2-hour late start, Friday March 1st

by Sarah Segall | Mar 1, 2019 | In The Loop

Due to inclement weather (icy roads) we will begin 2 hours late today.

There will be no AM preschool. All other classes will begin at 10:45.

5/6 Week 23

by Ivary & Paola | Mar 1, 2019 | In The Loop

La Lectura

Thank you 3/4 grade class for inviting us to the puppet show! We very much enjoyed it!

• End of Unit 3 –  Expository Writing Assessment. Drafting/Editing/Revising/Publishing
• Unit 4 overview “Retos”. Students get familiar with the theme of the unit and the main activities.
• Cite relevant evidence from the text
• Determine the author’s point of view
• Review the characteristics of informative texts
• Read a text and paraphrase sections to check for comprehension, explain thinking and negotiate meaning.
• Spelling: words with ll /

Working on our special project!

Working on our special project!

Ciencias

This week students continued to work on their science research projects. The objectives for this project are:

• Select an organism.
• Identify the features of the organism, structural and behavioral characteristics such as eye color, fur pattern, timing of migration, etc.
• Identify the different variations, the range of expression of a feature within a population, such as all different eyes colors, all the different fur patterns, etc.
• Describe the impact of the surroundings, including biotic and abiotic factors, and the adaptations that affect the survival of organisms in a sensitive ecosystem.
• Explain how adaptations helped this particular organism survive, or not, in its environment.

Dear families! Students will be doing their science presentations next week. You all are invited to attend and see the great work your child is doing in class! Presentations will be at 2:30 in the following order:

Thursday 7th: Lily, Maddie, Tamra, Evan, Rafa

Friday 8th: Christian, Jack, Juliette, Sophia, Sophie

Mathematics

This week we learned about linear equations.

• We learned how to write linear equations

• How to solve simple inequalities

• How to plot with coordinate plane.

(Written by: Lily Hubbard)

History & Geography

This week we learned about the French Revolution.

• The Oath of the Horatii was a painting by Jacques-Louis David.

• The Reign of Terror was when the Jacobins (extreme radicals) took control of the government and executed everyone who was remotely against the Revolution.

• Maximilien Robespierre completely supported the Revolution and was a Jacobin.

(Written by: Sophie Jacobs )

English Writing & Spelling

In writing this week we continued working on our argumentative writing piece.

• • We practiced on using transition words.

• We made corrections to our argumentative writing pieces.

• We worked on making our reasons more clear.

(Written by:Christian )

Specialists

Art with Ms. Kelly

Our art projects this month were:

Clay Masks with Miss Karen

LOVE Designs

Learn about Robert Indiana’s LOVE designs and sculptures.

Use letters and patterns to create artwork.

Portraits in the style of Picasso

Learn about the different styles of portraits created by Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, and American artist Lois Jones.

Create an abstract portrait by using various diagonal lines from folded paper.

Add colors and patterns to the portrait.

The students designed some very colorful, creative portraits!

3/4 Week 23

by Sarah Segall | Mar 1, 2019 | In The Loop

History & Geography

Our weekly objectives were to:

• Understand how the Ming dynasty began.
• Describe the Forbidden City.
• Recognize the achievements of Zheng He, the Admiral of the Western Seas.
• Explain the reasons for the decline of the Ming dynasty and the Manchu takeover.
• Understand Qianlong´s unusual views on one way trade with other countries.
• Recognize how opium caused China to go to war with Great Britain and France, as well as how the use of opium affected Chinese society.
• Identify factors that contributed to the decline of the Chinese empire.

• Explain why immigrants came to the American colonies.
• List the factors that began to unify the diverse population of American colonies.

We finished up our unit on Ancient China.  We had a fun end of unit celebration with a tea party, writing caligraphy Chinese characters, and reading our horoscopes.  We also began the next unit which is on the  American Revolution.

Mathematics w/Laura

La lectura

This week the students completed their Sal project.  Thank you to everyone who was able to come share that with us.  If anyone has a video Id love to have a copy so I can share it with other parents and with the kiddos.

This week we began doing little daily comprehension stories.  These stories are only about one paragraph long but have advanced vocabulary and grammar (to their level). They have been very quick to read these and then answer the 5 comprehension questions. They are required to use the strategy of underlining their answers in the paragraph. These are good strategies and vocabulary/grammar building activities that we are using each day.  They like them too!

Ciencias

This week the students were assessed on their final investigation: Natural resources.  They were given a menu of tasks to choose from in order to show their knowledge of their knowledge of the investigation. This was a fun way to be assessed!

We also began our newest investigation: Environments.

All living things depend on the conditions in their environment. The study of the relationships between one organism and its environment builds knowledge of all organisms. With this knowledge comes an awareness of limits. Changes in an environment can be hard on organisms. Such knowledge is important because humans can change environments. To do so without awareness of possible consequences can lead to disasters. The Environments Module consists of six investigations that introduce students to these basic concepts in environmental biology.

Specialists

Art with Ms. Kelly

Our art projects this month were

Clay Masks with Miss Karen

LOVE Designs

Learn about Robert Indiana’s LOVE designs and sculptures.

Use letters and patterns to create artwork.

Portraits in the style of Picasso

Learn about the different styles of portraits created by Picasso.

Create an abstract portrait by using various diagonal lines from folded paper.

Add colors and patterns to the portrait.

The students designed some very colorful, creative portraits!

1/2 Week 23

by Jill & Sarah | Mar 1, 2019 | In The Loop

History & Geography

This week we reviewed our unit on the Constitution and took a closer look at the Bill of Rights. We held a constitutional convention in the class. Delegates from four “state” groups presented the the four rights and rules that they wanted to be included in our class Constitution. They then debated and compromised until they had chosen 10 ideas. The delegates then went back to their “state” groups to try and get the constitution ratified. On Thursday we reviewed our unit and took our assessment. On Friday we began our new unit, the War of 1812.

Our objectives this week were to:
• breakdown and understand the meaning of the words in the Preamble

• identify the 10 Amendments as the Bill of Rights

• understand that the US was the first country to establish a constitution by the people and that other countries later followed suit

• understand the causes of the War of 1812

• identify James Madison, Dolley Madison, and the War Hawks

Science

This week we  read more about beetles.  We learned about some pretty interesting beetles such as the Dung beetle, Rhinoceros beetle, and Goliath beetle. On Friday we began to learn whether insects are Friend or Foe and how human beings are doing harm to insects and why this matters. Friday, March 8 will be the due date for reports and models.  Students will be giving short speeches on their insect the Thursday. March 14.

Our objectives this week were to:

• list some ways that beetles differ from other insects.

• name different types of beetles

• Understand that beetles make up two-thirds of all insects on our planet

• identify ways in which insects can be helpful to people

• identify ways in which insects can be harmful to people

• explain what an entomologist does

English Spelling and Writing

In our journals we used the idiom of the ” she is giving me the cold shoulder ” . The class did to spelling of assignments and took their final spelling test on Friday.  Our Word Wall words were: rain , ride, really, school.

La lectura

This week we read Como esconder un pulpo y otras criaturas marinas.

Our weekly objectives were to:

• connect the story to our theme: Look Again
• practice making connections to yourself, to another story, and to the world while reading
• practice identifying the main idea of the story and finding details to support it

We ran out of time this week for our High Frequency Word Quiz so we will have it on Monday! Our words are: bien, día, su adiós, del, ahora, a, muy

Las matemáticas

This week we finished our unit on money!

Our weekly objectives were to:

• compare amounts of money using tables
• use bar models to solve real-world problems involving adding and subtracting money
• show what you know on the chapter test

Next week we will being working on fractions! Continue having students name, recognize coin amounts, and add up money at home for extra practice!

Specialists:

Art with Ms. Kelly

Our art projects this month were:

Clay masks with Miss Karen

Valentine pictures

Use Oil Pastel and watercolor to create heart designs. These turned out very beautiful!

Name Insects

Learn how to make a REFLECTION (Mirror Image) of your name, and then turn it into an insect design. The students created their own unique insect!

City REFLECTIONS

Use markers to draw buildings, and then fold the drawing onto wet paper to create a reflection. Great job, everyone!

K/1 Week 23

by Sarah Segall | Mar 1, 2019 | In The Loop

La lectura

This week we read one of my favorite stories, Tillie y la pared. Tillie imagines that just beyond the wall, there is a fantastic world. Spurred on by her curiosity, Tillie and the other mice try to climb the wall, bore a hole into it, and go around it, all to no avail. But Tillieś perseverance finally pays off.

We actually paused the story and each student illustrated and wrote their prediction for what they thought Tillie would find on the other side.

Our weekly objectives were to:

• make predictions
• identify location words
• identify action words (verbs)
• use the words of the day in complete sentences: abajo (down), abre (open), adentro (inside), amigo (friend)
• complete syllable and/or word dictation
• fluently read their little reader (please be sure to practice these on a routine-nightly basis)

Las matemáticas

Here are some of our learning goals in math.  Math is everywhere and we are constantly counting, representing numbers in different ways, and comparing.

• Compose and decompose numbers from 11 to 19 into ten ones and some further onesand 20 as 2 tens.
• Compose and decompose numbers less than or equal to
  10 into pairs in more than one way.
• Use +, -, and = to write number sentences for addition and
  subtraction stories.
• Represent quantities with objects, number cubes, fingers,
  pictures/drawings, number cards, acting out, tallies, and
  numerals.
• Build skills in comparing sets,and addition and subtraction
  encountering, discussing, andsolving problems.

History & Geography

We continued to learn about Colonial trades people, focusing still on miller’s and adding weavers and spinners. On Tuesday the class heard the story of The Miller of Dee and then listened to the traditional song. It was a great lesson on humbleness and envy. We also worked on making a Presidents Day class book.

Our weekly objectives were to:

• identify the process of making flour
• describe the life of a miller
• identify, and associate with the appropriate trade, the tools used by millers, spinners, and weavers
• explain how the trades people in colonial towns saved farming families time and effort
• identify cotton, flax, and wool as the original plant or animal products needed for making cloth
• describe spinners and weavers in colonial town
• describe the process of making cloth from cotton, flax, or wool

Science

Our focus on taking care of the Earth this week was to read and talk more about conservation . We focused on recycling and repurposing our trash.

Our weekly objectives were to:
• recognize the phrase “Reduce, reuse, recycle” and explain how doing these three things can help to conserve natural resources
• identify the recycling symbol and understand that recycled materials are made from items that have already been used and otherwise would have been garbage
• brainstorm ways in which we as individuals can reduce the amount of garbage we create and put into landfills.

Specialists

Art with Ms. Kelly

Our art projects this month were:

Clay Project with Miss Karen

Valentine Heart Picture

Drawing and cutting out hearts. The kiddos worked very hard drawing and cutting out hearts to make cute Valentine Birds.

Rainy Day Collage Picture

Book: A Letter for Amy by Ezra Jack Keats

Focus: Paint a stormy sky with watercolor, and use basic shapes to make a picture of Peter in his raincoat.

The students did a great job on all of these projects!

2-Hour Late Start, No AM Preschool 2/26/19

by Sarah Segall | Feb 26, 2019 | In The Loop

Due to inclement weather (icy roads) we will begin 2 hours late today.

There will be no AM preschool. All other classes will begin at 10:45.

5/6 Week 22

by Ivary & Paola | Feb 22, 2019 | In The Loop

La Lectura

As we concluded our Literacy unit 3, Logros (Achievements), we did our end of the unit assessments. We took time to reflect on the topics and objectives covered during this unit. Students took a reading  and grammar assessment, and also started working on their end of the unit writing assignment.  We have a created a calendar that has a specific deadline for every step of their assignment. The assignment has six steps. This week we finished step 3, and will be ready to dig in step 4 on Monday. This writing assignment will be done mostly in class, but everybody is welcome to access their Maravillas accounts and elaborate on their projects from home.

Expresa tu opinión: Financiamiento de telescopios espaciales

Imagina que eres un senador y representas a tu estado. Te han pedido que des un discurso de cinco minutos frente al Congreso. Tu discurso anunciará claramente tu posición acerca de dar dinero a la NASA para los proyectos de telescopios espaciales. Tu público serán los demás miembros del Congreso.

Ciencias

This week, students worked with a simulated population of walkingsticks that exhibited color variation. They used two levels of the multimedia simulation to investigate the impact of predation on the insects in three different environments. They conducted predation interactions over five generations, collected population statistics, and graphed the numbers of individuals with each color trait in each generation. They discovered that the ratio of individuals with specific color traits varies, depending on the color of the environment in which they live.

The class got started with their science independent research projects. Students selected an organism and will conduct a research, followed by a presentations of their findings to the class.

Mathematics

This week we started learning about linear equations and did a percentage review for the 100th day of school.

• Independent variables can be any number, but dependent variables depend on the independent variable. For example, in y=x+3, x is the independent variable and y is the dependent variable.
• Bar models also help considerably because they show the data in a visual format.
• The percentage review was a fun spin on seemingly ordinary math. We split up into groups and did it in fun ways

(Written by: Evan Gaasch)

History & Geography

This week we learned about the Religion, Culture, and Art during the French Revolution  

• The people completely changed the calendar, as a result there was no trace of the Church.
• They followed the idea of the Greeks and Romans to make things in their lives simpler. Like their hair, clothes and the way they spoke.
• The revolutionaries encouraged the people to try new ways of art. They had the idea of new art, from the Greeks and the Romans.

(Written by:  Maddie Johnson)

English Writing & Spelling

In writing this week we continued working on are argumentative writing piece.

• DARE stands for delete, add, rearrange and exchange
• We took our greek and latin roots quiz this week
• This week we worked on the D in DARE.
  D is for delete

(Written by: Rafa )

3/4 Week 22

by Sarah Segall | Feb 22, 2019 | In The Loop

History & Geography

Our weekly objectives were to:

• Understand how the Ming dynasty began.
• Describe the Forbidden City
• Recognize the achievements of Zheng He, the Admiral of the Western Seas.
• Explain the reasons for the decline of the Ming dynasty and the Manchu takeover.
• Understand Qianlongś unusual views on one way trade with other countries
• Recognize how opium affected Chinese empire.

We also have been focusing on sensory details in our writing.

Mathematics w/Laura

Special healthy snack to celebrate….what turned out to be the 102nd day of school.

La lectura

This week we rehearsed our skit, completed our scenery and are now ready to invite parents to come see our little puppet show.

Please join us for a short puppet show on Monday, February 25th at 2:50, right before pick-up.

Where: Cafeteria

When: Monday, 2/25 at 2:50

Who: You!

Students have worked together to create a skit from their language arts story.  They have added characters and dialogue to create this retelling of la sal.

Ciencias

This week we concluded our last science investigation in our Soils topic,  part 3 of our Natural Resources investigation. We went on a walk around the school and schoolyard, searching for earth materials in use. We searched for various objects and structures and considered what natural resources were used to construct them.

Our focus question of the week was: How do people use natural resources to make or build things?

Students will have their end of the unit science test on Tuesday and then we will begin our next topic: Environments

1/2 Week 22

by Jill & Sarah | Feb 22, 2019 | In The Loop

History & Geography

This week we finished our unit on the making of the Constitution. We will take our unit assessment next Monday. We learned more about James Madison and his role in making the Constitution as well as his other accomplishments. We imagine what it would have been like to be at the Constitutional Convention and why our founding fathers needed to keep this meeting a secret. We learned about how the Constitution was approved and we took a closer look at the actual Constitution. The class had fun taking a break from our regular routine to participate in some fun 100’s day activities on Thursday.

• Understand that many patriotic Americans were afraid of the Constitution

• Identify James Madison as important to getting the Constitution ratified
• Understand why many people wanted a Bill of Rights
• Recognize the opening words of the Constitution

Science

Insects from home

This week we  read more about insects that glow and sing and we also learned about the armored tanks of the insect world, beetles. The class had fun putting together movable paper beetle models and coloring them.  We looked to Rose and Blue, our classroom beetles, for examples of the exoskeleton “armor” they have to protect themselves. We talked a little more about the insects reports on Friday , students are bringing them home this weekend to complete another page in them, March 8 will be the due date for reports and models.  Students will be giving presenting on their insect Thursday, March 14 in class.  Parents are welcome to attend.

Our weekly objectives were to:
• Describe an insect’s exoskeleton
• Explain why beetles are considered the “armored tanks” of the insect world
• Explain how beetles’ wings are different from other insects
• Understand that beetles make up two-thirds of all insects on our planet
• Plan and draft an informative text that presents information about insects, including a topic relevant, facts, and a conclusion

Hundreds day activities

English Spelling and Writing

In our journals we used the idiom of the week, “He’s got his head in the sand ” and related it to how the federalists ignored the importance of including the bill of rights in the Constitution.   We also wrote about the story of Benjamin Franklin and the rising or setting sun at the Constitutional Convention. The class got their new sorts and took their practice spelling test on  Friday.  Our Word Wall words were: quit, right.

       Blue Group’s current sort

Green Group’s current sort

La lectura

This week we celebrated the 100th day of school!

Our weekly objectives were to:

• create a booklet with 100 Spanish words
• break into our new reading groups
• practice reading in a group (listening to each other’s pace, giving helpful tips)

Las matemáticas

This week we celebrated the 100th day of school. Our weekly objectives were to:

• create 101 t-shirts
• play unlock the 100th day to review math topics
• continue to practice exchanging money