Learning To Go Mr. Avery's Class on the Web 

Valentine’s Day is coming! We will exchange valentines in class on Friday, 2/13. If your child will be bringing valentines in for classmates, please be sure there is one for everyone. There are currently 21 students in our class; refer to our class list if your child wishes to personalize valentines with names.

  One of the way to teach kids to think critically about text and improve comprehension is to analyze texts for Author’s Purpose and Author’s Message. An author’s purpose for writing might be to inform, or to entertain, or to persuade. Knowing this helps kids’ brains anticipate, predict, and understand better. For example, when reading a piece of fiction, a reader can discount certain information and focus on dialogue and character choice to make sense of the story. An author’s message is usually a lesson learned by the main character, or a lasting impression the author likely intends. For example, a biography of MLK, however balanced, will likely serve to highlight his importance in history. Here’s a fun online activity to try it at home, from studyzone.org: http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/g/listencpsl.cfm And here’s a link to all things “Author’s Purpose” from The Picture Book Teacher’s blog: http://thepicturebookteachersedition.blogspot.com/2012/03/importance-of-authors-purpose.html

Integrating critical thinking, opinion writing, and social studies (citizenship, history), students will learn about the life of Rosa Parks and her contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. They will write an opinion piece (see “author’s purpose above!) about her leadership traits, which we will compare and contrast with MLKs. The big social studies idea is that studying great figures in American history can help prepare students to become citizens who affect positive change locally and nationally.

Pursuing out math goal of learning the how and what of multiplication, this week we learn about the commutative property of multiplication (the product of 2 x 4 is the same as 4 x 2, or “turnaround facts”) using arrays (the “dot paper” shows them nicely). An array is a rectangular arrangement of objects with an equal number in each row and in each column.

In math, the number of rows is always named first, and the number of columns second. In the picture above, the array therefore shows 2 x 4, not 4 x 2. But if we turn the figure on its side, it becomes a 4 x 2 array. It has the same total number of dots as 2 x 4, thus showing the commutative property. We teach kids this so they see that if they know one multiplication fact, they immediately know the second fact. However, when modeling a problem by drawing pictures–and this is a very important part of problem-solving–it’s important that kids show the array correctly. A problem about 3 groups of 2 baseballs will call for a different array than a problem about 2 groups of 3 things. For ideas to help reinforce these concepts in the real world with your child, check out this page from BrainPop: http://www.brainpop.com/educators/community/lesson-plan/arrays-activities-for-kids/

Tomorrow’s blizzard offers a great first-hand opportunity for students to study weather! When watching weather reports, ask your child to notice the elements that come together to make a  powerful storm. What is the temperature? Where did the moisture come from to make all this snow (west and east)? What does the wind have to do with it? Notice the clouds (nimbostratus) and how they are different from sunny days (cumulus and/or cirrus). Here’s a favorite site of mine for teaching about storms and all things weather, from Weather Wiz Kids: http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-winter-storms.htm The Web and Youtube abound with info for kids too!

The 100th day of school is nearing (at this time, Feb. 4–but every snow day will push it back)!  I will set up a “100 Day Museum” to show off student projects and learning. I encourage children to create a poster/collection/display/etc. that somehow represents 100. Instead of simply collecting 100 things in a bag, I’m challenging students to think more deeply about number. They could bring/show something that displays an understanding of number, patterns, and/or the math we’ve done so far, such as: grouping objects (stickers/pennies/etc.)  on a poster that shows counting by 5s, 10s, 2s, etc., possibly  with accompanying multiplication/repeated addition/division explanations; bar models using 100; create real-world problems with 100. There is also a plethora of projects and ideas on Pinterest and across the web!

We’re halfway to the end of the year! This is a good time to reflect on our journey, and to thank you for your efforts as partners in your child’s education. It’s remarkable how much growth the kids have shown, from learning skills and critical thinking to their growth as caring members of our learning community. To foster self-reflection, try asking your child to compare how s/he is different now from the start of the year. What things can s/he do now that s/he couldn’t before? What things does s/he still want to learn (goals) and how can we get there? It’s also a good time to begin learning about division, fractions and the concept of 1/2: http://leaderinlearning.wordpress.com/2011/10/19/how-to-teach-halving/ Scroll down for good ideas with larger numbers too (like 180!).

Of course, this means the 100th day of school is nearing (at this time, Feb. 4)!  I will set up a “100 Day Museum” to show off student projects and learning. I encourage children to create a poster/collection/display/etc. that somehow represents 100. Instead of simply collecting 100 things in a bag, I’m challenging students to think more deeply about number. They could bring/show something that displays an understanding of number, patterns, and/or the math we’ve done so far, such as: grouping objects (stickers/pennies/etc.)  on a poster that shows counting by 5s, 10s, 2s, etc., possibly  with accompanying multiplication/repeated addition/division explanations; bar models using 100; create real-world problems with 100. There is also a plethora of projects and ideas on Pinterest and across the web!

 Our writing focus switches back to opinion writing. The eventual goal on the road to college and career readiness is for students to synthesize knowledge and present arguments that are supported with evidence! At this time, our kids are learning to write an introductory sentence on any topic; state an opinion; list reasons that support it; and write a concluding sentence. Integrating writing with social studies, we will write opinion pieces this week about civil rights leaders MLK, Rosa Parks, and/or Susan B. Anthony and explain our opinions regarding their leadership qualities. Here is a link to Ducksters, which has a FANTASTIC collection of biographies of famous figures in history that are written at a level of understanding for kids: http://www.ducksters.com/biography/

 Chapter 6 of MIF focuses on multiplication facts of 2s, 5s, and 10s by teaching the connection between skip-counting and multiplication, and using that understanding to solve problems. To solve 2 x 8, for example, we want students to count by 2s eight times, so that along the way they begin to learn that 3 times counting 2 gives you six and 4 times counting 2 gives you 8, etc. It is a way of learning the meaning behind the numbers involved in multiplication instead of just memorizing facts (which has value, too, just not on its own). One way we teach this is to have students count pairs of objects. Another is to hop by 2s up the number grid. Next is counting on fingers while counting aloud by 2 (1 finger up gives you 2, or 1 x 2; 3 fingers up gives you 6, or 3 x 2; etc.). Students will then be introduced to dot paper, which for this chapter shows arrays of 2s, 5s, or 10s.

This week students will be taught to solve multiplication by counting 2s down the dot paper a certain number of times. In the example above it is 4 x 2 . Look for copies of the dot paper in the homework resource folder for kids to use at homework time.

In science, we have learned how air can be captured, compressed, and used to make things work (via the hydraulics investigation pictured below). But how does air move and change around us every day? (wind, evaporation, condensation, precipitation) If we’re not providing the impetus for change as in our prior investigations, where is the energy coming from? (the sun, the energy from which drives all things natural) This week we will conduct an investigation called “water cycle in a jar” in which students will ask questions and make predictions about water and air; collect data and analyze it; and draw conclusions, which then lead to new questions.

Winter’s here! We’ll be going outside most afternoons for recess still, even when it’s snowing. Please send your child to school with boots when there’s snow, along with hats, gloves, and winter coats.

 This week’s new comprehension strategy is predicting. Always, the #1 thing we want students to do when they read for meaning is to think about the text. When we do that, we can’t help but make predictions–predictions about where a story is going next; predictions about what language or vocabulary we will likely encounter next; predictions about answers to our questions that arise when we read. Equally important is to check our predictions, or guesses, as we read on, and adjust our thinking accordingly. It’s what helps us learn new things and it makes us engage with text, building our lifelong learning skills. Here’s a short article on predicting with ideas for making connections to science at home: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/making-predictions

As our narrative writing lessons wrap up for the trimester, students are working on adding description while stretching out their main events (which are all about something that happened over vacation). At first, students were tempted to write a few short actions: I got my sled; I went down the hill; etc. With teacher help, kids are finding they have a wealth of description stored in their head, that can help them stretch out the moment while putting pictures in their readers’ minds: I reached down and pushed against the hard, white snow; I grabbed the small handles of my big, blue tube; I slid over the icy bump; etc. As an assessment, students will be asked to write independently about a time they spent in the gym or outside. We’ll be looking for progress in developing their main events like in the examples above. For more on details in writing, including things you can do at home: https://jr.brainpop.com/writing/poetry/writingwiththesenses/grownups.weml

Chapter 5 in math is meant to be an introduction to multiplication and division. Students are expected to be able to use repeated addition of equal groups to solve multiplication and to read and use the shorthand ( __ x __ = ___ ). They should also understand how division means to split a number into equal groups, and be familiar with the shorthand. Our focus this week is on using multiplication and division to make sense of, and solve, real-world problems. Consider this example: a. Charlie made money shoveling snow last weekend. He made 5 dollars on Saturday. He made 3 times as many dollars on Sunday. How many dollars did he make last weekend?  Students are encouraged to solve this by drawing equal groups of objects and either adding or multiplying. b. He gave all the money he made to his 5 sisters. Each sister got the same amount. How many did each sister get? Here, students can show it by drawing equal groups (5 circles, e.g.) and distributing the 20 dollars using dots (one for her; one for her;, etc.) or using repeated subtraction (20-4-4-4-4-4=0). We will finish up the chapter and take the tests on it this week.

In Social Studies, we have learned to identify character traits of great citizens and leaders (determined; patriotic; etc.). This week, we will analyze the life and achievements of Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) and learn to assign character traits to him based on evidence from biographical texts and video. Check out this great video from Brainpop (an awesome and highly engaging resource that I use a lot!) and keep the learning going at home: https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/martinlutherkingjr/. Then consider these traits: determined; hardworking; patriotic; creative; honest; responsible; brave. Which words best apply to MLK? What is your evidence?

In science, we learned first hand how air can be captured and compressed. This week we will apply that knowledge to create a hydraulic system of tubes and pipes. The big idea is that kids understand that air, wind, and pressure are important in the world around us, and that they affect our weather. To that end, we will learn how clouds form (see the demonstration here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wagrbfKV5bE) We will also learn to identify 3 types of clouds–cirrus, cumulus, and stratus–and use them to observe and predict the weather each day.

Ask your child to describe and explain what is happening in these pictures. How do they show air; capturing; compression; push; pull; what happened as a result?

Happy New Year! I hope your vacation was filled with good memories that last until next year. I was able to re-connect with friends and family, play my favorite video games, and yes, catch up on work!

 Our reading comprehension focus this week is on Asking Questions and reading to look for answers. Now that the students are readers, their #1 job is to think while they are reading. Often though, we have to remind them that the important thing now is to take meaning from reading, and asking questions is essential to that task–and sometimes it needs to be taught. After your child reads a page/part/chapter of a homework book, ask: What questions did you have while you read that? Did the author answer them? Did you have to infer the answer or did the author just state it? What questions do you have now about what you read?

We continue to develop our young writers’ narrative writing skills by practicing how to stretch out a main event. Look over the “Recess” main event coming home today. These were done with teacher support and show the kind of writing we hope that students come to own. This week we will try writing stories of an event from this past vacation week, offering less support to give students opportunities to gain independence.

Our math work this week focuses on multiplication and division. The important ideas: multiplication means repeated addition of equal groups; multiplication sentences are a shorthand way of showing that; division is the process of arranging things into equal groups; division can also be thought of as subtracting equal groups; both multiplication and division can be used to make sense of and solve real-world problems. The web abounds with online games to practice both operations. This site is good for beginners, to build an understanding of combining equal groups: http://www.kidsnumbers.com/multiplication.php. A quick web search will return lots of others, and if students already have the concept they should try applying it with Greg Tang’s math games by following the link above.

  Besides mapping, our Term 2 Social Studies focus is on learning character traits and applying that knowledge to understand famous U.S. and world figures and their contributions. What makes these historical leaders worth remembering? How did Lincoln’s honesty, Cesar Chavez’ determination, Harriet Tubman’s bravery, and Susan B. Anthony’s patriotism affect the lives of others and forever change our understanding of America? These are the kinds of questions we will attempt to answer by analyzing biographical texts and media. Here’s a bountiful and ever-growing resource of biographies for kids to keep the conversation alive at home: http://gardenofpraise.com/leaders.htm

    I was overly ambitious in planning the week before vacation! This week we will engage in several investigations designed to help students understand how air can be compressed, and what outcomes that has on a system as a means of understanding the forces that affect air and weather. For super fun with air at home:http://www.superchargedscience.com/documents/Top%20Ten%20Air%20Pressure%20Experiments%20to%20Mystify%20Your%20Kids.pdf