Clubs, iMovies & Science!

Book Clubs

RTI this year has been comprised of myself and Mrs. MacLeod meeting with small groups and providing individualized instruction that moves each student forward in reading.  This individualized instruction will continue but our set-up has changed slightly as we begin to apply our reading skills learned this year and prepare for the demands of middle school.  Last Friday, students were given a choice of seven different chapter books that were considered to be high interest and provided a lot of opportunity for deep thinking and discussion.  Students watched book trailers, looked through the books and excitedly chose books.  They were then placed into book clubs.  Mrs. MacLeod and I will meet with these clubs daily and will provide the support students need to continue to progress in reading.  We discussed that at times, students will need to bring these books home for RAH along with a notebook to record their reading in.  We know that this is new to many and hope that we can build some new good habits with this new book club model.  To say the least, students are extremely excited about their new clubs and couldn't wait to dig into the books!

iMovies

We have been learning a lot about the different regions of the United States and have integrated some wonderful reading, writing and technology by doing different research projects this year.  Our first research project focused on the Northeast and students made a poster to present their learning.  We just wrapped up our second region and research project on the Southeast.  Students learned further nonfiction reading and research strategies, refined their note-taking skills, and learned how to state main ideas and support them with details.  Students showcased their research by creating iMovies.  I was amazed at the creativity and technological savviness students displayed in these movies.  I am including the links to the movies below for your enjoyment!  The current region we are researching is the Southwest and we plan on learning how to make Prezi Presentations on the iPads.  A very fancy take on a slide show.

Mammoth Caves - https://vimeo.com/user22401079/review/124336238/03215427f3

Mississippi River - https://vimeo.com/user22401079/review/124334491/09981fa452

Slavery - https://vimeo.com/user22401079/review/124335526/4bfadfa889

The Everglades - https://vimeo.com/user22401079/review/124366770/4d83a15d87

The Climate - https://vimeo.com/user22401079/review/124369124/cb74d2c6b5

Science

As we tour through the regions of the United States we have also begun to learn more about the science associated with the different regions.  Right now we are learning about erosion and weathering and discussing the role it played in forming the Grand Canyon.  Last week I had asked for donations for supplies so we could do some hands-on science experiments.  Thank you so much for your generosity!  We were able to conduct two different experiments today and have two more planned for right after vacation.  We wouldn't have had our imaginary lab coats on today without your support!