A 2021-2022 Day in the Life of a Mup (Grades 2 & 3)
This is a snapshot of a sample day in our Mups classroom.
8:00: Morning Work
Kids check the morning message, work on their morning work packet which includes handwriting, spelling, math, and drawing, and chat at their table spots.
8:30: Morning Meeting
Students take turns leading Morning Meeting. We begin with a stretch. Then we have Greeting. Some of our favorite greetings are: High Five Greeting, Color Greeting, and Mythical Animal Greeting. Then the leader gets to do a sharing. Next we play a game. Museum is a current favorite. After that, we go over our schedule. Finally, we have a Centering Activity.
9:00: Math
Students work in small math groups, which are divided by grade. Early math themes in 2nd grade are making partners to 10 and learning how to do word problems. Early in the school year, third graders review strategies for adding and subtracting numbers greater than 10. This involves using an open number line, 100s chart, and base-ten blocks.
9:45: Snack and Mask Break
10:00 Literature
In the first month of school, the Mups read the same book as a whole group. During this time, we read the book together in class, sometimes taking turns reading aloud, and sometimes listening to the teachers read. Between chapters kids respond to written questions, as well as hands-on activities connected to the book. This year, we will also do an intensive review of handwriting/printing.
10:45: Outside Time
After all of the hard work, students travel outdoors to move their bodies and play a game. Favorite games include Ultimate Tag, Lemonade, and Hospital Tag.
11:15: Writer’s Workshop
In Writer’s Workshop, students are divided into small groups where they create mini eco-communities in the woods with small plastic animals. Kids play with their animals and teacher-driven prompts help guide the play. After playing, students write stories based upon this play and their animal character. Throughout a six week period, the group alternates between playing and writing. Emerging writers excitedly read their stories out loud to the class.
12:00: Lunch
We begin lunch with a moment of thanksgiving. On some days students eat lunch with a partner invited based on a given prompt. Other days they are divided into mystery groups by a teacher and need to discover what they have in common.
12:30: Quiet Time
This is a silent, personal down time. Most students opt to read, though some draw, or just rest.
1:00: Theme - Friendship and Community
We are just beginning to get to know each other, this land, and our new building. As a group, we find ourselves asking “Who are we?” and “Where are we?”. Throughout the first few months of school, we play games and work on activities that help answer those questions. Our Mups Passport is a document that reminds us of how much we have grown and accomplished since our first day of school.
1:45: Woods Play
It is time to head to the woods, where imaginative play is an emerging theme. Some students are working on building shelters, moving wood from one are of our play space to the other. Students play in this world, engaging each other in games, solving problems that arise, and having fun.
2:15: Choice Time
Choice Time is a fun time to relax and have fun with friends. Kids choose from four different activities to participate in each day. Some popular choice activities include collage, i-projects, and Battleship. It can be a little disappointing to not get your first choice, but second and third choice is fun, too!
2:50: Stewardship Jobs and Read Aloud
Keeping our classroom clean and organized is an important job. Students rotate jobs on a weekly basis. Some of the “Stewardship Jobs” include recycler, chair stacker, and teacher helper. When their job is done, students settle into listening to a story read aloud by a teacher while they wait to be picked up to go home. We are currently reading The Penderwicks, by Jeanne Birdsall.