In Reading last week, we learned about the three parts of Readers Workshop: Opening, Work Time and Closing. The students learned their responsibilities and expectations as well as what's expected of the teacher during each phase. In addition, the class was taught about shared reading, how to choose "just right" books and the characteristics of a good listener.

Last week our class had fun making straw kazoos in science class. The class had a blast trying to make sounds from a homemade instrument. We took drinking straws and cut out flaps which would vibrate as children blew through the straw. The class discovered that the pitch of the sound could be changed by changing the length of the kazoo. The longer the straw the lower the pitch. Ask Mrs. Bridges and Ms. Cribb how their kazoos turned out.
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/phy03.sci.phys.howmove.zkazoo/

In mathematics, we worked in a short unit called "Numeration". Focuses are to represent numbers in various forms up to the millions place (7-digit numbers). Below is a basic 4-digit number example:

Standard Form: 1,345

Word Form: One thousand, three hundred forty-five

Expanded Form: 1,000 + 300 + 40 +5

Place Value: The 1 is in the thousands place

We are also rearranging digits to make numbers to fit rules:

Example:

digits: 6 5 0 1

Largest number you can make with these digits: 6,510
Second largest number you can make with these digits: 6,501

Smallest number you can make with these digits: 0156

Third smallest number you can make with these digits: ___???____

(If you are a student wanting to earn Biltmore Bucks, figure this problem out and leave the correct answer as a COMMENT with your first name and last initial!-NO last names please!) Click the "Comment" link at the end of this blog post to leave your comment.

The link below offers extra support (worksheets) for students to use in practicing and developing these skills to build a deeper conceptual understanding of "place value".  superteacher.com!

Check it out! Here is the link to take you straight to the place value practice sheets:

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/place-value.html