Today we worked on a couple Terra Nova strategies. When I asked fifth graders what was hard about testing they listed quite a few things. A couple of the issues can be solved with some simple strategies.
1. Tired hands from "bubbling in"
I modeled a different way to hold pencils to make sure that a good deal of the lead is touching the paper. I also modeled an efficient way to color in the bubble going side-to-side instead of making a circular motion. Fifth graders practiced their technique while I read aloud from our hysterical No Coins Please.
2. Loosing place on answer sheet
Students received post-it notes to mark their answer sheets and test booklets. They practiced using these guides while they took a practice test. We also thought about the best way to set up our desks layering our answer sheet on top of the test booklet.
We will also begin our Terra Nova week with a "Power Breakfast" on Monday morning. The eighth grade students will join the fourth and fifth grade students on Monday morning for a breakfast celebration. (This is more of a mini-breakfast; students should still eat normal breakfast at home.) We will also get to hear Pedro's homily on perseverance which both fourth and fifth graders missed on Thursday.
On Monday, fifth graders can wear green! Go for it green!
