Weekly Update ~ 2/5/12

We had another busy week in first grade! 

- In Language Arts, we enjoyed reading various stories about different types of art.  The children especially enjoyed our introduction story, Elephants Can Paint Too!, a nonfiction selection about training elephants to paint.  We concentrated on rereading information to determine the main idea and supporting details.  Ask your child the most astonishing fact they learned about elephants!  Our main selection story, Masks! Masks! Masks! was equally informative and interesting!  We learned about masks from all over the world, including Japan, Peru, and Africa.  Which was your favorite mask?  Why?    

For more fun, check out these websites:

http://connected.mcgraw-hill.com/media/repository/protected_content/COMPOUND/50000020/31/63/comprehension_launch.html?defaultSkill=7&stateCode=PA&defaultGrade=1

http://www.mhschool.com/vocab_games/mmh_games/content/Grade1/Unit3/w3v1/index.html

http://americanart.si.edu/education/insights/cappy/index.html

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/students/explore_by_topic/everything_art.html

-In Spelling, we worked with wh-, -tch, and -ch digraphs.  For additional practice with consonant digraphs, please check out the following links:

http://connected.mcgraw-hill.com/media/repository/protected_content/COMPOUND/50000024/78/21/phonics_launch.html?defaultSkill=33&stateCode=PA&defaultGrade=1

http://www.mhschool.com/mmh_games/content/reading/gr1/unit03/week3/s1/index.html

http://www.literactive.com/Download/live.asp?swf=story_files/Crab_Catcher_US.swf

http://www.ictgames.com/dinosaurEggs_phonics/index.html

http://www.literactive.com/Download/live.asp?swf=story_files/Save_The_Whales_US.swf

-We continued to learn about verbs through our grammar lessons.  This week we learned about past tense and future tense verbs.  The students practiced identifying verbs and verb tense in sentences.  We also generated our own sentences using past tense verbs!

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks2literacy.html#word-link

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/grammar/verbs.htm

-In Math, we began Chapter 11, Comparing and Ordering Numbers.  The students used greater than and less than symbols to compare numbers.  We also identified numbers before, after, and between one another.  For more practice, click on the following links:

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/penny_prizes1/

http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-1/comparing-numbers-up-to-100

http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-1/hundred-chart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5bEcjYBepU&feature=related

-We also had a lot of fun making predictions about whether Punxsutawney Phil would see his shadow this year.  The majority of our class was accurate; the groundhog saw his shadow.  We will have 6 more weeks of winter! 
http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/punxsutawney-phils-groundhog-day-prediction-15497076

*BONUS CHALLENGE*:  Write a short story about a winter activity. 
                                            Please include a problem and a solution in your story! 

Upcoming Dates to Remember:

*Thursday, February 9th is our 100th day of school!  Don't forget to bring your 100th day poster to share with our classmates!  (These will be put on display around the school building!)

*Friday, February 10th is Hat Day!  What kind of hat will you wear? 

*Our Valentine's Day celebration will be held on Tuesday, February 14th.  Please be sure to send in a valentine for each classmate.  We have 18 students in our class.