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October 3rd, 2008
Dear Parents,
I cannot believe that it is already October!!! We are off to a great start
and have already learned so much. I am looking forward to all that is ahead!
This week in:
Reading we discussed various word strategies that good readers use when they
come to a word they don’t know. The books used for the focus lessons this
week were: Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon, It’s Hard to Be 5, Charlie the
Caterpillar and Meanwhile Back at the Ranch. As I read the stories to the
students I stopped at specific spots to model the various strategies: finding
smaller words inside of bigger words, chunking, finding base words and
skipping words and going back later. We charted the strategies throughout the
week and discussed that good readers use more than one strategy as they read
through a story. During independent reading the students used post-its to
record places they had used a strategy. Once a reader successfully reads a
word it is always great to ask yourself three questions: does it look right,
does it sound right and does it make sense? I gave each student a laminated
bookmark on cardstock to keep in their book boxes that reminds them of the
strategies and the three questions. You should have also received a paper
copy of this bookmark throughout the week to help your child with reading at
home.
Math we discussed number grids even further and began to fill in blank spaces
on various number grid puzzles. We discussed if a number is one to the left
we subtract one, one to the right we add one, one below we add 10 and one
above we subtract 10. This week we also discussed equivalent names for
numbers. For example equivalent names for 12 are 6+6, 13-1 or one dozen. This
week we also began discussing the <,>, = symbols and practiced several
examples together as a whole group. I always tell the students to remember
the greater than symbol as a giant alligator mouth. Of course the giant
alligator is going to want to eat the bigger number so this typically helps
students better understand the skill. If you have other tricks at home feel
free to use those as well. The students worked in their independent math
journals this week as well. Keep in mind that I form re-teach groups on
Fridays for students who are struggling with certain skills. Working with
your child at home for extra practice is always great as well!!
Writing we continued to work on using partners to assist us in adding to our
piece. The children worked in partners where they both had a job to do. The
two jobs were the writer and the partner. When it was the writers turn they
need to tell their partner their topic, why they choose their topic and to
read their piece of writing to their partner. The partners job was to listen
carefully to the piece of writing, tell one thing they liked about the piece
of writing and one thing they had a question about. We will further explore
how important conversation about pieces of writing can be to the publishing
process.
Science this week we continued with the Rock Unit! Towards the beginning of
the week the students made a rock reference book which will be added to their
Rock Folder. The reference book will be a tool they can use in the classroom
as a reminder of what the various types of rocks are: igneous, sedimentary
and metamorphic. We also did two fun experiments this week so that the
students will have a better understanding of igneous and metamorphic rocks.
Igneous rocks form when molten material or magma cools and hardens. To
reinforce igneous rocks we melted chocolate chips in a large glass bowl and
compared it with the un-melted chocolate chips. Each student had a chance to
scoop out magma (melted chocolate) onto wax paper and we watched as the magma
cooled and hardened. The students then had a chance to eat their magical
molten material that had solidified into an igneous rock!! Later in the week
the students received 15 gum drop pieces and a small square of wax paper.
Each student molded their gum drops pieces into a ball and put it on the wax
paper. Next, the students placed another wax paper square over their gum drop
ball and applied pressure with the palm of their hands. Metamorphic rock
forms when heat or pressure or both are applied to igneous or sedimentary
rocks. The students were able to see that by applying pressure they formed a
new type of rock – Metamorphic!!!
Reminders:
•Return parent teacher conference reminder forms.
•October 10th is an early release day.
*Return Mt. Kearsarge Forms!
Thank You,
B.J. Martin
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