Addition and Frogs!

What a combination right? Addition and Frogs!!! 
Our tadpoles are transforming slowly but surely into frogs.  Ask your child to retell some of the facts that they have learned about frogs.  Today we built our schema through observing our own tadpoles and watching a video book on Pebble Go about frogs.

During the children's independent work time the children used their non-fiction text features to label the frogs body.  Then, they were asked to write 5 point sentences to share facts about frogs.

What's a 5 point sentence you ask? 
One that begins with an uppercase letter, has finger spacing, words are spelled the best that they can, a period at the end of the sentence, and has punctuation.  
If you want to see a 5 point sentence ask your child to write one for you.  Ask them to reread it to you.  This class loves to show everyone what amazing writers they are.  So ask! :)

We are focusing on taking our sentences to the next level.  For example, during the first 3 grading periods Frogs have legs.  (that was an appropriate sentence), now... we are looking for The blue and black spotted frog has long legs to help it jump.  



Today the children took their last addition assessment.  WOW!  We had so many APs.  These children were adding double digit numbers!!! Please check your child's folder to see this assessment.  
The children love this song! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT_wvvEvkw4

The Life Cycle In Action!

Caterpillars, butterflies, tadpoles, OH MY!

Well, it doesn't get more hands on than this!

After we read and discussed the butterfly life cycle as their exit ticket I asked each group to write on a part of the page what they remembered.  This way I can check in  to workout any misconceptions.

The children saw the caterpillars transform into pupas right before their eyes!

Our Black Swallow Tail.  

Our tadpoles are growing!!!

Many Thanks!

Thank you very much to everyone in our Rainbow Valley family who donated supplies for our deployed soldiers for Teacher Appreciation week.  They are my heroes, and deserve all the presents they can get!  So, thank you again.

Thank you to those of you who also gave us so many lovely cards of thanks, candy, and gift cards.  We appreciate your generosity.

It is an honor to be your child's teacher.  Your children make learning and teaching so much fun!!! Their growth has been remarkable this year.

THANK YOU!!! 

I will post pictures of the soldiers when they receive the package from us.  
Stay tuned! 

Growth Is In The Air

This is tomorrow's surprise!!!- Tadpoles!!!!!  We were expecting caterpillars and a parent in my afternoon class asked if we would like to raise tadpoles, and I said sure!

This week is filled with growing and changing!
On Tuesday the children enjoyed weeding the garden and harvesting strawberries from the garden. The children can see first hand that plants need food, water, air, and space to live.  In our classroom we wrapped up our experiment: What would our world be like without grass, trees, and plants.  The children discovered that if you put bean seeds in just water-"They stink and don't grow, gross!"  Even with litter and some buildings on top of the seeds the beans thrived. I posed the question-"What if this happened all of the time?" "What if there were garbage and buildings everywhere?"   They children discussed it and came to the consensus- "It will be gross and nothing will grow." "It will be grey and dusty."
Without water, the seeds did not grow.  And the biggest surprise was even in the darkness the seeds grew really tall! Today,  the children took their seedlings that they have been caring for and transplanted them into a new and bigger home. 

Bean plants- Many kids asked can we eat them once they are grown?
I said, "If you parents say yes!"  (They are organic seeds.)

Every few days I post a new GOAL in our classroom for our day/days.  This keeps us all on track. As you can see this is our goal for this week.  Please feel free to review and practice at home.  Especially the 5 point sentence!!!

(I guess I should add- Life Changes through seeds and tadpoles too! We have quite a lot of growth in here!)

Today's story is a fiction story where we are retelling through sentence writing and illustrations the beginning, middle, and end.

If you have not read this book you should!  It is so heartwarming!

 

On Monday and Tuesday we read and discussed the Life Cycle Of  A Butterfly as we are approaching the arrival of our caterpillars.  As friends of the environment we must learn how to care for them and have a good understanding of what they go through.  

Here is how they retold the stages through hands-on learning.

Growing and Changing

Today we started our unit on addition and the life cycle of a butterfly.
We are not teaching the simplistic idea that addition is to put together.  We are teaching the children language like __________ and ____________ is the same amount as ___________ and _____________ and we are gradually using the addition and equal symbols.  


Today we read, talked about, and watched a really cool real time clip of the butterfly life cycle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AUeM8MbaIk

Climate Survey and Seeds

Recently I sent home a climate survey to each family in our class.  I am sending home a revised on today with my name on it that way I know the survey comes back to me. :)
If you have already filled one out and sent it back disregard this.  If not, please send it back either to the office or to me by the last day of May or prior. :)
Thank you so much!!!

Today we enjoyed exploring seeds.  We read a cool book called A Fruit Is A Suitcase For Seeds.  The children used their 4 senses as we did not taste and tried to match the seeds to the fruit.  After making their predictions based on their observations and discussion we showed them the matching "suitcase."  We discussed how seeds travel and why that is important to our environment.  The children also did some writing using either the word travel or faraway.
When their writing comes home please ask your child to read it to you.  

Mother's Day Love From Us To YOU!

Your children created a rhyming poem to show their love for you.

Springtime and Strawberries

We have combine our living and non-living, spring and exploring changes in our environment lessons together. Last week and this week we have been learning about how people, plants, and animals change and adjust in spring. Check out this web that they made over the last two weeks! Ask your child to tell you about this web.  This is a great opportunity to see how well your child has been listening and participating in their own learning.

They love watching and learning from Pebble Go!

 Today the children wrote facts about spring and attached them to their spring tree.  
The children are currently growing grass seeds. They have given them light, space to grow, water, and air.  The check in on the changes that are happening each new day.  
We started an on-going experiment in our classroom.  The question the kids came up with- What would our world be like without grass, trees, flowers, and plants?
They created hypothesis (ask them what they means) and are following the changes that occur in our 4 seed cups. (one cup is in the dark closet)

Applying what the know... This week the first two groups have worked in the strawberry garden.  They are learning about the parts of a plant, what a plant needs in order to survive, and how to cultivate strawberries.

Each week the children will rotate the job of being a gardener.

Saturday School Means Some Fun In School!

This Saturday the children enjoyed many STEM activities. The children applied their measurement skills, counting money, addition, and attract and repelling with magnets.
They had to collaborate and cooperate.  As you can see from their smiles they loved every minute of it!