Week of: December 12th

 Upcoming Dates:

Dec. 12 - MAP Test - Reading
Dec. 14 - MAP Test - Math
Dec. 22-Jan. 6 - Winter Break - School reopens on Jan. 9
Jan. 16 - Martin Luther King Day - No School


*Italics are repeated from last week's blog.
Reading: This week we will continue with our reading unit: "Becoming Experts-Reading Nonfiction. In this unit the kids will be working on how learn from, and enjoy, a nonfiction text.  This week we will work on learning all about our chosen topics.  We will take note and compare books using a venn diagram. We will also start to prepare for our "Expert Expo".  This is a chance for the kids to present what they have learned about their topics to some first grade classes. The "Expert Expo" will be held the week before Winter Break! 

Writing: We will continue with our new writing unit this week: "The How-To Guide for Nonfiction Writing". The kids will learn to write informational books to teach their readers about something they know well. This week we will be starting to wind down this unit on nonfiction writing.  The kids will be editing their best work and preparing for publication. Then we will share and celebrate our hard work the week before Winter Break. 

Math:  This week we will continue our work with Module 3: "Place Value, Counting, and Comparison of Numbers to 1,000". In this unit the kids will learn all about place value as well and composing and decomposing numbers.  It will set the foundation for adding and subtracting larger numbers later on in the school year. This week we will finish up this math unit with an end-of-the-unit test on TUESDAY.  We will then start our next math module, Module 4, on Thursday.  Module 4 will be all about addition and subtraction strategies with larger numbers. Think: "carry the one" and "borrowing". 

Social Studies/Science:  We will continue our learning about having a growth mindset all year long. However, we are working on a science unit about the States of Matter: Solids, Liquids, and Gases.  We focused on tower building and what solids have good properties to make a tall and strong tower. You can click here to see photos of our towers!  We have also continued to learn the locations of the 50 states.  This past week we added two more state: Idaho (ID) and Montana (MT). Ask your child who does the dishes in Chef MIMAL's kitchen!