How do families work together?

This week our essential question was "How do families work together?".  We read expository text which gave us lots of information about different families and how they work together. The students learned that we can get information from reading the captions with photos and also reading any charts or graphs that may be included in the text.  The kids shared lots of ways they help out at home to get jobs done.  We used the comprehension strategy of asking and answering questions to help us understand what we have read.

In Math we had fun with explorations.  We set up three stations, one in my classroom, one in Mrs. Wells room and the third with Mrs. Miller.  The students rotated to explore weight and scales, odd and even patterns, and making equal groups.  We also practiced addition and subtraction with frame and arrow problems.  Today we made haunted fact family houses.  Students took a group of numbers that make a fact family and put them into a house.  They came out really cool!

In Science we experimented with more twirlers and today we were introduced to rollers.  We made ramps and used straws and disks to make rollers.  The twirlers spin and now we are moving onto discussing objects that roll.

In Social Studies we learned the importance of maps.  A special 'treasure' was hidden in the classroom and students were given the opportunity to find the treasure without any direction.  Not one student was able to find the hidden 'treasure'.  Then together we made a map of our classroom on the board.  After finishing the map we put an 'X' on the map to tell were the hidden treasure was.  Every student was able to find the treasure using the map.  We learned that maps can be very useful.

We read a story called "The Ugly Pumpkin" this week.  It is a cute story about a pumpkin who felt as though he didn't belong.  It has a great surprise ending ask you child about it.  After reading the story we discussed how we are all unique and special and we made our own 'ugly pumpkins'.  Here is a picture of them hanging in the hallway.  They are very creative and each one is unique!

Have a wonderful weekend!!!
Anne Taylor