Xīnnián kuàilè (Happy New Year)

We were treated with some fortune cookies and Chinese good luck wishes from Panda Express this Wednesday.  Students got to enjoy an educational video on Chinese culture and the history of the Zodiac Calendar.  They learned that this year, the year of the dog will be celebrated.  People who are born in the year of the dog are said to be loyal, honest and the truest of friends.  Students also learned about the lantern festival, Chinese dragon and lion dances, and even hongbao (lucky red envelops).  

Here is a summary of what happened in our classroom:

​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 different scientific concepts the author presents within the same text.  
• 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.  Using a similar double-bubble map, students describe the connections by comparing and contrasting the two habitats.  Some differences they found out were that tropical rainforests are hot all year around, are located near the equator, and sunlight cannot reach the forest floor.  Whereas in a temperate rainforest, there are seasons (hot and cold), they're located in the Northern hemisphere, and sunlight does reach the forest floor.   The similarities are that they both rain a lot (about 100 inches a year!), have lots of tress, have layers, and are homes for many animals.  
• In writing, students learned about Word Choice.  We read a fiction story called Rainforest by Helen Cowcher to notice the words (specifically the verbs), the author uses which makes the story more interesting.  We noticed words like dwell instead of live, trooped instead of walked, and dart instead of run.  We made a list of overused verbs and came up with better alternatives. Students went back to their rainforest animal drafts to see if they could change out any of their words.  

In math...

• Students learned about estimation with a curved number line to help them determine  which ten a number is closer to.  Then after estimating, students found the differences between 2 two-digit numbers.   The video below shows the idea of a curved number line, although the numbers in the video are larger than the numbers our students estimated, the concept still applies.  

• Students learned to subtract a two-digit number from a three-digit number when decomposing the ten.  For example in the problem, 162 - 28 = ?  students learned to trade a ten for 10-ones.  So instead of representing 162 as 1-hundred, 6-tens, and 2-ones, they draw the numbers as 1-hundred, 5-tens, and 12-ones.   
• Students then transferred this same concept of trading into the hundreds place.  For example in a problem like 126 - 41 = ? students learned to trade the hundred for 10-tens.  Instead of representing 126 as 1-hundred, 2-tens, and 6-ones, students represented it as 12-tens and 6-ones.   

REMINDERS AND ANNOUCEMENTS​

• No school on Monday 2/12 for Teacher's Institute Day
• Student Curriculum Showcase is on Tuesday 2/20 and Wednesday 2/21 in the Cafeteria.  Students have been working very hard on their animal writing and mix-media art project that will be featured during this event.  This is a school-wide event and parents are welcomed and encouraged to come.  Viewing times for parents are still pending, but as soon as that becomes confirmed, more information will be sent home.