1A Classroom Update 11
April 20, 2018
Dear 1A Families,
Hello Spring! We cannot believe that April is almost coming to an end! Our 1A friends are continuing to blossom as we are beginning several brand new units. Please read on to find out what we have been up to in the past few weeks.
Important Dates
- Friday, April 20 | Anytime/Anywhere Brainstorm Meeting
- Thursday, April 26 | First Grade Parent Coffee (8:30am - 9:15 a.m)
- Monday, May 07-11 | Staff Appreciation Week
- Friday, May 25 | 1A Field Trip (more info to come)
- Monday, May 28 | Memorial Day | No School
Academics
Literacy
Reading
1A has begun to really dive into fairytales! During Reader's 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. In the next coming weeks, we will notice how there is usually good and evil characters and look 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
Our authors have begun their Opinion unit where they write out their opinions regarding their favorite color and favorite fruit. We had a fruit taste test and our 1A friends were very vocal in expressing their opinions about specific fruits! We had some "Eww!" and some "Yum!" 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. Go ahead and ask your child's opinion on various topics and have them explain why they think or feel that way!
Thumbs up or down?
Check out the different opinions!
Which fruit did they like?
Which fruit did they not like?
We've got opposite opinions!
Someone's very excited about what they ate...
MORE TASTE TESTING!
SHARING OPINIONS WITH NEIGHBORS ...
THUMBS DOWN FOR THAT FRUIT!
WHAT DESCRIPTIVE WORDS CAN WE USE TO DESCRIBE THE TASTE?
SO MANY OPINIONS!
WHICH FRUIT WILL THEY WRITE ABOUT?
Then we brainstormed why one of the fruit was our favorite
Which one did they choose?
Thinking about descriptive words to explain our opinion
SORTING R-CONTROLLED VOWELS
WHAT R-CONTROLLED VOWEL COMPLETES THE MYSTERY WORD?
SO MANY BOSSY R POSTCARDS TO SORT!
LOOKING FOR BOSSY R WHILE WE READ
MAKING LISTS OF BOSSY R WORDS WE FOUND
DID THEY FIND AN AR, ER, IR, OR, UR?
Math
Over the past few weeks 1A has continued to build their conceptual understanding of place value. Students have been mastering their ability to represent tens and ones in pictorial sticks and circles, and have begun adding and subtracting within these values using a variety of strategies. Diving into representing and solving problems in more abstract forms have opened up the conversation about different ways to represent numbers. 1A students have learned four different ways to represent the numbers they are working with; numeral form, expanded notation, model form (sticks and dots), and written form, as well as the difference between an equation and an expression. During the course of this unit, the class has also been refining their skills as mathematicians, and working on learning how to read and answer a problem completely and show their work.
1A students have enthusiastically embraced learning how to tell time. The introduction to telling time began with discussing how to partition a circle into halves, fourths, twelfths, and what is an equal part. Currently, students are working on telling time by the hour with both digital and analog clocks. 1A will continue building their time skills over the next few weeks. Ask you child which is the minute hand and which is the hour hand!
Inquiry
We started our new unit on Celebrations and Traditions by exploring artifacts from various celebrations. We then brainstormed what celebrations or traditions we knew a lot about and what we would like to learn more about. We had some questions about specific celebrations that we are hoping to find out through our explorations in the next few weeks!
Learner Profile of the Month: Inquirer
As an IB World School, BPCS strives to foster the growth of students both academically as well as internationally minded citizens who are aware of the world outside of their local environment. To do this, the school incorporates the IB Learner Profiles into the classroom. The IB Learner Profiles describe a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities and, in turn, embody traits of a well-rounded individual.
For the month of March, our school focused on how a person demonstrates they are inquirers. Here are examples why 1A friends thought Aiden, Isaiah, and Dash were inquirers:
Isaiah
- He is always wondering and asking what we are doing every day.
- He is sharing and taking turns with others in the class.
Dash
- He is always asking questions during learning times if he doesn't get something.
- During Spanish, he always helps us translate to English so we can understand.
Aiden
- He is more focused during learning and asks a lot of questions without calling out.
- He is friendly and shares with me.
Specials Update
A Science Update From Ms. Rosabal
Music
Hello First Grade families!
Before spring break, First Graders finished up a unit on instrument families in music. They explored, conducted, and played instruments from the wood, skin, and metal families. The Instrument Families unit culminated with students dramatizing a story about the three instrument families getting together for a potluck. Afterwards, First Graders created their own compositions using the three instrument families.
Currently, First Graders are doing a unit on animals. They are exploring the ways animals sound and move, and learning about patterns and meter in music. This unit will culminate with a musical interpretation of the folktale “The Bremen Town Musicians.”
If you have any questions about music this year, or would like to share a song with me, please contact me at jkramer@brooklynprospect.org.