August - September Update

Math

We have started our new math program, enVision, with Topic 1 (Generalize Place Value Understanding). In this topic students will work with numbers through one million, explore place value relationships, compare whole numbers, round whole numbers, and construct arguments.  We will continue with Topic 2   (Fluently Add and Subtract Multi-Digit Whole Numbers).  This topic addresses finding sums and differences, estimating sums and differences, adding whole numbers, adding greater numbers, subtracting whole numbers, subtracting greater numbers, subtracting across zeros and reasoning.  As a reminder, your child will have weekly homework.  This will be given on Monday and is due back Friday.

Reading

During Reading Workshop in the month of August, students began to learn and practice how to think deeply about their reading, determine if they are truly reading “just right books” at their level that will help them grow as readers, and analyze characters’ traits while providing evidence from the text as support. During reading workshop, the students were reading books at their independent level.  I was and will continue conferring independently with readers as well as working with kiddos in a small group format as I focus on the aforementioned skills. They will use sticky notes, graphic organizers, and record their thinking in their Reader's Journal as they annotate their text. 

Our reading focus in September will be on interpreting characters.  Students will focus on several strategies including finding a book they want to read, reading as if they are in the book, figuring out confusing parts, noting important things to talk about, doing the work the book is requesting, finding the flow of the book, and making movies in their mind.  All of these are strategies used to read intensely.  Throughout this unit the kids will learn how to make inferences about character traits, how to discuss the importance of story elements, evaluate characters’ responses and change, analyze parts of a story in relation to the whole story, and determining themes and cohesion.  I could really use your support at home….please encourage your child to read.  Volume matters!!

Science

We are now fully into our exploration of ecosystems. Thus far the kids have studied biotic and abiotic factors that exist in ecosystems.  As September begins, we will dive deeper into the unit by studying the five characteristics of all living things, how biotic and abiotic factors impact each other, how plants and animals adapt to their environment, and explore a variety of physical and behavioral adaptations. As we do so, we will study the different ecosystems that exist in our world and how human behavior impacts those ecosystems and the animals and plants that live there. Toward the very end of the month, the kids will each choose an endangered species to study.  They will research its habitat, diet, adaptations, its place in the food chain, the reasons it is endangered, and then they will craft a call to action with ideas on how to save the species. This information will turn into a brochure that the kids will create and share with one another.

Writing

During Writing Workshop in September, the kids will mine through the seed stories they have written in their Writer's Notebook as they select a story idea for their first realistic fiction piece. I will model how to take a story idea for realistic fiction and create a main character who has fully developed internal and external characteristics and one or more conflicts to solve. By doing this, they will see how we use techniques such as figurative language, dialogue, apt word choice, details and description, and paragraphing to create a detailed realistic fiction piece that shows vs tells about the character, his or her struggles and how he/she works to solve those problems. Once the kids have selected their own story idea, they will learn how to create a story arc to develop the plot of the story. They will create scenes for the story arc (all modeled by me first) and then ultimately begin their rough draft using their story arc and planned scenes as a guide. 

Buddy Time

Our class has already met with Mrs. Graham’s second grade class. The kids learned a bit about their buddy during their first meet.  They are all very excited!