Happy Schedulin Sunday! We are returning to in-person learning this week! After 8 weeks of virtual learning, we are excited (and nervous) to return to the classroom. A big focus this week will be on procedures and routines and using ESGI to get current data so we can focus our learning to best meet the needs of everyone!
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Lesson Plans: Valentine’s Day, Subtraction, And Heroes
As always, you can download our weekly lesson plans here!
You can grab our editable lesson plan templates
Research Project: Heroes
We are continuing our three-week-long HEROES unit focusing on African American Heroes, Asian American Heroes, Women Heroes, and Hispanic Heroes. We will continue to use our Heroes Research Projects throughout the year to celebrate heroes all the time.
Our Tennesee standards call for us to learn about specific Tennesee residents so we incorporate those and then I like to incorporate people that will interest my kids (they are 5 after all) and I like to include living heroes so we can have a connection. This week we are learning about: Kamala Harris, Jane Goodall and Amelia Earhart.
We read a book about each person, complete a graphic organizer for each person and the students write about the person in their research journal! I also try to show a video of each person.
This week’s read alouds:
For directed drawings that align with all of our Heroes Research Projects, check out my friend and co-worker on TPT at The Creative Camper!
TKS BOOTCAMP: Vowel Bootcamp
This week we’re continuing with TKS BOOTCAMP with Vowel Bootcamp! This is when we work with long vowels and the CVC-E pattern! After 4 weeks of virtual Vowel Bootcamp, the kids can identify vowels, identify how to make the vowel say its name and they can read and read a_e words. This week we will be continuing Vowel Bootcamp with a focus on reading and writing CVC-E Words!
We spend a week on each vowel and work on segmenting, blending and writing CVC-E words!
We start with a circle chart just like we do in every TKS BOOTCAMP!
Then we work on word building and blending:
For the writing activities, we will use our whiteboards since we are virtual!
Read It Up: A Crankenstein Valentine And The Day It Rained Hearts
It’s Valentine’s Week so we’re celebrating all week long with two of our favorite books:
After reading A Crankenstein Valentine, we work on re-telling using transition words and we share what makes us cranky! And we write about being cranky which is always hilarious and fun!
After reading The Day It Rained Hearts, we work on identifying nouns with a noun sort!
Valentine’s Day Art Projects And STEM Projects
Each day we will do an art project to celebrate Valentine’s Day! And we can decorate our classroom and have fun!
For STEM projects, we use candy! I mean, it’s Valentine’s Day so candy is pretty easy to come by!
Our first STEM project is great for problem solving and fine motor skills. We use toothpicks and jelly hearts to build towers.
Another fun STEM project is candy heart stacking!
Math: Subtraction To 10
This week in math, we are working on subtraction to 10. We have worked on subtraction a few other times this year so this week we’re focusing on equations and solving equations using manipulatives. And since it’s Valentine’s Day, we’re using candy hearts!
Science
This week for Science Thursday we’re making heart slime! It’s so easy and fun! You make slime and add some heart confetti!
And for our Valentine’s Day party, we will make Love Potion!
This recipe is from One Sharp Bunch!