March is Reading Month

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In celebration of reading month we will be having some activities take place each day. Some will be done at school and some should be completed at home. Here is a look at this week:

  • On March 1st: Wear a shirt with writing on it.
  • On March 2nd: Read a book at night to your parents.
  • On March 3rd: Read a book about an animal.
  • On March 4th: Write a story and read it to your family.

 


Snow Day Homework from Email I Sent

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HAPPY SNOW DAY!

If you are looking for snow day activities, I suggest building an indoor fort, grabbing your blanket a flashlight and a stack of books!  Of course, you can do this after you build a snowman because it is great packing snow. Please take a picture of one of your child’s activities, email it to me and I’ll put it on the blog. For school related activities, see the list below:

All students who spend at least 30 minutes working online will be  entered into a drawing for a $10.00 BARNES and NOBLE GIFT CARD – one per grade.  See who the BOILER DAY WINNERS were here.

  • STUDY ISLAND:   Grades 2-5 If you are unsure of your child’s login, email me and I will send it your way.
  • Study for your Core Democratic Value Test because we will still have it tomorrow.
  • Don’t forget to have your child practice fact fluency today and read for 20 minutes (Study Island reading counts).

Core Democratic Value Test

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We have combined Writer’s Workshop with the Public Issues in Michigan social studies unit. We are close to finishing our opinion pieces as it relates to a public issue. Our discussions have included  public issues in Michigan, our responsibilities as citizens, and Core Democratic Values. There will be a test on Core Democratic Values on Friday, February 26th. Flashcards came home yesterday and a review will be coming home tomorrow. If your child has misplaced the flashcards, please click on the picture below:

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What are Public Issues?

  • Issues are things that people disagree about.
  • Public issues are issues that affect a large group of people such as school, community, or state.
  • Many times people disagree about how to settle, or resolve public issues.

Why do people disagree on public issues?

  • People have different points of view about public issues.
  • To understand an issue, you need to look at different points of view.
  • Disagreements about public issues are related to core democratic values.
  • Core democratic values are things people believe in that bring people together as Americans.
  • Some examples of core democratic values are freedom, fairness, and the common good.

Exploring a Public Issue Facing Michigan Citizens

  • One problem facing Michigan is our growing use of energy.
  • It is important to develop new sources of renewable energy to supply our energy needs.
  • Wind farms are a good source of clean, renewable energy.
  • Winds are often the strongest off the shorelines of the Great Lakes.
  • People disagree over whether or not to allow wind farms in the Great Lakes.

Evaluating Possible Resolutions of Public Issue Facing Michigan Citizens

  • People have different viewpoints about how to solve or settle a public issue.
  • Understand an issue, citizens need to look at different viewpoints about the issue.
  • Understand an issue, citizens also need to think about how core democratic values are connected to the issue.
  • When citizens understand an issue, they can make better decisions about how to solve the issue.


Social Studies/Writing Homework

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We have been studying public issues in Social Studies (which is currently being completed during our writing block because it fits nicely with essays). Your child chose an article of interest and is bringing it home today. Please read the article with your child and help pull out the opinions shared by others concerning this issue. Also, I would like them to get your opinion on this issue, as well as, one other adult not living in your home. This assignment must be returned by: Friday, February 19th. Please return the article and blue opinion sheet.

Once all the facts and opinions are gathered, your child will be writing an opinion paper based on the public issue question.


Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Unit

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We are focusing on the 3-Rs (Recycle, Reuse, Reduce) in science. This is a very easy unit for the students because it builds on their knowledge about natural resources from social studies. Flashcards came home on Wednesday, but you click on the following link if interested: Notecards for Recycle Unit. The test will be on Friday, February 19th.

Here are some online activities that your child can visit:

Remember to leave a comment if you played one of the games to let me know what you thought about it so that I can give you an extra bonus for homework. 


Force and Motion

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We are currently focusing on Force & Motion in science. We are looking closely at how things move. We started by talking about motion which is the movement from one place to another or physical movement like twirling, waving, etc. Things move in certain ways- according to path and direction. The students have been completing a variety of experiments measuring distance and speed, as well as, force (the push or pull). We have also looked closely at friction and gravity and will be discussing simple machines.

Our test will be February 5th. Your child should have brought home their flashcards yesterday but if they didn’t, here is the website that contains the flashcards of key vocabulary terms that you can work on at home: Force and Motion Notecards

Click on the pictures below to read and complete activities about Forces & Friction:

 

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3rd Grade Writing Mentors

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I was extremely impressed with my class and their ability to be mentors to our 2nd grade writers. They provided suggestions for their realistic fiction pieces. I heard phrases such as, “I see that you have a great sentence in your plan but you didn’t include it in your writing piece.” or “I noticed that you are telling a story rather than showing it. You might want to add dialogue.” or “I see that you started with Once upon a time, you could try an action lead like…” It was a wonderful learning experience!

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