This Week...

September 8- September 11, 2015

Reading:  We had the opportunity to read a variety of poems, including the book Swirl by Swirl by Joyce Sidman.  We discussed how poetry is beautiful, but can sometimes contain challenging vocabulary.  We focused on strategies that good readers use when they approach difficult words.  Substituting synonyms, using prior knowledge, studying the illustrations for clues, and using context clues are just a few of the strategies students practiced this week.  Reading Logs are due Monday, September 14.  (100 minutes)

Math:  At the beginning of the week, we brainstormed ways to determine if we had longer last names or longer first names in our class.  Students recorded their data in a tally chart and displayed their findings in a bar graph.  Then, we analyzed the data by finding the maximum, minimum, range, mode, and median.  Name collection boxes were another main focus this week.  Students learned how to write equivalent names for certain numbers by using money, tallies, and arrays.  They also enjoyed finding different number combinations while playing “Name that Number”.

Social Studies:  Students learned that the equator and prime meridian divide our world into four different hemispheres.  At the end of the week, they learned how to use a physical map to determine various landforms across the country.

Writing:  We started our writing program: The Writer’s Express (WEX)!  Students enjoyed learning about the writer’s mindset, the rules for writing, and how to “show” readers with their words.   We also discussed how to share our work and provide positive feedback to classmates.   In grammar, students differentiated between statements and questions.  They used correct capitalization and ending punctuation to make sure the words formed a complete sentence.

Spelling:  We took our week 1 spelling test.

Miscellaneous:  This week, we were so excited to have two new members join our classroom: Mr. Massive & Herman (our hermit crabs)!  After talking about our prior knowledge and questions about the topic, students had the opportunity to use the iPads to research information about hermit crabs.  They will be an integral part of our upcoming science unit on habitats.  Next week, our class will be taking the MAP tests in the areas of reading and math.  An informational letter went home this week specifying dates and times.  Today, students had the opportunity to show an act of kindness in remembrance of 9/11.  It was very nice to see students showing great character!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and please let me know if you have any questions!