I hope you all enjoy your Fall Break!  What are some things you are thankful for this year?  Here are some things I am very grateful for:

My loving family
My warm, cozy house
Having plenty of delicious food to eat
Being able to teach all of you!

Were you ever curious about the origins of Thanksgiving?  You can take a virtual field trip to Plimoth Plantation by visiting this link:

http://www.plimoth.org/learn/just-kids/thanksgiving-virtual-field-trip

On that website, there are also some links to Pilgrim recipes, coloring pages, and even how to talk like a Pilgrim.  Fun!

Don't forget to come to my RAMP sessions! We've been having lots of fun learning together this year.  We will only have 2 sessions in December:

Wednesday, December 4th, 3:00 (Fractions)

Monday, December 16th, 3:00 (Time Order/Sequence of Events)

I hope to see you there!  (The link is always in my email signature in case you lose it.)

This month's tips are focused on math strategies.  

The website www.mathwire.com has some helpful instructional strategies for teaching math.  (Actually, these could be used for other subjects, too.)  I know that in my live Cyber++ class, the students especially like being allowed to use the whiteboards.  

Here is a strategy tool list that breaks down math strategies with visuals.  You can download it here:

Of course, it's been a long time since we were in elementary school, and the way math is taught now is probably different than what we remember!  You can download a glossary here:

Because of the vacations and Keystone testing, our RAMP schedule looks a little different for December.  We will only have 2 sessions this month.

Wednesday, December 4th, 3:00-- Fractions (Math)


**NO RAMP WEEK OF DECEMBER 9TH DUE TO KEYSTONE TESTING**

Monday, December 16th, 3:00-- Time Order/Sequence of Events (Reading)

If you haven't come to RAMP before, I hope you will start!  These hour-long sessions are a great time for the kids to interact with me and each other while practicing important skills.  I try to make them as fun as possible!  :)

**Please note that all RAMP sessions are recorded.  I'm happy to answer general questions that you may have at the end of our sessions, but private questions/concerns are better addressed in an email.**

Please note that our school and offices will be closed on the following dates:

Thursday, November 28-Monday, December 2 (Fall Break)

Tuesday, December 24-Wednesday, January 1 (Winter Break)

Enjoy your time off!

Kids seem to really enjoy learning anything science related.  I found a few resources about vertebrates that you might be interested in:

1.  BrainPop video and quiz about vertebrates  (This video is a little challenging, but your student should be able to get the gist of it.)


2.  Vertebrates Jeopardy! game  (You'll want to play it in slideshow mode.  Just click on a dollar value to go to the question, and click on the icon in the lower left-hand corner to get back to the main game board.)

3.  Skeleton craft  Humans are vertebrates too!  Make a skeleton out of Q-tips and label the bones.

4.  A Silly Song!  After all of that learning, our brains need a break.

If you are on pace in the Little Lincoln curriculum, you are probably studying quadrilaterals right about now.  These can be tricky-- they have weird names, and they look very similar.  Here are some fun YouTube videos to help you.  (Keep in mind that YouTube may be blocked on student laptops.  There also may be ads.)

Knowing your basic math facts provides a crucial foundation to higher math.  Despite all of our technological advances and new educational theories, there really is no better way to learn math facts than to just memorize them.  *sigh*  However, there ARE some fun ways that you can practice them besides skill-and-drill!

1.  Get messy.  Show the problem and let your kid write the answer in sidewalk chalk, finger paint, shaving cream, glitter glue, whatever floats your boat.

2.  Get dice-y.  Roll two dice and add/subtract/multiply/divide the numbers.  (You can actually buy math dice online, but I like to take the cheaper route:  Buy a bag of 1" wooden cubes at a craft store and write the numbers on in permanent marker.)

3.  Get techy.  There are lots of free apps to practice math facts.  PA Cyber students also have free accounts on First In Math, where they can earn stickers for their accomplishments.

4.  Play Bingo.  Seriously, kids will practice ANYTHING if they get to do it by playing Bingo.  Write the answers on the Bingo cards and use flashcards to call out problems.

We did a really fun "craftivity" today to review the life cycle of a frog.  First, we watched this video:

Then, we made a frog life cycle spinner wheel.  You can download it for free HERE!  Julia Lee, the teacher who created this life cycle wheel, even included three different levels of writing so that you can differentiate the activity to meet your individual student's needs.

Here is the finished product.  I think it turned out lovely!

Have you ever heard of a cornucopia?  I'm sure you've seen them, even if you didn't know what they were called.  

A cornucopia is a horn-shaped basket overflowing with autumn fruits and vegetables.  It is a symbol of plenty that we usually see in October and November.  (You can find the dictionary definition here in the Merriam Webster's Learner's Dictionary, which is a fantastic online dictionary for young students.)

You can make your very own cornucopia using plain old sugar cones!  This smart mom figured out how to steam the end of the cone in the microwave to make it curl up.  Just click here for a complete tutorial.  (You'll need a grown-up's help for this!)

http://www.squidoo.com/thanksgiving-crafts-for-kids-and-toddlers

I think these would look cute on a Thanksgiving table!

Do you dress up for Halloween?  I know that some families do not celebrate Halloween, but I think dressing up and visiting our neighbors is a lot of fun!  This year, we dressed up my daughter Eliana as a minion and took her trick-or-treating for the very first time.  Here is a picture!

We've been having a lot of fun in our weekly online RAMP sessions!  I hope you can join us if you haven't already.  My sessions are every Monday at 3:00 pm.

If you missed our session last week, you can view it by clicking on this link: View the Blackboard Collaborate recording


November's Dates and Topics:
Monday, November 4th:  Compare & Contrast
Wednesday, November 13th*:  Graphs
Monday, November 18th:  Main Ideas and Details in Paragraphs


*Rescheduled due to the Veteran's Day In-service

If you're enrolled in PA Cyber, chances are that you already know that not all students learn in the same way or at the same rate.  At our school, we have the luxury of being able to tweak the lessons to meet each student's individual needs.  Here are some links to better help you understand differentiated instruction:

What Is Differentiated Instruction?
This article provides an easy-to-understand definition and also breaks down the concept into 4 main areas in which instruction can be tweaked.

Differentiated Instruction Strategies
This wiki provides some concrete strategies to help you differentiate instruction.

4 Proven Strategies for Differentiating Instruction
This Scholastic article suggests additional ways to differentiate instruction, including the use of technology.

Differentiated Instruction Resources
This website also offers many differentiation strategies, including tic-tac-toe choices, literature circles, and mentoring.

Don't forget, students have no school on the following dates:

November 11th:  Veteran's Day In-Service**
November 28th-December 2nd:  Fall Break (Offices closed)

Of course, you may choose to continue completing curriculum on these days if you like, but your teachers will be unavailable.

**Please note that my usual RAMP session will be rescheduled for Wednesday, November 13th due to the In-Service day.**