This morning, we talked about how stories are scored, using an IDEAS rubric.  There are three basic categories of the rubric.  They include:

*The main idea is easy to identify.

*You stick to topic from beginning to end.

*You have included intriguing details.

~OOOH!  I love the word "intriguing", don't you?  Click here to find out a few synonyms for it.

Here's the official rubric:

Ideas Rubric

"My Dogs" original

"My Dogs" revised

Sentences that show the author stuck to the topic are highlighted in yellow.  Sentences that added detail were highlighted in blue.  We added details, which are typed in red.  Does it sound better?  Maybe not equivalent to earning a five on the rubric, but we felt our additions brought the "details" category up to a four.

After reading about Kya and Ginger, I decided to share a story I wrote about my old dog, Baby.  Later this afternoon, we worked in small groups, planning our Pet Show stories.  I'm excited to hear what your story will be about!

During Math, we talked about the likelihood that a pattern block (triangle, trapezoid, square) would land on its edge when tossed in the air.  What if we tossed each block 50 times?  How often would each block land on its edge.  We took a vote, and only brave Clara thought that the triangle would be more likely than the other blocks to land on its edge.  To find out, we actually tossed each pattern block 50 times to find out.  Guess what?  Clara was right!

Then we talked about how the results would change if I taped two triangle blocks together.  Would it be more likely to land on its edge when tossed?  So, I taped two triangle blocks together, two square blocks, and two trapezoid blocks.  We tossed those blocks 50 times each, too.  Guess what?  The triangle STILL landed on its edge more than the other blocks.  Go Clara!

We also talked about line plots and how to read them.  We could tell the maximum, minimum, range, and mode easily.  Finding the median was a bit more challenging.  We crossed out each square (look below) in a specific order:  lowest number, highest number, lowest number, highest number, etc.  Can you find the number in the middle?  Check out today's earlier post for help if you need it.

Math Lesson 3-5

We visited the library this afternoon, too.  Mrs. Edwards was dressed up in honor of Halloween and read us a great story! 

Afterwards, we held rotation.  Small groups worked on Pet Show stories and seatwork included:

*Finish typing your Sea Creature Story

*Log onto Voicethread.  Listen to our class poems.  Leave a positive comment for three classmates.

I also gave the class their first ever Caught Ya test!  Oh boy!  They really did a fantastic job, though.  I'm sure you'll be impressed with how much you've learned so far this year, too.

Take care, rest up, and please come back tomorrow! We've missed you!

:)Mrs. Neal