Reading
Dramatizing Characters and Deepening our Comprehension
Our class has been working hard to understand the characters in our books! We have been learning that readers understand characters by looking at their actions. Students worked with their Reading Partners this week to compare and contrast characters in different books to better understand the events and character behavior. We also practiced asking and answering thoughtful questions while meeting with our book clubs.
Thoughtful Questions:
Who is your character?
Where is your character?
What is your character doing?
When did your character do something important?
How does your character feel and why?
Writing
Persuasive Writing
This week students started a new Writing unit. Our focus for the next few weeks will be persuasive writing. The class learned that when you write a persuasive paragraph you share your opinion and give reasons why others should agree with you. Together the students brainstormed a list of events for our school.
Here are some ideas:
We should...
- go on a UST camping trip
- have a UST baseball night
- have a UST pool party
- have the zoo visit UST with animals
Each student will need to include great reasons why someone should agree with them. At the end of the unit, I am going to share their writing pieces with Ms. Natasha and student council. We are hoping that some of G1A's ideas can happen at UST this year!
Writing Vocabulary
opinion
reason
Descriptive Writing Pieces:
Math
Addition and Subtraction to 20
*Subtraction Strategies
*Solving Story Problems
Students used what they've learned about addition and subtraction strategies to solve story problems. When solving a story problem, the class uses this checklist:
- Retell the story in your own words to check that you understand what's happening, then ask yourself, "Will there be more or fewer at the end? Are we adding or subtracting?"
- Complete the number bond (What do we know?)
- Draw a picture
- Write the number sentence
- Use the number line
- Write the answer
Science
Air and Weather
*Measuring Temperature
*Watching Clouds
This week we learned all about clouds (cirrus, stratus, cumulus)! We asked, "What types of clouds are in the sky today?" We discussed what makes the clouds move and what happens when the wind is blowing very hard. We also talked about what happens to the clouds when there is no wind. Our class learned that clouds are made of little drops of water and if the water drops get bigger and bigger they might fall as rain or snow, depending on the air temperature.
Science Vocabulary
describe
cirrus clouds
stratus clouds
cumulus clouds
Our new classroom job is Meteorologist. Every week one student will be the Meteorologist. This student will record the weather, temperature, and types of clouds observed in the sky.
Have a wonderful weekend!
- Ms. Allison