This Week...

September 5- September 9, 2016

Reading:  We spent time reading Balloons Over Broadway, which was a biographical account of Tony Sarg, the man who helped create the balloons in the Macy’s Day Parade.  Students learned that good readers think about the topic before, during, and after reading.  They accessed their prior knowledge by recording what they already knew about the parade.  Then, they formed important questions to show what they wondered about the topic.  While reading, students recorded facts they learned from the book.  During independent reading, students worked on finding “just-right” books and staying actively engaged. Reading Logs are due Monday, September 12.  (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: We discussed how people live in a variety of places at the same time.  We focused on our continent, country, state, and town.  Students also learned that the equator and prime meridian divide our world into four different hemispheres.

Writing:  Students worked on sentence elaboration by learning the importance of including details.  They realized that if the writer does not use specific words, the reader cannot form an accurate picture in his or her mind.  Students experimented with this idea by creating their own juicy sentences about a favorite animal!  In grammar, students differentiated between various types of sentences.

Spelling:  We took our week 1 spelling test.

Miscellaneous: I had a wonderful time meeting many of you on Curriculum Night!  I look forward to working with you throughout the year!  This weekend, students have the opportunity to show an act of kindness in remembrance of 9/11.  I know the students will show great character!  Just a reminder, please turn in recorder and Flat Stanley forms as soon as possible…thank you.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and please let me know if you have any questions!