Black Bears

One of the SRA stories was about Lynn Rogers and his research/findings about black bears. Find out more about black bears and other wildlife by clicking on the link below.

Bear Study 

Grade 1- Friends in the Stars

Grade 1 students have started a new story -- Friends in the Stars.  They are learning to retell and critically think about the story using guiding questions and small group discussions.

Last week, students looked at the stars to see what shapes and "things" they could see.  They then shared their findings in class.  Using the story for assistance, students were able to effectively communicate and discuss the things we see in the stars.

Grade 2- Grammar and Reader's Theatre

Grade 2 students have been working really hard to complete the video performances for The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Last week they reviewed their grammar knowledge while other groups were videoing. The performances will be available after the final cuts. :-)

Grade 3- Working on PLOT

Students in grade 3 have created characters individually and are in the process of working together to write a story that incorporates each of these characters.

Grade 2- Three Billy Goats Gruff .. continued

Students have reached the stage where they are preparing for their readers' theater presentations.  They will be videoing and presenting their stories soon!

Grade 1- Humpty Dumpty Continued

Grade 1 students are finishing there comparing and contrasting of the Humpty Dumpty stories read and watched in class.  Students are learning how to verbalize similarities and differences, use text to support and defend answers, and write using capital letters and full-stops.

PYP- Grade 1

Grade 1-- review and practice your colors, letters, and body parts. Just click on one of the links below to play a game.

colors
color matching
letters and sounds
literacy center
"H" makes the "hih" sound


The links below are a little harder, so ask for help.
Color Identification
Body Parts

Grade 2- Three Billy Goats Gruff

Readers' Theater-- students are preparing for their group presentations by; learning more about goats (nonfiction reading and questioning), writing summaries, creating theater props, and reading with expression.  The students will practice this week and begin recording their presentations next week.  :)

Grade 1- Humpty Dumpty

Grade 1 students are working on rhyme, making connections, using context to answer questions, retelling with detail (summarizing), and fluency.  We started with a nursery rhyme known to most of the students, so that they could practice the format for what is expected with their individual books (these will be given at the end of the week or beginning of next week).

Student Questions (being answered in their journals)--
1.  What happened to Humpty Dumpty?
2.  Who tried to help him?
3.  What is Humpty Dumpty?
4.  Do you think he will ever be put back together?




1935-ComiColor Cartoons - Humpty Dumpty
Uploaded by iToons. - Click for more funny videos.

Grade 1, 2, 3

It has been a busy few weeks for the Grade 1, 2, and 3 classes-- with field trips, pictures, and class activities.  For students that have not been in EAL for a short while-- it is imperative that they are practicing their reading, speaking, and listening at home!  New readers will be given to them at their next lesson.

Grade 4- Literature Circles and Writing

4A students are working on comprehension activities and fluency with oral reading. The title of the story they read today was "What is it?"-- relating to the scientific process and continuing a lesson from last week.  It would be helpful for these students to read (in English) nightly, so that they are able to practice picking out details and better recognize grade-level words.

4C students used their critical thinking skills to try to identify words out of context.  They made educated guesses and discussed their answers (these words will be defined before reading the next short story).  4C students also used vocabulary that was provided (taken from the unread story) to create a story-- what they thought the real story was about.  They focused on including story elements and the vocabulary given. 

Grade 1- Hickory, Dickory, Poem!

Students in grade 1 are finishing their work with the nursery rhyme-- HICKORY, DICKORY, DOCK.  They created their own rhyming poems-- and created an image to go with their new poem.  Please ask your child to share their new poems with you. 

Grade 4- Let's Investigate (Science)

Today the literature group (4A) met to read using a "reader's theater" format.  We then answered the comprehension questions that accompanied the story. 

New Vocabulary:

Hypothesis
Observation
Theory
Scientific Method


Main questions-- Are you a scientist?  What makes you a scientist?  Are all scientists' theories correct?  What are some things that you want test or find some answers to?

(4C) Communication

We worked on communicating verbally -- complete sentences, restating the question, answering with WORDS and details.  One of the activities that was completed required the students to ask questions to other students (Grade 1 students)-- it was a really great experience for the older students because the little ones are very open and inquisitive, they made the Grade 4 students COMMUNICATE.  :)

Grade 2- Three Billy Goats Gruff (continued)

Grade 2 students are still working with the story of THE THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF.

This week the students will travel to three new stations; creating reader's theater props, nonfiction reading about goats (practicing fluency), and writing (summarizing, editing stories, making words, and describing characters).

Homework will be sent home each day -- and needs to be completed in order to advance through the stations that are set up. Please practice reading, reviewing, or writing with your child (using the EAL journals that are being sent home).

Grade 1-- Hickory Dickory Dock

We ended the Green Eggs and Ham stations with a tangram activity-- students retold the story using tangrams depicting the story elements.

THIS WEEK: Grade 1 students are working with still practicing rhymes and short vowel sounds. We will be working with nursery rhymes and poems-- as a way to practice and review new English words.

The first station involves an introduction to new words, whole group sorting of these words (with explanations as to why they are placed in the chosen categories), an exploration of how the words fit together, and a group challenge to create a story or rhyme using the words. At the end of this station students will be familiar with all the words in "Hickory Dickory Dock". Their homework will be to practice and learn the rhyme for the next lesson.



You can practice with your child-- they have to rhyme in their journals/notebooks.

Grade 2- Three Billy Goats Gruff

Students are finishing their summaries of the story-- they will be identifying all the story elements on their final drafts. The final drafts are due on SUNDAY, please remind your child to complete the summary if he/she has not done so already.

Grade 1-- Green Eggs and Ham

In class, Grade 1 will be reading and having fun with Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham.  Students will be practicing with rhyming words, sequencing stories, and role playing (speaking).

It would be helpful if the students were reading the book at home as well.  Please click on the link to read the online book with your child; read it out loud, role play, pick out the words that rhyme, talk about other words that rhyme with the words in the story, and HAVE FUN with the book.

Green Eggs and Ham

As a special treat, watch the animated cartoon!

PYP- Grade 2

Students in Grade 2 are working with the story-- The Three Billy Goats Gruff. They are working on fluency, expression, identifying story elements, and using context clues. All of the students have read the story within small groups, independently, and online (listening and following along), so they should be able to tell you about it (in detail) at home.

Grade 1: Carlos goes to school

Grade 1 students are starting another book that uses the word GOES!!  We are working on using go, get, getting, went, take, taking, and goes correctly.  The words from this book will be added to the list that was learned with Bird Goes Home.  Please continue to read these books (over and over again) with your child... the more confidence they have with the book, the easier it is to retell and share their knowledge with the small group. 
 
Some discussion questions you can work on at home with your child are:

1.  What would happen if Carlos forgot his backpack?
2.  What's the most important thing Carlos needs for school?  Why do you think that?
3.  What things did Carlos get before going to school?

Grade 4: Literature Focus

Grade 4 students have been really busy, as have I.  Unfortunately we have had an adjusted schedule because of testing (reassessing), but classes will be back on track next week. 

Some grade 4 students are now working with me in LIT groups, as an extension to their class LIT group.  We work on grammar, questioning, making connections, and extracting details from the text.  These students are expected to read nightly and then share at LIT group what they have been reading independently.

Other grade 4 students have been assigned new books (leveled readers) that they must complete independent contracts for-- the contracts are shared and discussed with groups in EAL.