Class Canvas
Thinking. Innovating. Creating.
Coming Up....
The Week of November 16-20
Reading and Writing
This week we read about the Science of Kindness for our Kindness project. Your child created a "Pay It Forward" note to tell others to pay kindness forward. I used this note to look at their comprehension skills. Be sure to ask your child about why showing kindness makes us feel so well.
During our focus on Native Americas we will continue to identify main ideas and details.
This tends to be a little trickier for kids that I anticipated. As you read with your child at home, please have them tell you the main idea and details of what they are reading or what you read aloud to them.
We will also be reading and writing folktales since these were a large part of Native American culture. Do you and your child have a favorite folk tale? We would love to have you share it with us!
Context Clues (this past week)
This week as we focused on context clues, it was great to see learners use those clues or hints to help them read.
Questions about spelling...
As you look at the journal entries above you will notice that each misspelled word is not marked as incorrect.
We want there to be a good balance in feeling successful as a writer as well as noticing mistakes and making changes.
Next week, I am going to conference with your child about their commonly misspelled words. We will look for a pattern that will most likely be unique to your child. With time, your child will begin to notice their patterns and begin to make changes.
As opposed to a spelling list, this is an authentic way to identify spelling needs individually. Your child will not need to practice these words at home. Again, this will not be a list. I am using this to bring to their attention while writing at school.
Math
For example, if there are 12 cookies and three friends-how many cookies does each friend get?
We will also begin working on perimeter next week.
Finishing up....
Measurement introduction with Hooks Project (1/4, 1/2, whole inch)
Analyzing graphs that we created from Can Project data.
Math Review
- The Commutative Property - If I know that 4 x 3 = 12, then I also know that 3 x 4 = 12. The order of the factors does not matter.
- The Associative Property - If I have to multiply 2 x 4 x 3 = _____, then I know that I can first multiply 2 x 4 = 8 and then 8 x 3 = 24. Or, I can first multiply 4 x 3 = 12, and then 12 x 2 and I will still get 24. The way that I group the factors does not matter.
- The Distributive Property - I can use this property to figure out multiplication problems that may be too difficult or that I haven't committed to memory yet. When I use this property I can "break apart" one of the factors into small parts and then "distribute" the first factor. For example, if I don't know 6 x 9, then I can break the 9 into 5 + 4. Then I can figure out 6 x 5 (which is 30) and 6 X 4 (which is 24) and add the two products together to get the answer. 30 + 24 = 54, so 6 X 9 = 54. Once students understand this process, they can figure out problems such as 7 x 15 = ____ before learning the traditional algorithm. Most often, students will use this property to figure out an unknown math fact by thinking of the fact that is one less and adding on another group. For example, I don't know 6 x 5, but I know 5 x 5 is 25 so I simply need to add on another 5.
The Hook Project
This year, learners will learn how to measure to the nearest 1/4, 1/2, and whole inch.
The hooks project has been an authentic way to practice measuring.
We have been impressed with our learners' problem solving skills. Many of their yardsticks and measuring tapes were not long enough to measure some of the learners from the older communities. See the pictures and notes below to see how learners solved the problem.
We are beginning to see more resilience in problem solving. Learners are becoming aware of the need to push through when things are tough and look towards a solution.
Strategy
Fractions
We will send a paper copy (Smore) home until January. In January, we will only send digital copies. Look for the link to the digital copy in FreshGrade announcements and through e-mail.
The Can Project
Learners have been creating bar graphs and pictographs from raw data.
Learners will use their own graphs to analyze and draw conclusions from the data.
We want learners to be able to see a graph and answer questions based on the information in the graph.
We can use the information to know how much we contributed as a community. We can also analyze what type of food was the most popular and least popular. Learners are beginning to understand why analyzing data is important. We can't stop at the answer-we need to draw conclusions.
The Kindness Project
We have been on the announcements this week to let PRS know we need to act kindly TODAY and EVERYDAY!
We created quotes about kindness to post around PRS as well as a video to show kindness.
We are also asking other communities to send pictures of learners acting kindly--we want to make a video of all of kindness around PRS! We are proud of our Patriots!
PART OF OUR KINDNESS PROJECT: reading comprehension, working together and sharing opinions with others (choosing quote and working in groups)
The Native American Project
Our next project will focus on the early people of Alabama. Learners will study the prehistoric and historic Native American cultures, governments, and economics. With this project, we want learners to examine the Native Americans of Alabama, describe their way of life, and learn from the mark they left on history.
This topic will also allow us to look some "bigger ideas" in history such as, why we study the past, "how" we learn about the past, and how a history is passed from generation to generation. These ideas will drive our project as we ask students to, first, study these early people and then design a project to communicate this knowledge with others. Stay tuned to see where this takes us!
Raptor Center
Screechowl
Barn Owl
They have many cool adaptations.
Their face is shaped like a funnel so that sound is funneled to their ears. One ear is higher than another so that this owl can pinpoint exactly where the noise is coming from. Their neck turns nearly all the way around at 270 degrees--this owl will find exactly what he is looking for.
Great Horned Owl
You might know this owl even better as a Hoot Owl