Language Arts:
In the month of November we will be reading the book Molly's Pilgrim. We
will be continuing to discuss friendships and being a good friend which we
began with Frog and Toad.
The story is about a young Jewish girl whose family immigrated from Russia
in the early 1900's. Her family first lived in New York City and then moved
to a suburb of NYC because her father finds a better job and and nicer place
to live. The children at the town's school, especially one girl, make fun of
Molly because she is different. It is through the children's discussion of
Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims, that they discover what the word pilgrim
really means and that Molly truely is a pilgrim.
When working with the Frog and Toad stories we concentrated on the elements
of a story. Now we will begin to discuss each or the elements more in depth.
In Molly's Pilgrim we will be discussing the characters and their traits. We
will also discuss the feelings of the characters and how they change as the
story progresses. All of these concepts are also discussed in relationship
to each student's experiences in real life and how do our actions and
feelings affect our relationships with friends.
We will also be talking about immigration to this country and people seeing
the Statue of Liberty and going to Ellis Island when they arrived in the US.
We will also discuss pre-judging others and how that leads to prejudice.
Math:
Continue to practice the basic fact. Please keep the flashcards available
and in a place where they will not be lost.
We have begun the drills to assess each child's progress in learning to the
facts for quick recall.
We have been studying the various addition strategies. These are to be used
to help a child calculate a problem. Once the fact is known and is recalled
quickly (lickety-split, a snap of your fingersj) then the strategies don't
need to be used. Your child is asked not to use fingers but to try and think
of the answer using the strategies.
Social Studies:
Because of the Presidential Election and our Greenland Veteran's Day
celebration,we have been discussing the Symbols of America. The next time
you are visiting the building, please take the time to look at all the
children's work that is hung on the walls that are outside the gym. They
have done a great job!
We have discussed the Constitution, the American flag, the Pledge of
Allegiance, the Statue of Liberty, and Uncle Sam.
Science:
We are discussing New Plants and how they grow.
We have observed seeds, both on the outside and the inside. We have also
watched a seed begin to grow by planting seeds in a clear cup with a piece
of absorbant paper. The children could actually see the seed begin to
germinate as it does under the ground in the dirt.
