Literatura
Fox in Socks!
This week we finished working with Picasso. Our objectives were:
- to use comprehension skill compare and contrast as we read the story the second time
- understand the nuances of definitions in word chains
- understand how authors use setting, description, emotions, and word choice to create a tone in a story
- recognize and understand the difference between definite and indefinite articles
- understand meaning of new spelling words
Students have reader #18 due Monday!
Matemáticas
Truffula Trees!
This week we continued working with measurement. Our objectives were:
- read scales in kilograms and grams
- estimate and find actual masses of objects using different scales
- convert units of measurment
- Estimate and find the volume of liquid in liters and milliliters
- find the volume and capacity of a container
- convert units of measurement
- build a Truffula tree using the material provided that measures at least 7 inches tall and stands on its own
History & Geography
Social studies with Ms. Marci
This week we finished the read-alouds for our unit on the Viking Age. The class wrote a letter from one of the characters in our lessons describing life in Iceland. We learned about Viking runes and each student made a rune set. We worked on our group puppet skits. We took our assessment on Thursday as well. The class had fun celebrating the end of this unit by sampling some Viking bread, cheese, and honey, watching our skits, and playing with our class made rune stones.
Our objectives were to:
• recall that the Viking people relied on farming, fishing, and trade for their living
• explain the importance of Erik the Red and Leif Eriksson
• identify the three orders of Viking people: thralls, karls, jarls
• describe the everyday life as a Viking people
• explain that the Viking people built and
used ships for different purposes
• identify and locate Scandinavia as the area from which Vikings originated
• locate Greenland, Iceland, Newfoundland, Canada, Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and Norwegian Sea
• identify the Vikings as the earliest known Europeans to travel to North America
Social Studies with Ms. Laura We talked about how winning the Revolutionary War did not solve all of the problems facing a young America. We talked about the writing of The Constitution and the need for compromise. We studied the important language in the Preamble. We talked about the ratification of The Constitution and the writing of The Bill of Rights. We constructed a timeline of important dates and events. We talked about writing our own class constitution and, for Tuesday, March 6th, will bring two suggestions to be included.
Science
This week in our new science domain, Astronomy, we read about planet Earth and began to learn about our solar system. The class added to our KWL chart as we went through each lesson. We also broke up into partner groups to work on a brief research project about the planets. Each group will gather info on one planet to later share with the class. We learned the mnemonic device, Many Very Energetic Mermaids Just Swam Under Neptune in order to sequence the names of the eight planets in their position from the sun.
Our objectives were to:
• identify the sun as a constant source of heat and light energy
• classify the sun as a star
• identify our planet earth as the third planet from the sun and ideally suited for life
• demonstrate how day and night on Earth are caused by Earth’s rotation
• explain what happens during a solar eclipse and lunar eclipse
• describe the characteristics of a planet
• describe the eight planets of our solar system and their sequence from the sun
• describe stars at hot, distant, and made of gas
• compare and contrast asteroids, meteoroids, and comets
English Word Work
Spelling groups got their new sorts on Monday and had a spelling test on Friday. In our journals we used the word of the week ” ” in one entry and students could use the idiom “rule the roost” in another.
For grammar we worked on metaphors, similes, and personification in writing.
Specialists
Dear SWS families,
It was so fun having Valentines Day on a Wednesday this year! Thank you so much for
all the sweet Valentine cards, chocolate, and beautiful flowers!
This month the students did a variety of art projects:
• Clay Pottery
Many thanks to Ms. Karen for teaching the students about coil pottery and
showing them how to use glazes to create Native American patterns.
• Valentines Day Pictures
The 2nd and 3rd grade students cut out symmetrical paper vases and filled
them with a variety of heart shaped flowers for a Valentine still life.
• Snow Day!
• Black History Month: Faith Ringold Story Quilts
We looked at Faith Ringold’s book Tar Beach, which is based on one of her
famous Story Quilts of the same name.
The Objectives were:
- Draw a picture of yourself flying, using basic shapes, with oil pastels.
- Add background shapes to create a city setting, similar to Faith Ringgold’s New York skyline.
- Use scrapbook papers as “fabric” to create a quilt border.
This hard-working class completed this project in one class period! These fun quilt designs are
on the bulletin board at school.
I still have the students’ collection of Native American art (Salmon drawings, Horse decoration
designs, and Totem Pole art) that I’ll send home soon.