1A Classroom Update 12
April 22, 2016
Hello Spring Break!
Welcome
Hello everyone! We hope you are all set for Spring Break! Before we send you off, check out what our 1A friends have been up to these past couple of weeks! We have traveled to Lagos, Nigeria while also stepping into the fairytale world during reading! Please read through the updates for important announcements and dates! Enjoy your Spring Break!!
Reading
1A has begun to really dive into fairytales! During Readers Workshop, our 1A friends have been looking for special features we can only find in fairytales. We made a list that included kings, queens, and stories beginning with “once upon a time.” Students also mentioned talking animals, magic, and people or animals with special powers. While reading with their partners, many of our friends noticed that there is usually good and evil. In the next coming weeks, we will dive into looking for more of the problems caused by evil and how the good characters find the solution. At home, have your child look through fairytales and express what other features they find.
Writing
Olivia Opinion and 1A have been really hard at work these past couple of weeks. Our authors have begun to write out their opinions regarding their favorite color and favorite fruit. Once they have chosen this topic, they are then asked to provide great reasoning to support their opinions. In the next couple of weeks, our friends will begin to write a “catchy” introduction to grasp their reader’s attention along with some persuasive writing. Being that our unit is based off of opinions, it is only right that we have some read alouds to join in on the fun. Our friends have enjoyed listening to “ I wanna Iguana” and “ I want my own room.” These pieces reflect on a little boy named Alex who is trying to convince his parents to let him take care of an iguana and also giving very logistical reasons as to why he should have his own room.
Math
We have had a busy two weeks in 1A math! We have just finished our 2nd unit focusing on tens and ones and looking at place value in numbers up to 40! Our 1A mathematicians have also been hard at work becoming masters of part-part-whole number stories. We spent our last week reviewing several strategies and skills we have done this past term in preparation for our next exciting unit! Our next step in math is to focus on numbers up to 100, money, and telling time! Our friends are very excited to start these new units!
Inquiry
It has been an exciting two weeks in Inquiry! We have started to fully delve into our celebrations unit, looking at specific celebrations from around the world. Our first stop was Ramadan, the lunar celebration. Our 1A scholars have been busy studying the traditions and the reasons for this holiday. Students learned how Muslims celebrate this holiday by fasting for an entire month. They even got to make their own Ramadan paper plate decorations, which will be sent home soon! We have also just begun our study of the Chinese New Year. Our inquirers have learned the meaning behind the celebration and the reasoning behind the belief. Our next stop on the party train is the Indian festival of Holi. We are so excited to continue our investigation of celebrations from around the world. At home, have your child research more about Holi and compare it to a tradition or celebration done in your family!
IMPORTANT UPDATES AND REMINDERS!
Check it Out!
Our 1A friends will be traveling to the Brooklyn Grange on June 2. Here are friends will learn about hard working bees, how they collect and make honey, and what specific attributes they give to the environment.
We would love some parents to join us. If you would like to come on this trip please sign up!
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0F44AFA72BA0F85-first
Take Home Folders
Please make sure to empty out your child's take home folder since a lot of their work was sent home today. Also please make sure to read and return their weekly books on Wednesday in order for our friends to receive new books on Friday.
NO SCHOOL
Spring Break has started! There is no school April 25-29
School will resume on May 2.
HAPPY EARTH DAY!!
Hungry Caterpillars!
Life Cycle
Terrariums
LAGOS NIGERIA!
Townhall
Our Nigerian Lobby
Lagos, Nigeria
Crossing the Bridge!
Yoruba Language!
Welcome to Lagos!
Townhall Fun!
Greetings from Lagos, Nigeria!
Physical Education Update
Check out some great team work skills during a fun hula hoop game!
and a video below to follow :)
Password to view video is : 1A
Grade One artists explored Lagos from the air!
They saw beaches, the cityscape, and a soccer game and some traditional drumming. Additionally, they investigated the Yoruba people who are known for their beading and carved wooden sculptures. In ART they beaded faux coral necklaces.
Aside from Nigeria, Grade One Artists have been investigating birds of NYC. In time for Spring, each artist is creating a bird — native to NYC. Gold Finches, Black Capped Chickadees, Blue Jays, Barn Swallows, and Darked Eyed Juncos are migrating their way to BPCS. How we have persisted!! Ask your artist about the process. While paper maché is super fun — it’s incredibly messy! 1A artists can clean up in six minutes! (This is exceptional!) Please be on the look out for our final creations!
E DUPE (Many thanks in Yoruba) to all the parents who volunteered to help us celebrate Nigeria! We couldn’t make the trip without you!
A Science Update From Ms. Rosabal!
We are also using our math knowledge of graphs and data to work on a weather graph at the beginning of each Science class. It's fun and a great way to share what we know about weather and seasons!