My students are on their second go round of Inquiry Circles. They are working on science topics related to the Plant and Animal Life Cycle unit. They are having a great time with this once again. I have found that they need to focus more on developing relevant questions and use those questions to guide their research. I conducted a few minilessons revolving around questioning and monitoring for meaning. Seems to be helping a great deal.  Below are a couple of anchor charts.      

Nonfiction and Content Instruction

Finished up our work in the Nonfiction Book Clubs unit of study this week. The kids loved this work so much.  We are moving into a Reader's Theater unit this upcoming week...lots of work on intonation, expression and fluency ahead.  This is another unit of study that is so well loved by the kids. The folks at the Reading and Writing project in New York have been so helpful to me over the past 10 years. All of the great summer institutes, calendar days and curricular calendars have helped to guide me in the development of my own units. Thanks to all of the wonderful staff developers at the project for all that you do for teachers...and kids!

Below is example of one of the anchor charts that one group of my students created as a part of their inquiry on Frogs. I love being a teacher!

PEACE!