February 1, 2020

In Langauge Arts... 

• The standard covered this week was 2.RI.2.3 Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.  Students used informational text from Wonders to compare and contrast big ideas the author presents within the same text.  Students learned to use red and blue colored pencils to underline differences they found.  They used both the red and blue to underline similarities.  

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• Students read a text called Alaska: A Special Place, which describes different land features of Alaska as well as compares Northern and Southern Alaska regions and compares Alaska's seasons.  Students used a double-bubble map to compare these scientific concepts within a text.

• Our essential questions this week was What makes different parts of the world different?   Students read another text called Rain Forest by Nancy Smiler Levinson.  Within this text, the author compares a Tropical Rainforest and a Temperate Rainforest.  The author also compares and contrasts the layers within a tropical rain forest.  Using a similar double-bubble map, students describe the connections by comparing and contrasting the two habitats.  

In math...

• We wrapped up our polygon unit.  Students practiced drawing different polygons following criteria.  For example, students had to draw a five-sided polygon with two sides of the same length.  
• After a review of subtraction using a number line, students took the module 7 math assessment. This assessment measured understanding of subtraction using the number line, solving subtraction word problems also using the number line, and polygons.  
• This week students learned a new method of subtraction using base-ten blocks.  Students started off using actual blocks to model their thinking.  Then they learned how to draw base-ten blocks to show the process of subtraction.  
• Students are still working on the understanding of "regrouping" or "trading" 1 ten for 10 ones when there are not enough ones to subtract from.  For example, in the problem 54 - 28 = ?, students would need to regroup 1 ten for 10 ones, to show 54 as 4 tens and 14 ones.  Then, subtracting 2 tens and 8 ones becomes possible.  Check out this video https://learnzillion.com/lesson_plans/4979-subtract-numbers-within-100-using-base-ten-blocks/

In science...

• Students had so much fun using the app Google Earth to help them discover Planet Earth.  Using Google Earth students completed a scavenger hunt. Students first had to find Hawaii, then Oahu, then Kapolei, then Ho`okele Elementary school.  After completing that, student explored other places such as Disneyland, Paris, New York, White House, and some even tried finding their own homes.  Students filled in a map of the continents and the oceans.  Students learned why our planet is called the "Blue Planet" and where water can be found...in large bodies of water such as oceans, river and lakes, but also much of earth's water is found underground and in the form of ice.  
• Students then learned about physical (natural) and human (man-made) characteristics of a community.  Physical characteristics are natural landforms or bodies of water not altered by man, such as mountain ranges, bays, oceans, rivers, forests, icebergs, etc.  Human characteristics are modifications humans made to the land or landforms.  These modifications change the natural shape of the earth.  These changes can be bridges, ports, man-made lagoons, cultivated or farmland, tunnels, roads, etc.  Students identified these structures on maps.