What's Happening in Room 127? (February)

  February in Review

Here are some of the things we've been working on this month:

 

ELA: Our current unit is focusing on the Native Americans. During this unit students are listening to informational text to learn how Native Americans spread across the continents, changing their ways of life as they moved. They are learning about Native Americans who settles in the Greater Mississippi River area along with the Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Arctic/Subarctic. They are also reading realistic fiction stories to help understand the information they are learning about different Native American cultures.

While reading we are working on different skills such as identifying main idea/supporting details of nonfiction texts, comparing/contrasting information we are learning, identifying how illustrations are supported by the text we are reading, and internal/external character traits of fiction characters.

In the grammar portion of our ELA time students are learning about possessive nouns and pronouns. We are also reviewing subject and object pronouns. The suffixes that we are focusing on in this unit are -ish, -ness, -able, and -ible.

Students are writing a variety of written responses throughout the unit to show comprehension of key details of texts read in class. They are also writing compare/contrast and opinion paragraphs where they continue to use evidence from the text to support their thinking.

 

Math:  We completed a unit on area. In this unit we explored the attributes of squares, rectangles, and trapezoids, tiled rectangles and squares to relate the side lengths to area, used multiplication to find the area of rectangles, decomposed to find the total area of a rectangle, and found the area of composite figures. We are now just beginning fractions. Within this unit we will be working on partitioning a whole into equal parts, taking unit fractions and understanding their relationship to the whole, identifying fractions on a number line, finding equivalent fractions, and comparing fractions.

 

Social Studies:  We just finished a unit on economics. The focus was for the students to understand what a free market economy is, supply and demand, how and why people save money, and global trade. We played some fun games during this unit to help the students understand the concept of supply and demand and global trade!

 

Coming Up

Some of the things that we will be working on in March are:

ELA: continue Native Americans unit

Math: continue fractions unit

Science:  We are starting a new unit about weather.  In the first half of the unit we will focus on the three components of weather:  temperature, wind, and precipitation. 

 

What's Happening in Room 127? (January)

January in Review

Here are some things we've been working on this month:

ELA:   Since wrapping up our unit on ancient Rome we have been reading the novel Stella Diaz has Something to Say.  While reading this novel we have been working on elements of reading fiction text.  As we have been reading we have been practicing different ways to summarize fiction texts by using the "Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then" strategy and the "5Ws" strategy (who, what, where, when, why).  We have also been working on identifying character traits and being able to support those with evidence from the text.  Making predictions and asking/answering questions with text support have also been a part of our daily reading.

The main writing project in this unit is planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing a fictional narrative.  We have also been working on writing written responses in answering questions to the texts that we are reading.  With a written response students need to name the story they are writing about, state their opinion or thesis (or answer the question), give evidence from the story by using exact quotes or summarizing parts of the story, use transitional phrases to lead into the evidence, and explain why their evidence matters.  

Science:  We studied forces and motion.  During this unit we worked on identifying the position and motion of forces, balanced vs. unbalanced forces, we measured patterns of motion to make predictions of future motion, and we learned about bar magnets. The students completed a STEM challenge where given only certain materials (magnet, paperclip tied to a string, masking tape, cups of different sizes, and popsicle sticks) they needed to design and build a structure that would allow a paperclip to float in the air, against the pull of gravity. We also created electromagnets and studied static electricity.  

Math:  We finished module 3 by learning how to multiply by multiples of 10 and solving two-step word problems. It is very important that students keep practicing their multiplication and division facts!  Our current unit is on area.  So far in this unit we have explored the attributes of rectangles, squares, and trapezoids.  We have also tiled rectangles and squares to relate the side lengths to area. 

Coming Up

Some of the things we will be working on in February are:

ELA:  In the next unit we will be reading about the Native Americans.

Social Studies:  Our next unit will be about economics.  

What's Happening in Room 127? (December)

December in Review

Here are some of the things we've been working on this month:

ELA:  We have been learning about ancient Rome.  In this unit we have been reading different selections about the culture and historical events of ancient Rome.  We have also read different myths about Roman gods and goddesses.  While reading we have been focusing on identifying the point of view of a text, main idea/supporting details, and the lesson of a story.  

In spelling we have been focusing on different ways to spell the long e sound (e, ee, ea, ie, and i).  In grammar we have been reviewing verb tenses and the verbs to be and to have.  In this unit we have been learning about the suffixes -er, -or, -ist, -ian, and when we return from break -y and -al.

We are continuing to focus on opinion writing.  During this unit students wrote an opinion piece on which god or goddess they think deserves a statue in present-day Rome.  When we return from break we will be doing a multi-day writing project where students will write an opinion piece about whether they think architecture or Latin was Rome's greatest lasting contribution.

Math: In module 3 we are back to focusing on multiplication and division.  We are focusing on the facts for 6, 7, 8, 9, 0 and 1.  With this, we are working a lot on using the distributive property (or breaking apart method as we sometimes call it) to help break a harder multiplication problem into two simpler problems that are easier for us to solve.  This will be helpful for students when they face a problem that they don't know the answer to, instead of drawing arrays and equal groups.  We have also been solving one step word problems including a variable for the unknown.  It is very important that students keep practicing their multiplication and division facts!   

Social Studies:  We just wrapped up our second unit "History".  With this unit we learned about why people have come to settle in the United States from other countries.  We also spent a lot of time learning about how all of our cultures are unique.  We learned about different languages, holidays, traditions, and foods that communities share.  As part of this unit we learned about different individuals who worked to make their community better.  In groups the students read about one individual and created a human monument that represented the work that this person did.  They also created a plaque describing what the monument shows and how this person helped their community.  

Second Step:  We talked about kindness and friendship.

Health:  In health we talked about assertiveness and bullying.  The purpose of these lessons were to:

• identify peer influences as passive, aggressive, or assertive
• explain why it is important to resist any negative peer pressure to bully others 
• and to practice assertive techniques.

Coming Up
Some of the things that we will be working on in January are:

ELA:  The topic of our next unit will be about space where we will be focusing on comparing/contrasting, cause/effect, and writing informative paragraphs.

Math:  We will be continuing with multiplication and division.

Science:  Our next unit is forces and motion.

Dates to Remember:

Dec. 18 - Holiday Sing 

Dec. 20-Jan. 4 - Winter Break

Jan. 19 - No School

What's Happening in Room 127? (November)

 November in Review

Here are some of the things we've been working on this month:

English/Language Arts (ELA):  This month we completed our ELA unit on poetry.  During this unit we read a variety of rhyming, free verse, and haiku poems.  The students used textual evidence to analyze poetry.  We also learned about different poetry elements such as similes, metaphors, rhyming patterns, alliterations, hyperboles, onomatopoeia, and repetition.  Each child wrote two original poems where they needed to include at least two of these poetry elements in their poem.  To culminate the unit we had a poetry walk.  The poems that everyone wrote were posted around the room.  The kids had the opportunity to read each other's poems and write a compliment for them.

Math:  We continued the second module "Place Value Concepts Through Metric Measurement".  We spent most of the month working with different strategies to add and subtract larger numbers.  Some of the strategies we used are breaking apart numbers and adding/subtracting like units.  We also practiced making the next ten/hundred and using compensation. There are different ways you can manipulate numbers to do these operations, along with the standard vertical form.  The idea is that students will be more comfortable in working with numbers and be able to choose a strategy that they feel comfortable with using.

Social Studies:  We have started our second social studies unit "History".  So far we learned about why people come to settle in the United States from other countries.  We are now learning about how all of our cultures are unique.  We are learning about different languages, holidays, traditions, and foods that communities share.  We will continue with this when we return from break.

Second Step:  We continued talking about emotions.  We talked about different words to describe anger, happiness, and the benefits of taking a break.

Health:  In health we continued to talk about healthy/unhealthy friendships along with healthy/unhealthy influences.  The purpose of these lessons were to:

• to distinguish between healthy and harmful influences on health, explaining why it is important to seeking trustworthy assistance when making health decisions
• describe ways to assertively respond when others try to influence them to participate in dangerous activities.

Coming Up
Some of the things that we will be working on in December are:

ELA:  We have just begun a unit on ancient Rome.

Math:  In module 3 we will be going back to multiplication and division.  We will be focusing on the facts for 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Dates to Remember:

Dec. 8 - MAP testing this week (specific days to come later)

Dec. 18 - Holiday Sing 

Dec. 20-Jan. 4 - Winter Break

What's Happening in Room 127? (October)

 October in Review

Here are some of the things we've been working on this month:

English/Language Arts (ELA):  This month we completed our ELA unit called "Furs, Fins, and Feathers:  Animal Classification".  During this unit students were reading nonfiction and learning how scientists classify animals.  We learned about characteristics of living things and how scientists classify living things using these characteristics.  We worked to deepen our thinking by asking questions such as "How do you know?" and "Why do you think so?"

We also worked with the prefixes un-, non-, re-, and pre-.  We talked about how adding prefixes changes the meaning of root words.  During spelling we reviewed adding the suffixes -ed, -ing, and -es to the end of words and how sometimes when we add these endings the spelling of the root word changes (double the final consonant, change the y to i, etc).  The class also started working with pronouns and turning simple sentences into compound sentences.

In the writing portion of ELA we focused on informational writing.  We took the elements of effective paragraphs that we learned in the last unit with opinion writing (topic/closing sentences, reasons with supporting evidence, and using transition words) and applied it to information paragraphs.  Students chose an animal/animal group to write about.  We went through the entire writing process with this piece (brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing).  The students will be bringing this writing home shortly. Throughout our daily work students were also writing short responses where they were required to use evidence from the text and also completed graphic organizers to show their learning from the reader and read aloud.

Math:  We began our second module which is called "Place Value Concepts Through Metric Measurement".  We have estimated and measured weight and liquid volume by using grams, kilograms, liters, and milliliters.  We also read temperatures on a thermometer, which provided an initial context to rounding to the nearest ten or hundred.  The students used a vertical number line to round numbers and apply their rounding skills to estimate sums and differences.  We are now beginning to work with different strategies to add and subtract larger numbers.  There are different ways you can manipulate numbers to do these operations, along with the standard vertical form.  The idea is that students will be more comfortable in working with numbers and be able to choose a strategy that they feel comfortable with using.

Science:  Our first science unit is called "Environments and Living Things".  During this unit we have been reading and completing investigations to understand why some animals survive better in certain habitats, why some live in groups and others live alone, and why plants and animals change when the environment changes.  We are also learning about fossils and seeing what information the fossil can tell us about the organism from long ago.

Second Step:  We still are talking about growth mindset, but we have also shifted to talking about emotions and what emotions can teach us. 

Health:  In health we focused on two different areas:  resolving conflicts and healthy/unhealthy friendships.  The purpose of these lessons were to:

• to manage and resolve conflicts in a peaceful manner
• to distinguish between health and unhealthy friendships
• explain how strong friendships include being able to express emotions in a healthy way.

Coming Up
Some of the things that we will be working on in November are:

ELA:  We have just begun a unit on poetry.

Social Studies:  When we finish our science unit we will be doing a history unit in social studies.

Dates to Remember:

Nov. 24-28--No School

What's Happening in Room 127? (August/September)

 August/September in Review

At the end/beginning of every month I will send out a newsletter to let you know what has been going on in Room 127, and what will be coming up.

English/Language Arts (ELA):  This month we completed our first ELA unit called "Classic Stories".  During this unit students were exposed to the classic stories of The Wind in the Willows, Mulan, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.  We worked on understanding the elements of fictional narratives such as dialogue, narrations, characters, plot, and setting.  We also talked about perspective, point of view, and the themes of friendship, loyalty, hospitality, and irresponsibility.  

I have also taught students to give themselves comprehension checks as they are reading.  When students are giving themselves a comprehension check they are asking themselves what happened, who was in that part, and is it new information or does it connect to something else in the story?  If students can't answer these questions they need to go back and reread that section/chapter.  This is an extremely important skill!

In the writing portion of ELA we started to focus on opinion paragraphs.  We wrote a teacher-guided opinion paragraph together on the theme of irresponsibility from The Wind and the Willows.  While doing this we reviewed the elements of effective paragraphs (topic/closing sentences, reasons with supporting evidence, and using transition words).  We also reviewed the writing process.  Students then completed their own opinion paragraph which I will share with you at conferences.

In much of our daily work I am stressing writing in complete sentences and using correct capitalization and punctuation.

Social Studies:  We just completed our first unit on geography.  During this unit students learned:  the location of the continents and oceans, how to use cardinal/intermediate directions to describe the location of different places, ways people adapt to different environments based on geography and climate, how the Native Americans adapted to the environment long ago.  

Math:  We have been working on multiplication and division with units of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10.  To start, we worked on the conceptual understanding of multiplication and division.  We then moved into understanding the properties of multiplication.  To explore the commutative property we skip-counted the rows and columns in arrays.  We used arrays and number bonds to model the distributive property when finding the products of unfamiliar facts.  Currently we are working on two interpretations of division to help solidify students' understanding of the relationship between multiplication and division and show division as both unknown factors problems and division equations.  We are now in the last part of the unit and working with the associative property of multiplication and solving two-step word problems using multiplication and division.

Second Step:  Each week we work with a social/emotional program called Second Step.  In August/September we have been focusing on growth mindset and goal setting.  The students have been learning about what happens in their brain when they are learning a new skill.  Growth mindset is going to continue to be a focus for us throughout the school year.

Health:  In health we focused on three different areas:  cultural influences on health. when students should ask for help, and fire safety.  The purpose of these lessons were to:

• explore the differences between healthy/unhealthy influences or traditions
• recognize unhealthy situations and whom to ask for help
• recognize emergency situations involving fire and burns and know to respond appropriately.

Coming Up

Science:  We have begun our first science unit called "Environments and Living Things".

Math:  We will be wrapping up our first math unit this week.  Our next math unit is working on place value concepts through metric measurement.

Take Note:  

*Everyday students make a goal for what page they will read to in their book that evening.  We have talked about making realistic yet challenging goals.  Each child is expected to read at least 15-20 minutes a day Monday-Thursday, and at least one time over the weekend.  I monitor each child's progress with their independent reading.

Dates to Remember:

October 13 - No School
October 9, 21, 23 - Conferences