Week 33

Here’s what our first graders are learning this week: April 25-29

Interactive Read Aloud:  Over the next few weeks, we will be learning how to read a text closely. Often just simply referred to as "close reading," this skill teaches children to look carefully at words chosen by an author to convey meaning. This week, we will be reading springtime passages and practicing close reading skills. 

Phonics:  -ui and –oo words

We are in our end of the year unit on learning to spell high frequency words, long vowel team or r-controlled words, and “fun” words from the lists you made at home. Each Friday your child will have a spelling test of 6 words they have been practicing all week through various activities.  This week, we will focus on
 -ui and -oo words.

Writing:   This month, we are going to be doing some “animal research” and writing “All About” books to share what we have learned.  Each student will have his/her own unique animal to research, and we will be learning the mechanics of writing non-fiction based on gathered information rather than personal experience.  At the end of this unit, we will be making a class PowerPoint presentation to share some fun facts about our amazing animals!

Math:  We are learning how to add 2-digit numbers (without regrouping) this week.  The students will learn the basics of how to add horizontally and vertically, and will learn strategies with 10s and 1s in order to solve basic 2-digit addition problems.  In first grade, we don't learn adding or subtracting with regrouping (sometimes also called "carrying" a ten), but what we do learn is setting the students up to begin regrouping at the beginning of second grade. 

IXL: If you would like to use IXL at home, we recommend these sections for practice this week:

·           Fractions (Section J)

·           Money (Section O)

·           Review of Addition and Subtraction (Sections B-F)

Core Knowledge:   This week, we continue our unit in Core Knowledge history: A New Nation.  We are learning about the original 13 colonies and the events leading up to the American Revolution.  Topics include the Boston Tea Party, the "Shot Heard Around the World," Paul Revere, Betsy Ross and the first American flag, the Declaration of Independence, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and American symbols.  

Core Virtue: April’s Core Virtue is Forgiveness – letting go and moving on once someone has apologized for something they did wrong. 

End of the Year Trips:
May 6th    MN  Zoo
June 2nd   Chutes and Ladders

Week 32

Here’s what our first graders are learning this week: April 18-22

Interactive Read Aloud:  This week we will be reading books about springtime and reviewing first grade comprehension skills. We will read Little Robin Redbreast, City Green, Planting a Garden, and Flower Garden.  Review topics include character feelings, character change, character traits, and character motivation. 

Phonics:  -oa and –ow words

We are in our end of the year unit on learning to spell high frequency words, long vowel team or r-controlled words, and “fun” words from the lists you made at home. Each Friday your child will have a spelling test of 6 words they have been practicing all week through various activities.  This week, we will focus on
 -oa and -ow words.

Writing:   This month, we are going to be doing some “animal research” and writing “All About” books to share what we have learned.  Each student will have his/her own unique animal to research, and we will be learning the mechanics of writing non-fiction based on gathered information rather than personal experience.  At the end of this unit, we will be making a class PowerPoint presentation to share some fun facts about our amazing animals!

Math:  We are learning about fractions this week. Our focus is on equal parts of a whole and learning how to write them as a numerator and denominator. Students will also learn to identify and name halves, thirds, and fourths. 

IXL: If you would like to use IXL at home, we recommend these sections for practice this week:

·           Fractions (Section J)

·           Money (Section O)

·           Review of Addition and Subtraction (Sections B-F)

Core Knowledge:   This week, we continue our newest unit in Core Knowledge history: A New Nation.  We are learning about the original 13 colonies and the events leading up to the American Revolution.  Topics include the Boston Tea Party, the "Shot Heard Around the World," Paul Revere, Betsy Ross and the first American flag, the Declaration of Independence, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and American symbols.  

Core Virtue: April’s Core Virtue is Forgiveness – letting go and moving on once someone has apologized for something they did wrong. 

End of the Year Trips:
May 6th    MN  Zoo
June 2nd   Chutes and Ladders

Week 31

Here’s what our first graders are learning this week: April 11-15

Interactive Read Aloud:  April is National Poetry Month!  To celebrate, we are spending two weeks learning about poetry and reading many different kinds of poems.  We learn that there are 2 kinds of poems: those that tell a story, and those that describe feelings.  We also learn the “3 Rs” of poetry – Rhyme, Rhythm, and Repetition. 

For a list of poetry that we will be reading together in class, check out What Your First Grader Needs to Know.  All of our main poems come from this Core Knowledge List.  J

Phonics:  -ie and –igh words

We are in our end of the year unit on learning to spell high frequency words, long vowel team or r-controlled words, and “fun” words from the lists you made at home. Each Friday your child will have a spelling test of 6 words they have been practicing all week through various activities.  This week, we will focus on -ie and -igh words.

Writing:   This month, we are going to be doing some “animal research” and writing “All About” books to share what we have learned.  Each student will have his/her own unique animal to research, and we will be learning the mechanics of writing non-fiction based on gathered information rather than personal experience.  At the end of this unit, we will be making a class PowerPoint presentation to share some fun facts about our amazing animals!

Math:  We are in our third week of studying money.  Students will identify coins and name the value of each coin from its front and it's back.  Students will be able to count coins of the same type as well as be able to count mixed coins.  Our focus is on combinations of quarters, nickels, dimes, and pennies that total $1.00 or less.

IXL: If you would like to use IXL at home, we recommend these sections for practice this week:

·           Money (Section O)

·           Review of Addition and Subtraction (Sections B-F)

·           Counting and Number Patterns (Section A)

Core Knowledge:   This week, we begin our newest unit in Core Knowledge history: A New Nation.  We will be learning about the original 13 colonies and the events leading up to the American Revolution.  Topics include the Boston Tea Party, the "Shot Heard Around the World," Paul Revere, Betsy Ross and the first American flag, the Declaration of Independence, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and American symbols.  

Core Virtue: April’s Core Virtue is Forgiveness – letting go and moving on once someone has apologized for something they did wrong. 

Week 30

Here’s what our first graders are learning this week: April 4-8

Interactive Read Aloud:  April is National Poetry Month!  To celebrate, we are going to be spending two weeks learning about poetry and reading many different kinds of poems.  We learn that there are 2 kinds of poems: those that tell a story, and those that describe feelings.  We also learn the “3 Rs” of poetry – Rhyme, Rhythm, and Repetition. 

For a list of poetry that we will be reading together in class, check out What Your First Grader Needs to Know.  All of our main poems come from this Core Knowledge List.  J

Phonics:  -ea and –ee words

We have started our end of the year study on learning to spell high frequency words, long vowel team or r-controlled words, and “fun” words from the lists you made at home. Each Friday your child will have a spelling test of 6 words they have been practicing all week through various activities.  This week, we will focus on -ea and -ee words.

Writing:   This week marks the beginning of a new unit in writing.  We are going to be doing some “animal research” and writing “All About” books to share what we have learned.  Each student will have his/her own unique animal to research, and we will be learning the mechanics of writing non-fiction based on gathered information rather than personal experience.  At the end of this unit, we will be making a class PowerPoint presentation to share some fun facts about our amazing animals!

Math:  We are in our second week of studying money.  Students will identify coins and name the value of each coin from its front and it's back.  Students will be able to count coins of the same type as well as be able to count mixed coins.  Our focus is on combinations of quarters, nickels, dimes, and pennies that total $1.00 or less.

IXL: If you would like to use IXL at home, we recommend these sections for practice this week:

·           Money (Section O)

·           Review of Addition and Subtraction (Sections B-F)

·           Counting and Number Patterns (Section A)

Core Knowledge:   This week is kind of a review/in-between week for Core Knowledge.  We are preparing for our next big domain, A New Nation, which will start on Monday. This unit focuses on the 13 Colonies and their journey to independence from Great Britain.  However, before we can begin this unit, we felt that we needed to spend a little time filling in what happened in between the time of the Conquistadors (which we studied with the Maya, Aztec, and Inca earlier this winter) and the time of the American Revolution.  Therefore, we are learning this week about the English quest for land and gold during the 1600s and 1700s, as well as some important figures like Pocahontas and the Puritans.  We are also touching on the topic of Slavery in the Colonies and early American history. 

Core Virtue: April’s Core Virtue is Forgiveness – letting go and moving on once someone has apologized for something they did wrong.