3-27-15

3-27-15

Language Arts

We are still talking about the Big Idea that “Living things change over time.” This week we will explore the question “What helps you make a decision about a character?” It definitely takes a long time to make a rug, as we will find out when we read the narrative nonfiction selection The Goat in the Rug. It also takes a long time to make a basket, which we will know more about after reading the informational text Basket Weaving. What else takes a long time to make?

Target Vocabulary: sharpening, spinning, strands, weave, yarn, dye, duplicated, delicious 

Phonics Skills: Suffixes -y, -ly, -ful; final stable syllables -tion, -ture 

Vocabulary Strategy: Multiple-meaning words

Comprehension Skill: Conclusions— use details to figure out more about the text 

Comprehension Strategy: Summarize— stop to tell important ideas as you read

Math

Module 6:  Foundations of Multiplication and Division

Topic A:  Formation of Equal Groups

Lesson 1 

Objective: Use manipulatives to create equal groups.

Lesson 2 

Objective: Use math drawings to represent equal groups, and relate to repeated addition. 

Lesson 4 

Objective: Represent equal groups with tape diagrams, and relate to repeated addition.

Topic B: Arrays and Equal Groups

Lesson 5 

Objective: Compose arrays from rows and columns, and count to find the total using objects.

 Economics

                                   

The students explored how the money earned from work moves through a community and the impact that money has on people, business, and government.  Students also participated in a decision that benefits their school community.  They voted to express their choice and to determine the will of the majority.  Finally, we learned about money and how it moves through the community.

We finished up the 5 lessons from the Junior Achievement program.  I always use the program as an introduction to economics.  Next week we will continue to move forward with more economics.  Students will learn the difference between needs, wants, producers, consumers, goods, services, natural resources, human resources, and capital resources.

3-20-15

March 20, 2015

This week: During the next few weeks, we will be exploring the theme Changes, Changes Everywhere. We will read about babies that grow up, making new friends, how plants grow—even how goat wool gets changed into a rug! As we read, we will explore the Big Idea “Living things change over time. ”During this first week, we read Penguin Chick, about emperor penguins and how they raise their babies. This selection gave us information to use as we think about the question “How do you know which facts are important?

This week’s…

Target Vocabulary: finally, junior, otherwise, slippery, steer, waterproof, webbed, whistle

Phonics Skills: Words with r-controlled vowels er (father), ir (bird), ur (nurse)

Comprehension Skill: Main ideas and details—tell important ideas and details about a topic

Comprehension Strategy: Infer/predict—use text clues to figure out important ideas

Math

We wrapped up Module 5 this week.  We will move forward with Module 6 next week which focuses on the foundations of multiplication and Division.  Here is the Module 6 Tips for Parents.

Social Studies

Ms. Keith started our Economics Unit this week.  She is teaching this unit using a program called Junior Achievement.  The first lesson was entitled, How Does a Community Work? The students had to identify a variety of jobs in the community and recognize how people live and work in their community. The second lesson, Sweet O Donuts, had the students learning about the production of donuts and how an assembly line works. The children were asked to make paper donuts.  Once each donut was made, they needed to put three ingredients on the back, and then add the filling.  This was a great activity!  The third lesson explores how the money earned for work moves through a community and the impact that money has on people, businesses and government.  The children really enjoy this portion of Econ.

Book Orders

I sent home all 3 book orders for March home with the children today.  The easiest way to order is on-line.  If you'd like to make a check out to Scholastic and send it to school, I will place the order for you.  I plan on having book orders for the rest of the school year so you can stock up for the summer.  It might also be a good idea to start looking at some of the 3rd or 4th grade level books.  The class code and Scholastic link is under Web Links at the top of the page.

3-13-15

3-13-15

The 2015 Growlers Reading Program

We are participating in the Kalamazoo Growlers's reading incentive program this spring.  All the kiddos have to do is continue reading at home and turn in their reading logs.  Everyone qualified for a single already and will work toward the rest of the prizes each week.

Prizes

Single (3 reading logs)-(1) free voucher for a Launch-a-Ball at any 2015 home game! Launch a Ball is a post-game activity where kids throw a ball at targets on the field to win prizes!

Double (3 reading logs) –  (1) Free spin voucher for the Growlers Prize Wheel – prizes include broken game-used bats, autographed memorabilia, and much more!

Triple (3 reading logs) – (1) set of Growlers baseball cards!

Home Run (4 reading logs)  – (1) ticket to Reading Day at the Ballpark on Sunday, June 14! They are also entered into to win the Growlers VIP Experience that includes a private meet and greet with the team, batting practice, throwing out the 1st pitch, and one inning as the PA announcer during the game! –

See more at: 

http://northwoodsleague.com/kalamazoo-growlers/growlers-reading-program/#sthash.As1y6Y6q.dpuf

Language Arts: 
We did not have a story this week.  We focused on Informational Writings.  We started the week picking a famous american to write about and ended the week writing about polar bears.  Informative writings can be difficult to organize because their is so much info.  We are practicing writing in paragraph form.  Students need to remember to indent, start with a topic sentence, good details that support the topic sentence, and finish with a closing sentence.

Strategies for Decomposing Tens and Hundreds Within 1,000

Lesson 13: Relate manipulative representations to the subtraction algorithm, and use addition to explain why the subtraction method works.

Lessons 14–15:   Use math drawings to represent subtraction with up to two decompositions, relate drawings to the algorithm, and use addition to explain why the subtraction method works.

Lessons 16–17:   Subtract from multiples of 100 and from numbers with zero in the tens place.

Lesson 18: Apply and explain alternate methods for subtracting from multiples of 100 and from numbers with zero in the tens place.

Student Explanations for Choice of Solution Methods

Lessons 19–20:   Choose and explain solution strategies and record with a written addition or subtraction method.  



Module 6 Preview:

3-6-15

3-6-15

Language Arts

We’re going to wrap up our Heroes and Helpers unit by exploring the question “How can stories be alike and different?” First, we’ll read the fantasy story Dex: The Heart of a Hero, about a dog that becomes a superhero! We’ll also learn about some real heroes in the informational text Heroes Then and Now.

Target Vocabulary: depended, overlooked, sprang, studied, gazing, hero, exercise, sore

Phonics Skills: Words with r-controlled vowels or (for), ore (bore) 

Vocabulary Strategy: Prefix over- (means “above” or “beyond”)

Comprehension Skill: Compare and contrast—tell how two things are alike or not 

Comprehension Strategy: Monitor/ clarify—find ways to figure out what doesn’t make sense

Social Studies

This week we traveled to South America and North America.  That leaves Asia and Africa for next week and that should about wrap it up.  I plan on assessing everyone next week.  Everyone will be responsible for labeling the 7 continents and 5 oceans on a map.  They also need to know that they live in the city of Portage, which is in the state of Michigan, in the country of the United States, which is on the continent of North America.

Field Trip

We will be attending Charlotte's Web at Shaw Theater on Friday, March 13th.  We will be leaving Lake Center around 11:30 and returning around 2:15.  I have everyone's permission slip so thank you for getting those back to me so quickly. Since we will be leaving during our lunch time, we will be eating lunch in the room that day.  I will need everyone to pack their own lunch for that day.  You can order a sack lunch from the cafeteria, just please let me know ASAP so I can tell Mrs. Gambill in the lunch room.

Math

Lesson 6 

Objective: Use the associative property to subtract from three-digit numbers and verify solutions with addition.

Lesson 7 
Objective: Share and critique solution strategies for varied addition and subtraction problems within 1,000.

Topic B

Strategies for Composing Tens and Hundreds Within 1,000

Lesson 8 & 9

Objective:  Relate manipulative representations to the addition algorithm.

Lesson 10 & 11 

Objective: Use math drawings to represent additions with up to two compositions and relate drawings to the addition algorithm.