Many topics introduced because of Because of Mr Terrupt

Our read aloud, Because of Mr. Terupt, is bringing up many topics for discussion, which is exactly why I chose to start the year with it. Our class is definitely identifying with Mr. Terupt's fifth grade class. Different students are identifying with different characters in the story as well. It is well layed out, and the different narrators give us glimpses into several different character's points of view. There are signs that many of our kids are thinking about this story well after I close the book each day. A student told the class today that she wondered what the bully in the story might be experiencing at home to be so mean at school. Great stuff.

One of the characters in the story, whose parents are getting a divorced, directly confronts her mother on why they had to separate. Most kids in our class were shocked at how she would talk to her mom like that. 

A boy in the story shares the secret that he lost his older brother to leukemia. Sadly, most kids have something to share when death, funerals or cancer is brought up. This time was no different, but the topic of secrets also grabbed the kids' thoughts. A student said that she thought of making up "fake" secrets to see if she could trust certain people.  

I thought that might be an interesting topic to investigate further. I'm not sure what we'll do, but be sure I'll do it in a safe way. I asked the kids to come up with some interesting rumors or secrets, that weren't harmful in any way, and we would figure out something to do with them.  They were excited about it, but I don't have a fully formed activity in my head yet. You can believe that my goal is NOT to test people's trustworthiness.

Math test tomorrow. I think the only thing that could stump us is the multiplication or division word problems. We've practiced. They are only supposed to estimate the answers. Some kids insist on doing it out, although that isn't what is being measured.  Other obstacles are poor multiplication facts or poor attention to the words in the problem. I'll give you an example problem.

If a mechanic changed all four tires on 272 cars during the month, about how many tires did he change in all during the month?

The two strategies that we have used are rounding and front end estimation. Front end estimation is faster, and therefore, usually not as good an estimate: 200 x 4 = 800.

Rounding 272 to 300 is more accurate and gives you 300 x 4 = 1200.  

Doing the multiplication of 272 x 4 and then rounding that answer is not acceptable.

The point is to quickly come up with an answer that is in the ballpark of the actual answer. We're not requiring a particular strategy, as long as it is quicker than doing the entire problem, and is some type of strategy.

Not too hard, huh? You should see this test come back to you on Friday.

Ask your child about writing. We're getting some good quantity. Always important in the beginning. Weekly one-on-one conferences start next week. Along with our mini-lessons, higher quality will follow.

Thanks for reading.

MR. Shea