Reader’s Workshop
This week in Workshop we’ve been focusing on two different texts, Cynthia Rylant’s The Whales and Faith McNulty’s How The Whales Walked. Both lend to great conversation about texts that can be both fiction and non-fiction. After looking through the actual text of both books, we spent time talking about The Whales and worked to figure out which sentences of the book were fiction and which sentences were non-fiction. We are getting very close to naming this category of books! As you may have noticed, Reading Groups have not been meeting the past week or so as during our Independent and Partner Reading times in Workshop, the kids are engaged in meaningful activities with partners, which would be hard to interrupt with reading groups. Your child should still be reading each night at least 20 minutes!
Writer’s Workshop
We are diving deep into our Non-Fiction Unit on Birds as our kids did several things this week in Workshop. First they completed a T-Chart listing all of the information they know about their specific bird and listing all of the questions they want to answer by becoming experts on their bird. Next we took a look at a bird diagram and learned to label all of the common parts of a bird using “bird” language. Then our Writers’ had the chance to create, color and label their own diagram for their bird. As the week ended, we began talking about the physical descriptions of our birds. Please take time over break to continue researching your child’s bird with them. We have sent home a list of five excellent websites you can also use at home!
Math Workshop
“Money, Money, Money, Money… MONEY!” We have been working all week with coins and dollar bills in Math. We have practiced making ballpark estimates with monetary amounts, we have practiced adding money and now we have been working on making change with money. This is a tricky concept for our students and one that you can practice at home usually actual coins and money or the next time you are out shopping! We ended the week with work reviewing place value in numbers up to the ten-thousands place.
Word Study/Writing Skills
This week in Word Study we have been playing letters in words. First we worked with combinations of vowels in words (i.e. –ai, -oa, -ea, -ee) and reviewed the rule which says: When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking and the other does the walking. We did a sort with these vowel combinations and played a game of Crazy Eights using word cards with these vowel patterns. Next we reviewed consonant clusters in the beginning and endings of words and did a blind sort. In Writing Skills this week we wrapped up our mini-unit on “Good Leads”. Each child has now created a “Good Lead” scoring 4 points on a 4 point rubric that include one dialogue example, one wondering example and one action or sound for the topic, “My Most Memorable Trip”. It is important that we continue to encourage them to begin any piece of writing with a strong lead.
Science
This week the scientists talked about many things that are seen in the night sky… the list included- moon, stars, planets, comets, planes, and clouds. Then we discussed how we know when it’s windy. They shared many things, including looking at a weather vane, an anemometer, or even looking at trees moving in the breeze. Everyone had the chance to use a thermometer and record the temperature on a paper thermometer. The amazing meteorologists have been telling the class about the daily weather. Thank you parents for your help! The Air and Weather Unit is coming to an end soon, we’ll have a science test on Thursday, April 12th. Look for the study guide after vacation.
Social Studies
We started a new unit in social studies about Our Local Economy. Students reviewed the concepts of goods and services with at sorting activity. Then they wrote to the prompt “Are goods or services more important to our community?” Students needed to support their opinions with three detailed reasons. Next, students learned about consumers and producers in their families and community. They listened to a West African folktale, The Hatseller and the Monkeys and learned the importance of producers in a local community. When we return from break, we will be creating a Business Guide of White Lake. A homework assignment was sent home on Thursday that will help your child prepare for this assignment. The homework assignment is due Monday, April 9th.
Important Dates/Upcoming Info
-April 2nd – 6th – No School – Happy Spring Break
-Monday, April 9th – School Resumes
-Monday, April 9th – Social Studies homework DUE
-Thursday, April 12th – Science Air & Weather TEST
Have a FANTASTIC Spring Break!! :-) Mrs. Weckstein :-)
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