Vocabulary Puzzles

This week we have been learning about the following vocabulary words: humiliated, delusional, lethal, reassure, bamboozle, and intercept. All of these vocabulary words come from our current 39 Clues book that we are reading aloud as a class.
On Wednesday we learned how to create vocabulary puzzles about each word and began creating our own vocabulary puzzles. We included clues about each vocabulary word to solve the puzzle.


Dawson:
1. They might do this in a sport.
2. This word has 9 letters.
3. The first letter of this word is an I.
What word am I?
intercept

Paige:
1. When you're in your underwear.
2. When someone laughs at you.
3. It has 10 letters.
What word am I?
humiliated

Connor:
1. VERY hurtful.
2. A gun shot can be _________.
3. It has 6 letters.
What word am I?
lethal

Magdalen:
1. You stop someone or something.
2. It ends with a t.
3. If you multiply 3x3 that is how many letters it has.
What word am I?
intercept

Josie:
1. Sometimes animals can be this way.
2. A frog can do this.
3. It has 2 vowels.
What word am I?
lethal


Isabella:
1. You are being nice to someone.
2. You might feel sorry for someone.
3. It has 8 letters.
What word am I?
reassure

Abby:
1. A poisonous snake is this.
2. A poisonous spider is this.
3. Poisonous bugs are this.
What word am I?
lethal

Lucas:
1. You want to destroy a team.
2. When you hit a wall.
3. You stop something.
What word am I?
intercept

Ellie:
1. You can't find a word in the word.
2. It means it can do something to you.
3. It has an l at the end.
What word am I?
lethal

Solon:
1. It can make you die.
2. You might not die.
3. It has 6 letters.
What word am I?
lethal

Jack:
1. If someone gets shot with a gun.
2. You could die.
3. It has 6 letters.
What word am I?
lethal

Four Triangle Problem

We began working on our geometry unit and started the unit with the Four Triangle Problem. We used four triangles to create different shapes. We found that we could create 14 different shapes using 4 triangles, all fitting into four different categories: triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, and hexagons. We also learned how shapes can be congruent and when placed on top of each other they are the same. We also compared/contrasted different shapes using a T-chart.

Electrical Circuits

We have been working on our Electrical Circuit unit and learning how electricity works. We learned about insulators and conductors this week and how conductors allow electrical current to pass through them while insulators do not easily allow the current to pass through. We enjoyed being scientists and learning more about how electricity works through our questioning and experimenting.

Tall Tale Characters

The students chose a tall tale to read and write about. Some students chose Mike Fink, while others chose Library Lil or Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett. After reading the tall tales, the students identified and recorded the character traits of their characters, as well as provided evidence for these character traits.

Mike Fink (Maggie)
Brave- He wrestled with the grizzlies.
Strong-He rolled with Carpenter Jack.
Fighter-He wrestled.
Happy-He likes his job.
Independent- He liked being outdoors.

Mike Fink (DJ)
Brave-He was brave because he wrestled grizzlies.
Strong- He took down older kids.
Encouraging-He was encouraging to get a job.
Good Shot-He can shot 3 bullets in the same place.
Active-He walked everywhere he went.
Fun-He wrestled and it was fun.

Mike Fink (Paige)
Brave- He wrestled with the grizzles.
Strong- He wrestled with carpenter Jack.
Fighter-He wrestled.
Happy-He is happy with the job he has.
Independent-He liked being outside.

Mike Fink (Connor)
Brave-Mike tried to wrestle the Big Bart.
Strong-Mike beat Big Bart.
Small for his Age- He was not tall for his age, but he was sturdy and quick.
Acrobatic- Mike once joined a group of aerobic frogs.

Mike Fink (Solon)
Strong-He wrestled grizzlies and won.
Courageous-He stood up to the steam boats.
Good Shot- He got all of the bullets in one spot.
Brave-He wrestled Jack after he got lost.

Mike Fink (Jack)
Strong-He wrestled grizzly bears.
Courageous-He stood up to the steam boat.
Brave-He was brave to fight Jack Carpenter.
Violent-He plays rough.

Sally Ann Thunder (Abby)
Strong-She beat Mike Fink.
Proud-That she invented Bald Eagles.
Loud-She yells a lot.
Very Adventurous-She is always looking for a new adventure.
Fun-Loving- She does a lot of different things.
Tall-She grew up fast and tall.

Sally Ann Thunder (Josie)
Strong-Sally Ann beats Mike Fink.
Proud-She invented the Bald Eagles.
Loud- She yells a lot.
Adventurous- She is always looking for a new adventure.
Fun Loving- She does lots of different things.
Tall-She becomes very tall.

Lil (Izzy)
Strong-She lifted a car.
Smart-She made a tree house and just read a book and she was 7.
Nice-She helped Bust-em up Bill.
Beautiful-A beautiful young women.
Friendly-She was friendly to the kids.
Happy-She was happy when she was reading.

Lil (Ellie)
Strong- She lifted up a car.
Smart-She read a book when she was 1.
Nice-She helped Bust-em up Bill.
Beautiful-She was a beautiful young women.
Friendly-Friendly to the kids.
Happy-She was happy when she was reading.

Mike Fink (Lucas)
Strong-He wrestled Carpenter Jack.
Adventurous-He ran away and played with frogs.
Loud-He hollered to Carpenter Jack "I am ready for round 2."
Crazy-He fought the steam boats.

Persuasive Writing

We began working on persuasive writing this week. We read the book I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff and wrote letters to our parents trying to convince them to get us the pet we want.

Dear Mom,
I want you to let me have a Meal-worm for a pet. First, I promise to feed him every day. Next, I promise to make sure he doesn't get lost. Another reason you should let me is because they  are very cute. Lastly, he would make a great friend.
Love your lonely son,
Conner

Dear Grandma,
May I please have a baby penguin because I will DIE with out one. There so soft and cuddly and sweet.
Love your begging sweetheart,
Abby
P.S. I am old enough to have it!

Dear Mom,
I want you to let me have a kitten for a pet. First, you can pick him out. Second, he won't shed! I will clean the litter box and make sure it doesn't smell. I will pay for the food with my allowance. I will help pay for him. Next, I will buy it a cage. Another reason why you should let me have a kitten is you won't get cat feelings because the kitten could be snuggling with you in your lap. I will share my Ipod with Max just for the kitten. I am old enough to have a kitten. I can pay for the cat sitter while we are on vacation. I will feed the kitten. I will pay for the kitten to get declawed. I will buy it toys. He won't wake everyone because  he could share a room with me. His food and water can go in the basement.
Love your lonely daughter,
Josie 

Dear Mom and Dad,
I want you to let me have a Great White Shark for a pet. First, I will feed it a seal everyday. Next, I will train him to pick up Walt's poop. Another reason you should let me is I will pay for his food with my allowance. Lastly, I promise I will take care of him. I REALLY WANT HIM FOR A PET!!
Love your lonely daughter,
Paige

Dear Mom and Dad,
I want you to let me have some more chickens. I promise I will take care of him or she. Oh no I am starting to cry, what no I am not yes I am no I am not WAAAAA (sniff) (sniff). Can I please (whispering) I hope I can I hope I can. If you guys give me one I will squeeze you as hard as I can.
Love your sad son,
Lucas

Dear Mom,
I want you to let me have a Saber Tooth Tiger for a pet. It would make a great protection. I will feed it every day. I will train it once a day to do tricks and I will play with it. I will get it a toy like a meat toy and I want it please.
Love your crazy son,
Jack

Dear Mom and Dad,
This is why I should have a puppy. First, I will feed it water and food everyday and play with toys that means I will walk it everyday. On Monday, Tuesday, and Sunday's. Next, I will train my pet all by myself. Another reason they are very cute and last I will clean it 5 times a week.
Love you need a pet daughter,
Izzy

Dear Mom, I need a baby Arctic Fox! I will DIE with out one!! I know it is illegal to own one but I NEED one!! They are so cute and cuddly, fun and active!! I need a new friend!!
Love your begging sweetheart,
Dawson

Dear Dad,
I want you to let me have a Komodo Dragon for a pet. First, I will buy him a giant cage with my allowance. Next, I will train it to protect us and I will buy it food with my allowance. Another reason you should let me us I will make sure it is healthy and nice. Lastly, I will DIE without one!!
Your lonely son,
Solon

Dear Dad,
A hamster is a perfect pet for me because first I would clean his cage when it got messy. I would do this even before I play with my friends. Next, I will refill his water and pay for his food with my allowance. Another reason you should let me have a hamster is cause there cute and quiet and I'll pay for his toys so he can  have fun. Lastly, I will clean and groom him  and teach him tricks.
Love your hopeful, lonely and responsible daughter,
Magdalen

Dear Mom,
I want you to get me a Mushie Monster for a pet. First, I 'll train it to change diapers because I know you don't like changing diapers. I'll buy it clothing with my own allowance when I get some. Next, I'll feed it everyday. I'll groom and clean it 4 hours everyday. They are really really quite just please let me have one. I will celebrate it's birthday and it will make great protection for the whole family. I'll buy it toys, I will die without one.
Love your in need daughter,
Ellie

Similes

Our class has been looking for and creating similes. We know that similes compare two unlike things using like or as.

A icicle drips like a broken faucet.
My sky ball bounces like a frog.
A flashlight shines like the sun.
She was beaming like a sunrise.
She took off like a cheetah.
She crawls like a turtle.
The bunny hops like a frog.
The pumpkin is as plump as a turkey!
She runs like a cat.
The pumpkin is as gooey as slime.
The turkey scurries like a mouse.
A baby crawls like a snail.
The turkey is as fast as lightening.
The puppy crawls like my baby sister Harper.
A pumpkin is like a fat mouse that ate to much cheese.
An elephant runs like a guy on a treadmill.
A flashlight shines like a star.
The water shines like glitter.
The leaf is like a piece of paper.
That sword shines like the sun.
That leaf is as orange as a pumpkin.
Caterpillars crawl like baby's.
He hops like a frog.

Chemistry Experiments

Yesterday we welcomed Dr. Shoshanna Coon, a Chemistry Professor at UNI, to our classroom to lead us in some exciting chemistry experiments! The students had a great time learning about many different chemistry concepts and it was a lot of fun!

Electrical Circuits

We began our unit on Electrical Circuits with a discussion of the things we know and questions we have about electricity. Then, today we tried to find the ways to light a bulb, only using 1 wire, 1  bulb, and 1 battery. The students were able to find one way to light the bulb and recorded the explanation with the illustration of the way that worked.

We learned that it worked when we put the bulb on the positive side of the battery (the tip touching the battery) and attached the wire at the bottom (negative) side of the battery and the other end of the wire was to the base of the lightbulb.

The battery, wire, and the bulb work together to make a circuit. There is a path for electricity to travel from one end of the battery back to the other end.

Tomorrow we will try to find more ways to light the bulb, using only the battery, wire, and bulb.

Suffix --tion

We have been learning about suffixes. We learned that a suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a root word to change the meaning of the word. We reviewed the suffix --s (more than one), --ed (happened in the past), and --ing (happening right now).
We used a word from Pecos Bill, admiration, to help us learn about the suffix --tion. We learned that the suffix --tion turns a verb into a noun. We looked at many different words with the suffix --tion to determine the root word. We also learned that some words end with --tion, but they are not a suffix.

inspiration: inspire
exaggeration: exaggerate
deprivation: deprive
multiplication: multiply
addition: add
subtraction: subtract

The students are continuing to look for words with the suffix --tion and we will continue to work on these words next week.

Figurative Language

We began learning about figurative language today. We learned that authors use figurative language to compare two things. We focused on similes today (when authors compare two things using the words "like" or "as" and looked for examples of similes in tall tales and legends. The students discovered the following similes in our stories:

• his head looked as swollen and as orange as a jack-o-lantern
• his elbows stuck out like a grasshopper's legs
• arms flapped up and down ling wings
• black coat fluttered behind him like a sail
• hoof beats falling like a military march
• their gnarled branches almost looked like arms reaching out
• feet as big as shovels
• he looked like a scarecrow escaped from a cornfield
• neck like a turkey's
• head like a hammer
• plump as a partridge
• ripe and rosy cheeked as one of her father's peaches

Math Websites

Here are some math websites in which you can print out addition, subtraction, and multiplication worksheets for your child to complete.

http://www.kidzone.ws/math/dynamic3.htm

http://www.math-drills.com/multiplication.shtml

http://www.math-drills.com/addition.shtml

http://www.math-drills.com/subtraction.shtml

Johnny Appleseed

This week we began our unit on Tall Tales. We started with reading Steven Kellogg's version of Johnny Appleseed and identified the elements of a tall tale.

Tall Tales

• Characters (Usually a hero)
• Setting
• Problem/Solution
  
• Told and retold by many authors
• May be based on a real person or a made-up person
• Includes exaggerations in the story

We identified, discussed, and recorded the descriptive language used in the story. We also learned the following vocabulary words from the story: exaggerate, inspire, boast, and penetrate.
On Wednesday we read Aliki's version of Johnny Appleseed and compared/contrasted the two stories using a Venn Diagram.
Next week we will continue our work with Tall Tales as we read about Paul Bunyan.

Kid Blogs

We are going to start using Kid Blogs to help us discuss and interact with each other about things we are learning about at school.
Our first blog post is about the mystery books that we are reading. Please visit the following link and post your response about your mystery book.

http://kidblog.org/MrsGriswoldsClass/

Your student's username is their first name and password is their last name.
I'm looking forward to finding out about your books!

Mrs Griswold

Multiplication

We have begun working on multiplication. We started with students identifying the things they know about multiplication:

• counting groups
• x0=the answer is zero
• x1=the answer stays the same
• x2=double the number; like addition doubles
• x5=count by 5's
• x10=county by 10's

This week we focused on relating multiplication to addition through the circles and stars activity. The students took turns rolling the dice and creating that number of circles and how many stars are in each circle. The students then created addition and multiplication problems for each picture. This activity really helped the students better understand how multiplication works.

We will continue to work on multiplication next week as we start to work on factor families.

Cause and Effect

We began working on cause and effect in stories. We focused on character's actions and how their actions impacted the story. As a class we read the story Arthur Lost and Found by Marc Brown. We wrote about the characters and how their actions impacted the story.

Character's Action (Cause): Arthur and Buster fell asleep on the bus.
Result (Effect): They missed their stop and got lost.

The students worked in pairs/groups to record character's actions and their results/impact on the story.

Arthur's TV Trouble
Character's Action (Cause): Arthur got the treat timer.
Result (Effect): Pal got enough treats to eat.

Character's Action (Cause): Arthur turned on the treat timer.
Result (Effect): Pal ran so that he didn't get hit by the flying treats/ Pal ran for cover.

Character's Action (Cause): Arthur worked hard for a treat timer.
Result (Effect): He got a treat timer.


Arthur's Halloween
Character's Action (Cause): Arthur and D.W. went into the witch's (haunted) house.
Result (Effect): They got candy.


Arthur's Birthday
Character's Action (Cause): Arthur and Francine came up with a plan to go to both parties at the same time.
Result (Effect): They both had a good party.


Arthur's Pet Business
Character's Action (Cause): Arthur dog sat for Perky.
Result (Effect): He got money for dog-sitting Perky.

Describing Characters

As we were learning about how authors describe characters using descriptive language, we focused on the author J.K. Rowling and how she described the characters in her books. We studied several sections of text in which she described the characters in her story. We created webs of information including the character and the descriptive language used to describe that character.

Dobby

• large, bat-like ears
• bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls
• his long, thin nose touched the carpet
• looked like a large and very ugly doll
• wore an old pillowcase with rips for arms and legs
• respectful of wizards

Harry Potter

• jet-black hair
• stubbornly, untidy hair
• still rather small and skinny
• glasses
• the eyes behind his glasses were bright green
• scar shaped like a bolt of lightning
• jeans were torn and dirty
• baggy and faded t-shirt
• soles of his shoes were peeling away from the uppers

Mad-Eye Moody

• long, grizzled, gray hair
• large chunk missing from his nose
• squinting suspiciously
• one of the eyes was small, dark, and beady
• large, round, and electric blue eye

Severus Snape

• thin man
• sallow skin
• greasy, shoulder-length black hair
• disliked by everyone
• hooked nose
• cruel and sarcastic

Hippogriffs

• part-horse, part-eagle
• large, brilliantly orange eyes
• steel colored beaks
• deadly looking talons
• big, gleaming coats

Place Value Mystery Numbers

We have been working on place value into the millions and identifying the value of each digit. We practiced creating and solving 7, 8, and 9 digit numbers throughout the week. The students created their own mystery number problems with clues to help solve the problem.

My mystery number has 9 digits.
5 is in the thousands place.
0 is in the tens place.
3 is in the millions place.
7 is in the ten thousands place.
1 is in the ones place.
8 is in the hundreds place.
2 is in the ten millions place.
4 is in the hundred thousands place.
9 is in the hundred millions place.
What is my number?

923,475,801


My mystery number has 9 digits.
1 is in the ones place.
9 is in the hundred thousands place.
4 is in the thousands place.
6 is in the hundred thousands place.
7 is in the millions place.
8 is in the ten millions place.
2 is in the tens place.
3 is in the hundreds place.
5 is in the ten thousands place.
What is my number?

987,654,321


My mystery number has 9 digits.
It has a 4 in the ten millions place.
8 is in the one millions place.
6 is in the hundreds place.
9 is in the tens place.
2 is in the one thousands place.
1 is in the hundred millions place.
5 is in the ten thousands place.
0 is in the ones place.
7 is in the hundred thousands place.
What is my number?

148,752,690


This mystery number has 8 digits.
It has a 4 in the tens place.
5 is in the thousands place.
8 is in the ones place.
6 is in the ten thousands place.
2 is in the hundred thousands place.
1 is in the hundreds place.
7 is in the millions place.
3 is in the ten millions place.
What number am I?

37,265,148


The mystery number has 9 digits.
4 is in the ones place.
8 is in the hundred thousands place.
5 is in the tens place.
7 is in the ten millions place.
6 is in the hundreds place.
1 is in the hundred millions place.
2 is in the ten thousands place.
9 is in the millions place.
3 is in the thousands place.
What is my number?

179,823,654


My mystery number has 9 digits.
4 is in the ten thousands place.
8 is in the hundred thousands place.
6 is in the ten millions place.
5 is in the millions place.
9 is in the ones place.
1 is in the hundred millions place.
3 is in the thousands place.
2 is in the hundreds place.
7 is in the tens place.
What is my number?

165,843,279


This number has 7 digits.
9 is in the millions place.
1 is in the tens place.
3 is in the hundred thousands place.
7 is in the one thousands place.
2 is in the ones place.
1 is in the hundreds place.
5 is in the thousands place.
What is my number?

9,357,112


My mystery number has 8 digits.
5 is in the hundred thousands place.
7 is in the millions place.
8 is in the ones place.
6 is in the hundreds place.
3 is in the ten thousands place.
1 is in the thousands place.
4 is in the tens place.
9 is in the ten millions place.
What is my number?

97,531,648


My mystery number has 9 digits.
3 is in the hundred thousands place.
8 is in the hundred millions place.
7 is in the ten millions place.
2 is in the hundreds place.
5 is in the thousands place.
4 is in the ten thousands place.
0 is in the tens place.
9 is in the millions place.
1 is in the ones place.
What is my number?

879,345,201


This number has 8 digits.
4 is in the millions place.
1 is in the ones place.
4 is in the thousands place.
2 is in the hundreds place.
2 is in the tens place.
0 is in the ten thousands place.
9 is in the hundred thousands place.
2 is in the ten millions place.
What is my number?

24,904,221


My mystery number has 9 digits.
0 is in the ones place.
2 is in the hundred millions place.
9 is in the tens place.
8 is in the hundreds place.
1 is in the thousands place.
7 is in the ten thousands place.
5 is in the hundred thousands place.
4 is in the ten millions place.
6 is in the one millions place.
What is my number?

246,571,890

Descriptive Language

As we worked on descriptive language in text, we began to focus on how authors use descriptive language to describe characters.
We studied several authors and their examples of describing characters in their text.
We discovered that authors use descriptive language to describe a characters' appearance, their personality, and their feelings.
We searched in our own books to look for examples of authors describing characters in those three ways:

But Shel Silverstein looks more like a burglar or a pirate than a guy who should be writing books for kids.

Darth Vader always wore a black suit of armor and mask because his body had been almost destroyed in a great battle.

George and Harold are actually very clever and good-hearted boys.

Holly is the fourth prettiest girl in class.

He was dressed in a worn robe trimmed with dirty fur. He had a rugged weather-beaten face, a bushy beard, and a black eye patch.

And so this morning, my eyes felt very saggy.

Descriptive Language

We have been studying authors and how they use descriptive language in their stories. We have focused on how authors describe places to help us get a mental image.

We listed our favorite places, chose one to focus on, and wrote a paragraph about one of our favorite places, using descriptive language to help our readers get a mental image of each place.

The Zoo by Abby

At the zoo there are tigers roaring loudly and elephants are stomping their heavy feet. Penguins are waddling on the cold ice. Zebras are running in the tall grass. Polar bears are scratching the shaggy icicles. I saw hippos swimming in the clear, blue water. Monkeys are chattering in their barred cages. The lions are running in the dirty path. Rhinos are snorting in their mucky areas.


Hawaii by Paige

The sound of the sea turtles swimming make the children laugh. When we were walking to the beach I saw the blue, sparkly water. When I got there I felt the sand tickle my feet. I saw the fat coconuts falling and they tumbled down and the funny looking people made me laugh. The salty water made my eyes water.


Lake Ponderosa by Lucas

I can look off the deck and it looks like the water is made of shattered glass. When I touch the water it numbs my toes. My canoe rocks in the water because of the waves from the boats. I hear crickets chirping. I see the birds swooping through the trees.


Chicago by Connor

Chicago is like a big pool of tall buildings. The street is like an ocean of cars. There are lines of stores with people going in and out. Cars are busily driving around the streets of the city.


Colorado by Jack

There are a lot of fun things to do in Colorado. The snowy mountains are huge. It is both warm and cold there. There are big animals at the zoo. There are lots of busy traffic.


Mississippi by Ellie

When I was at the Mississippi River I could smell oreo cookies, cake, pie, hot dogs, and more. I could hear people saying "beautiful" and "gorgeous" and "nice". While we were there my brother said, "supercalifragilisticespecialidocious". There was this cool sliding computer. I also heard little splashes. The rushing water tickled my fingers. I saw little colorful fish swimming around.


Adventureland by Isabella

I see slow, clear water with orange fish in it. The funny ducks flapping their wings make me laugh. Exciting roller coasters way up in the sky are going so fast. Everywhere I look I see delicious, tasty food. I hear laughing and screaming from kids all around me. The sound from the amazing, awesome rides hurts my ears.


Worlds of Fun by Solon

I hear kids screaming and laughing on super fun rides. I feel cold, wet water on my face. I hear loud, noisy roller coaster chains. I hear loud, noisy fans blowing on my face. It was so super hot that day that I felt very sweaty and sticky.


At Pella by Dawson

When the boat motors are running, it feels fun. The boats are towing other boats and it's natural and fun. The grass growing in the beach is very tall. My mom is washing me in the lake. The waves are hitting the shore. The weeds in the beach are growing very tall. Pella is very fun.


My Cat's Vet by Magdalen

Fish are splashing in their tanks. Noisy dogs are barking at the top of their lungs. Cats are meowing loudly to get out of their cages. Birds are flapping as fast as they can. Restless cats are waiting to be fed.


My Trip to Disney World by Josie

My trip to Disney World started like this....
it started when I went on the airplane. The plane was very fast so it felt weird. Once we got there my brother and I were bouncing on our hotel bed while we noticed Mickey Mouse everywhere.
So I first went to Epcot. There was a giant spikey ball. I went in the ball. I went to the Wall of Names. My Dad and Mom were on the Wall of Names. Next stop was the Country Place. There was candy and stuff like that. We went to Mexico last. There was a cool boat ride. I went to watch fireworks when a ball floated over the lake. Then I went back to my hotel.
Now it was time for rides. I went on Go-Carts. I was turning 8 and I got car number 8! How lucky is that?! I even got to ride the fastest roller coaster in Disney World. I got to ride Splash Mountain. It's a water roller coaster and it drops 50 feet straight down!! I also got to ride Space Mountain. It's really dark  and it took my picture. Splash Mountain took my picture too. I went to dinner there and the mascots Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, and Daisy were there. There was an all you could eat buffet. We also got a lot of toys (lightsavers, Minnie Mouse, and little toy cars). Then at 5:00 we got to the airport and left for home.

Mysteries

We have started our Mystery genre unit. We are learning about the elements of mysteries and focusing on mystery vocabulary words: plot, clues, suspects, and mystery. As a class we read the book Chet Gecko: The Mystery of Mr. Nice. We are currently reading two different mysteries: Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Dinosaur Bones and Nate the Great and the Sticky Case. As we read these books, we are working on identifying the elements of the mystery, increasing our knowledge of our vocabulary words, and practicing fluency as we read the books aloud with our partners/groups. After finishing these books, each student will individually choose a mystery to read and then write their own mystery using the elements of a mystery.

Addition and Subtraction Strategies

We started the year with addition and subtraction review. We have been working on strategies and tricks to help us add and subtract more efficiently. We came up with the following strategies:

addition strategies

• adding zero: the number stays the same
• adding one: the number is the next one up (one larger)
• doubles: the answer is an even number
• doubles plus one: the answer is one more than the doubles fact
• turnaround facts: turn the numbers around and the answer is the same

subtraction strategies

• subtracting zero: the number stays the same
• subtracting one: the number is the next one down (one less)

Friday Folders

Each Friday (or last school day of the week) the students will bring home a red Friday Folder. This folder will include work from the week as well as important notes and information from school. Please return this Folder each Monday!

Thanks!

7 Habits

We have been learning about becoming a leader and incorporating the '7 Habits of Highly Successful People' into our lives. We have begun making goals to help us become in charge of our lives and learning. We have also used a lot of literature to help us learn about and reinforce the concepts of the 7 Habits. We have focused on Habits 1, 2, and 3 so far:
1. Be Proactive: I am in the driver's seat; I am in charge of my own learning, attitude, and behaviors.
2. Begin with the End in Mind: Have a vision and make goals to get where you want to go/where you want to be.
3. Put First Things First: Work first, then play; Make priorities and focus on the most important things first.

Here are some of the books we have used to learn about the 7 Habits:

The Very Busy Spider
The Little Red Hen
Froggy Gets Dressed
Jamaica's Find
Arthur's Pet Business
Swimmy
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room

Spelling

Each week we will have 15 spelling words; these spelling words will always have a specific pattern or commonality among the words on the list. So far was have focused on words with the short a sound, short e sound, short i sound, and short o sound. This week's spelling words have the short u sound, spelled with a u or an o, such as bubble and nothing. Each student brought his/her spelling list home today to practice. We will continue to practice these spelling words throughout the week, with our test on Friday.
The following website, Spelling City, is a good resource to help students practice their spelling words at home. Check it out if you get a chance!

http://www.spellingcity.com/

Welcome to the 2011-2012 School Year

Welcome to the 2011-2012 school year!! I am very excited about what we will learn this school year. Here are some of the highlights to look forward to this school year:

Mysteries Unit
Tall tales/folktales Unit
Informational text
Flat Stanley Year-Long Unit
Rocks & Minerals
Electricity
Moon & Space Unit
Multiplication & Division
PreK Reading Partners
Pen Pals
Cursive Writing

and much, much more!!

Electricity

We have been learning about electricity and other types of energy. The students viewed a variety of videos about electricity and wrote the very important points about electricity.

• Insulators prevent the flow of electricity
• Conductors allow electricity to flow through them
• Electricity powers lights, T.V., radio, and lots of different things
• Everything is made up of atoms
• A rush of electrons is called a static discharge
• People can make electricity
• Electricity can kill you
• Never touch electric wires with wet hands because you could get electrocuted

Track & Field Day

Pen Pals

We had a great time visiting our pen pals today!! We ate lunch with them, played some games, and just had a fun time together!!