February School News

Dear Parents,

February was a month of getting to know each other better than ever. Through survey questions and reflection… through collaboration and play…the students learned to work as a community of learners that share ideas and value others’ differences and opinions.

This month the first graders celebrated President’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, and the 100th day of school. It was a month filled with fun and festivities. This brought the classmates closer to each other as they learned all about the holidays and traditions their classmates celebrate.

Please take the time to read the newsletter below to get a better sense of the incredible things the first graders are learning.

Fondly,

The First Grade Team

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Reading-

Throughout the month of February, students have learned to write like researchers. They have learned about nonfiction books and their features. Students chose nonfiction topics of personal choice and interest. They practiced researching these topics with a partner.

Students have learned not only how to differentiate fiction and nonfiction, but also how to use nonfiction books to learn more about what interests them. They have learned about the different features of nonfiction, and have been using features such as the table of contents and index to help them in their research. Students are applying their research techniques to books about the types of neighborhood buildings they designed in Visual Arts.

Writing-

Students have been introduced to a new style of writing — Nonfiction Writing– and they are adding it to their writer’s repertoire!

This nonfiction writing experience is crucial for children to be able to communicate the truth as they see it from their world. It is important for children to write in this genre (of nonfiction), in order to be able to understand what they read in this genre.

At this time, we are teaching children not only how to become writers, but teachers. As writers, the students will now practice how to write to teach others “How-To” do something, and to teach others “All- About” something. Writers will write in a range of nonfiction forms.

The students have learned to use “procedural” writing to teach others about something. They have been reminded to use very specific language to clarify their thinking and instructions as they write a How-To-Book. They recall a procedure they can do, lay out the directions for that procedure starting at the beginning, then proceed in a step-by-step explicit fashion to the end.

Informational writing presents new challenges. The students are encouraged to write about subjects in which they already have expertise, or in which they can research a special interest. They will learn to scaffold their work by explicitly dividing their topic into sub-topics, each of which becomes a separate chapter. The students will see that each sub-topic has an organizational structure. Students will learn how to organize their informational writing.

Word Study-

Word Study is an integral part of the Reading/Language Arts Curriculum. High Frequency Sight Words; letter sounds; blends; digraphs; diphthongs; etc. are integrated into the curriculum.

High Frequency Sight Words, Word Sorts, and Word Activities are included in daily Reading/Language Arts Activities.

A good website to practice some of these word study games can be found at Starfall.com.

Math-

The children started the month off learning how to sort and classify. They practiced making bar graphs by asking their classmates questions from a survey and tallying their responses. Students asked questions such as, “Do you have a pet?” “Do you know how to do a somersault?” and “Can you do a handstand?” Once students collected their data, they learned how to create a Bar Graph to represent their classmates’ responses.

The students at the first grade level have learned about the basics of money with the recognition and value skills of the penny through the quarter. They are aware of the differences of color, shape, feel, and value. Students shared strategies to count combinations of monetary value to show equal amounts.

We finished our month learning about solid shapes through Block Building. Children were asked to classify solid shapes in different categories. Does it roll or stack? Does it have corners or smooth edges? Does it have less than or more than three sides? Students learned to identify solid shapes in meaningful ways through block play.

To culminate the month’s math activities, students sorted and tallied the blocks they used to build their structures. They created a Bar Graph to show the amount of blocks and analyzed the data by guided questioning.

The first grade teachers continue to work with their students to help improve their addition and subtraction skills.

DWoK-

Students learned all about survey this month. They took a survey. They created a survey. They used a survey to organize information and learn about each other. The children reflected on their wonderful questions to fine-tune and check to see if they already figured out the answers. The students’ inquiry deepened as they thought of inch, foot, and yard questions that they know how to find the answers to.

Later in the month, students began Block Building again. Earlier in the year, the children collaborated to build a classroom. As their concepts about their surroundings evolved, students collaborated to build a school. This month, students worked together to plan and build various buildings in and around a neighborhood. Using their architectural blueprints from Art class, the children had a working plan to build from.

The students co-created a checklist of things they must know and be able to do while working in their groups. They worked together to be proactive problem solvers.

Visual Arts-

Visual Arts Instruction has had a focus on Architecture. The students have observed the features of functional buildings, and have learned how Form Follows Function.

They have learned how to use a “straight edge” (ruler) to complete a design for plans for a building as an architect would. Students determined the important interior and exterior features of the buildings designed.

Students made a connection with DWoK and Neighborhood studies. They worked in groups to make plans for buildings that would/might be in a Neighborhood – such as Hospital; Office; Restaurant; Police Station; Library; CNN Building; School; Train Station; etc.

Students worked in collaborative groups to determine the features and functions while working to plan designs for their various buildings. They worked collaboratively to make the plans for the exterior and interiors of the buildings. As a culmination activity, each group made a presentation to the class and described the FORM and FUNCTION of their project.

Dance-

The students continued to learn how to tap dance. The children watched various famous dancers, like Shirley Temple and Gene Kelly, to get a feel for this style of dance.

They learned the difference between improvisation and choreography. The children learned to follow choreographed dance movements to the song “Singing In the Rain”. The students learned the lyrics of the song to sing along while dancing.

Later, students will create a choreographed dance in groups to perform for an audience.

Drama-

After putting on some great performances this past December, the first graders have been hard at work.

Each class has created a play. They created the characters, setting, plot and will also be acting in the play. They’ve acted out the scenes and Ms. Heneise is currently transcribing them into scripts.

The current unit will culminate with a performance this March.

Music-

In Music, students have been learning about the relationship among movement, sound and emotion. They continue to learn more about keyboards and have begun using them as rhythmical accompaniment.