January 6, 2012
Dear Parents,
We got off to a fast start in this shortened week.
In Reading, we read a George and Martha book (the two hippos); the students made hand signals to show character, problem, setting and solution each time they heard those features come up.
In Read-Aloud, we read a Nate the Great story as a way of studying how mystery stories are different from other stories (the author tells you a problem, then she drops clues so that you can try to figure out the solution -- just like the main character!) In Nate the Great, Nate's friend, Rosamond, has lost her special box. We don’t yet know who took it, but we -- and Nate the Great -- are hot on the trail.
Ear Plugs: I gave each child a pair of foam ear plugs and a baggy. We put initials on the ear plugs, and we practiced using them to keep things quiet when we are doing our reading and our writing.
Writing: we are starting a non-fiction unit. We’re doing research and learning how to come up with a couple of focus questions. We’re also learning how to find information from the pictures and the captions, the index and the table of contents. Who would have thought that ear plugs could be so exciting?
Social Studies: we will start a unit on mapping next week.
Math: second graders are studying doubles (ex: 4 + 4 + ?) and neighbors (4 + 5 =?) as a way of getting automatic with their addition facts. First graders will start studying penguins on Monday in their new unit on measuring and computation.
Want to add your email to our Friendship List? Thanks for the energetic, positive response, everyone, to our idea of having a class friendship list. I will put pictures on the list too. Several parents have asked that we include emails in our friendship lists. Please let me know by Monday if you want me to NOT include your email when I publish and send out our Class Friendship List.
Have a restful weekend, everyone. Your kids have worked hard this week. Way to go.
Mr. B.
