We celebrated Read Across America Day and Dr. Seuss’s birthday on Wednesday. We had a special guest reader from Sobrato High School. She read the book What Do You Do With an Idea? by by Kobi Yamada and illustrated by Mae Besom. In the book a child has an idea, but is afraid to speak up about the idea. However, as the idea grows so does the child's confidence. And then the idea begins to grow until one day something amazing happens. It is a story for anyone, at any age, who's ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, or too difficult. It's an inspiring story that teaches you to welcome that idea, give it some space to grow, and see what happens next. Our special guest reader’s name was Faith. Ask your child to explain the two meanings of the title of this post. Later that day we wrote an email to thank our special guest reader. Part of the lesson included learning to save a file to their Google Drive and then inserting that file into the email message. While Emily Post may not approve of an email thank you note. Our reader was a high school student, so it fit the situation. First graders participated in Long Ago Day on Friday. They traveled to four different stations on the campus to learn about life in the past. The activities included learning to embroider, write in cursive with a quill pen, make butter from cream, and try out toys from long ago. In addition, we read Ox Cart Man by Donald Hall, in which the The main character packs his goods - the wool from his sheep, the shawl his wife made, the mittens his daughter knitted, and the linen they wove. He packs the birch brooms his son carved, and even a bag of goose feathers from the barnyard geese. Then he walks for ten days to the nearest market and sells his goods, one by one - even his beloved ox. Then, with his pockets full of coins, he wanders through the market, buying provisions for his family, and returns to his home. And the cycle begins again. In addition, we read Charlie Needs a Cloak, by Tomie dePaola and learned about the steps involved in making clothing from sheep’s wool. Ask your child to tell you more about life in the past. Second graders had Plant Science Day while the first graders were out of the room. They learned about the parts of a plant. Students examined plants. Then, they drew the plant and labeled each plant part. We learned about the function of each part of the plant. We learned the roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil and hold the plant in place. The stem carries the water from the roots to the leaves. The leaves make food for the plant using a process called photosynthesis. And that flowers hold the seeds to make new plants. We read How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro and illustrated by Giulio Maestro. The book explains how an apple tree changes through the seasons and the important role insects, especially bees, play in helping apples form. Ask your child to explain how plants make food using photosynthesis. We also studied the parts of a tree and compared and contrasted the parts to a flowering plant. In our skills lessons learning about singular and plural nouns. We learned when to add es to words that have an ending in s, ss, ch, sh, or x ending. In addition we learned when to change the Y to and i and add es. In math, we began a new module in which students will be adding and subtracting within 1000.
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Today we learned to transfer the data we collected in class to a Google Spreadsheet. Then we created a chart with the data we entered into the spreadsheet. The students did the Favorite Planet spreadsheet with teacher direction. Then, they created their own spreadsheet and charts using data we collected about students' favorite shape. Here are two of the charts we created. Ask your child which planet he or she chose and why.
On Thursday we had an assembly about math. Unfortunately, I missed the assembly, but here is what the students had to say about the event.
In addition, we learned about Chinese New Year which begins on February 8. We learned that the Chinese calendar is a lunar calendar so the New Year begins on the first full moon of the new year. We learned that people celebrate the Chinese New Year all round the world. They give each other red and gold envelopes which contain gifts of money. The color red is a symbol for happiness. The gold stands for wealth. We read about the Dragon Parade which many U.S. cities sponsor including San Francisco. At the parade there are bands, floats, lion dancers, and firecrackers. Of course, the parade has a Golden Dragon as well. It is over 250 feet long and requires a hundred strong people to carry it. We read the book Ruby’s Wish about a young girl in China who wishes for an education that is usually reserved just for the boys in the family. On Chinese New Year she receives a gift that brings her to America. At the end of the day we passed out red envelopes and fortune cookies. In math Grade two is learning to speak and write time on analog and digital clocks to the nearest five minutes. In addition, we continue to review adding and subtracting three digit numbers with and without regrouping. We are studying concepts of place value and comparing 3 digit numbers using >,<, and =. In first grade math are learning to order, measure, and compare the length of objects, measuring with centimeter cubes, and solving compare with difference unknown word problems. Also, we are learning to tell time using analog and digital clocks. We celebrated the 100th day of school on Tuesday. We completed several activities that focused on the number 100. The first graders shared their amazing 100 day posters. They were highly creative in their use of math strategy groupings. The posters are on display in the MPR and inside the classroom. We wrote about the number one hundred while working collaboratively on a Google Doc. You can see some of the student responses in the post below. Each student had his or her own ChromeBook. They were given a writing assignment as a group (4 per group). When students opened the document they saw their other group members on the screen. They completed the assignment together on the Chromebooks. As they worked they could see the contributions of other group members. They could fix the spelling and grammar errors and improve upon the writing. As students work collaboratively they take responsibility for their share of the work, and resolve disagreements on their own. Some students show others how to complete certain functions such as changing the font or the color. Others take on leadership responsibilities, while others are motivated to be accountable to the group and contribute creative and useful ideas. Through it all the students communicate, create, collaborate, and apply critical thinking skills. Which are the four components of the 21st century skills. In honor of the 100th day of school students worked on sentence frames. They worked collaboratively on a Google Doc. Each group had 4 or 5 students in the group. Here are some of their answers:
If I had 100 dollars I would ….
If I had 100 eyes I would…
If I had 100 pets I would…
If I had 100 cousins I would be so happy. If I had 100 kids I would be so happy. If I had 100 friends I would be very happy and play with all of them. If I had 100 babies I would take care of them by myself. If I was 100 years old I would walk with a walking stick. Thank you for the donations to our classroom 100th day celebration. It was a great day of learning and fun.
In 2016 students are learning about several ordinary people who stood up for what they believed in and who fought for a cause. We will be reading about some key historical figures who fought for various causes such as the abolition of slavery, the right for women to vote, and the welfare of migrant workers. As we read about these people, students will understand the connection between ideas and actions, and how ordinary people can do extraordinary things. This week we are focusing on the life and contributions of Martin Luther King Jr. Students learned the meaning of segregation and why keeping groups separate was wrong. We learned that Martin Luther King Jr. was an activist who believed that change could happen through peaceful marches, speeches, and sit-ins. He did not want people to use violence to promote change. We learned that Martin Luther King Jr. was an important leader of the civil rights movement. Ask your child to explain civil rights in his or her own words.
We did a number of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) activities this week. On Wednesday, students participated in the “Hour of Code”. Students spent one hour writing computer code using “blockly” a way of coding that doesn’t require students to type the code, just figure out the commands and the order in which they need to occur. Every year “The Hour of Code” is held during National Computer Science Education week. It is designed to get students interested in computer programming and excited about preparing for careers in science and technology. At the end of their hour of coding students received a certificate to take home. Also, we had an assembly about Rockets and Robots. Students heard from “Captain” Bob who shared with them how rockets work and how the lunar landers were able to land on the moon and return to earth. He used models of rockets to demonstrate the various features. He talked about man’s interest in flying throughout time and demonstrated a hot air balloon made from a trash bag! He shared a model of a mars rover. He told students that the rover landed on Mars 12 years ago and is still running and sending data back to Earth. When students returned to class they wrote about the assembly.
Students read the poem Frosty the Snowman and responded to a quiz about the poem. We made Snowman glyphs to show our preferences about types of winter activities. A glyph is an picture that tells about the person who made it. Then we compared to the glyphs to gather data about the students in our class. They are on display in the classroom. In addition, we had another ArtSmart lesson. This time we used the collage technique to make Sequoia Redwood Trees. We learned about this important symbol of our state as we created our artwork. Grade Two: Math In grade two our focus continues on the common core standard in number and base ten operations (NBT) . Students are learning to add numbers with two and three digits using models or drawings. In addition, we studied strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and the relationship of addition and subtraction. Then, we related these strategies to the written method. Also, the NBT standard requires that students explain why addition and subtraction strategies work using place value and properties of operations. Explanations can be supported by drawings and objects. This is an important skill for your child as students are expected to provide explanations for their answers in the classroom and on tests. We are working in second grade to set the foundation for your child to have the skills necessary to provide written explanations in third grade and beyond. This week, we used place value disks on a place value chart to represent the composition of 10 ones as 1 ten with two-digit addends. 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). As students work with the place value disks they make a ten out of ten ones and then exchange them for one 10. We record each step on the vertical problem to help them to learn the algorithm. Then, we moved from using the physical disks to having students draw the place value disks. It is important that students make precise drawings. They should draw in horizontal arrays of 5. This visual reference enables students to clearly see the composition of the ten. While some students may already know the algorithm for adding bigger numbers including regrouping, the process of connecting their understanding to the concrete and pictorial representations develops meaning and understanding of why the process works, not Grade One Math In grade one we are focusing on take from ten strategies. Students begin with word problems calling on them to subtract 9 from 10 with manipulatives, then with drawings, and then with number bonds. You’ll see problems like this on the homework: “Mary has two plates of cookies, one with 10 and one with 2. At the party, 9 cookies were eaten from the plate with 10 cookies. How many cookies were left after the party?” (10 – 9 = 1 and 1 + 2 = 3. Then we worked on decomposing teen numbers on their own to take from ten. We use a number of strategies including manipulatives, 5-groups drawings, ten-frames and number bonds. Teaching students these take from ten strategies helps prepare them for second grade when we begin double-digit subtraction. |
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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