the name of my game! I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that we are only 8 DAYS until this sweet moment. We have been working so hard but there is still so much to teach in this nine weeks. I've been talking to many of my Virginia teacher friends and it seems we are all in the same boat. LOTS of curriculum to teach in a short time especially if you factor in the varying abilities and readiness levels of some of our third graders.
One way I've been trying to get it all in has been to do a great deal of integration across the curriulum. The state has suggested we increase the percentage of nonfiction we are using to teach reading and so we are reading tons of science and social studies texts during our reading block. This helps especially since the state of Virginia has also reminded us that our pass rates for our social studies and science tests go up this year. YIKES!
Along with our reading we are creating our make and take study guides to give students some hands on materials to review key information with. Here are the materials we used to teach our Cycles Unit information with.
We store it all in a file folder with a ziplock bag stapled to the back. Along with these manipulatives, students have vocabulary cards that they can use to review the key terms.
Students enjoyed making and using these moon viewers. They took them home and used them to identify and record the moon phases for the month.
Along with the nonfiction reading, we read some tales from different cultures. Tales like this one: Why The Sun and Moon Are in the Sky were told as a means of explaining why the sun and moon exist.
We added a poem/song to our poetry anthologies during our study of the moon. This song was sung to the tune of "The Ants Go Marching One By One" and helped students review the phases of the moon by singing a silly, catchy song. There is strong research backing up the use of songs, rhythm and music to help with memory. Kids love it when their homework is to go sing their learning songs to a grownup. Not so sure what the grownups think about it..oh well, whatever it takes, right?
I've also started giving my students weekly nonfiction passages to practice their fluency with. They read it with their reading partner each day and time the readings. Students love to see their graphs go up over the week's time. They are very motivated by the graphing of their own data. I love the fact that they end up reading important content information five times! I make sure that key vocabulary is included in each passage. I can check off five exposures right there. They illustrate the text with a meaningful diagram or drawing. After the week is through we practice our test taking skills by answering some comprehension questions modeled after the BIG TEST questions. I make sure they are text dependent questions and students must highlight where they find the proof for each answer they mark.
Training the students of the correct way to be a fluency reading partner was important. They have done such a great job. I teach them to give positive praise and friendly feedback after their partner reads. They are so encouraging of each other. Awesome!
We are also writing across the curriculum. I've loved the connections that result from an integrated approach. Will post about writing next time.
How about you? Would love to hear how you are managing to "get it all in"!!!
Doris
youngdor8@gmail.com
