Week of October 16th

Students have worked hard to learn and practice all of the different addition strategies of Topic 3 including 100's chart, place value blocks, open number line, break apart and compensation. It is interesting to see how each child finds a strategy that works for them! And we continually discussed that the "best" strategy is the strategy that gets you the correct sum. Topic 4 is a continuation of learning to fluently add within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and the relationship between addition and subtraction. Students will learn the strategies of partial sums and regrouping. Regrouping is carrying over from the ones to the tens.

In Wonders we asked the essential question What can animals in stories teach us? The lessons in The Boy Who Called Wolf and Wolf! Wolf! were it's always better to tell the truth and friends come in all sizes. Students practiced fluency and expression by reading Aesop Fable Reader's Theater. Each fable ended with a lesson or moral. The comprehension skill of the week was Problem & Solution. The problem is something that goes wrong in the plot. Then there are steps that take place to get from the problem to the solution.

We are starting our second formal writing piece How-To Text. How-To Texts explain how something works or how to do something.  It lists numbered steps in an order that makes sense, uses time-order words (first, next, then, last), gives clear details to support each step and a concluding statement. We followed a How-To text titled Make A Sock Puppy Puppet to make our own puppets. Also, we started writing about How To Carve a Pumpkin with our very own class Jack-o-Lantern. Nouns were the grammar skill of the week.

As we wrap up our Force & Motion unit, we did an experiment with gravity. We used our comprehension skill of problem and solution to determine how to prevent pencils from falling out of a cup. Some solutions included holding the cup, spreading the pencils around the rim and emptying the cup:) we got another stamp in our passport as we traveled to China which was the setting of Wolf! Wolf!. Some interesting facts we learned about China were paper was invented there, they have pink dolphins and sticky rice was used to help build the Wall of China!

Our last W.O.W. is this week with the theme of Bring A Friend. Feel free to have a family or friend join us in walking. It starts at 9:10. If outside, we will exit through the playground/2nd grade drop off doors so you can meet up with us there. Here is the flyer including information on donating tennis shoes. 

Halloween is less than 2 weeks away! We will be having our celebration in the morning before and after the parade. The parade starts at 9 and will probably down to use around 9:20. All parents are invited to both activities! For the parade, students are to wear their costumes TO school. No weapons. After the parade, students will need a change of clothes. We still have gym at 10. Don't forget the Pumpkin Festival tomorrow!

Thanks,
Marissa Wilhelm