Each school night, your child will complete three standard assignments which include reading for a minimum of 15 minutes, a short reading/math review sheet, and a Discovery Journal Entry. Please take a few minutes to listen to your child read orally. This will help your child to develop his/her reading fluency and will reveal trouble spots that silent reading often "hides" The half sheet is for review and reinforcement of skills we are discussing in class. The rigor of assignments will increase as the year progresses, and modifications will be made for those needing a greater challenge. Information for your child's Discovery Journal can be found below.
Discovery Journal Guide
Each week, your child is expected to write four entries in his/her Discovery Journal. The first three are based upon class reflections, and the fourth is an extension piece. The reflections should follow the template below.
Date
Today I discovered
I think
I wonder
The I discovered entry can be a who?, what?, when?, where?, how?, or why? statement.
I think…What does your child think or how does he/she feel about their Discovery?
I wonder…What does this new information make them wonder about?
These statements don’t need to be long.
The Extension Entry is due the following Monday, or first day back to school. Students will select one of their “I Wonder” statements and explore it further. They can use a multitude of resources such as the internet, books, videos, and/or conversations with others.
On Monday, the students will have an opportunity to share their wonder statement and what they discovered about it. They are welcome to share pictures, something they created, or just a piece of information that they learned.
Completing the Discovery Journal will help your child to Explore, Discover, Create, and Share. It is also a great opportunity for him/her to strengthen both their written and oral communication skills.
Example:
Today I discovered how to mix red and yellow to make orange.
I think it’s cool that we can mix colors to make a new one.
I wonder what other colors I can make.
Extension: Last week I discovered that red and yellow make orange. This made me wonder about how I could make some other colors. I discovered that blue and yellow make green, and that red and blue can become purple.
(Student could just tell what they wrote about, show a picture, or demonstrate how the observation was made.
Each week, your child is expected to write four entries in his/her Discovery Journal. The first three are based upon class reflections, and the fourth is an extension piece. The reflections should follow the template below.
Date
Today I discovered
I think
I wonder
The I discovered entry can be a who?, what?, when?, where?, how?, or why? statement.
I think…What does your child think or how does he/she feel about their Discovery?
I wonder…What does this new information make them wonder about?
These statements don’t need to be long.
The Extension Entry is due the following Monday, or first day back to school. Students will select one of their “I Wonder” statements and explore it further. They can use a multitude of resources such as the internet, books, videos, and/or conversations with others.
On Monday, the students will have an opportunity to share their wonder statement and what they discovered about it. They are welcome to share pictures, something they created, or just a piece of information that they learned.
Completing the Discovery Journal will help your child to Explore, Discover, Create, and Share. It is also a great opportunity for him/her to strengthen both their written and oral communication skills.
Example:
Today I discovered how to mix red and yellow to make orange.
I think it’s cool that we can mix colors to make a new one.
I wonder what other colors I can make.
Extension: Last week I discovered that red and yellow make orange. This made me wonder about how I could make some other colors. I discovered that blue and yellow make green, and that red and blue can become purple.
(Student could just tell what they wrote about, show a picture, or demonstrate how the observation was made.