Unit One Week 1 Preview

As a part of our theme: What Makes Us Special, our focus questions are: What do we like to do, and how do the things we like to do make us special? We will discover that the things we like to do help to make us who we are. Our vocabulary words for the week are cheerful, interest, unique, prefer, and genuine. We will analyze story structure for the beginning, middle, and end (comprehension strategy). We learn that this is the way that most realistic fiction stories are structured and that good readers pay attention to these parts (R 1.3.1). We will also pay special attention to the characters and setting of stories (comprehension skill). In phonics we will blend words and identify rhymes with short 'a' and short 'i'. Our reading sight words for the week are jump, not, up. In grammar we will discuss how a sentence tells a whole idea. We will continue with our Unit Project. We will analyze the structure of the fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea. We will analyze how an author develops character by what they say and do. In writing we discuss and practice how using describing words adds detail and interest. We will listen to the fable, Town Mouse and Country Mouse, and discover how preferences make characters unique. We will read an informational text and use structure to deduce main idea.

In Math we will continue with strategies for addition and model making (CCSS 1.OA.1 & 2)

In Science we will make a connection between what we have been learning in music and what we know about Alexander Graham Bell and discuss the discipline of acoustical science and engineering. In life science we discuss basic needs of people and animals using the vocabulary: shelter, energy.

In Writing we will continue with ways to come up with a topic as well as how to plan a personal narrative.

In P.E. we will work on balance.

• How are you different than other people in your family/class? How is your family different than other families?
• What are the states of matter?
• What does an animal need in order to survive? 

Ninth Day of School

There is no homework tonight.

We have been learning the American Sign Language Alphabet and are up the letter 'k' to date.

Today we segmented words into syllables. We discussed homonyms and homophones.

Eighth Day of School

In Math, the important concept was that the equals symbol (=) means: the same as (CCSS 1.OA.7). Additionally, students should also understand that a + b = c can be stated as c = a + b and because of the commutative property a + b = b + a (CCSS 1.OA.3).

In P.E. we learned basic handball rules.

Seventh Day of School

On the Math homework, have your child create their own part-part-whole (PPW) model for question number 7.

In P.E. today, we finished learning our first class dance.

Quick Note

Thank you to all parents for taking the time to listen their 1st grader's teacher drone on for a couple hours.

There was no homework sent tonight other than the School Handbook.

It is now 8:10; Do you know where your first grader is?

Answer: In bed!

Fifth Day of School

Thanks to those parents who have returned their homework already. I will speak more to that tomorrow evening. Reminder: Folders and Memorable Moment Lists are due tomorrow.

Today we discussed the structure of narratives. We learned that most narratives have a beginning (which often answer the questions of who, where, and when), a middle (containing the basic plot or conflict/problem), and the end (resolution).

We continued work on our Unit Project.

There was homework tonight. Students are to complete the reverse side of the classwork. The last question should be answered in a complete sentence.

We completed our 4th violence prevention lesson today.

In P.E. we worked on moving in open space and maintaining personal space. We moved in high middle and low space in 3 speeds using different locomotion.

Reminder: Tomorrow night is Back-to-School night.

Fourth Day of School

Our math journal question today:

The Dawson's want to go on a bicycle trip. All of the tires on their bikes are flat. there are 7 bicycles in all. How many tires will they have to inflate? Make a model to solve. Write a math sentence.