Designing Houses That Can Withstand Wind

Students work collaboratively to build a structure that can withstand wind.

Spirit Week
This week is a school-wide Spirit Week.  Here is the theme for each day:

Monday: Pajama Day (students in my class can also bring in a small stuffed animal, one that can fit into a paper grocery bag)

Tuesday: Crazy Hair or Hat Day

Wednesday:  Fashion Disaster/Mismatch Day

Thursday: Twins or Decades Day

Friday: Funky Sweater Day

Message from Mr. Willard
As we head into boot season it is critical to help your child remember to bring gym shoes to school, especially on gym days.   We have spare shoes but students often spend valuable activity time looking for the right size, match and then learning to tie. Thanks, Jason

Curriculum Overview

Science - We are working on a Project Lead The Way (PLTW) module on structure and function.  Structure refers to the way something is built, including shape, size, and the way the different parts work together (for example, a chair has four legs, a seat, and a back).  Function is what something does or is intended to do (the function of a chair is to give people a place to sit).  This week we will study different kinds of paintbrushes (fine tip for artists, wide brushes for house painters, rollers for painting walls) and the students will design their own paintbrush.

Reading - We are reading books and stories, both fiction and non-fiction, to support our Project Lead The Way unit on structure and function.  This week students will finish reading The Three Little Pigs and build and test a structure big enough for a pig, that can resist wind.

Writing - We are writing and reflecting about our experience at Expo, what parts of our work we were happy about, and what aspects need more attention next time.

Math - We are comparing numbers and playing more than and less than games, including more than and less than poker.

Word Study - We are learning how to read and write simple words.  This week we will look at the -ing word family. 

Thanks for sending in both the snow clothes and the indoor shoes last week.

Thank You For Coming to Our School's STEAM Expo

Expo!

EXPO
Thank you for coming to Expo!  The students were excited to have you there to see their work.  I hope you had a chance to visit some of the other classrooms too, every room I went to had some really interesting projects to showcase.

Spirit Week
Next week is a school-wide Spirit Week.  Here is the theme for each day:

Monday: Pajama Day (students in my class can also bring in a small stuffed animal, one that can fit into a paper grocery bag) 

Tuesday: Crazy Hair or Hat Day
 
Wednesday:  Fashion Disaster/Mismatch Day
   
Thursday: Twins or Decades Day
  
Friday: Funky Sweater Day

Snowflakes
Last week we took some time to learn about how snow and snowflakes form from water vapor that freezes.  We watched some videos of snowflakes forming and another where a scientist explained the process to a group of kids.  In the new year we will begin a unit on weather officially but the lesson on snow seemed apt to cover now.  We also have been tracking the temperature each Friday on a huge line graph.

Winter Clothes
Unless the temperature or windchill is below zero degrees Fahrenheit, we go out for recess at least twice.  Please send in a full compliment of winter clothes with your child.  Gloves, hats, snow pants, boots, and winter jackets.  If you need help let me know.  I have a few things that have been donated by one of our teachers' aides.  If you would prefer to leave certain items in the classroom that is fine too.  In addition to the winter gear students also need a pair of regular shoes in their backpack that they can wear in the classroom.  They need the regular shoes to give their boots a chance to dry out and so they can participate in gym class.  I know as a parent that this is a lot, but all of these things really help your students stay happy, dry, and ready to learn all day long.

Curriculum Overview

Science - Today we started our first Project Lead The Way (PLTW) module on structure and function.  Structure refers to the way something is built, including shape, size, and the way the different parts work together (for example, a chair has four legs, a seat, and a back).  Function is what something does or is intended to do (the function of a chair is to give people a place to sit).  More information to come as this module gets going.

Reading - This week we will begin reading books and stories, both fiction and non-fiction, to support our Project Lead The Way unit on structure and function.  This week students will read Jack and Beanstalk, examine the structure of a beanstalk, and see if we can make a model of a beanstalk that can hold up a golden egg.

Writing - We are writing and reflecting about our experience at Expo, what parts of our work we were happy about, and what aspects need more attention next time.

Math - We are comparing numbers and playing more than and less than games, including more than and less than poker.

Word Study - We are learning how to read and write simple words.  This week we will look at the -ing word family.

Last week we took some time to learn about how snow and snowflakes form from water vapor that freezes.

Expo This Thursday

The students are excited to present their work on Thursday night.  We have been practicing.

STEAM Expo This Thursday
The students are really excited about their presentation this Thursday.  As I wrote previously, our Fall Expo is this Thursday, December 7th from 5-7pm.  These are the grade level presentation times:

5:00 - 5:30 Grades K, 3, & 6
5:45 - 6:15 Grades 1, 4, & 7
6:30 - 7:00 Grades 2, 5, & 8 

Here is the official school Expo Annoucement. 

As I wrote before, Room K-3 has a tight presentation schedule so work on arriving on time.  Parking is tough so you will need to arrive early and/or park on the street.  I will move my car to the street to open up one more spot in the school parking lot, but plan on parking being difficult.

Curriculum Overview

STEAM Project - We are preparing to present our work at this Thursday's Expo.

Reading - We are comparing and contrasting different versions of the wellknown Gingerbread Man story.  Ask your students about The Gingerbread Cowboy.

Writing - Students will write an invitation to Expo.

Math - This week we will continue to develop a foundation for fractions by looking at the different shapes that be made when you break up a hexagon.  Students will also continue working on organizing objects from shortest to longest.

Word Study - We are learning to recognize common word groupings.  This week we will continue to look at the -og (dog, frog, fog) and -ug (bug, rug, slug, luggage) word groupings.