Weekly Updates 2023-2024

Week 30

Reading

Poetry Unit

This weeks reads were:

• Bees
• The Bear

Focus Topics

• Finding Rhythm and Rhymes in Poems

Math

Graphing

Focus Topics

• Analyzing Bar graphs, Tally charts, and picture graphs
• Creating graphs
• Investigating and discussing graphs with teams,

Science

• Light and Sound
• Discovering light sources and creating shadows. 

Social Science

• Changes in the community over time
• Students shared ideas of what change is, and what they noticed. 

SEL

Taking care of others around us. Students discussed ways to look out and take care of others. We spoke about kind words and looking at body language of someone who may be having a big feeling. Students also talked about being good leaders. 

Week 29

Reading

Poetry Unit

This weeks reads were:

• Shel Silverstein: Falling Up
• Shel Silverstein: Where the Sidewalk Ends

Focus Topics

• Finding Rhythm and Rhymes in Poems

Math

Capacity

Focus Topics

• Gallon Robot activity
• Discussing and converting cups, pints and quarts
• Water experiment filling cups
• Word problems 
• Analyzing how fractions and multiplication can help with conversions

Science

• Light and Sound
• Discovering light sources and creating shadows. 

Social Science

• Analyzing the past and what school/games were like before

SEL

Discussing fairness, and talking about the needs of others. Students wrote fairness tories, and discussed how they can demonstrate fairness.

Week 28

Reading

Nonfiction Unit

This weeks reads were:

• Penguins by Gail Gibbons
• Penguins by Seymour Simon

Focus Topics

• Analyzing nonfiction text
• Comparing books on the same topic

Math

Review week

Focus Topics

• Telling time
• Multiplication and Division
• Addition and subtraction with regrouping strategies
• Fractions
• Word Problems

Science

• Chapter wrap up
• Phases of the moon
• Discussing patterns in the sky

Social Science

• Studying  our history
• Comparing past to present
• Conducting interviews

SEL

Talking circle on inclusion and fairness. The students were challenged this week to demonstrate inclusion and fairness while playing during recess or free time.

Week 27

Reading

Nonfiction Unit

This weeks reads were:

• The Honey Makers
• Snowflake Bently

Focus Topics

• Analyzing nonfiction stories for sidebars
• Explaining the sidebar and it’s importance
• Creating sidebars to go with stories.

Math

Telling Time

Focus Topics

• Telling Time
• Reading analog clocks
• Solving elapsed time and future time problems
• Explaining time vocabulary

Science

• Sky observations
• Analyzing the suns patterns
• Checking out constellations

Social Science

• Study our history
• Comparing artifacts to today’s machines.
• Talking about the past with family members.

SEL

Students discussed being fair. What does it mean to be fair? Why is being fair important? Students wrote a fairness story to end the week, and were challenged to demonstrate fairness at recess/at home.

Week 26

Reading

Nonfiction Unit

This weeks reads were:

• On Earth
• The Honey Makers
• The River Story

Focus Topics

• Analyzing and creating diagrams
• Relating authors words to illustrators diagrams

Math

Fractions

Focus Topics

• Fraction Vocabulary
• Analyzing fourths and halves
• Creating whole fractions
• Adding fractions
• Chapter Assessment

Science

• Sky observations
• Analyzing the suns patterns
• Checking out constellations

Social Science

• Study our history
• Comparing artifacts to today’s machines.

SEL

Students discussed caring actions,words, and how to be caring at home. Students analyzed caring situations and the interactions between two or more people. At the end of the week our students wrote small messages home about something they’d like to share with their families. 

Week 25

Reading

Nonfiction Unit

This weeks reads were:

• Animals in Flight
• Animal Dads
• Bigger, Stronger, Faster

Focus Topics

• Applying what you know
• Discussing what students learned from the author and how it supports the purpose.

Math

Money and Fractions

Focus Topics

• Counting money
• Identifying coins and dollars
• Adding and subtracting money
• Intro to Fractions
• Analyzing halves and fourths.

Personal Health and Safety Class 

• covered lesson 5-6

Science

Social Science

SEL

This week students were challenged to spread warm fuzzies for a third week at home! Students also played with caring card scenarios, where they discussed which cards were positive interactions and which ones presented as negative interactions. Students created a caring story of a time when someone was kind to them

Week 24

Reading

Nonfiction Unit

This weeks reads were:

• Penguins by Gail Gibbons
• Frogs by Seymour Simon
• Dolphins by Seymour Simon

Focus Topics

• Supporting author’s purpose with details
• Identifying supporting details to support a topic.

Math

Money

Focus Topics

• Counting money
• Identifying coins and dollars
• Adding and subtracting money

Personal Health and Safety class

• covered lesson 1-4

SEL

Students discussed warm fuzzies and cold pricklies. This week students were challenged to spread warm fuzzies for a second week at home! Students also played with caring card scenarios, where they discussed which cards were positive interactions and which ones presented as negative interactions.

Week 23

Reading

Nonfiction Authors Purpose

This weeks reads were:

• Dolphins
• Cats
• Frogs
• National Geographics

Focus Topics

• Author's Purpose
• Identifying topics
• Identifying supporting details

Math

Money

Focus Topics

• Counting money
• Identifying coins and dollars
• Making change

Science

Spinning Earth!

Focus question

• Space exploration to other parts of the world
• Viewing planet earth and light sources

Social Science 

Black History Month research, discussing national monuments

SEL

Students discussed warm fuzzies and cold pricklies. This week students were challenged to spread warm fuzzies for a second week.

Week 22

Reading

Nonfiction Authors Purpose

This weeks reads were:

• National geographics
• The Pot That Juan Built
• Manfish

Focus Topics

• Author's Purpose
• Students identified aspects of authors purpose
• Inform, entertain, or persuade

Math

Multiplication and division of 3’s and 4’s

Focus Topics

• Using arrays, skip counting and addition/subtraction to solve multiplication and division of 3’s and 4’s

Science

Spinning Earth!

Focus question

• Space exploration to other parts of the world
• Viewing planet earth from outer space

Social Science 

Uniting the United States! 

• Learning about National Monuments
• Lincoln Memorial
• Jefferson Memorial
• Capitol
• Washington Monument
• World War II Memorial
• Vietnam Memorial

SEL

Students discussed warm fuzzies and cold pricklies. This week students were challenged to spread warm fuzzies.

Week 21

Reading

Nonfiction Biographies

This weeks reads were:

• The Pot That Juan Built
• Celia Cruz

Focus Topics

• Students analyzed stories for series of events
• What is a life event? 
• USing chronological order

Math

Multiplication and division of 3’s

Focus Topics

• Using arrays, skip counting and addition/subtraction to solve 3’s tables

Science

Spinning Earth!

Focus question

• Space exploration to other parts of the world
• Viewing skycams and comparing our sky to others around the world.
• Comparing nighttime and daytime features.

Social Science 

Uniting the United States! 

• Learning about state symbols.
• State bird
• Reptile
• Snack
• Dance
• Tree
• Animal

SEL

Students discussed the feelings of anger, frustration, and being upset. This week's read was “Mouse was Mad.” Students listed strategies that they could use to calm down. Students talked with each other about times they felt specific feelings.

Week 20

• Students completed Allergen and OSP Training this week! They did a great job following along, and asking questions. 

Reading

Nonfiction Biographies

This weeks reads were:

• The Pot That Juan Built
• Celia Cruz
• Snowflake Bentley

Focus Topics

• Students analyzed stories for series of events
• Students explained the importance of events

Math

Addition using mental strategies, Addition and Subtraction 

Focus Topics

• Addition and subtraction using place value, number bonds, and replacing 

Science

Spinning Earth!

Focus question

• Virtual trip to NASA and the International Space Station
• Analyzing patterns in the moon and sun
• Making Sky Observations at different times of the day.
• Discovering the size of Earth compared to the gas giants

Social Science 

Uniting the United States! 

• National and State Symbols, state flags and The Statue of Liberty

SEL

Students spoke about times they had specific feelings. They were asked what caused them to feel that way and how they could use a calming strategy to help handle the feelings.

Week 19

Reading

Nonfiction Biographies

This weeks reads were:

• The Pot That Juan Built
• Celia Cruz

Focus Topics

• Students analyzed stories for biography features.
• Students explained what a biography is.

Math

Addition using mental strategies, Subtraction using mental strategies.

Focus Topics

• Adding using mental strategies using number bonds, and place value
• Subtraction, using ones.

Science

Spinning Earth!

Focus question

• Why does Sai see a different sky compared to his grandma
• Students analyze patterns of the moon
• Sky Observation number 2

Social Science 

Uniting the United States! 

• Students discussed what unites the United States

SEL

Feelings. Students were tasked to identify and draw feelings. Students explained what they are able to do when they feel large feelings.

Week 18

Reading

Narrative Nonfiction

This weeks reads were:

• A Log’s Life
• Think of an Eel
• Cactus Hotel

Focus Topics

• Students analyzed narrative nonfictions
• Students explained what made each story nonfiction

Math

Addition using mental strategies

Focus Topics

• Adding ones to create tens
• Adding tens to create 100’s
• Adding 97, 98, 99

Science

Spinning Earth!

Focus question

• Why does Sai see a different sky compared to his grandma
• Students analyze patterns of the sun
• Sky Observation

Social Science 

Uniting the United States! 

• Students discussed what unites the United States
• Students analyzed the beginning of the constitution.

SEL

Feelings. Students were tasked to identify and draw feelings. Students analyzed others' drawings and explained in detail the feeling that was being represented.

Realistic Fiction Unit

This weeks reads were:

• Mirette on the High Wire
• Big Moon Tortilla
• No Dogs Allowed

Focus Topics

• Analyzing all elements of realistic fiction
• Using details from the story to expand answers

Math

Measurement Unit wrapped up.

Looking at weight

Focus Topics

• Feet , Meters, inches, and centimeters
• Comparing objects with measurement
• Explaining scales and their uses

Science

Plant and Animal Unit

Focus question

• Exploring camouflage
• How do animals use different defenses
• Book study

Social Science

Understanding where we live. 

• Map elements
• Exploring different kinds of maps

SEL

The class created positive word posters for themselves. Students were asked to create an image of themselves and then write positive “I am…” sentences describing how they see themselves.

Week 10

Reading

We began our Realistic Fiction Unit

This weeks reads were:

• Amelia’s Road
• Those Shoes
• Big Moon Tortilla
• Happy Like Soccer

Focus Topics

• Analyzing problems in the story.
• Explaining how these problems can be realistic
• Analyzing what the problem causes and how we know it is a problem/

Math

Measurement Unit continued

Focus Topics

• Inches, Centimeters, Meters, and How to use a ruler
• How to measure items
• Estimation
• What we need to estimate.

Science

We continued our Plant and Animal Unit

Focus question

• Exploring sharps structures
• Using clay to explain defenses against sharp structures.

Social Science

Understanding where we live. 

• Reading and exploring Maps

SEL

Students were asked to create pictures with classmates and use dialogue in the pictures. Students worked on morning greetings and talking to classmates about their days.

Week 7

Reading

We continued our Fiction adventure.

This weeks reads were:

• Mango, Abuela, and Me
• The Old Lady Who Named Things
• The Have A Good Day Cafe
• Horace and Morris but mostly Delores. 

Focus Topics

High Point (Climax) of the story.

• When do we see the high point?
• How do we recognize the high point?
• Why would an author include a high point?

Math

Began our Addition and Subtraction unit using regrouping strategies.

Focus Topics

• Analyzing place value to add and subtract with regrouping.
• Regrouping with tens and hundreds.
• Word problem analysis.  
• Organizing math equations.

Science

We continued our Plant and Animal Unit

Spruce the Sea Turtle helps us with structures

Focus question

• What are defensive structures
• Spines, Spikes, Shells and Armor book research. 
• Using clay to model spikes, spikes, shells, and armor. 

Social Science

We continue to discuss community building.

• What is voting?
• Who can vote?
• Why do we vote? Why is it important?

SEL

Getting to know the Decatur staff members! This week, we talked about our school staff and where to find them. We talked about their jobs, and how they help keep Decatur safe!

Week 5

Reading

We continued our Fiction adventure.

This weeks reads were:

• Country Mouse and City Mouse
• Home at Last

Focus Topics

The words and illustrations tell us the setting.

• What is the setting of a story?
• What words tell you the setting?

Activity

• Rip art setting!

Math

Began our Addition and Subtraction unit with number bonds and number bars.

Focus Topics

• Analyzing equations using parts and wholes
• Using number bonds, and number bonds to solve equations
• Word problem analysis.  

Science

We continued our Plant and Animal Unit

Spruce the Sea Turtle helps us with structures

Focus question

• Analyzing structures of animals
• Reread Tortoise Parts
• Experiment: What do the structures look like while being used.  

Social Science

We discussed teamwork and community building.

• What is a compromise?
• How do we demonstrate respect to others?
• Why is it important to be a good teammate?

SEL

We learned how we can show kindness through words and actions, singalong carpet expectations, discovered our secret student, and continued our high five hello and goodbye!

WEEK 4!

Reading

We continued our Fiction adventure.

This weeks reads were:

• Princess Penelope’s Parrot
• Earrings
• The Empty Pot
•  

Focus Topics

How do authors tell us about the characters?

What do the thoughts of characters tell us about their mindset?

• How to describe characters on the outside
• What do characters' thoughts tell about their mindset?
• What words told us about the characters.

Math

We continued our Place Value chapter.

Focus Topics

• Writing numbers in standard, word, and expanded forms
• Comparing numbers using hundreds, tens, and ones
• Used place value charts with discs to analyze numbers
• Ordered from least to great and greatest to least. 

Science

We continued our Plant and Animal Unit

Spruce the Sea Turtle helps us with structures

Focus question

• Analyzing structures of animals
• Read Tortoise Parts
• How does each structure help animals survive? 

Social Science

We discussed teamwork and community building.

• What does it look like to get along?
• What does it sound like getting along?
• How can we take care of our community?

SEL

This week, we focused on greeting one another with a high five hello or handshake goodbye. Talked about the importance of classroom jobs!

Week 3

Reading

We began our Fiction adventure.

This weeks reads were:

• The Old Lady Who Named Things
• Horace and Borris and Definitely Delores
• A Weekend With Wendell

Focus Topics

How do we know an author created a made up story?

How can we tell by analyzing the characters?

• Inanimate objects have feelings or thoughts
• Characters are animals that talk
• Character are animals wearing clothing
• Characters have human-like qualities and actions.

Math

We began our Place Value chapter.

Focus Topics

• Writing numbers in standard, word, and expanded forms
• Comparing numbers using hundreds, tens, and ones
•  Analyzing numbers to determine the patterns.

Science

We began our Plant and Animal Unit

Introduced Spruce the Sea Turtle

Focus question

What do all living things need to survive

• Survival game!

Social Science

We began discussing Communities and answering the following questions.

• What is a community?
• Who is in a community?
• Who are community helpers?
• How are we a community at Decatur.

SEL

This week, we focused on being safe with our bodies and how we should treat others.

We had a great second week in 102! This week we began exploring our curriculum. Below are some highlights from the week!

Reading

This week we talked about book choice and library etiquette.

-How to organize our library.

-How to take care of our books.

-When is it okay to abandon a book you read.

-Library expectations

Math

We built in our math routine this week. We explored 

-patterns

-shapes

-addition and subtraction

-multiplication and division. 

Science

This week in science we explored our first grade topics.

-Exploring space

-Plant and animal needs

 -Light and Sound

SEL

IN SEL this week, we discussed the importance of empathy and trying to understand others feelings. We read the “Junkyard Wonders” 

We talked about classroom rules/expectations and how we can make our class run smoothly if we all work together.  

We ended our week talking about pronouns and what identities we hold as people. 

I hope you enjoy the long weekend! I look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday!