The exciting news is that our classroom is now full of yoga balls as chairs! Thank you for your generous donations! At times the classroom looks like it is full of magic jumping beans, but I believe they do help the students to concentrate, and I know they enjoy not having to be as still for as long. Coach Christian is also curious to see how much sitting on these chairs will help strengthen their core muscles.
Reading: Tomorrow, the students will be going to the library to choose a biography about their hero. They have chosen some wonderful heroes! Much of their class reading time over the next two weeks will be reading and researching about their heroes.
Read Aloud: We have met two new characters in a whole new setting. The second part of the story is about two brothers growing up in America during the Great Depression who were in an orphanage.
Language: We will be reading and writing about the moon and space exploration this week!
Math: The students are continuing to work on equivalent fractions this week as we begin to compare and order fractions, focusing especially on comparing the fractions to half.
Science: The students will be learning about space exploration this week and exploring more about how that has affected our daily lives.
Alabama History: We will be wrapping up our discussion of the Trail of Tears this week as the students are completing their persuasive letters to Andrew Jackson at home.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Third Nine Weeks, Week 3
Thank you so much for your donations of the yoga balls! We are so close to a class set that I went ahead and ordered a few more to complete our class set! The students are absolutely loving sitting on them!
Reading: We are continuing learning about what a hero is. This weekend, students will be choosing their heroes so that early next week, we can begin reading biographies about these amazing people!
Read Aloud: We left off in Echo today with quite a cliff hanger! Ask your child to tell you more about what he/she has learned about the events of World War II from this book.
Language: The students will be writing a narrative story in the classroom about an event that has to do with the Trail of Tears. Later on in the week, they will be given a homework assignment to write a persuasive letter to Andrew Jackson to convince him to allow the Native Americans to stay on their land. They will have close to a week to complete this, but it will be done completely at home.
Math: Equivalent fractions will be our focus this week: recognizing and creating them. Students will even be playing "Fraction War" at the end of the week.
Alabama History: Today the students read a variety of short passages having to do with the Trail of Tears. One group read a story from the perspective of a young Native American boy as he was traveling the Trail of Tears, another read the speech that Andrew Jackson made to Congress and another read the lyrics to an old Elton John song called "Indian Sunset." The students will be revisiting these passages several times over the week and then sharing with others about what they read.
Passion Projects: The students are so very excited to jump into this! Friday we will begin by visiting the library and looking for available resources.
Reading: We are continuing learning about what a hero is. This weekend, students will be choosing their heroes so that early next week, we can begin reading biographies about these amazing people!
Read Aloud: We left off in Echo today with quite a cliff hanger! Ask your child to tell you more about what he/she has learned about the events of World War II from this book.
Language: The students will be writing a narrative story in the classroom about an event that has to do with the Trail of Tears. Later on in the week, they will be given a homework assignment to write a persuasive letter to Andrew Jackson to convince him to allow the Native Americans to stay on their land. They will have close to a week to complete this, but it will be done completely at home.
Math: Equivalent fractions will be our focus this week: recognizing and creating them. Students will even be playing "Fraction War" at the end of the week.
Alabama History: Today the students read a variety of short passages having to do with the Trail of Tears. One group read a story from the perspective of a young Native American boy as he was traveling the Trail of Tears, another read the speech that Andrew Jackson made to Congress and another read the lyrics to an old Elton John song called "Indian Sunset." The students will be revisiting these passages several times over the week and then sharing with others about what they read.
Passion Projects: The students are so very excited to jump into this! Friday we will begin by visiting the library and looking for available resources.
Monday, January 11, 2016
Third Nine Weeks, Week 2
What a busy week ahead we have!
Reading: This week we will continue to focus on biographies as well as just what makes someone a hero by reading excerpts from The Hero's Trail: A Guide for a Heroic Life. Has your child told you about the biographies we read last week? Ask him/her about Snowflake Bentley and Molly Brown. This week, we're read one about Alice Roosevelt as well. Go ahead and have some discussions at home about heroes, both family/local ones and ones more well-known.
Read Aloud: The students are loving Echo! This historical fiction has also been a great starting point for discussing some of the events from World War II.
Language: The students are finishing their essays on how the explorers impacted the Native Americans. We will also be working on correctly writing quotations and conversations so we may begin writing more narrative stories.
Math: We are moving on to fractions! This week we will focus on some basic equivalent fractions as we work on illustrating 1/2s, 1/3s, 1/4s, 1/6s and 1/8s on different sized rectangles.
Science: The moon, its phases, eclipses and tides will be our focus this week as we continue our discussion of our one and only moon.
Alabama History: Later in the week, we will turn our attention to a sad part in our nation's history: The Trail of Tears.
Reading: This week we will continue to focus on biographies as well as just what makes someone a hero by reading excerpts from The Hero's Trail: A Guide for a Heroic Life. Has your child told you about the biographies we read last week? Ask him/her about Snowflake Bentley and Molly Brown. This week, we're read one about Alice Roosevelt as well. Go ahead and have some discussions at home about heroes, both family/local ones and ones more well-known.
Read Aloud: The students are loving Echo! This historical fiction has also been a great starting point for discussing some of the events from World War II.
Language: The students are finishing their essays on how the explorers impacted the Native Americans. We will also be working on correctly writing quotations and conversations so we may begin writing more narrative stories.
Math: We are moving on to fractions! This week we will focus on some basic equivalent fractions as we work on illustrating 1/2s, 1/3s, 1/4s, 1/6s and 1/8s on different sized rectangles.
Science: The moon, its phases, eclipses and tides will be our focus this week as we continue our discussion of our one and only moon.
Alabama History: Later in the week, we will turn our attention to a sad part in our nation's history: The Trail of Tears.
Monday, January 4, 2016
Third Nine Weeks, Week 1
Welcome back! I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday and a very happy new year!
And now, to hit the ground running... :)
Reading: This week we will begin a biography unit. It's not just any old biography unit though, it is a unit on heroes. It will be a month (or more) long process as we first learn how to read a biography, how to take notes on important information, some vocabulary words that may go along with our heroes, and of course, just what makes a hero. After all of this work, students will choose a hero they are interested in. Then, they'll read to learn more about that hero and share with others about their hero. "Heroic" discussions at home are certainly encouraged! :)
Read Aloud: We will begin a book called Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan. I read this book last summer and fell instantly in love with it. The story is a beautiful historical fiction novel of three different, seemingly unconnected stories. I believe the students will love it, and you may just want to read it as well!
Language Arts: The students will be finishing their expository essays on how the explorers affected the Native Americans. We will also review run-on sentences and fragments as they edit their own papers.
Math: I plan to finish the unit on division this week as many students are nearing mastery on the topic. Let your child explain how he/she is dividing. It looks a little different than the way what you were taught, but it really makes a lot of sense!
Alabama History: We will talk briefly about the War of 1812, how it ties into the Creek War and the changes ahead for the Native Americans because of the outcome of these two wars.
Science: We will begin a short unit on the Moon this week. If you happen to be outside in the evening on a clear night, have your child notice the moon and begin looking for patterns.
And now, to hit the ground running... :)
Reading: This week we will begin a biography unit. It's not just any old biography unit though, it is a unit on heroes. It will be a month (or more) long process as we first learn how to read a biography, how to take notes on important information, some vocabulary words that may go along with our heroes, and of course, just what makes a hero. After all of this work, students will choose a hero they are interested in. Then, they'll read to learn more about that hero and share with others about their hero. "Heroic" discussions at home are certainly encouraged! :)
Read Aloud: We will begin a book called Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan. I read this book last summer and fell instantly in love with it. The story is a beautiful historical fiction novel of three different, seemingly unconnected stories. I believe the students will love it, and you may just want to read it as well!
Language Arts: The students will be finishing their expository essays on how the explorers affected the Native Americans. We will also review run-on sentences and fragments as they edit their own papers.
Math: I plan to finish the unit on division this week as many students are nearing mastery on the topic. Let your child explain how he/she is dividing. It looks a little different than the way what you were taught, but it really makes a lot of sense!
Alabama History: We will talk briefly about the War of 1812, how it ties into the Creek War and the changes ahead for the Native Americans because of the outcome of these two wars.
Science: We will begin a short unit on the Moon this week. If you happen to be outside in the evening on a clear night, have your child notice the moon and begin looking for patterns.
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