Our monthly Project Cornerstone lessons continued with the book "Say Something," by Peggy Moss. This story is told from the point of view of a student who witnesses teasing, put-downs, pushing, and excluding behaviors, but doesn't know what to do. At first, the student doesn't do anything, however as she gains more understanding and empathy she moves from bystander to Up-stander. We discussed the power to become upstanders by supporting and including everyone and helping everyone gain a sense of belonging and safety. The key is to say something or do something when someone needs help.
Students have been learning about about Pilgrim and Wampanoag children’s lives in the 1620s. Ask your child to describe what life was like 400 years ago. The Pilgrim children had many chores to do. Discuss with your child the chores he or she does and how they are different than the chores that Pilgrim children did. We also read about Squanto, a Native American who spoke English. We learned that Squanto helped the Pilgrims survive their first year in their new home. We made cornucopia art and the students took them home on Friday. In other art news we finished our California Quail art. The quail are on display outside our classroom. The students are greatly enjoying the ArtSmart lessons that have been coming to our classroom. The photo shows a few of the quail that the students created. Our monthly Project Cornerstone lessons continued with the book "Say Something," by Peggy Moss. This story is told from the point of view of a student who witnesses teasing, put-downs, pushing, and excluding behaviors, but doesn't know what to do. At first, the student doesn't do anything, however as she gains more understanding and empathy she moves from bystander to Up-stander. We discussed the power to become upstanders by supporting and including everyone and helping everyone gain a sense of belonging and safety. The key is to say something or do something when someone needs help. In first grade students are learning to compose ten as a strategy for adding 9 or 8. For example 9 + 5 = 10 + 4 or 8 + 4 = 10 + 2. Students should practice the make ten strategy and continue to use other strategies such as counting on, doubles, and doubles plus one. Second graders are applying their understanding of place value strategies to the addition algorithm, moving from horizontal to vertical notation. Using the place value chart with number disks helps strengthen students’ place value understanding and helps them to systematically model the standard addition algorithm including the composition of a ten. The use of manipulatives reminds students that they must add like units (e.g., 26 + 35 is 2 tens + 3 tens and 6 ones + 5 ones). In class, as students move the manipulatives, we use place value language to express the action as they physically make a ten with 10 ones and exchange them for 1 ten. Then, they record each change in the written method, step by step.
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This week we learned about the men and women who have served our country as soldiers in the military. Students learned about a woman who is a veteran and a mom. In the Army, she learned Arabic, went through tough physical training, and even learned how to fix a Humvee! Later, she became an author. She’s written two books and is working on a third. And, she has two elementary aged children named Alyana and Duncan. Next, we wrote letters to thank a veteran for serving our country. Students learned the correct way to format a letter and writing conventions such as capitalization rules and writing dates. We listened to a medley of songs for the armed forces and reviewed the branches of the military. We discussed that all types of people can be veterans. They can be a friend, neighbor, or family member. Students shared the some of the people they know who are U.S. Military veterans. Talk with your child about people you know who are veterans and the branch in which they served. First graders are learning to add three numbers in math. They are learning to use make a ten and then add the third number. For example, “Maria made 1 snowball. Tony made 5, and their father made 9. How many snowballs did they make in all?” 1 + 5 + 9 = (9 + 1) + 5 = 10 + 5 = 15. Since we can add in any order, we can pair the 1 with the 9 to make a ten first. Students have learned how to add a number to ten to make a ten and some ones. For example, 10, 3 is 13 (one ten and three ones). Second grade students are building fluency in two-digit addition and subtraction within 100 and applying that fluency to one and two-step word problems. Grade two students need to apply what they know about addition and subtraction to a variety of problem types and explain their thinking using mathematical language. In addition, students are working with place value strategies to fluently add and subtract within 100. Students are learning different strategies to mentally add and subtract within 100. By the end of the module, students will use this knowledge to solve problems. For example, students might count on by ones and tens, e.g., 39 + ☐ = 62, so 40, 50, 60, 61, 62. They might use compensation, adding the same amount to the subtrahend as to the minuend to make a multiple of ten, e.g., 62 – 39 = 63 – 40. They might add or subtract a multiple of 10 and adjust the solution as necessary, e.g., 62 – 39 is 4 tens less than 62 but… one more. Students must be able to explain why these strategies work using place value language, properties of addition and subtraction, and models, such as the number line. We received a delivery of chromebooks to our classroom on Thursday. Students had the opportunity sign in on their students.mhusd.org account and change their password. In the coming weeks we will use the technology for research, writing, and skills practice. We are sharing our chromebooks with three other classrooms, so we will only get to use them about once per week. Also, we enjoyed a tasty yogurt treat for the whole class. This was our reward for achieving our class goal for the Pumpkin Run donations.
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AuthorHello, I am Renee De Villez. This page is about the activities going on in my classroom. My audience consists of the parents of the students in my class. Other parents and teachers are welcome to read it as well. Archives
May 2017
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