In Math this week, we have been using the frames and arrows diagram to solve number problems requiring addition and subtraction. We have also been using number lines to solve for unknown addends. In Language Arts, we have started another writing cycle, again, with a focus on personal narratives. This time we are working on the ideas trait of writing, and including adjectives in our writing to make our stories more interesting. We are also reviwing writing hooks, showing emotions rather than telling, and using sequencing words. This week during our UOI block, we inquired into the lifecycle of a butterfly. We looked at book, searched the playground, and watched videos to learn all about butterflies, their parts, and their life cycle. One of our inquiries was on how it feels inside a chrysalis. Students wrapped each other up in toilet paper (which we will recycle to use in Art later this year), to find out what if feels like to be in, and break free from a chrysalis. This was so much fun! We also spent some time working on our dramatic skills, acting out the lifecycle of a butterfly. We ended our week with a trip to Ferme d'Ivato. We had such a fun day together looking at plants and animals up close. Here are a few photos from our day together. I want to thank Josephine's mother, David's grandmother, and Van Fy's mother for joining us. It was a wonderful day.
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We had such a wonderful spirit week! I absolutely loved all of the amazing outfits you children came in this week. Thanks so much for making the effort! In Math, we have spent the week using the number line and number grid to solve addition and subtraction problems. We have also continued to review skip counting, adding tens, and doubles facts. Try using a number grid at home to add tens by moving down a space. Most of our little learners are starting to see patterns on the number grid looking at the changing numbers in the ones and tens place.
Every day this week, we have focused on a different long vowel sound and the different digraphs and diphthongs that make them. We have watched the Alphablocks videos above first, and then broken up into small groups, reading and sorting words to reinforce our understanding of the different combinations that make long vowel sounds. Please continue to identify these when you are reading at home. I also suggest that you re-watch some of these videos with your children. We have also began a novel study, looking at the book 'The Wizard of Oz'. We are working in different groups to explore picture book versions, graphic novel versions, and text versions of this iconic story, so that everyone has a solid understanding of the plot. During our UOI period, we have moved from learning about the life cycle of plants to the life cycle of animals. We have begun by looking at the life cycle of a human, as we can relate so well to this. We have been talking all about babies and human growth! There have been many interesting inquiries, that we have been exploring at school, and that I encourage you to continue to explore at home. Talk with your child about their length and weight as a baby, in order to incorporate Math into everyday discussions at home.
Have a wonderful weekend. In Math, we will be spending the week working on using the number line to add and subtract. The number line is a geometric “model” of all real numbers. Unlike counters, which model only counting, the number line models measurement, which is why it must start with zero. (When we count, the first object we touch is called "one." When we measure using a ruler, we line one end of the object we’re measuring against the zero mark on the ruler.) Part of the power of addition and subtraction is that these operations work with both counting and measuring. Therefore, to understand basic operations like addition and subtraction, we need a number line model as well as counters. At the beginning, children may sometimes use the number line to find answers to arithmetic problems (e.g., figuring out what 3 + 10 is, before that becomes automatic to them) but that is never its purpose. We don’t rely on the number line for getting answers -- for that, we want the children to know basic facts and methods and use their heads -- but we do use the number line to understand things about the operations (addition and subtraction) and to understand what the answers mean. In Language Arts, we looked at all of the ways to make the long a sound. We began by watching the Alphablocks video above. After that, we broke up into three centres to play some games that required reading a number of long a words spelled in a variety of ways. We continued our Inquiry into elections by reading a passage on elections and answering comprehension questions. We then read the book 'If I Were President' (above) and discussed all of the things we would/could do if we were president.
Student work on this was so fantastic that I decided to display it on the bulletin board outside the office. Please check it out if you have time when you are on campus. Apologies for the American flag illustration. After all, I am Canadian. I am expecting a little grace for my rendition. |
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March 2017
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