Artifacts: Primary Sources to Learn Our History

25 years ago I walked into District Office and they handed me a box of binders and said, "Good Luck Kid!" There were no textbooks with the exception of Math and I was a scared first year teacher.

I stared at my Social Studies binder titled Clues to Our Past and decided I needed to come up with something, but was at a total loss. At this time in my life I regularly visited my Grandmother in Brookfield. During one of these visits I mentioned my Social Studies dilemma.

My Grandmother dragged me into her basement and began pulling out objects from the cupboards, shelves and work benches. She laid the objects in front of me and said, "Use these." Slowly I began to create my Artifact Unit in which we use primary sources to learn about the past.

The students in class have been examining 30 artifacts that belonged to either my Grandmother or Grandfather. The students are investigating these primary sources using the questions:

• What is it made of?
• What is written on it?
• Are there dates?
• What does it remind you of from the present?
• What do think it was used for in the past?
• What does all this information tell you about the past?

After learning how to analyze the Artifacts from my Grandparents, the students will go on an Archaeological Dig to examine artifacts from the 13 Colonies. I set up a "Dig Site" in Room 18. Students will have an opportunity to examine some replicas of Artifacts from the 1700s. They will work as teams to identify the Artifacts and the place they were found in the settlement. This will help the students get a better understanding of the historical period and what it was like to live in the Colonies. 

Discovery is an amazing way to learn. Hopefully this unit grabs the students' attention and shows that History books don't just fall from the sky. History comes from real people, real objects and real stories.

MAP, Fountas & Pinnell...Oh My!

We have finished all our beginning of the year testing. All students have now taken both the Reading and Math MAP tests for the Fall. The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test has been conducted. Our Resource teachers have finished administering the Easy CBM to all students and I have individually F & P tested each student.

The NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) describes MAP testing as:

Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®) are K – 12 interim assessments that measure growth, project proficiency on high-stakes tests, and inform how educators differentiate instruction, evaluate programs, and structure curriculum.

Computer adaptive MAP assessments reveal precisely which academic skills and concepts the student has acquired and what they’re ready to learn. MAP assessments are grade independent and adapt to each student’s instructional level. Every item on a MAP assessment is anchored to a vertically aligned equal interval scale, called the RIT scale for Rasch UnIT—a stable measurement, like inches on a ruler, that covers all grades.

And because the measurement is reliable and accurate, RIT scores serve as an essential data point in a student’s learning plan; educators can see their precise learning level and respond accordingly.

As a classroom teacher I use this data to drive my daily instruction and to adapt that instruction to individual student needs. Students in grade 5 MAP test in the Fall, Winter and Spring.

The Easy CBM testing is designed to "give teachers insight into which of their students may need additional instructional supports as well as to provide a means by which they can measure the effectiveness of their teaching. System reports provide information that supports evidence-based decision making, and the Interventions interface streamlines the process of keeping track of students' instructional program, a feature that is particularly helpful for student study team meetings and parent conferences". These tests are administered by our school reading specialist in the Fall, Winter and Spring.

The Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System is used to get one-on-one assessments of each student's instructional and independent reading level. This information helps me:

• Determine reading placement levels and group students for reading instruction.
• Select texts that will be productive for student's instruction.
• Assess the outcomes of teaching.
• Assess a new student's reading level for independent reading and instruction.
• Identify students who need intervention.
• Document student progress across a school year.
• Inform parents of student progress.

I will administer these tests in the Fall and Spring. Students in need of intervention may also be tested in the Winter.

Although testing can be time consuming, the data helps me provide your child with individualized instruction. We have finished all our beginning of the year testing. All students have now taken both their Reading and Math MAP tests for the Fall. Our Resource teachers have finished administering the Easy CBM to all students and I have F & P tested each student individually.

The NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) describes MAP testing as:

Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®) are K – 12 interim assessments that measure growth, project proficiency on high-stakes tests, and inform how educators differentiate instruction, evaluate programs, and structure curriculum.

Computer adaptive MAP assessments reveal precisely which academic skills and concepts the student has acquired and what they’re ready to learn. MAP assessments are grade independent and adapt to each student’s instructional level. Every item on a MAP assessment is anchored to a vertically aligned equal interval scale, called the RIT scale for Rasch UnIT—a stable measurement, like inches on a ruler, that covers all grades.

And because the measurement is reliable and accurate, RIT scores serve as an essential data point in a student’s learning plan; educators can see their precise learning level and respond accordingly.

As a classroom teacher I use this data to drive my daily instruction and to adapt that instruction to individual student needs. Students in grade 5 MAP test in the Fall, Winter and Spring.

The Easy CBM testing is designed to "give teachers insight into which of their students may need additional instructional supports as well as to provide a means by which they can measure the effectiveness of their teaching. System reports provide information that supports evidence-based decision making, and the Interventions interface streamlines the process of keeping track of students' instructional program, a feature that is particularly helpful for student study team meetings and parent conferences". These tests are administered by our school reading specialist in the Fall, Winter and Spring.

The Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System is used to get one-on-one assessments of each student's instructional and independent reading level. This information helps me:

• Determine reading placement levels and group students for reading instruction.
• Select texts that will be productive for student's instruction.
• Assess the outcomes of teaching.
• Assess a new student's reading level for independent reading and instruction.
• Identify students who need intervention.
• Document student progress across a school year.
• Inform parents of student progress.

I will administer these tests in the Fall and Spring. Students in need of intervention may also be tested in the Winter.

Although testing can be time consuming, the data helps me provide your child with individualized instruction. 

Close Reading

Hopefully your student has talked to you a little bit about Close Reading. This week we learned how to do Close Reading with the nonfiction story "America's Deadliest Disaster" by Lauren Tarshis.

Essentially, Close Reading means reading to uncover layers of meaning that lead to deeper comprehension. The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) defines Close Reading as:

• Close, analytic reading stresses engaging with a text of sufficient complexity directly and examining meaning thoroughly and methodically, encouraging students to read and reread deliberately. Directing student attention on the text itself empowers students to understand the central ideas and key supporting details. It also enables students to reflect on the meanings of individual words and sentences; the order in which sentences unfold; and the development of ideas over the course of the text, which ultimately leads students to arrive at an understanding of the text as a whole. (PARCC, 2011, p. 7)

In our room, students do a "first read" independently to get a general understanding of the text.  Their "second read" is guided by questions that ask students to reread certain parts of the text for facts and details. The next step is having students interpret their observations. I want students to move from observations of particular facts and details to a conclusion, or interpretation, based on their observations. I often have students do the Close Read in partners or small groups so they can discuss their observations about the text and form conclusions together.

This weekend I will look over the student responses to the article and offer the students feedback. Please notice I didn't say I graded the responses.  My main objective is to offer feedback so that responses improve over time. I am not grading reading and writing, I am cultivating a mindset of being Readers and Writers in Room 19!

Kick Off Assembly & Parade!

We had our first assembly last Friday! Mr. Prorok and Mrs. Kash gathered the students into the Multi-Purpose Room to Kick Off the New Year! This year's theme is "Game On!" At the assembly all the staff members were introduced and the Liberty School expectations were covered. We concluded the day with a Kick Off Parade around the school!

First Week

The First Week is in the books and we had a great time learning about our new classroom!

We went over schedules, routines and expectations. The students now know our classroom rules and Mr. Lyons' Personal Pet Peeves. We also covered expectations for the Hallways, Media Center, Lunch, Recess, Washrooms, Assemblies, Field Trips, and Buses. 

We participated in several Ice Breaker activities and spent time getting to know our classmates. 

We will  be together for a 180 days so we might as well get to know each other.

We also set up the Seesaw app for students who had their iPads. Seesaw will be the way that students and parents access daily homework assignments.

Students will be responsible each afternoon for checking their Seesaw and packing the necessary materials to bring home.

Your Student should have received a "How To Survive 5th Grade" folder with way more school information than you will be able to read through in one night. Take your time and return the necessary papers by Friday, August 31st.