Here's what we were working on in the classroom last week :
Reading : We spent a lot of time learning about ways that reading partners can work together. The students have done a great job acting as coaches for their partners. They also know that when they get to the end of a book, they should do something at the end - have a conversation about favorite parts, retell the story together, or ask questions. They've really been getting a lot out of their partnerships so far!
Writing : At the beginning of the week, the students chose the writing pieces that they want to publish for the first unit. At the end of every writing unit, the students choose which pieces they would like to fancy up and 'publish.' The students have chosen their pieces, worked on making sure that their pieces make sense (which is the beginning steps of revising/editing), and put finishing touches (coloring and making a cover) on their pieces.
Phonics : We finished up unit 2 last week, which was all about short vowel, three letter words, and started unit 3! So far in unit 3, we have reviewed the digraphs that the students learned in kindergarten - wh, sh, ch, th, and ck.
Math : We started our second math unit this week. The students played a math game called Roll and Total to practice the addition strategy of counting on. We also started learning about numbers that go together to make ten.
Science : We focused on the moon last week. We spoke about the patterns that we notice with the moon (that it starts off low in the sky and then moves in an arch shape across the sky). The students had great discussions about the similarities and differences between the sun and the moon.
Social Studies : Last week, we talked a lot about Christopher Columbus and the impact that he had on history and the indigenous populations. I am incredibly impressed at the depth of the discussions we had in the classroom about whether or not we should use Columbus Day to honor Christopher Columbus, or whether we should use it as an opportunity to learn and understand more about indigenous people. If you haven't had a discussion with your child about Christopher Columbus, ask him/her what he/she knows about him.
Here are some pictures from last week. Apparently, I only took pictures of them when they were working with partners during math... sorry! I'll try to vary the pictures for next week. :)