We have completed our first science unit on the patterns of the sun and moon. Students have enjoyed learning through various activities, videos and books. As a final celebration of our learning, the scientists in room 17 have created sun dials. Although today was not a sunny day, the students experimented with flashlights to notice how the light (Sun) will make a shadow on the sundial. On Monday, hopefully a sunny day, we will head outside to test it out for real.
Our stability balls are here! The students are so excited for this new tool in our classroom. We have spent this week learning about them. We have talked about rules and how to take care of them, what they are here for, how to get work done on them and that they are a privilege. This week we took turns practicing a few minutes at a time using them around the room for reading and writing workshop. It is a slow process to get them all inflated and the students needed time to adjust to them in the room before they all had one. Students will be signing promises/ contracts next week that they will continue to use them properly and take care of them. By the end of next week, all students should have one. Look for notes coming home about them, as well as permission slips to be signed.
During out reading workshop, students are taking turns using rockers to sit in. These rockers are wonderful for giving the children some soothing movements much like the rocking chairs they used to be read in. They love when it is their turn to use them.
Last week, our school had a wonderfully creative and inspiring cultural arts show. It was called Cardboard Explosion. In the show, our presenter or story teller used cardboard boxes and pieces to create characters and settings to stories that the audience created part by part. The students were captivated by it. Even our very own Mrs. Kulmann from 1st grade got to be a part of the show as the Cardboard Monster Baby. If you suddenly see your child grabbing at all the cardboard boxes coming in during holiday delivers, do not be surprised. It was so much fun!
Our class attended the Veteran's day assembly to pay honor to those Veterans that belong to our school community. Among them, were many Veterans that belonged to students in our classroom. During the assembly, the students listened to a book read aloud by the 4th graders that paid honor to the Veteran's that return home and become our neighborhood heroes, It was a beautiful assembly. In our classroom we had learned about the 5 branches of the United States Armed Forces and what each branch does. We talked about who a Veteran is and why we celebrate this day.
From our class we would like to say THANK YOU to all Veterans for serving our country. Tomorrow morning is our second Family Read beginning at 9am.
If your child is having breakfast with their Veteran, they can join family read at any time if they wish. At 9:30, we will be joining the school int he cafe for the Veteran's Day assembly. All are welcome to join. The writers in room 17 have been working extremely hard on How-To books. They are fine tuning their genre skills that they began in Kindergarten. They have been adding more specific action words to their steps. Today they worked on adding catchy introductions. I was so proud of them for their hard work. We are also practicing using commas appropriately to separate items in a list. This is happening int he beginning of their books while listing the ingredients or tools needed to complete their How-Tos. Next, students will work on writing endings that wrap up their teaching.
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