Week of December 10-15

Dear families,

This week we will be continuing to work on Non-Fiction reading and writing.  In reader's workshop we will read non-fiction texts and look for text features. We will read books that discuss force and motion to help us plan for our own non-fiction teaching books. The features we are learning include: a table of contents, detailed pictures with labels, vocabulary words with definition, text boxes, index and a glossary.

In writing, we will spend this week writing our last lab reports. We will spend time writing about how kites work.  We will try out making kites in class, according to a template. We fly them in the cafeteria and possibly outside (weather permitting)! Then students will plan and make their own kites, writing their lab report independently. We will wrap up lab reports this week and move on to non-fiction teaching books next week!

This week we will begin Unit 4 in math. A family letter detailing the new unit went home last week. The unit 3 math tests will be handed out at Parent-Teacher conferences on Thursday.  The new unit will focus on measurement and telling time. Last year in first grade, students learned how to tell time to the hour and half hour on an analog clock. This year they will be expected to learn to tell time to the five minute mark. In this unit we also practice using non-standard units of measurement and  standard units (centimeter and inches).

In science, we have begun the weather section of our Air and Weather unit. Last week we learned about 4 types of clouds: Stratus, Cumulus, Cirrus and Nimbus. We learned that different types of clouds produce weather. We made clouds out of cotton balls to match the 4 types. We also built an anemometer to measure wind speed, testing it out in class with a fan. We read about different tools that meteorologist used to predict weather. This week we will use a rain gauge to measure precipitation.  We will make pin wheels to show how the wind moves them much like a weather vane.  We will continue to record and monitor the changes in our weather in our weather journals.

Our holiday party will be on December 21st at 10:30 - 12:00. We will have pizza, play games and make a fun craft!  If you have any questions, please email me!

Reminder: Thursday, December 13th is a half day. Students will be dismissed at 11:09. Please let me know of any changes in your child's normal dismissal routine. I will be meeting with parents from 12:00 - 8:00 p.m. If you are not able to make your conference time, please let me know as soon as possible so that we can reschedule your time. Many slots are still available for the evening.

Thank you!
Mrs. Scheck