Read-Across America Week

This week we were treated with a special guest reader...Mrs. DeBaun (Isabella's mom).  She read to the children The Dot by Peter Reynolds.  Through this inspiring tale, children learned the power of encouragement and perseverance.  If you're stuck, change your perspective, amazing things can happen.  Just..."Make your mark and see where it takes you"

In reading...

• Students read more informational text on earth's changes.  One text was about flash flooding and another about earthquakes.  Both these natural circumstances can make changes to our earth.  The focus this week was on multi-flow maps, hence students learned how to identify both the causes and effects at the same time.  In doing so students addressed the standard 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.​

• So far this year our reading selection for read aloud time included the following books:  The War with Grandpa by Robert Kimmel Smith-a witty story about a boy who leaps into battle with his grandpa when he learns that grandpa's taking his room and moving in.  This story taught us many lessons about compromising and human dignity.  Next in October, we read Bunnicula by James Howe just in time for Halloween!  In this story we learn about how judging people unfairly can have disastrous effects.  Later in December and January, we read one of my all-time favorites by Roald Dahl...Matilda.  Of course in this story we learn of a little girl that, inspite of adversity, when she sets her mind to it, she could achieve anything.  After that, we read the story Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes.  In this story, our class learns of the devastating effects of bullying and discrimination, but also the power of forgiveness.  Now we are on to our next chapter book called The One and Only Ivan, which the students are loving every minute of!  We're reading from the perspective of Ivan, a gorilla living in captivity at a mall exhibition.  

In writing...

• Students are working on an informational writing on natural resources.  They are writing about what natural resources are, how people use them, and how can people conserve natural resources.  
• We also recapped the writing process and created a classroom poster so we can always remember what steps to take. 

In math...

• Using mini geared clocks, students practiced counting by five as the clock hands moves between the hours.  Students learned that time can be said in different ways.  For example, 3:30 can be said as three thirty, half-past three or thirty minutes past three.  Students also practiced using the term "quarter past" when telling time 15 minutes past the hour.  
• Finally, students learned that there are 24 hours in a day and 2 of each hour.  Students learned that different activities take place at different times of the day.  To differentiate between activities that take place during the morning hours and night hours, a.m. and p.m. are used.  Students learned that at 5 a.m. they're still sleeping, but at 5 p.m. they might be doing homework or getting ready for dinner. 

In science...

• Students had so much fun using the app Google Earth to help them discover Planet Earth.  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, farm land, tunnels, roads, etc.  Students identified these structures on maps.