Weekly Update

Research Workshop
Students began taking notes on their subtopic webs this week.  Each day they are learning a new strategy for taking notes.  We focused on taking notes as fact fragments versus writing complete sentences.  This takes a lot of practice.  It is easy for students to begin to copy sentences from their books.  We work with them to turn the information they read into their own words and write them as fragments.

Math
We started Unit 4 this week.  Students learned how to create place value drawings.  They used these drawings to help them solve place value word problems.  Each student created an Educreations lesson in which he/she wrote his/her own place value word problem and solved it.  You can check out the word problem your child created on his/her iPad.  Students used Secret Code Cards to practice naming the digits in a number and identifying each digit's value.  They also learned how to write numbers in standard form, word form, and expanded form.  
standard form: 1, 725
word form: one thousand seven hundred twenty five
expanded form: 1,000 + 700 + 20 + 5 OR 1 thousand + 7 hundreds + 2 tens + 5 ones

Weekly Update

Research Workshop
We Started country research this week, so we are now combining reading and writing workshop into research workshop.  We will do research workshop two times during the school day.  Students were so excited to get the library books they will be using for their research!  They created webs to determine the six main topics they want to research about their country.  Sample topics included food, clothing, housing, holidays and festivals, school, animals, etc.  Using the table of contents and the index int heir books, students placed sticky notes on the pages in their books that included information about their topics.  This task was in preparation for the notes they will begin taking this week.

Word Study Centers
Each week in class students practice their assigned patterns by playing word study games and doing activities that help them study and sort words by their patterns.  Below are some pictures of students working in their small groups.

Math
We wrapped up Unit 3 with a review and assessment.  The unit test covered the various skills which were taught throughout the unit, including: reading and creating a bar graph, telling time, measurement, and elapsed time.  The test will go home by the end of the week.  We will begin Unit 4 this week--Multidigit Addition and Subtraction.  Front Row is the latest math app we've asked students to install on their iPads.  Please have your child practice various math skills at home using this app.  It will provide a lot of data for us, which we can share with you in the near future.

Science

Students enjoyed visiting the Michigan Science Center.  Our field trip started with a show in the DTE Sparks Theatre where Megan had a "hair raising" experience and Zavier became a Jedi for a moment.  In the Toyota 4D Theatre we went for a "ride" and got a little wet as we learned more about engineers. We also learned more about the sun, moon, stars, and planets at a show called "Junior Astronomer" in the Planetarium.  The last show we caught was the Chrysler Science Stage Show where students learned some experiments they could try at home.  Students also had a lot of time to explore the many exhibits throughout the center.  Below is an Animoto video of pictures from our trip.  You can also check out photos from the trip in the slideshow below or click HERE to see the photos individually. 

All-Star of the Week
Faisal was our fantastic All-Star last week.  Students enjoyed listening to him read a classic by Dr. Suess.  They also liked seeing his pictures with his family and checking out the items from his sharing sack.  Faisal enjoyed a special lunch with his mom and dad last week too.

Weekly Update

Reading Workshop:
We are starting our Country Research Unit this week.  Last week students were asked to submit the countries of their ancestors in the order that they were most interested in studying them.  Today, your child will come home with a note that indicates the country he or she has been assigned along with more detailed information about the International Festival on Thursday, February 26th.

Writing Workshop:
Last week students finished their final draft of their personal essay.  We are now reading over the essays and using the rubric below to assess your child's writing based on the lessons we taught throughout the unit.  The graded essays will come home at the end of the week.

Math:
Last week students were taught lessons that focused on adding and subtracting time as well as solving story problems with elapsed time.   At the end of the week, students practiced reading and creating bar graphs with multi-digit numbers and constructing and and analyzing frequency tables and line plots.   They also used graphs to solve time and measurement problems.  This week we will spend time reviewing all concepts that have been taught before giving the unit test on Wednesday.  A unit review will come home on Monday for students to complete as a study guide for the test.

Social Studies:
We began our region tour of the Southeast last week.  Students completed a geography challenge to learn more about the geography of the Southeast before we began traveling.  Students then visited the first two stops; The Everglades in southern Florida and the JFK Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.  During the first part of this tour, we are pretending to travel on fishing boats.

Class Store:
The class store was open once again last week.  Students were excited to spend the money they had earned in the classroom to purchase special things for themselves and gifts for others!

All-Star of the Week:
Elena was our awesome All-Star of the week last week!  She loved sharing items from her sharing sack including her American Girl named Gabriella.  She also loved telling the class about her family photos and reading aloud her favorite book Monster Munchies.  Her favorite parts of the week were having her cousins join her for lunch and listening to the thoughtful letter from her parents!

Holiday Party

Holiday Fun in Room 13

Class Holiday Party

We had a great class party with fun games, crafts, and food!  Thank you to Mrs. Rohrbeck for planning our awesome party and to all parents who were able to attend and help out!

Students tried to draw a snowman without looking!  They had to keep the plate on top of their head!

Mr. Rohrbeck was our awesome pancake flipper!

Students made a really cool snow globe craft with a photo of themselves on the inside!

Gingerbread Helpers

Since we are now gingerbread house "experts," we helped Ms. Hartley's kindergarteners make their own houses.

Toys "r" Us Shopping Spree

Students were presented with a scenario in which they were gifted $400 by a distant relative and told to spend it on others.  They pretended to shop on the Toys "r" Us website on their iPads and tried to "spend" as close to $400 as they could without going over.

Pajama Day

Students took part in a special pajama day and enjoyed an annual showing of The Polar Express movie.