This Week...

December 18- December 22, 2017

Reading:  Students were excited to start our new fiction unit!  At the beginning of the week, we explored various types of fiction.  Some of these included fables, folktales, and historical fiction.  We also read Mirette on the High Wire, which was a story based in France over 100 years ago.  Students identified important story elements using an organizer.  We also read an Ashanti tale about Anansi the Spider.  We had a discussion about how folktales often use literary and cultural language to convey a story that has been passed down from generation to generation.  Reading Logs are due Monday, January 8.  (300 minutes)

Math:  Students surveyed the class with a question about a winter topic.  Then, they collected data, analyzed it, and graphed it.  Students displayed their information using bar graphs, pictographs, and pie charts.  They also started unit 7!  Students used their knowledge of basic multiplication facts to solve fact extensions.  A family letter went home on Thursday, which details the important concepts from the unit.

Social Studies:  Students were very excited to start our next social studies unit: Illinois!  We started off discussing the land of Illinois, including bordering rivers and states.  They also had the opportunity to study the climate of certain cities across the state: Springfield, Rockford, and Cairo.  After graphing the average monthly temperatures for each city, students discovered that the colder cities are in the northern part of the state, while the warmer cities are in southern Illinois.

Writing:  Students continued working on winter poetry.  They read poems about the likes and dislikes of winter.  Then, they created their own poems about winter.  In grammar, students combined sentences with similar subjects or predicates.

Word Study:  This week, students worked on singular and plural nouns.  They focused on nouns that end in f, lf, or fe.  They learned that they need to drop the endings and add –ves.  We also discussed the proper abbreviations for various words.

Miscellaneous:  This week, Officer Veenstra visited our class to discuss important safety topics.  He talked about stranger danger, how to stay safe on the internet, and what to do if bullying occurs.  We also had a great time sharing our cardboard challenge projects with other Dryden classes.  Today, we exchanged beautiful secret snowpal cards!  Students really enjoyed sharing their cards with classmates.  Just a reminder, optional winter math packets are due on January 8…this is a great way to help your child practice various skills.  I wish you all a restful and enjoyable winter break!  See you back in 2018!