It has been a batty week in room 219! Not just crazy, but we have been learning all about bats!
So far this year I have noticed that many of my fourthies are reluctant to read nonfiction texts. In order to encourage this, I wanted to start with a less intimidating research project, that I could throw a little fun in, too! This was week 1 of 2 on bats.. Here’s a sneak peek at our week:
Our objectives this week were:
-Understanding Nonfiction Text Structure: Focusing on Description, Cause and Effect, and Compare and Contrast
-Identifying Main Idea and Supporting Details
-Summarizing Nonfiction Text
-Writing a descriptive research paper on a topic
Here’s how we worked it all in!
We started off with a little Writer’s Workshop! Students wrote everything they already knew about bats on a graphic organizer I made. We used Writer’s Workshop throughout the week to work on our writing! My kiddos LOVE it because I play music as they work. They literally groan when the timer goes off!
Next, I read Stellaluna to the kiddos. It was our Mentor Text this week from the amazing Jivey’s Mentor Sentences .
We took notes on description texts, and I used a blank template from Erin Cobb’s Reading Informational Text Interactive Notebook! I added a descriptive passage on bats and we took notes of 5 important details.
Each day, we would spend time working on our graphic organizer pre-writing for our descriptive projects. I got this organizer from this freebie on TPT!
During Buddy Reading, I sat with groups and we did this awesome Close Reading Pack from 24/7 Teacher. It is wonderful and really helped my kiddos! I love all of her stuff!
We also did a fun Webquest at Listen to Reading using this website: https://mrsgebauer.com/bats/worksheet.html
I made a worksheet to use for students to record their answers! You can get this and the graphic organizer for bats by clicking here or the picture below!
Throughout the week I also read this awesome books on Bats and students took notes on graphic organizers. We did a Cause and Effect, Compare and Contrast, and Facts organizer all from Nicole Shelby’s Reading Response Sheets for Common Core Standards (LOVE this pack and use it ALL the time!)
My favorite fact…
(Haha! Love the things my kiddos write!)
I was SO proud of how hard my kiddos worked all week to find details and facts. Their rough drafts are already AWESOME! I can’t wait to see the final products with their craftivity!
Next week to finish up we will:
-Watch Magic School Bus on bats and record facts
-Eat “bat poop” (cocoa puffs) with a cute little poem during the movie!
-Peer Edit and Revise our Rough Drafts
-Write our Final Copies
-Do a Bat Craftivity
-Compare and Contrast different kinds of bats
-Write about problems and how bats solve them
-Make a timeline of a year of a bat’s life
I can’t wait to continue this fun topic, and I know my students feel the same way!!
Thanks for popping in and listening (reading) 🙂 I am off to a rehearsal dinner for a wedding I’m in this weekend! I promise to share pictures on Instagram! Enjoy your weekend everyone 🙂
What a fun little project/unit!!
A Tall Drink of Water
Loved your post! I can't wait to have my students try the bat webquest! Thanks for sharing your creative ideas!
I love your writing workshop focus board that you project to your students. I think it's great that it tells them what they should be doing, what you're doing, plus has the time and everything else on there as well! Love, love, love! My fifth graders need something like that ;)… Thanks for sharing the idea.
Amanda
My Shoe String Life
We are learning about bats too! So many great ideas! I also love your writing workshop focus board. Where is that from? 🙂
Pam
Diary of a Second Grade Teacher
I've been working on bats a little with my third graders, and we're going to read Stellaluna and Nightsong very soon. These are FANTASTIC resources to use with the books, though! Thanks for sharing!
Don't Let the Teacher Stay Up Late
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Thank you! 🙂
I hope your students love the web quest! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Awe, thank you! It works so well with my kiddos! If you send me an email I will gladly send you the file 🙂
Bats have been so fun! Hope your kiddos are enjoying it as much as mine! I made the focus board. Send me an email and I will gladly send you the file 🙂
Such great books! Your welcome 🙂
We just ended 2 weeks learning about bats! Looks like your kiddos have had fun too! 🙂
Rachel
A-B-Seymour
Love all these ideas!!! 🙂 Your two bat posts make me want to do every bit of it!! I love the cocoa puffs bat poop. Hee hee!
Jivey
ideas by jivey
How did you make your writers workshop board focus board??? I want one of these that are editable and have the timer on it. Help please!!
Beth– egreenway@rcs.k12.va.us
I love your publications. They are always at the highest level.
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