Elementary: Grandview

Reading Master Group Explores Solar System

Mrs. Wickhams' Second & Third Grade

by Joan Ibarra

May 06, 2008

This year Mrs. Wickham’s second and third grade reading mastery group worked very hard to achieve the thermometer goals they established each month.

They reached these goals by working for daily independent grades that were 85-90% or higher. As a motivation to earn high marks, the students had the individual opportunity to make it into the 90% club and also to earn points for the whole group on the thermometer chart.

To celebrate reaching the thermometer goal, one reward activity was completed each month using the theme of space. These activities included looking at 3-D books on space, making a space helmet and experimenting with a bottle rocket. After reading segments of the reading mastery stories, students completed extension projects called special projects.

See slide show: Solar System

One special project, a diagram of the solar system, was completed with the distance of each planet from the sun and the number of moons orbiting each planet. Students also wrote an outline report about the Milky Way as part of another special project. These activities, which are part of the reading mastery curriculum, were designed to reinforce reading concepts about science in the Al and Angela stories.

A special space ship complete with a sunroof showing the milky way, was made by Mrs. Wickham from a box donated by Isabel Aguallo and her family. This space center provided a display for the projects.