Literatura
This week we dove into our first literacy unit, Cultural Heritage. Some of the guiding questions included: What does heritage mean? How can someone know about their heritage? What are some ways heritage can be transmitted and maintained? Students constructed insightful explanations and made meaningful connections according to their own personal experiences. Please take some time this week to tell your child stories about your family’s heritage. I was very happy to share a little about my own heritage and cultural traditions as we celebrated Chilean Independence Day on September 18th. After that, we read our first story, La tierra que perdi, aventuras de un nino en Vietnam. Please ask your child to tell you about this wonderful autobiography. After reading the story, we discussed the theme. We also analyzed the author’s point of view and the characteristic of an autobiography. Lastly, we had the oportunity to talk about language as cultural heritage and looked at the roots of words and their meaning. All in all, it was a wonderful way to start our unit!
Other objectives in Literacy this week included:
- Reflect on strengths and areas to work on. Identify and establish individual goals
- Understand and explain the concept of heritage
- Explain the characteristics of an autobiography
- Identify the author’s point of view and provide some examples
- Apply the comprehension strategies when reading the selection
Ciencias
Guiding question: What causes day and night?
During the part 3 of our first investigation we did a little simulation. Students imagined themselves as observers on Earth and positioned themselves around a lamp to observe day and night. They discussed that rotation of Earth results in day and night and, in the process, figured out which direction Earth rotates on its axis. Students have a solid understanding of objectives for this part of the investigation:
- Day is the half Earth surface being illuminated by sunlight; night is the half of Earth’s surface in its own shadow.
- The cyclical change between day and night is the result of Earth’s rotating on its own axis in associations with the stationary sun.
History & Geography
This week we began our unit on The Maya, Aztec, and Inca. Our objectives were:
Discussing the Incas!
- Review geography of the Americas, The Maya, The Aztec, and The Inca civilization
- Identify the Maya as one of the earliest civilizations in the Americas, located in parts of Mexico and Central America.
- Explain how religious beliefs led to the Maya’s scientific achievements.
- Explain how the Aztec built and controlled a powerful empire.
- Describe Aztec religious beliefs and how they were linked to the traditions of the society.
- Identify Moctezuma II and describe features of his reign.
- Identify the Inca and describe where they lived.
- Describe the Sapa Inca and how he maintained absolute rule.
Mathematics
This week we took our unit test on Whole Numbers. We also began our new unit Whole Number Multiplication and Division. Our objectives were:
Learning how to use our calculators!
- Use a calculator to add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers
- Multiply numbers by 10, 100, or 1,000 using patterns
English Word Work
This week finished our rotation and started again from the beginning. Our rotation days were:
- Writing workshop: Students were able to review the writing they had done up until this point. They revised and edited their writing individually and with a partner.
- Blind Sort Test: Students tested each other on spelling using the Blind Sort method.
- Word Search: Students received a word search with their new spelling words. They were tasked with finding and sorting their new words.
- Teacher Meeting: I met with each student to discuss and clarify their new sort.
Our spelling test will be on Friday!