In reading this week, students learned to compare the experiences of two characters in two different texts. We practiced this skill by reading The Snowy Day and Come On, Rain! and discussing how Peter and Tessie's experiences were alike and different. We also read Froggy Goes to School and Boomer Goes to School. On Friday, students put their skills to practice and compared the experiences of Fly and Worm in Diary of a Fly and Diary of a Worm. This week students also learned how to identify who is telling a story at various points in a text. We practiced this skill by reading Duck! Rabbit! and Three Hens and a Peacock, and students were assessed on this skill after listening to a read-aloud of Stellaluna.

In math, students continued to develop their understanding of the relationship between addition and subtraction. Students practiced solving subtraction problems by hopping along a number path, and analyzing whether it made more sense to count up or count back to solve. Below, students use the number path to solve and explain their reasoning to the class:

This week Anja was our Can-Do Kid! We had so much fun learning about all the things Anja can do. Anja read Nanook and Pryce to the class and showed an awesome slideshow! 

This week we were able to attend two different events as a class: an African drumming performance and the Turkey Trot! The drumming troupe is from Senegal originally, and the students had a blast learning some cool dance moves. Students also made posters to cheer on their Book Buddies during the Turkey Trot.

We capped off the week with Student Council's Jammie Jam fundraiser. Thank you to all the parents and family members who attended. It was a huge success! 

There are lots of extra photos in the Photo Gallery this week, so please check them out!

This week students learned about why an author writes a text and how to identify examples of an author's support for their chosen topic. Students read Eat Well, Feel Well in teams to identify the author's purpose and her support. Students then read a non-fiction text titled Homes Around the World for an assessment.

In math, students continued their practice with doubles by playing Race to the Top! Students completed their first math assessment this week started to learn about the relationship between addition and subtraction. Below Juji is explaining how the following two number sentences are related: 3+6 = 9  and 9-6 = 3.

In Social Studies, students learned about the past, present, and future. Students also learned how a timeline works, and we charted major events from the school year on a timeline to put our skills to practice.

This Friday was Mrs. Chinn's last session with us for Writer's Workshop. The students made her some thoughtful cards thanking her for her hard work. We will continue Writer's Workshop in class, and Mrs. Chinn will stop in to check on the student's progress.

Check out the Photo Gallery for more photos from this week!

This week students learned how to choose books that are the right fit. We discussed using the 5 Finger Rule when selecting books, and the importance of interest and purpose for reading. Students then used the 5 Finger strategy to self-select texts that were appropriate for them.

In reading, students asked and answered their own questions after reading Strega Nona. Students also learned to distinguish between information provided by pictures and information provided by words. Students practiced this skill while reading Shapes in the Clouds and their leveled readers, and then applied this skill independently after watching This is the Way We Eat Our Food on Bookflix.

Our spelling pattern this week was "r" and "s" consonant blends. Students practiced reading and saying these blends during a Blend Scavenger Hunt.

In math, we studied the addition chart below. Students were challenged to identify patterns on the chart and asked to explain why these patterns are present. The kids really enjoyed analyzing the chart, making their own deductions, and then defending their reasoning. Make sure to ask your children about the patterns they noticed!

This week we began our first science unit: Weather! We watched a Bill Nye video which explained how and why wind currents move in many directions. Students then read a Time for Kids article about the many ways wind power is harnessed and used. 

Students also learned the names for different types of clouds and how clouds are formed. Students then applied their knowledge during our first science experiment, Cloud in a Jar. Students first hypothesized the outcome, then recorded their observations during each stage of the experiment. Did the experiment work? Ask your kids what they observed. 

This week our Green Team and Student Council Representatives attended their first meetings. Angus and J'zya are our Green Team representatives, and Lucy and Ian are our Student Council representatives. These students will be our class liaisons for the first half of the school year. Angus and J'zya told the class ways in which we can be more environmentally responsible in our classroom. Lucy and Ian told the class about the Jammie Jam pajama dance that will raise money for hospitalized children.

Enjoy your long weekend!

Wow, what a week! On Tuesday, 1st Grade headed to Sonny Acres. The students went on a haunted hayride, visited a petting zoo, and walked through The Dizzy Zone. Click on the link below to hear what each student's favorite part of the trip was:
What was your favorite part of the trip to Sonny Acres?

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip (there are many more in the Photo Gallery).

In reading, students practiced asking and answering questions about fiction texts. Students also read together using spooky witch fingers!

In math, students studied the commutative property of addition, and learned to identify doubles. In writer's workshop, Mrs. Chinn taught lessons about the importance of a writer's voice.

Angus was our Can-Do Kid this week! We loved learning all about Angus, reading his book of Mythology, and watching his awesome slideshow. 

On the morning of Halloween, students completed pumpkin math stations. I taught each group how to measure the circumference of their pumpkins. 

The Halloween parade and classroom party were both so much fun! Thank you to all the parents that donated snacks and helped the kids with their costumes. There are many more pictures in the Photo Gallery, but here are a few of my favorites.

This week students learned all about digital citizenship. We discussed privacy, protection, and cyberbullying. The students had a lot of good insights regarding ways to be safe online, and at the end of the week Mrs. Diehl gave each student an awesome tattoo as a reward for their participation.

In reading, students learned how to identify the main idea and key details of a nonfiction text. Students practiced this skill by reading Wild Animal Families in pairs and retelling the text to one another. At the end of the week, students completed an assessment after reading Rainy Weather Days on BookFlix.

 

In math, students learned about true number sentences and the commutative property of addition. Students demonstrated their knowledge by creating representations of number sentences with linking cubes. As a class, we practiced creating 4 unique number sentences for one picture. 

 

In writer's workshop, Mrs. Chinn taught our class about organization. Students practiced writing the sequence of events, and then shared their work with the class. 

 

In centers, students practiced graphing and tallying using Halloween characters. Students also created short vowel words using Scrabble tiles. Special thanks to Dory's mom for coming in to help with centers!

Christian was our Can-Do Kid this week. We enjoyed learning all the things Christian can do. He likes school, and has 6 brothers and sisters. He chose to read "Oh Say Can You Say!" by Dr. Seuss as his favorite book, which is full of delightful tongue twisters. 

 

Finally, the Irving Fun Run was on Friday! Thank you to all the students and parents who raised money for Irving School. Pledges are still being collected next week, so continue to send them in if you can!

 

There are lots of extra photos this week, so visit the Photo Gallery to check them out!

 

This week students focused on learning all about nonfiction texts. In reading, students studied nonfiction text features such as the title, table of contents, labels, pictures, and picture captions. We read Rainforest Animals and Under the Sea to practice identifying these features and how they help us understand the text. Students then read Friends in Our Community and identified nonfiction text features on their own.

In math, students continued to learn about equations with mystery addends. Students also learned about true number sentences. A true number sentence has equivalent expressions on either side of the equal sign (2+2 = 1+3). This reinforces the math facts students have been practicing since the beginning of the year.

Below you will find an example of our math warm-up problems. Students were asked the following: There are 10 swings on the playground. 7 students are on the swings. How many empty swings are there?

In writing, Mrs. Chinn taught students how to add detail to old pieces of writing. Students taped "spider legs" to these old works, and then shared their ideas with the class. 

 In centers, students practiced their addition using egg cartons and also did a Scarecrow Sentence Scramble. Special thanks to Ian's mom and grandmother for coming in to help out!

For Fun Friday, students used coffee filters, markers, and a spray bottle to create beautiful fall leaves. If you are on the playground, come over to our window to see the leaves displayed on a tree!

 Make sure to visit the Photo Gallery to see more pictures from this week!