Week of February 18th, 2013

We had E.L.F. and learned a lot about galls!

Our Force and Motion experiment this week focused on changing the ramp from the smooth side to the bumpy side.  Students had to make a prediction if the texture of the board would affect how far the ball went.

We started writing procedure pieces or "How To" books.  We started this week by watching this video of a child describing how they ate the Oreo   We wrote the steps down as a class.  Students then got to eat one Oreo and write their own "How to Eat an Oreo" piece.  Students worked on using transition words like next, finally, and after.  It was a lot of fun!

Here is the video if you would like to watch it!

We are working hard in our reading groups!  This group read Freckle Juice this week.

Our Word Wall words this week were this, their, and make.

Week of February 11th, 2013

This student is marking up words on the BrightLink.  This helps us to remember spelling and writing rules.

These students are checking out the goodies in their Valentine's Day mailboxes.

Mrs. Jop taught us how to make "Magic Books" in special Valentine's Day colors!

On Wednesday, Mrs. Jop taught us how to paint the covers for our "All About" books.  She even came back on Thursday to put them on for us!

Lupe Sears came in to tell us about her job as a scientist, and the different kinds of birds she studies.  Mrs. Baer's class joined us too!

Monday was the 100th day of school!  We celebrated by reading Jake's 100th Day of School, and we did some writing using the number 100.

Math Centers

Our math centers this week consisted of Ipads, the BrightLink, and small group work with Ms. H.  Students at the Ipad and BrightLink centers practiced their addition and subtraction skills.  The BrightLink games were Penguin Party and Minus Mission.  The small group work focused on how to solve story problems that have more than one rule.  Students had to create and label multiple equations that had the same answer.

Our Word Wall words this week were which, them, and that.  

Valentine's Day

Our mailboxes are ready for Valentine's Day tomorrow! You don't have to bring Valentine's Day cards in but if you do you must bring one for everyone!

Week of January 28, 2013

We were lucky enough to have ELF this week.  We learned about birds, and their migration process.  These students were playing a migration game outside.

We continue to work on our nonfiction "All About" books.  Students have been working on writing hooks, to get their readers interested in their books.  We are lucky enough to have a volunteer coming in next week to help us turn our writing into real books!

 These students are playing a math game called Make Ten.  This helps students to identify numbers that make ten, and create equations to represent their thinking.

Also in math this week, Mr. Bouchard came in to help us use the Notability app.  Students used this app to show their math thinking.  Students chose manipulatives,  took a picture, and then showed their thinking in the app.  They did this by using labels and equations.  Students are still working on this process, but examples will be up soon!

Math Centers

Students participated in three math centers this week.  The first math center was playing the card game War. Students could play in two different ways.  The first way students added two cards together to see who had the most, and the other way students had to put their cards in order to make the biggest two digit number.  At the Ipad center, students focused on 5 apps that help with addition and subtraction math facts.  These apps were Finding Sums, Adding Apples, Meteor Math, Math Garden, and PopMath.  The last center was working with Ms. Henault on math facts.  Students discussed how some math facts can help you to solve other math facts.  Discussion centered around adding and subtracting 0, adding and subtracting 1, turn around facts, and doubles.  Students completed a worksheet individually and then we played Sum Swamp as a group.  This board game was such a big hit, some students chose to play it during free choice on Friday.  

Our Word Wall Words this week were look, each, and so.

Check Out Our New Books!

We have new books on our bookshelf.  Ladybug Life Cycle is one of the nonfiction books we have been reading to learn about the parts of nonfiction texts.  The World According Humphrey is our read aloud book.  It is about the life of Humphrey, a class pet.   Motion: Push and Pull, Fast and Slow and Do-4U the Robot Experiences Forces and Motion are books we have been reading during our Force and Motion unit.

Week of January 21st, 2013

Force and motion is off to a great start!  This week student wrote in their science notebooks about what they  thought force was and what they thought gravity was.  Then they made an illustration to prove their thinking.  We also read the books Do-4U the Robot Experiences Force and Motion and Motion: Push and Pull, Fast and Slow.

We have had a very busy week in math this week!  Students have been working on solving part, part, whole problems.  Students can solve these using addition or subtraction strategies.  It also helps students to make the connection between addition and subtraction.

Today, we came up with this math statement and then worked together to prove it.  Every student made an equation on an index card, and it will all be hung up in our classroom.  We will continue to come up with different math statements, and then try to prove our thinking.

Today we started up a new math unit called Number Games and Crayon Puzzles.  This unit focuses on combinations of ten, combinations of different numbers, and addition and subtraction.  Students worked with a partner to create a tens frame and an equation that showed a combination of 10.

Math Centers

Students played Telling Time and Coins on the Ipad Center.  Everyone is getting better at identifying and showing time to the half hour!  They played Money Exchange at the Game Center.  Plus, students proved their time telling skills while playing Dino Bingo: Telling Time with an adult.

Our Word Wall words this week are on, see, and not.

Week of January 14th, 2013

We have been measuring up a storm in our classroom!  We have been measuring using kid steps, baby steps, basketball player steps, and craft sticks.  We have been working on recording our data and organizing it from greatest to least.  We have had a lot of great math discussions!

 

 

We have started a new science unit!  It is Force and Motion!  Students in the top pictures are exploring the ramps and balls.  In the bottom two pictures, students are doing our first science experiment.  We did our first experiment using a light ball, a heavy ball, and a straw.  Students had to make a prediction about which ball could be blown further.  They worked on measuring the distance with craft sticks, and then recorded their data.  They had to state a conclusion at the end.  We have some great scientists in our class!

We started our Nonfiction Writing unit this week.  We are working on identifying different nonfiction features and their purposes.  Students practiced writing captions, and have picked topics for their own All About Books.

Math Centers

At the "Ms. Henault" Center, students continued to work with money.  We worked on identifying coins, how to count a collection of coins, building a collection of coins, and making trades for bigger coins.  At the game center, students played "Clock Rock."  Students take turns matching time cards to a clock on a board.  When the board is covered a picture is revealed.  We are working on telling time to the half hour.  Mr. Bouchard taught us a new app called Interactive Telling Time.  There are different games inside the app to practice telling time.  Students enjoyed this game at the Ipad center.

Our Word Wall words this week were would, should, and could.  We call these our Oh You Lucky Duck words.

Remember there is no school on Monday the 21st!  Enjoy your day off!  See you on Tuesday!