Spring Things!

Happy Friday!

I hope that you all have had a great week.  Please read on for current curriculum information, as well as upcoming dates.

Reading Street:
Our current unit is on creativity.  This week and next, students are answering the question "How can we solve problems in a creative way?" We are reviewing what a folk tale is and practicing comparing and contrasting two stories.  To tie in with our story of the week, "Anansi Goes Fishing", my reading groups are working with books that deal with spiders, nets, and webs.  Spelling words for the week are compound words.

At home connection:
Encourage your child to do something creative!  This might be an art project, a writing project, an invention, or imaginative play.

Writing:
In our opinion writing unit, students are reviewing the parts of a letter.  They are then using their letter-writing skills to write about opinions they have about books.  Upcoming lessons include developing opinions in order to convince readers, supporting opinions with specific events from books, providing specific examples when defending an opinion, and thinking carefully about the audience you are speaking to.

At home connection: 
Throughout the day, ask your child to share opinions with you.  Ask them to explain their opinions using words like "because" and "for example".

Math:
This week we began Math Expressions Unit 6.  In this unit, students are working with place value in larger numbers.  Skills in this unit include using symbols to compare numbers, ordering numbers, representing numbers in different ways (with money, with boxes, sticks, and circles, in written form, in expanded form, etc.) and using strategies introduced in earlier units to add and subtract numbers in the hundreds.

At home connection:
Today your child is bringing home a copy of a game we played in class called Rhino Race.  This is a great game for practicing number representation and number comparison!  Be sure to check it out!

Science: 
We are currently studying the parts of flowers and pollination.  Students have researched different pollinators (so far, we have focused mostly on bees) and have learned how to identify the basic parts of a flower.  Next week, we will research how pollination works.  For the remainder of April (and part of May), students will be studying the ways that plants and animals are adapted to survive in various ecosystems.

At home connection:
Go on a nature walk with your child and keep track of how many pollinators you see in action!

Upcoming Dates...Mark Your Calendars!

April 19 - Music Program

April 27 - Birthday Breakfast...Happy birthday to Caleb and Lucas!

April 28 - Kansas City Zoo

April 30 - Langston Hughes Family Fun Run