Week of December 7
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
There will be a science quiz on Friday 12/11 covering the vocabulary we will be using during the next unit of study on Motion. Please refer to the science portion below for the vocabulary and definitions.
Our students will be given a math open response and written assessment on Tuesday 12/15 and Wednesday, 12/16 respectively. Please refer to the review section below to help your child study.
The second grade students will perform during the Winter Assembly on 12/18. On the same day, we will celebrate our achievements by having a winter party at 12:45 p.m. In order for these events to be successful, the children need support from as many families as possible. Please consider volunteering for any of the activities we list below.
- making costumes
- making props
- assisting with costumes and make-up for the assembly
- setting up for the party
- serving food
- cleaning up
- monitoring craft activities
If you are able to assist, please contact:
- Mrs. Beene at onnibeene@sbcglobal.net and Mrs. Robinson at nlrobinson@sbcglobal.net for costumes and set-up.
- Mrs. Dennis at dennis.amy@sbcglobal.net for food and drinks.
- Mrs. Hilde Campbell at hildecampbell@bankofamerica.com
Language Arts:
Independent Reading (35-40 minutes at the beginning of each day)
Teachers provide guided reading lessons and/or reading conferences during this time. Differentiated Instruction:
- Guided Writing
- Guided Reading
- Writing conferences
- Reading 3 D Progress Monitoring
- Reading Skills: lessons on Context Clues
Spelling Words: bring, done, eight, grow, hot, kind, laugh, seven, together, warm
Day 1:
Morning meeting/morning message
Reading: Connect to experiences of Others
Interactive Read Aloud: Tea with Milk by Allen Say.
- Using the Venn diagram students discuss similarities and differences between Japanese and American cultures. The class examines how a family learns to adopt a foreign culture, rediscover their roots to find out that people on earth share one main similarity: We all love our families.
Writing:
(Lucy Calkins and Pat Bleichman)
Review Leads:
- To raise awareness and knowledge of effective leads, and to include leads as parts of their writing.
- Teachers model introductory paragraph for the composition comparing and contrasting Japanese and American cultures.
- Students begin their compositions independently.
Day 2:
Morning meeting/morning message
Reading: Connect to experiences of Others
Interactive Read Aloud: Reread Tea with Milk by Allen Say.
-Review the Venn diagram identifying the similarities and differences of Japanese and American cultures.
Writing:
(Lucy Calkins and Pat Bleichman)
Showing, not Telling:
- Teachers explain that when students write, they need particular goals such as to create a setting, to make characters talk, to explain step by step what happened, to make the story’s lead sound more story-like, and to show not tell.
- Teachers model second paragraph for the composition comparing and contrasting Japanese and American cultures.
- Students continue their compositions independently.
Day 3:
Morning meeting/morning message
Reading: Connect to experiences of Others
Interactive read aloud: Tree of Cranes by Allen Say
Writing:
(Lucy Calkins and Pat Bleichman)
Teaching Children to Confer about Writing:
- Teachers model to students how to explain the stages of their writing during conferences.
- Students continue their compositions independently.
Day 4:
Morning meeting/morning message
Reading: Connect to experiences of Others
Interactive read aloud: The Bicycle Man by Allen Say (p.1 – 18)
Writing:
(Lucy Calkins and Pat Bleichman)
Endings:
- Teachers will explain and model why endings are crucial and should not be rushed through.
- Teachers model conclusion for the composition comparing and contrasting Japanese and American cultures.
- Students complete their compositions.
Day 5:
Morning meeting/morning message
Reading: Connect to experiences of Others
Interactive read aloud: The Bicycle Man by Allen Say (p. 19 – 36)
Writing:
(Lucy Calkins and Pat Bleichman)
Revising and Editing with Partners:
This session will teach students some strategies for making revisions to their pieces, and teachers will help writers support their partner’s revisions.
- Teachers model proofreading strategies and marks.
- Students proofread their compositions.
- Students present their compositions.
Math:
4.6 A Shopping Activity (Day2)
Objective: To guide students as they develop strategies for adding 2-digit numbers mentally, to provide experiences with calculating the total cost of two items, and to demonstrate making change for whole-dollar amounts up to $100
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Using Shopping Strategies (Partner Activity)
- Solving Shopping Problems (Partner Activity)
Differentiated Instruction: Students work with an assigned partner to solve Shopping Problems.
4. 7 Exploring Length, Area, and Attributes (2 days)
Objective: To guide children as they measure lengths and distances to the nearest inch and centimeter, explore area by tiling surfaces, and sort attribute blocks according to rules
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Examining Inch and Centimeter Scales (Whole-Class Activity)
- Exploration D: Measuring Lengths with a Tape Measurer (Small-Group Activity)
- Exploration E: Tiling Surfaces with Different Shapes (Partner Activity)
- Exploration F: Sorting Attribute Blocks (Small-Group Activity)
Each group takes turns to complete all explorations.
4. 8 Pencil-and-Paper Addition Strategies
Objective: To guide students as they develop paper-and-pencil strategies for adding 2- and 3-digit numbers, and to demonstrate using estimation to check if answers are reasonable
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Discussing the Use of Ballpark Estimates to Check Answer (Whole-Class Discussion)
- Solving Addition Problems; Keeping a Paper-and-Pencil Record (Small-Group Activity)
- Finding the Sum of Two Multi-digit Numbers
Differentiated Instruction: Assigned partners work together to solve addition problems
- Enrichment Activity: Minute Math
4. 9 The Partial-Sums Addition Algorithm
Objective: To introduce and practice the partial-sums addition algorithm
- Mental Math and Reflexes/Math Message
- Math Message Follow-Up (Whole-Class Activity)
- Introducing the Partial-Sums Addition Algorithm Using Base-10 Blocks (Whole-Class Discussion)
- Introducing the Partial-Sums Algorithm as a Paper-and-Pencil Method (Whole-Class Discussion)
- Practicing the Partial-Sums Algorithm (Whole-Class Discussion)
Unit 4 Review
Open Response: Finding the Largest Sum (Tuesday 12/15/09)
Description: For this task, students create and add two-digit numbers to find the largest possible sum.
Focus:
- Identify the values of the digits in the 2-digit numbers.
- Compare and order whole numbers.
- Solve problems involving the addition of 2-digit whole numbers.
Unit 4 Written Assessment (Wednesday, 12/16/09)
- Calculate the value of a coin combination.
- Write the temperature shown on the thermometer.
- Mark the thermometer to show the temperature.
- Write whole numbers using base-ten notation (e.g. 34 = 3 tens 4 ones)
- Recognize numbers as odd or even.
- Fill in the number grid puzzle.
- Calculate the amount of change after paying.
- Solve the change-to-less problem.
- Solve problems using ballpark estimates.
- Solve problems involving multi-digit addition (e.g. 74 + 45 =)
- Circle the digit in the 100s place. (e.g. 5,219, number 2 should be circled).
Science:
What makes things move?
- Students plan an investigation to find out how things move downhill.
Science Quiz:
Fill in the blank, multiple choice, and short answers using the following vocabulary:
- A force is a push or a pull that makes something move.
- Gravity is a force that pulls things towards the center of the earth.
- Friction is a force that slows down objects when they rub against each other.
- A lever is a simple machine made up of a bar that pivots, or turns on a fixed point.
- An inclined plane is a simple machine that makes it easier to move or lift things.
- A magnet is an object that can pull things made of iron and steel.
- To attract something is to pull toward it.
- To repel something is to push it away.
- Motion is movement.
- Speed is how fast something or someone moves.
Social Studies:
Students write to explain how would they feel if they moved to another country where the culture is different from theirs.
Thank you for your support.
Anh Tuan Hoang, LuAnn Lawson