I hope that you and your families are healthier than my little guy! I don't know if your child has shared with you that my son, Nico, has had the "stomach bug" for the last 9 days. :( We are hoping that this long weekend will give us all a chance to recover!
Behavior
It is about that time of year when students begin to get a little too comfortable in the classroom and start pushing their boundaries – trying to see what they can get away with. Our rules have not changed, however, and I am still expecting students to be respectful to others and to put forth their best efforts in school. I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a minute to talk to your child about his/her behavior in school. Remind them about the importance of listening carefully and not talking/fooling around during lessons and activities. Also, review why it's important to treat our classmates with respect (using kind words, encouraging/supporting each other, waiting our turn/not grabbing, pushing, etc.) as well as our teachers (not talking back, questioning directions, talking when they are talking, etc.). Hopefully, students will remember and apply these rules and expectations a little more consistently throughout the rest of the year – so we can continue to do fun lessons and activities! Thank you for your help!!
Math Facts
2012 brings the beginning of SUBTRACTION math facts. We had a little “pre-test” last week to establish a baseline and see how many subtraction facts students could answer correctly in 3 minutes...suffice it to say, we have a lot of work to do with subtraction! Most students took the -0 and -1 fact quiz this week we will continue on with -2 next week, working our way up every week, just as we did with addition. Subtraction facts tend to be more difficult to learn/remember. Please help your child by practicing these facts regularly. Remember: Our end-of-year goal is to complete 50-60 math facts (mixed addition and subtraction) in 3 minutes!!
Report Cards
In case you did not know, students’ first report cards will be distributed next Friday, January 20th. The report card is yours to keep, but the envelope in which it comes must be signed and returned. Detailed information about the grading system and expectations will be included with the report card.
And now, for our week in review:
READING
This week, the story in our reading anthology was the award winning Officer Buckle and Gloria, written and illustrated by Peggy Rathmann. Some students had read the story before, some had not – but we all agreed that it was very funny! All students in our class could use some extra practice retelling stories (with a clear beginning, middle and end), so… ask your child to tell you what this story was about!
This week, the story in our reading anthology was the award winning Officer Buckle and Gloria, written and illustrated by Peggy Rathmann. Some students had read the story before, some had not – but we all agreed that it was very funny! All students in our class could use some extra practice retelling stories (with a clear beginning, middle and end), so… ask your child to tell you what this story was about!
The reading skill this week was using illustrations to help with comprehension. Officer Buckle and Gloria was a perfect story through which students could practice applying this important skill. That is because the Rathmann shows things in her illustrations that she does not write in the text. Students must use the pictures to make inferences and draw conclusions about the story.
SPELLING
This week, we worked to identify and spell words with the long u (uuuuu) sound. Some ways that we spell this sound are:
u ui u_e (review)
music ruin huge
flu suit tune
usual bruise flute
This week, we worked to identify and spell words with the long u (uuuuu) sound. Some ways that we spell this sound are:
u ui u_e (review)
music ruin huge
flu suit tune
usual bruise flute
GRAMMAR
We are putting nouns to rest – for a little while, at least. I think students could use a little more action, don’t you? How about verbs?
We are putting nouns to rest – for a little while, at least. I think students could use a little more action, don’t you? How about verbs?
Verbs are the words that tell what the subject is DOING in a sentence.
The verbs in the sentences below are underlined:
Bob threw the ball to Jake.
Mary sat down in the chair.
Action verbs don’t always clearly show action, however. Look the following sentences:
Johnny feels scared.
Sophia likes carrot cake.
Although they can sometimes be tricky, action verbs are the easiest to identify. I will be introducing other kinds of verbs over the next few weeks, so it is important that students are comfortable with action verbs.
Suggestion: Hunt for action verbs in your everyday life. Billboards, cereal boxes, and newspapers/comics are just a few places students can find verbs!
WRITING
Students were introduced to procedural, or How-To, writing this week. When writing a How-To Article, you need to tell the reader how to do something by giving very specific, detailed steps. Mrs. Glazier made this point very clear on Tuesday when she made a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. What happened???!?
MATH
Students have been adding to their knowledge of geometry this week! This is what they should now know/understand:
Polygons
Polygon is a term that means “many sides.” All polygons are 2D shapes, but not all shapes are polygons. In order to be classified as a polygon, the shape must:
have straight sides/lines
have 3 or more sides
have corners (vertices) and angles
be closed (no openings)
have an open middle (no criss-cross)
have no “extra” lines
When talking about polygons, we use some important geometry vocabulary. Some of these words include:
Side – straight line segments
Vertex – where 2 sides meet (corner) Plural = vertices
Angle – the “inside” of a vertex
Polygons
Polygon is a term that means “many sides.” All polygons are 2D shapes, but not all shapes are polygons. In order to be classified as a polygon, the shape must:
have straight sides/lines
have 3 or more sides
have corners (vertices) and angles
be closed (no openings)
have an open middle (no criss-cross)
have no “extra” lines
When talking about polygons, we use some important geometry vocabulary. Some of these words include:
Side – straight line segments
Vertex – where 2 sides meet (corner) Plural = vertices
Angle – the “inside” of a vertex
Quandrangles
A quadrangle is a 4-sided polygon. (They can also be called quadrilaterals!) All quadrangles have 4 sides, 4 vertices, and 4 angles. There are differences among quadrangles too, however. Students are learning about 6 different kinds of quadrangles and have been working hard to compare/contrast them using Venn Diagrams. Here is some information about these shapes...scroll down to see students working to compare them!
Squares
- 4 sides of equal length
- 4 right angles (square corners)
- 2 sets of parallel lines
Rhombus (a slanted/tilted square)
- 4 sides of equal length
- no right/square angles
- 2 sets of parallel lines
Rectangles
- opposite sides are equal length
- 4 right angles (square corners)
- 2 sets of parallel lines
Parallelogram (a slanted rectangle)
- opposite sides are equal length
- no right/square angles
- 2 sets of parallel lines
Trapezoid
- no right/square angles
- 1 set of parallel lines
Kite
- no right/square angles
- no parallel lines
A quadrangle is a 4-sided polygon. (They can also be called quadrilaterals!) All quadrangles have 4 sides, 4 vertices, and 4 angles. There are differences among quadrangles too, however. Students are learning about 6 different kinds of quadrangles and have been working hard to compare/contrast them using Venn Diagrams. Here is some information about these shapes...scroll down to see students working to compare them!
Squares
- 4 sides of equal length
- 4 right angles (square corners)
- 2 sets of parallel lines
Rhombus (a slanted/tilted square)
- 4 sides of equal length
- no right/square angles
- 2 sets of parallel lines
Rectangles
- opposite sides are equal length
- 4 right angles (square corners)
- 2 sets of parallel lines
Parallelogram (a slanted rectangle)
- opposite sides are equal length
- no right/square angles
- 2 sets of parallel lines
Trapezoid
- no right/square angles
- 1 set of parallel lines
Kite
- no right/square angles
- no parallel lines
Earlier in the week, students worked together to compare and contrast these quadrangles on HUGE Venn Diagrams. Take a look:
There are many other kinds of polygons, as well. Students have been introduced to the following list:
Triangle –3 sides Heptagon – 7 sides
Quadrangle – 4 sides Octagon – 8 sides
Pentagon –5 sides Nonagon – 9 sides
Hexagon – 6 sides Decagon – 10 sides
Triangle –3 sides Heptagon – 7 sides
Quadrangle – 4 sides Octagon – 8 sides
Pentagon –5 sides Nonagon – 9 sides
Hexagon – 6 sides Decagon – 10 sides
Later in the week, students learned all about 3D shapes. 3-D shapes have an extra dimension that drawings do not have – depth. Some common 3-D shapes include:
Cylinder
Sphere
Cone
Pyramid
Rectangular Prism
Cube (a type of rectangular prism)
When we talk about 3-D shapes, we use specific, “grown-up” vocabulary.
• Face – a flat surface (AKA side), as opposed to a curved surface
• Edge – where two faces meet
• Vertex – a point where two edges meet (like a corner)
• Base – the bottom of a shape
• Apex – the “point” of a cone or pyramid
On Friday, students did some specific work with pyramids. Using straws and twist ties, students created their very own 3D pyramids! They then worked with a partner to create pyramids with different-shaped bases. What pattern did they discover?? "
Look at the pictures below to see students working to create their "masterpieces"...
SCIENCE
This week, we began our next Science Unit: Fossils. Students acted as paleontologists this week, uncovering "fossils" and recording their observations in their science notebooks. What fossil did your child "find?"
SOCIAL STUDIES
We also spent a good amount of time learning/talking about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this week. Many students already knew a little about MLK Jr. and we had quite a few discussions about the important role he had in our country's history. Students were astounded to learn that African-Americans were still treated so unfairly and did not have equal rights up until just a few years ago! Please discuss this important leader while you are enjoying the long weekend dedicated to him!
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