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Giving Thanks

11/28/2015

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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Honoring Veterans

11/14/2015

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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.

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chromebooks and cool stuff

11/7/2015

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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.

Grade One

Grade Two

Grade one students are reading Fables. The reader for unit 3 is comprised of decodable versions of famous fables, most of which are originally attributable to the ancient Greek storyteller Aesop. Fables are special types of stories that teach important lessons or morals. Fables often feature talking animals as main characters. Each story is accompanied by a set of discussion questions focusing on literal, inferential, and evaluative question types. Students are completing story question worksheets as they read to help assess their comprehension and writing.
Starting this week first graders will be assigned a list of eight spelling words each Monday. Students are expected to practice and learn how to spell these words at home, so that they are ready to take an assessment on these words at the end of the week.
In our grade one listening and learning domain we are studying the development of early civilizations by examining the fundamental features of civilizations, including the advent of farming, establishment of cities and government, and creation of other practices, such as writing and religion. We started in the ancient Middle East, with the study of Mesopotamia. We learned about the importance of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the development of cuneiform as the earliest-known form of writing, the first codification of laws known as the Code of Hammurabi, and the significance of gods and goddesses in the “cradle of civilization.”

We learned about the digraph (two or more letters that work together to make one sound) for the /oo/ sound that you hear in the middle of moon and the end of zoo. Next week we will learn that the letters “oo” in a word can make another sound, which is the sound you hear in the middle of look.

In math, students have been exploring the addition chart and looking for patterns within the context of subtraction. When presented with a subtraction equation such as 7 - 3, students then use their knowledge of the decompositions of 7 to help them solve, and then discuss to find related addition equations on the addition chart such as 3 + 4 or 4 + 3. We will continue this practice throughout the year as they work toward mastery of these foundational facts.

The second grades go to Mrs. Purtell for their listening and learning time. They have been learning about the War of 1812. They heard about the British attack on Washington, D.C. and the Battle at Fort McHenry. Students learned about Dolley Madison, the wife of James Madison, who saved a portrait of George Washington and some important papers when the British attempted to burn down the White House. Also, students learned about Francis Scott Key, the author of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Ask your child how Key was inspired to write the poem when he witnessed the Battle at Fort McHenry. The next time you hear the song played at the beginning of an event, ask your child to name the composer of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
In second grade is is essential that all students learn their addition and subtraction math facts within 20. To that end, we do math sprints 3 to 4 times per week and practicing math facts for 5 to 10 minutes per day is included in the weekly homework requirements. Also, we do xtramath practice on the classroom computers in the morning.
We began Skills Unit 3. The Reader for this unit is Kids Excel. This fictional Reader consists of profiles of kids who excel at various activities—spelling, swimming, playing soccer, jumping rope, splashing, math, rock skipping.
In math we started Module 4 in which students will build upon their understanding of the base ten system and their prior knowledge of place value strategies. Students learned to relate 10 more and 10 less and 1 more and 1 less to addition and subtraction. The objective is for them to recognize that they must add and subtract like units, and that the digit in the tens place changes when adding and subtracting 10, just as the digit in the ones place changes when adding or subtracting 1. Students need to see numbers in terms of place value units; 54 – 10 is 5 tens 4 ones minus 1 ten. We learned to use arrow notation to record addition and subtraction.

Arrow notation is one strategy students can use to solve addition and subtraction problems.

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Giving Thanks

Honoring Veterans

chromebooks and cool stuff

Grade One

Grade Two

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