September · Week 1 · Day 2 · School day 2
Day 2: Energy Everywhere
Play with your child: Syllable Splitter
Today’s goals
- Word study: Open syllables: ro-bot, ti-ger RF.4.3a
- Reading: Choosing a just-right book RL.4.10
- Math: Read and write numbers to 1,000,000 4.NBT.2
- Science: What is energy? 4-PS3-2
Materials
- Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (or similar)
- A flashlight
- A small ball
- A bell [or a spoon and a pot]
- Place value chart
- Clipboard or notebook for the energy hunt
Swaps in [brackets] are fine. Use what you have at home or in the classroom.
The day, step by step
10–15 min Morning meeting SL.4.1
- Date in standard and word form.
- Question of the day: Where do you see energy in our room right now?
- Fluency warm-up: read these numbers aloud: 4,206; 38,915; 702,040.
15–20 min Word study RF.4.3a
- Write robot and split it ro-bot. Ask: Does the first syllable end with a vowel or a consonant? (a vowel)
- Teach: a syllable that ends with a vowel is open, and the vowel usually says its name: ro, ti, mu.
- When one consonant sits between vowels, try splitting before it first: ti-ger, mu-sic, si-lent, o-pen.
- If that does not make a real word, split after the consonant and use a short vowel: cab-in, lem-on. Practice: cabin, robot, tiger, lemon.
Flex rule to post: try open (long vowel) first, then closed (short vowel), and keep the one that makes a real word.
25–30 min Reading workshop RL.4.10
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (or similar)
- Teach the five-finger test: open to a middle page and read it, raising a finger for each word you can't read or don't understand. 0 to 1 is easy, 2 to 3 is just right, 4 to 5 is too hard for now.
- Kids test two books from the class library.
- Read chapter 3 aloud. Ask: How does Opal feel about Winn-Dixie? Which words show it?
- Independent reading for 14 minutes with a just-right book.
35–45 min Math 4.NBT.2
- Warm-up: Which number has 4 hundred thousands, 0 ten thousands, 2 thousands, 6 hundreds, 1 ten and 5 ones? (402,615)
- Teach: read the thousands group, say thousand, then read the ones group. 507,030 is five hundred seven thousand, thirty.
- Write 999,999 and add 1 to show 1,000,000, one million.
- Practice: write 63,408 and 900,150 in words; write eighty thousand, nine (80,009) and four hundred twelve thousand, six hundred (412,600) in digits.
Math center: number dictation. One partner says a 6-digit number and the other writes it.
25–30 min Science 4-PS3-2
- Ask: What is energy? Collect ideas, then define it: energy is what makes things move, change, light up, warm up or make sound.
- Show it: roll a ball (motion), ring a bell (sound), turn on a flashlight (light), rub hands together fast (heat).
- Energy hunt: kids walk the room for 5 minutes and list 6 places where they see energy, such as a ceiling light or a fan.
- Start a class chart with five forms: motion, sound, light, heat and electric. Add the hunt findings.
25–30 min Writing W.4.3
- Model zooming in on one small moment, like the minute you jumped into a cold pool, instead of the whole vacation.
- Kids choose one moment and sketch it in three boxes: beginning, middle and end.
- Write the moment in 6 to 8 sentences.
- Partner share: read aloud, and the partner names one detail they liked.
20–30 min Centers and independent practice
- Syllable sort: sort 12 words into closed-first and open-first piles.
- Five-finger test: test three more books and write down one just-right title.
- Number dictation with a partner.
- Energy list: name 3 places at home to look for energy tonight.
Device time (15 min): play Syllable Splitter.
Today’s game: Syllable Splitter
5–10 min Closing circle SL.4.1
- Name one form of energy you found today.
- What is your just-right book?
- Read the biggest number you wrote today.
Support: Give your child 6 words already split into syllables to read before splitting new ones.
Stretch: Split a three-syllable word with an open first syllable, such as ba-na-na or mu-se-um.
Look for: Your child names at least four forms of energy and reads open syllables with a long vowel.
Short day? Keep the open syllable lesson, the energy demonstration and independent reading.