Testing, Testing

Testing

We finished our WKCE testing on Wednesday.  The students were focused and respectful test takers.  We are all glad that our testing is over and we look forward to getting back to a more normal schedule.  If your child missed a testing day, we will have make up times for him or her starting on Friday.

Conferences
Thank you all for coming to conferences and I am sorry if your time was delayed!  Your children are all such amazing people and Ms. Miller and I had so many great things to say that it was hard to cram it into 20 minutes.  We enjoyed reflecting with you on all the progress your child has made in reading, writing and math and look forward to guiding them with their learning over the rest of the year.

Making the playground safe
In class meeting, one of our classmates expressed that students were being unsafe on the playground (running up the slide and playing war games.)  We discussed our feelings extensively and found that all students felt the same way.  We knew that students in the Lily Pad were able to have this conversation and express their feelings but we also knew that we needed to get the word out to the rest of the school.  The students brainstormed a list of ways to communicate this information on a school wide basis and came up with 2 ideas:
1. Make a video that will be sent to classrooms showing what happens when you are unsafe and what it feels like to be safe.
2. Make posters to put around the school.
Each child decided which group they would join and groups worked hard on their projects.  Most of the posters are complete and ready to be hung around the school.  The video will be filmed on Friday.  We will put a copy of it on the blog next week.  What AMAZING problem solvers!

The video production team or as Tessa would say, Lily Pad Production, making the world a hoppier place! 

Unlearning "Indian" Stereotypes
As a part of our exploration into Madison's history, we have been learning about The Mound Builders (thought to be ancestors of the Hochungra.)  We, in Dane County, are luck because the Madison area has more mounds located here than anywhere else in the world. On Friday we are taking a walking trip to visit on of these sacred mounds (on Lakeside Street.)

We will next learning about the Ho-chunk people who have long called Madison home.  Before we learn more about this nation of people, we wanted to address issues of stereotyping and in particular "Indian" Stereotypes. The good people at Rethinking Schools (www.rethinkingschools.org) compiled this amazing DVD.  It is thought provoking and narrated by Native American children.

Narrated by Native American children, the DVD Unlearning "Indian" Stereotypes teaches about racial stereotypes and provides an introduction to Native American history through the eyes of children. 

After viewing parts of the Unlearning"Indian" Stereotypes DVD, students had a lively, passionate and spirited discussion regarding what they saw and where they have seen stereotypes of Native Americans.  We learned that stereotypes occur when a group of people is said to all possess certain qualities or characteristics simply because they are a part of that group. We talked about stereotypical behaviors associated with boys or girls or teenagers.

Student partners worked on a quiz together after or discussion and viewing of the DVD.

Students were also given an informal assignment to identify stereotypes that they find on television (Yes, the teachers assigned watching TV as homework!), in print media and in movies.  We have already had some great examples brought into the classroom.

Should There Be Zoos?
We began our persuasive writing unit this week. We charted what persuasive texts are and tools (or techniques) that authors use to persuade their readers.

Student partners then listened to several arguments laid out in the book Should There Be Zoos? A Persuasive Text. The arguments in the book are compelling and really play on the emotionality of the issue.

We recorded some of the facts and opinions that we heard in the texts, charted them and then students were asked to take a stand.

Our next step is to form two groups and do a shared writing either For Zoos or Against Zoos. The next step after our shared writing is for students to research another topic (Should There Be Pets? or Should There Be Video Games?), take a stand and then write their own persuasive essay.

Upcoming Events

• Walk to the Effigy Mounds, Friday, 11/11/11
• Lily Pad Community Day - Wear your Lily Pad Shirt, Wednesday, November 23
• No School on Thursday or Friday November 24-25.