Salle 300
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Weekly Focus Math - Measurement we're learning about perimeter and area for the next two week. Look fora for me include - do they know how to use a ruler (start at 0, read the number the see etc.), can they do multi-digit computations to determine perimeter. For area - do they remember multiplication. Language - writing interesting stories through inquiry and wondering we have Dictée No dictée until after March Break to focus on the project. Social Studies Project The basic facts I would like for them to talk about and understand are: location of their country and what this means for types of clothes and types of houses, what continent their country is located in, and what language(s) do they speak there - The presentations are student-driven. If your child finds something about their particular country extremely exciting (a tradition, an animal, a sport), they can pursue that and talk about it for the rest of their presentation - Format for the presentation is up to them. They seem to be strangely excited about bristol boards, so many have chosen to do presentations this way. I also had some students last year make powerpoint presentations, wear special outfits and bring in some food. - How can you help? Though the presentations are in French, because they are still learning about research skills and understanding some more complex language, it is fine to help them with research in English and also help to translate into French (I would suggest using online dictionaries, but not google translate for entire sentences). To deepen their understanding and analysis (level 4!) ask them questions about what they have learned and ask them to make connections. Can they explain the connection between proximity to the equator and the climate of a country and what clothes people wear/houses people live in? Can they compare something they learn about their country to things that happen within Canada? Questions will help them extend their learning and understanding - The sheet is meant to help as a starting point for research beyond that, I am interested in seeing what the students are interested in learning. - Originally I was going to have the students bring the research from home and do the posters in school, but in order to allow for more time to spend researching and refining, the project will be to do at home. If assistance is required, I am available. Presentation dates: March 1 Jesse, Ewan March 2 Ethan, Elza March 3 Brooksley, Luca March 6 Tavish, Riley, Jack March 7 Noe, Sabrina March 8 Paige, Owen March 9 Georgia, Amina March 10 Eden, Pippa
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Based on participation of our class alone, Morse Street is currently in 3rd place in our district for most active schools! Don't forget to remind your children to track their progress at http://60minkidsclub.org/. Forgotten days can still be tracked. Report Cards! Please let me know if you would like to set up a time to discuss your child's progress as per the dates and times given in my email this week Weekly Focus Math - Geometry we're learning the names and characteristics of 2D and 3D shapes and solids. Synmetry projects were amazing. See photos attached! This week we are building castles using 3D solids. Photos to come! Language - still focusing on reading! You can help at home by encouraging your children to read aloud in either French or English (or any other language!). Dictée The sound for the next two weeks is é/er (pronounced like the letter a in English) Here are the words: éléphant marcher février aller nager bébé école écran poupée crier Social Studies How we fit into this world (Morse is in Toronto which is in Ontario which is in Canada which is in North America which is on the planet Earth!) Key concepts for students to understand: - what is the equator and what does it mean for climate? - what is the difference between a city, province/state; country and continent - how are countries similar - how are countries different attached are some photos of what we've been up to in math and our time with our reading buddies this week. Happy February!
60 Minute Kids Club is underway! Go to http://60minkidsclub.org/ to sign up for the February challenge! Report Cards! Please let me know if you would like to set up a time to discuss your child's progress as per the dates and times given in my email this week Weekly Focus Math - Geometry we're learning the names and characteristics of 2D and 3D shapes and solids, as well as axes of symmetry with an art project. Language - still focusing on reading! Dictée The sound for the next two weeks is CH (like she in English) Here are the words: chose chaud cheval chaque doche chameau bouche chocolat mouche couche Social Studies We're learning about countries around the world. Key concepts for students to understand: - what is the equator and what does it mean for climate? - what is the difference between a city, province/state; country and continent - how are countries similar - how are countries different At the end of this month students will have to create presentations on different countries around the world. They will be presented during the last week of February and a research sheet will be sent home at the beginning of next week. Happy New Year!
First off - field trip next Thursday, January 19th to The Science Centre. Permission forms should be returned by this Friday. Report Cards! It's that time again! Reports will be written and edited this month and distributed in February. That means that I will be doing last minute conferences, and some assessments this month to make sure that my observations are accurate. Presentations before the break were great, and I look forward to seeing the progress that is made in the next presentations based on oral feedback given. Weekly Focus Math - Division Starting with understanding what it is, seeing similarities with multiplication, and completing simple computations. Language - before the break we worked very hard in writing. The next few months our focus will be on reading - not just deciding the words, but on understanding what has been read and choosing appropriate books for their levels. Dictée The sound for the next two weeks is CH (like she in English) Here are the words: chenille chat chuchoter chemin chien cheval Château Chemise chapeau chaton Science - Simple Machines Revisiting what each Simple Machine is to be prepared for our trip next week! Questions to ask - what is division? - how are division and multiplication similar? - how are division and multiplication different? - can you explain the division strategy you learned with the dots in the page? We are using the questions below as a writing prompt this week - What have you liked most about this year so far? - What have you likes least about this year so far? - What would you change? - What are you really good at in school? - What's your goal for the rest of the school year? Wow... I can't believe we're here already! One week to go before the winter break! I've added a new section to our blog this week - "What we've been working on". This is some examples of what we're up to. Please let me know if you don't want your child's work to be displayed on the blog, or if you would like their names removed (sometimes they will just be in the picture) Presentations are going well so far. They are purposely very casual for this time and feedback will in the form of a conversation to give tips for next time. It's been great seeing where students are taking the presentations and their joy for working on this project coming out. Please see the questions below in "questions to ask". If you get any interesting feedback from your child, I would love to hear what comes out of the conversation if that feedback would be useful and helpful for me in the classroom. Important dates: Concert on Wednesday Book Fair this week Last day PJ/STUFFY/HOT CHOCOLATE party on Friday. If you would like to send a special treat for your child to munch on during our party feel free, but please don't worry about sending anything along for the whole class. I will be making some hot chocolate and that will be more than enough sugar for them :) Weekly Focus Math - Multiplication Finishing up multiplication with a summative task this week. Division to come in the new year if you would like to get a head start over the break! Language - Presentation integrating Social Studies All of the sounds we have covered so far this year. Practice recognizing and remembering: OU, ON, IN, OI, AU/O/OT/OS/EAU, Science - Simple Machines Here is the link for that simple machines game online. We will be picking back up with this after the break as well as planning a trip to The Science Centre in the new year to support their learning - stay tuned for more information! Questions to ask - What have you liked most about this year so far? - What have you likes least about this year so far? - What would you change? - What are you really good at in school? - What's your goal for the rest of the school year? What We're Working On First Project
Yesterday we started working on our first project and presentation for the class. The presentation is a simple one as it is our first. Students have started to write a piece about their favourite celebration, the traditions that happen during this time, and why they love it so much. If students would like to bring pictures, (please make copies, not originals), do research at home and bring it, make a poster, make a video etc. this is all up to them and not at all a requirement. Students are expected to write their own paragraph explaining the celebration and why they like it so much and present it to the class. All of the work (except any extra they wish to research at home) is to be completed during class time. The goal of this project is to give students a first "big project" and to help them with their presentation skills, as well as to develop and enhance their joy of learning. The hope is that keeping this project very open ended will allow them to take it in the direction that is interesting to them. Here is the presentation schedule: December 16th: Elza December 19th: Indigo, Noe, Amina December 20th: Paige, Brooksley, Owen December 21st: Sabrina, Georgia, Eden, Luca December 22nd: Riley, Jack, Ewan, Tavish December 23rd: Pippa, Ethan, Jesse Weekly Focus Math - Multiplication We have moved into multiplication. At first this will be represented as repeated addition, but the concept of multiplication as groups of numbers should be built by before the winter break. Language - Presentation integrating Social Studies All of the sounds we have covered so far this year. Practice recognizing and remembering: OU, ON, IN, OI, AU/O/OT/OS/EAU, Science - Simple Machines We have now learned about each type of simple machine and have a definition for each. This week we will be solidifying our understanding of these simple machines, as well as discussing where we might find them and for what. In class we watched videos showing simple machines in progress, and played an online game helping to explain how each works. If you would like to try it out at home, here is the link. Questions to ask - What are you doing your celebration about? - Is there anything you would like to prepare at home to help with your presentation? - Can you remember the simple machines you talked about in class? What are they? (plan incliné, vis, coin, poulie, levier) - By the end of this week, they should be able to start talking about what multiplication is Now that the progress period is over, I will be sending home a lot more completed work with grades to help students understand the level they are at in their understanding. Sometimes there will be a rubric attached with their achievement circled, sometimes there will be a level grade (level 1 - 4, 4 being highest), sometimes there will be written feedback, sometimes not. Rubrics that go home will be in English to allow you to go over them with your children and help facilitate conversations. If the rubric/marking scheme that is attached to your child's work has an area for you to sign, please make sure that they bring this work back to school with them. Certain assessments and activities are helpful for me to reflect back on throughout the year for planning and extensions.
Also new this week: if your child has anything sent home with them on Friday to complete, it is because they haven't completed it in class during the agreed-upon timelines. Please make sure that it is completed over the weekend and RETURNED BY THE MONDAY. It is very important that I receive it by Monday in order to assess and keep on track. Weekly Focus Math - Continuing with Number Sense and Mental Math Strategies This week, students will be creating their own word problems. This activates different areas of their understanding, and helps them work through problems in a different way. They will be given a questions like the following "The number is 32, what is the answer?" and will have to then be able to come up with, and solve their own problem for that question. Language - List writing! We're writing a list of ideas that we have on how we can help the animals at The Humane Society. I am hoping that this naturally brings out a giving back kind of focus for the month of December, and if the students take it there, we will be following that path and planning some events/ideas. AU sound this week 1. L'eau 2. Aussi 3. Haut 4. Tableau 5. Chapeau 6. Animaux 7. Journaux Science - Simple Machines This week we are starting a unit on Simple Machines. This one is a big unit with a huge amount of information and new terms. The first couple of weeks will be introducing the different types of simple machines, and defining them so students can recognize them within their daily lives. This unit will last well into the New Year as well. Questions to ask - What was your idea for how to help the animals at The Humane Society? - How did you contribute to the class canvas for the "not-so-silent-auction"? - What types of simple machines are they and where do you see them around the house? - Give your child some numbers/math problems using two digit numbers, and have them solve them using the methods practiced in class (show your work using numbers, pictures and words) Field trip and parent-teacher interviews - this week is a busy one! Be sure to check your time for the interviews on the google doc. Meetings are 15 minutes in length and will not go over.
Weekly Focus Math - Number Sense and Mental Math Strategies For the next few weeks, the focus will be on understanding numbers, addition and subtraction. We will not only be focusing on traditional algorithms, but more student-generated and user friendly ones as well. This will allow students to really get to know the numbers and understand what is happening to them, rather than just memorize an equation. The focus in my math class is that students are able to explain, reason and justify their responses. Language - More reading and writing strategies. This week we will be learning about persuasive writing and the writing prompt for this week after our trip to The Humane Society is "what is your opinion about zoos. Are they fair to the animals that are in them? Why or why not?" IN sound this week because I was away last week, there was no dictée so we will continue with the same word list from last week. 1. un magasin 2. un timbre 3. un copain 4. un train 5. demain 6. le matin 7. les patins Science - positive and negative interactions with animals. Questions to ask - What was your opinion about zoos? Are they a good place for animals? Why or why not? - what did you like most about your trip to The Humane Society -Give your child addition or subtraction questions such as 46-8 and have them solve it mentally and the. Explain the strategy they used. If they are not quite there yet mentally, that's okay. Have them practice the same questions on paper using whatever strategy works best for them. Weekly Focus
Hello all. So sorry for the brief intermission from blog updates... here we are for week 10! Math - We are finishing up a unit on graphing. Specifically this unit we have learned about simple bar graphs, pictograms, tally charts and number lines. The students did a great job creating and asking questions to classmates, turning that information into a bar graph and then interpreting the data orally. These projects will be shared with you during parent-teacher interviews next week. Language - We have been having a very strong push for writing independently over the last two weeks and will continue this through until December. This will allow us to set up our choice-focused literacy program in the new year and ensure that students are working independently at all centres. This week features a story about an elephant in the class, and also a reflection piece on Remembrance Day IN sound this week Dictée words that have been chosen by the class: 1. un magasin 2. un timbre 3. un copain 4. un train 5. demain 6. le matin 7. les patins Science - solids and liquids. We have created a definition to categories different objects and will explore how different liquids dissolve or not into each other. Questions to ask - What did you write about in your story about the elephant in the classroom - Which graph did you find the easiest to create - a bar graph, pictogram or number line and why? -Do you remember all the sounds you have studied so far this year? (in, on, ou, oi) Weekly Focus
PUMPKINS! If you haven't already heard, we've started our inquiry on pumpkins. This investigation will blend into all subject areas so we'll be taking a small break from our regular programming to explore things that come up. Math - Predicting , measuring with standard and non-standard units, learning about height, weight, mass, volume, circumference. Language - Continuing narratives with Salle 301. Connecting our science investigation with writing, and writing about WHY and HOW a pumpkin floats. OI sound this week Dictée words that have been chosen by the class: 1. Voici 2. Froid 3. Froide 4. Histoire 5. Voir 6. Voilà 7. Voix Science - Properties of liquids and solids. Seeing their faces when they discovered that pumpkins floated was priceless. We're now going to figure out why by trying to replicate our own versions of a pumpkin using plasticine until it floats. Questions to ask - Why do you think a pumpkin floats? Was that surprising to you? Why or why not? - What was the most interesting part of this week? - Did you like getting a chance to be hands on with pumpkins this week? - What's your story with your friend from room 301 about? Progress Report Cards will be coming home in a few weeks. Please keep your eye out for an email this week to set up interview times. |
Hannah EhrhardtTeacher, coach, nature-enthusiast and lover of all things cute and furry. Archives
November 2016
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