My Grade 4s spent some time in early March learning about sequencing in reading.  We talked about where we would see sequencing in our reading, such as recipes, instruction manuals, and short stories.  We identified transition words that would help us when we read a text, such as first, after, and finally. Then I remembered something I pinned on Pinterest quite some time ago - sequencing in writing.  This tied in perfectly!  I gave each student a piece of bubble gum and as a class we came up with the basic steps for blowing a bubble gum bubble.  I then had the students go back to their writing and expand on their ideas, making sure they had clear transition words for each step.  Here is what our final writing piece looked like. 

February Catch Up

I am spending most of my week off glued to the iPad or tv watching the Olympics. Canada's win against the U.S. in women's hockey just about did me in today at lunch! Thursday and Friday are convention days, which I love IF I walk away with lots of neat ideas to use in my lessons.

Before the break I was able to squeeze in a little Valentine's Day writing activity.  My students used a website called Festisite to turn their paragraphs into heart shapes.  The site was really easy to use, and the kids were excited to see their finished hearts.  I asked students to write about someone in their life that they were grateful for.  Here's what the finished pieces looked like:

www.festisite.com

Another big thing in my class before the break was getting ready for the Olympics.  My students spent time researching Canadian athletes.  It'll be cool on Monday to check the bulletin board and see how many athletes won medals.  Here's what one of the bulletin boards looks like: