Week 28 - March 29, 2018

Curriculum

Reading

Students are learning to read books an analyze the characters.  This week, we discussed the character in the books they read.  After the break, the students will be learning what non-fiction text features are and how they can be helpful to the reader.

Book Baggies:
Students have 6 books in their bag (two below their reading level to help them work on fluency, two at their level to focus on good reading skills, and two above level to continue to push and grow as readers).  These bags will stay at home all week for students to practice reading.  It is good to encourage reading and rereading of these books!  We will exchange books on Fridays, so please have students return these books next Friday.  (Just FYI, Library books are sent in on Thursday.)  If a student forgets or is absent one week, they will need to return them the following Friday. 

Writing
This week the students began writing their Ordinary People opinion writing.  We picked our favorite person and began planning and drafting our writing.  When we return from the break, we will finish drafting our writing, revise and edit and publish the writing.  Then, on Friday, April 13th, the students will have an opportunity to share their writing out loud.  The students are also invited to dress up like their person if they choose to do so.

Math
This week we wrapped up Unit 7 by learning about defining and non-defining attributes of 2D shapes.  After spring break, we will begin unit 8.  Below are the skills for this unit.

Unit 8 Skills
o I can tell time to the half hour.
o I can use place value knowledge to solve number grid puzzles.
o I can mentally add 10 more and 10 less.
o I can represent and answer questions about data in bar graphs.
o I can name defining attributes of 2D and 3D shapes.
o I can partition shapes into two and four equal shares and name the shares.

Unit 8 Study Guide - You may use this to guide you in helping your child study for this Unit 8 Assessment.

Unit 8 IXL Skills - If you would like to, students may use IXL to help them practice these skills.

Social Studies/Science
This week, we have been wrapping up our weather and maps units.  We uploaded our weather reports to Seesaw.  When we return, we will soon begin our life cycle unit.

Purposeful Play
Students are really enjoying the opportunity to be creative and use their imagination.  I enjoy seeing the problem solving and collaboration that happens. Ask your child what he or she created!

Please see the Purposeful Play tab on the blog to learn more about our weekly Play Time and donation items we could use for it!

Homework

• Read every night
• Work on a math skill (i.e. adding and subtracting to 20 - play a board game for this, telling time, counting coins, measuring - length and volume -  have your child cook with you to practice this, talk about shapes - 2D and 3D - find items around your house, etc.) 

Important Dates

March 30 - Good Friday - No School
April 2-6 - Spring Break - No School
April 13 - End of the 3rd Marking Period
April 17 - Muffins with Moms (8:00am-8:45am)
April 27 - Family Fun Night
May 18 - PBL Presentation - more information to come, Celebration of Learning (PM)
May 28 - Memorial Day - No School
June 15 - Last Day of School - 1/2 Day (12:30 dismissal)

Week 27 - March 23, 2018

Curriculum

Reading

Students are learning to read books an analyze the characters.  This week, we discussed the character in the books they read.  We then switched books, so students are reading a different book with the same character in it.  They are looking to see if the character is similar/different in the books.  

Book Baggies:
Students have 6 books in their bag (two below their reading level to help them work on fluency, two at their level to focus on good reading skills, and two above level to continue to push and grow as readers).  These bags will stay at home all week for students to practice reading.  It is good to encourage reading and rereading of these books!  We will exchange books on Fridays, so please have students return these books next Friday.  (Just FYI, Library books are sent in on Thursday.)  If a student forgets or is absent one week, they will need to return them the following Friday. 

Writing
This week, students learned to write an opinion piece about weather.  They wrote about their favorite season and why it was their favorite.  Next week, we will continue to write opinion pieces.  Students will pick a special person in history to write about.  They will share why they think that person is so special.

Math
This week we focused on different subtraction strategies.  Students worked on solving problems but also naming the strategy they used to solve the problem.  Next week, we will work on finding the unknown rule that relates two numbers and use a number sentence to describe the rule.

Unit 7 Skills
o I can use the turn-around rule to generate fact families.
o I can "think addition", count up, or count back to solve subtraction facts.
o I can find the unknown rule relating to two numbers and describe the relationship using a number sentence.
o I can show time to the hour on an analog clock with both the hour and minute hands.
o I can name defining attributes of 2-dimensional shapes.

Unit 7 Study Guide - You may use this to guide you in helping your child study for this Unit 7 Assessment.

Unit 7 IXL Skills - If you would like to, students may use IXL to help them practice these skills.

Social Studies/Science
This week, students have been learning about maps.  We've learned that there are different types of maps, that the map key can help us, what an aerial view is, etc.  Next week, we will continue to learn about relative and absolute location.  Please talk to your child about what their address is.  We will be using this to help us learn about maps.

Purposeful Play
Students are really enjoying the opportunity to be creative and use their imagination.  I enjoy seeing the problem solving and collaboration that happens. Ask your child what he or she created!

Please see the Purposeful Play tab on the blog to learn more about our weekly Play Time and donation items we could use for it!

Homework

• Read every night
• Work on a math skill (i.e. adding and subtracting to 20 - play a board game for this, telling time, counting coins, measuring - length and volume -  have your child cook with you to practice this, talk about shapes - 2D and 3D - find items around your house, etc.) 

Important Dates

March 26 - Spring Conferences - I have contacted those who I feel I need to meet with.  If you would like to meet and I have not contacted you, please let me know.
March 30 - Good Friday - No School
April 2-6 - Spring Break - No School
May 18 - PBL Presentation (AM) - more information to come, Celebration of Learning (PM)
May 28 - Memorial Day - No School
June 15 - Last Day of School - 1/2 Day (12:30 dismissal)

Week 26 - March 16, 2018

Curriculum

Reading

Next week, I hope to have students begin working in small groups to explore different characters and discuss them.  We are hoping that students will begin to learn to talk to each other about books in a respectful and meaningful way.  I'm hoping that students will begin responding to each other rather than all sharing separate ideas.

Book Baggies:
Students have 6 books in their bag (two below their reading level to help them work on fluency, two at their level to focus on good reading skills, and two above level to continue to push and grow as readers).  These bags will stay at home all week for students to practice reading.  It is good to encourage reading and rereading of these books!  We will exchange books on Fridays, so please have students return these books next Friday.  (Just FYI, Library books are sent in on Thursday.)  If a student forgets or is absent one week, they will need to return them the following Friday. 

Writing
This week we began talking about how to write and give our opinion.  Next week, we will begin writing an opinion piece on our favorite season.  This will also help to wrap up our Science weather unit.

Math
Students reviewed telling time to the hour and half hour.  We also reviewed fact families.  Next week, we will learn about different subtraction strategies.  Students will learn to use addition, count up and count back when solving subtraction problems.  It is my hope that they will learn when it is easier to use each of these strategies as well and have them as part of their tool kit when solving different problems.

Unit 7 Skills
o I can use the turn-around rule to generate fact families.
o I can "think addition", count up, or count back to solve subtraction facts.
o I can find the unknown rule relating to two numbers and describe the relationship using a number sentence.
o I can show time to the hour on an analog clock with both the hour and minute hands.
o I can name defining attributes of 2-dimensional shapes.

Unit 7 Study Guide - You may use this to guide you in helping your child study for this Unit 7 Assessment.

Unit 7 IXL Skills - If you would like to, students may use IXL to help them practice these skills.

Social Studies/Science
Students are working on taping and putting their weather forecast presentations into a green screen app so that we can then send it to our 1st grade friends in Kuwait to help them better understand the seasons and weather in Michigan.

Purposeful Play
Students are really enjoying the opportunity to be creative and use their imagination.  I enjoy seeing the problem solving and collaboration that happens. Ask your child what he or she created!

Please see the Purposeful Play tab on the blog to learn more about our weekly Play Time and donation items we could use for it!

Homework

• Read every night
• Work on a math skill (i.e. adding and subtracting to 20 - play a board game for this, telling time, counting coins, measuring - length and volume -  have your child cook with you to practice this, talk about shapes - 2D and 3D - find items around your house, etc.) 

Important Dates

March 26 - Spring Conferences - I have contacted those who I feel I need to meet with.  If you would like to meet and I have not contacted you, please let me know.
March 30 - Good Friday - No School
April 2-6 - Spring Break - No School
May 18 - PBL Presentation (AM) - more information to come, Celebration of Learning (PM)
May 28 - Memorial Day - No School
June 15 - Last Day of School - 1/2 Day (12:30 dismissal)

Week 25 - March 9, 2018

Curriculum

Reading

This week, the students and I read Little Critter books and explored Little Critter as a character.  Next week, I hope to have students begin working in small groups to explore different characters and discuss them.  We are hoping that students will begin to learn to talk to each other about books in a respectful and meaningful way.  I'm hoping that students will begin responding to each other rather than all sharing separate ideas.

Book Baggies:
Students have 6 books in their bag (two below their reading level to help them work on fluency, two at their level to focus on good reading skills, and two above level to continue to push and grow as readers).  These bags will stay at home all week for students to practice reading.  It is good to encourage reading and rereading of these books!  We will exchange books on Fridays, so please have students return these books next Friday.  (Just FYI, Library books are sent in on Thursday.)  If a student forgets or is absent one week, they will need to return them the following Friday. 

Writing
Students wrote their final copies of their personal narratives this week.  I have been quite impressed with their improved ability to tell a story sequentially and including some imagery, onomatopoeia, transition words, and dialogue.  Not all students are using all of these types of author's craft but each of them has used at least one.  Next week, we will begin to learn about opinion writing.  Students will first learn about what opinions are and then how to format an opinion writing (introduction - states the opinion, body - 3 reasons for the opinion, conclusion - restates the opinion).

Math
Students took the Unit 5 and 6 quarterly assessment to show their knowledge of these two units.  We also then reviewed areas that the students may have struggled with.  Next week, we will begin Unit 7 by reviewing fact families (which we've been doing on our morning learning) and telling time to the hour.

Unit 7 Skills
o I can use the turn-around rule to generate fact families.
o I can "think addition", count up, or count back to solve subtraction facts.
o I can find the unknown rule relating to two numbers and describe the relationship using a number sentence.
o I can show time to the hour on an analog clock with both the hour and minute hands.
o I can name defining attributes of 2-dimensional shapes.

Unit 7 Study Guide - You may use this to guide you in helping your child study for this Unit 7 Assessment.

Unit 7 IXL Skills - If you would like to, students may use IXL to help them practice these skills.

Social Studies/Science
Students began learning about severe weather this week.  We will continue to explore this next week and then students will work in their groups to begin putting together weather reports for their season.

Purposeful Play
Students are really enjoying the opportunity to be creative and use their imagination.  I enjoy seeing the problem solving and collaboration that happens. Ask your child what he or she created!

Please see the Purposeful Play tab on the blog to learn more about our weekly Play Time and donation items we could use for it!

Homework

• Read every night
• Work on a math skill (i.e. adding and subtracting to 20 - play a board game for this, telling time, counting coins, measuring - length and volume -  have your child cook with you to practice this, talk about shapes - 2D and 3D - find items around your house, etc.) 
• January Homework - This is all "Play based" to encourage the students build fine/gross motor skills, creativity and imaginative skills.

Important Dates

March 14 - Super Hero Day.  Wear a favorite super hero t-shirt or sweatshirt.
March 26 - Spring Conferences - I have contacted those who I feel I need to meet with.  If you would like to meet and I have not contacted you, please let me know.
March 30 - Good Friday - No School
April 2-6 - Spring Break - No School
May 18 - PBL Presentation (AM) - more information to come, Celebration of Learning (PM)
May 28 - Memorial Day - No School
June 15 - Last Day of School - 1/2 Day (12:30 dismissal)

Week 24 - March 2, 2018

Curriculum

Reading

This week, students had an opportunity to read stories and discuss how characters change throughout the story.  We read books like Recess Queen, My Rotten Red-Headed Older Brother, and Julius, Baby of the World.  Next week, we will begin our character clubs.  These are book clubs in which the students focus on the characters and understanding what they are like.  They will read series books, so that they can explore the characters across multiple texts.

Book Baggies:
Students have 6 books in their bag (two below their reading level to help them work on fluency, two at their level to focus on good reading skills, and two above level to continue to push and grow as readers).  These bags will stay at home all week for students to practice reading.  It is good to encourage reading and rereading of these books!  We will exchange books on Fridays, so please have students return these books next Friday.  (Just FYI, Library books are sent in on Thursday.)  If a student forgets or is absent one week, they will need to return them the following Friday. 

Writing
Students began a new personal narrative this week.  They generated ideas on personal narrative stories based on character traits.  They really came up with some great story ideas!  We then picked one story to write.  Students planned their stories and have drafted their beginning and middle.  Next week, we will work on the ending and revising and editing our stories.

Math
Students learned about solving multistep number stories this week.  We focused on reading carefully and making sure we're answering what the question is asking.  Students also learned about how to solve doubles facts and how to use them as helper facts when solving other problems.  We will take our assessment on Unit 6 next week.

Unit 6 Skills
o I can tell time to the hour and half hour.
o I can find equivalent names for numbers.
o I can tell the value of each digit in a two digit number.
o I can use strategies to solve subtraction problems within 20.
o I can use strategies such as near doubles, helpers, and making 10 to solve addition facts within 20.
o I can add two digit numbers.

Unit 6 Study Guide - You may use this to guide you in helping your child study for this Unit 6 Assessment.

Unit 6 IXL Skills - If you would like to, students may use IXL to help them practice these skills.

Social Studies/Science
Students began learning about severe weather this week.  We will continue to explore this next week and then students will work in their groups to begin putting together weather reports for their season.

Purposeful Play
Students are really enjoying the opportunity to be creative and use their imagination.  I enjoy seeing the problem solving and collaboration that happens. Ask your child what he or she created!

Please see the Purposeful Play tab on the blog to learn more about our weekly Play Time and donation items we could use for it!

Homework

• Read every night
• Work on a math skill (i.e. adding and subtracting to 20 - play a board game for this, telling time, counting coins, measuring - length and volume -  have your child cook with you to practice this, talk about shapes - 2D and 3D - find items around your house, etc.) 
• January Homework - This is all "Play based" to encourage the students build fine/gross motor skills, creativity and imaginative skills.

Henry Ford Museum

Over the next month we will be learning about the past, maps and character traits.  As a first grade, we think it would be fun to continue our learning about these things at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.  We were thinking we could meet on Saturday, March 3rd at 9:30 AM by the Oscar Meyer hot dog mobile.  This is through the lobby just inside the entrance.  The museum has many exhibits that would compliment our learning on the past, maps and character traits.  This is not a mandatory trip; it is completely optional, we just thought it could be a fun family learning opportunity.  Siblings and families are welcome!  We will be bringing our families as well.  You will be walking around on your own, so you can spend as little or as much time as you like at the museum, whatever fits your schedule for the day.

You can check out the website for directions, cost, parking and more information.

https://www.thehenryford.org/

Important Dates

March 3 - Henry Ford Museum (meet us there if you would like)
March 30 - Good Friday - No School
April 2-6 - Spring Break - No School
May 18 - PBL Presentation (AM) - more information to come, Celebration of Learning (PM)
May 28 - Memorial Day - No School
June 15 - Last Day of School - 1/2 Day (12:30 dismissal)