News for June 14

News for June 14

This week the class applied their knowledge of simple machines to create Father's Day gifts, continued to look at multiplication concepts, started to write graphic novels and sewed two arms and a tail on their sock creatures!

In writing, each child read another student's caterpillar/butterfly book and wrote the author a letter to let them know his/her favourite part of the book, what she/he could do to improve and asked the author a question about the stories. Each letter is now a part of the book itself, tucked into an envelope in the middle of the book.

The class learned about how to write graphic novels or comics. After learning some tips and tricks to make the comic easy to read (e.g., drawn the speech bubble after writing the words), each student began to plan and then draw and write her/his comic.

The class was challenged to count and list the homophone words learned this term. The children worked with partners in order to make sure they got them all. The result? There were 16 pairs of homophones (one was actually a trio) learned this term. The children also practised using these homophone words, by choosing the appropriate word spelling depending on the meaning of the word in a sentence.

In reading, the students completed their individual reading assessments during our scheduled guided reading time. At the end of the week, the class began a new project using drawing to help them understand what is happening in a book. To increase comprehension, children are urged to "make a picture in your mind" to help visualize what is going on in a story. As children improve in their reading fluency, is not easy for many students to keep track of details as stories get longer and more complicated. The Iron Giant is a short chapter book by the English poet Ted Hughes. He uses his poetic skill to give lots of details in his writing. During read aloud time for this book, each child has a clipboard with paper and pencil to draw what is in his/her mind while the story is read to them.

In math, the children were introduced to the concept of a "times table", a paper calculator to help them retrieve various multiplication facts from 0 to 10. We reviewed the facts that they already know, x 0 (always 0), x 1 (the number stays the same), x 2 (skip counting by 2 or double facts), x 5 (skip counting) and x 10 (skip counting). The students filled in the table with the facts that they already know. After hearing the story of Six Dinner Sid, the children were challenged to use what they know about multiplication to solve the word problem, "How many dinners did Sid eat in one week?"

In science, the class talked about the final two types of simple machines, pulleys and wheels and axles and how these machines make work easier. The children finished their simple machine posters by cutting out, sorting and taping diagrams of simple machines to their posters. The students applied their knowledge of simple machines to create Father's Day gifts, using a drill, screws, screwdrivers, nails and hammers.

In art, the children continued to create their soft sculptures made out of socks. The students stuffed and sewed with a needle and thread, and sewed two arms and a tail on the bodies of their sock creatures that they made last week.

Finally, the children continue to practise speed stacking and recording their individual times in preparation for the friendly "Stackfest 2019" competition during the last week of school.

On Friday, the children created Father's Day cards by making paper wheels on cards using paper fasteners. They wrapped up the gifts that they made and were all set to celebrate Father's Day this weekend.

Books read aloud this week:

Everything's Coming Up Sock Monkeys - The Art, History and Business of the American Sock Monkey by B. K. Connelly
Get to Know Pulleys by Karen Volpe
Sock Monkey Goes to Hollywood by Cece Bell
Simple Machines by David Adler
Six Dinner Sid by Inga Moore
The Iron Man by Ted Hughes (chapter book - to be continued next week)