Hi friends,

We’re back for week two of sharing what’s actually in our planbooks, so you can plan right along with us on the top floor. This week is a little shorter thanks to MLK Day, but it’s still packed with some really meaningful learning.

Martin Luther King Jr. Week​
To introduce Dr. King, we use the Freedom’s Ring website from Stanford to show students his “I Have a Dream” speech. It is such a powerful resource—videos, background information, and so many things for students to explore and wonder about.

That leads into one of our favorite projects of the year: “I Have a Dream Too.” Students take inspiration from King’s speech and write their own dreams for the world, then complete a craftivity to go along with it. Every year, we’re blown away by how thoughtful and hopeful their writing is.

You can find that resource here: Martin Luther King Writing Paper and Art Activity: I Have a Dream Too​

It also includes a separate activity called “I Can Be Like Martin,” where students read short descriptions of King’s accomplishments and respond by explaining how they can follow his example in their own lives. Such a great way to make his legacy feel personal and relevant.

Reading: Theme Through Survival Stories​
We’re continuing our focus on theme, especially through survival and adventure stories. We’re using our district curriculum as the backbone, but supplementing in small reading groups with passages and texts we’ve collected over the years.

One anchor chart we lean on heavily shows:

• The life-threatening situation
• The character’s actions and choices
• What those choices reveal about the theme

It’s been really powerful for students to see that stories can all fall under “survival” or “adventure,” yet communicate very different themes depending on how characters respond to danger.

Math: Adding (and Starting to Subtract) Fractions​
In math, we’re continuing to add fractions and beginning to introduce subtracting fractions. We’re using Instructron practice tests to give students targeted practice and quick feedback, which has been a game changer for us.

If you haven’t tried Instructron yet, you can use code TOPFLOOR20 to get started.

We’re also layering in our Adding Fractions Word Problems Interactive Slides to give students more opportunities to apply their thinking. You can find those here: Adding Fractions Word Problems​

Everything Else This Week​
On top of all that:

• It’s Garden Week (Joe’s class heads to the school garden every day. Each class gets one special week during the year!)
• We’re continuing ecosystems work in science
• Students are working on 13 Colonies social studies projects

A Little Bonus for MLK Week​
To wrap up the week, we’re sharing a free cursive reflection page featuring a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It’s a simple, meaningful way for students to reflect on his message while also getting a little cursive practice in, especially helpful during a short week.

You can use it as a quick morning activity, early finisher, or calm reflection to end the day.
👉 Grab the free cursive MLK reflection​

We’ll be back next week to share what’s coming up next. Thanks for planning alongside us. We love knowing we’re all doing this together!

Joe and Quyen from Top Floor Teachers

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