We have been busy this week with fractions, fairy tales, research clubs, and gravity investigations!

By spring break we will have finished our 2nd math unit on fractions. We will also be finishing our science unit on Force and Motion. Students are working in pairs or trios to complete an electronic book, called Book Creator, to show their learning in this unit. Once these are complete, we will post them on Seesaw.

In writing, students are working on their final copies of their fairy tales. We have recently worked on ways fairy tales end and making sure our scenes include a balance of action, dialogue, and some figurative language.

In reading, each student voted on an animal to research. Ask your child which group he or she is in. We practiced identifying subtopics across several books, choosing one subtopic to research, and synthesizing information across texts.

Below are some pictures of our research groups in action. For March is Reading Month, we read in a different place–the Collaboration Studio.

Also with iPads going home again, several boys and girls are forgetting to charge their iPads at night, making them difficult to use at school. A few have left them at home as well. I’m requesting your help in making sure they return each day charged–especially with the need to complete the science books on them. Thank you for your help with this!

Have a great first weekend of SPRING!

 

Our highlight this week was science, as we explored which material makes the best ice skates. We tested 5 different materials (foam, bubble wrap, aluminum foil, wax paper, and magazine pages) to determine which material created the least amount of friction. Below our a few photos of our investigation.

In writing, we used Seesaw to storytell our fractured fairy tale ideas. We also began to write our fairy tales, using a narration technique called the “backstory” to introduce our characters. In this unit, we are working more in depth on paragraphing, dialogue, figurative language, and showing the passing of time.

In reading, we compared and contrasted 2 characters (their traits, problems, and reactions to problems). We took part in our first debate in our book club groups, involving characters from our books. Students are learning to incorporate evidence to justify their opinions. We also explored theme and lessons to stories. Next week we will wrap up our study of characters and prepare for a nonfiction unit in reading workshop.

In math, we reviewed and took a test on our first fraction topic! We are ready to begin our 2nd, more in-depth, topic on fractions. We are continuing to memorize and master our multiplication facts, which will make our division mad minutes easier.

Have a great week!

Thank you for attending conferences! I enjoyed the opportunity to meet with each of you.

We ended out half days celebrating the conclusion of our mentor text, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. Thank you to everyone who was able to send in a dog picture. I can say that the students’ reactions were priceless. I loved it!

Today we made a “Mistake Tree”–ask your child about it. We also sampled Dump Punch, Littmus Lozenges, Pickles, Winn-Dixie treats, egg-salad sandwiches, and peanut-butter sandwiches. I was surprised by the number of boys and girls who liked egg salad! Wonderful!

Here are a few pictures: