busy builders

Today we built cities, towns and neighborhoods! It's great how they were all different! It was interesting to see the kids work as a team...I only gave each group 20 minutes!

Go Texan Day

The trail riders arrived without a hitch. We got to see them up close...the horses sure were sweaty!

wheels and axles

If your child visits with Mrs. Norris on Fridays...ask about the wheels and axles when they made their wheel barrows. It looked like a lot of fun!

Go Texan Day

rodeo art created in Mrs. Cowan's art class

Friday is free dress day...perfect for Go Texan Day. We may even get a peak at the trailriders that pass by on Stella Link!

Risk-Taker in action

ER showed up in class today with this fabulous abstract piece of artwork created with a friend. She calls this piece of work "Old Rusty." She told us she she was both a risk-taker and a thinker when she made this project. Everyone agreed. Very cool.

place-value

We've been talking a lot about place value. To help us be better prepared for 2 and 3 digit addition and subtraction, I will provide tons of experiences with place-value concepts for ones, tens and hundreds. By this time of the year we can name/identify numbers up to 100 and are learning to find their representation using base-10 blocks. We are also learning to exchange cubes (ones) for longs (tens) in order to represent numbers by using the fewest number of base-10 blocks...this will help us with regrouping later on.

Map Homework

To begin our new planner on “Where we are in Time and Place,” we will be construct a map for homework this week! I know we could all use a bit of a break from our usual homework routine and since we had such a positive response to our family project constructing our circuses during our art planner...here ya go!

Our central idea for this planner is pictures and symbols help people make sense of the world around them. Last week I introduced direction, the compass rose, and map keys.

First, decide if you want to draw (and color) a map of your bedroom, house, street, block, or neighborhood. I will need to also see a compass rose and a map key describing what is on your map. You may use any size paper or poster board for this project.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask. Have fun!

BASH project #2

Here's my contribution to the bash this year...let the bidding war begin!! FYI...those are their real signatures that I lifted from their journals on Friday! :-) I imagine the bidding will start at $75...that was the total amount I turned in for supply cost. I hate that there is only one winner...

Daily Geography

To help us with our inquiries into the new planner, we will be adding a new geography component to our daily routine in our classroom for a few minutes each day. They colored USA and world maps which they will keep in their green geography folders. Each day they will be given 2 questions to ponder. We will have discussions about each question each day and use the maps to answer the questions if needed. They will have the option of taking home the geography folder on Thursday evening to go over the questions at home for homework because on Friday we will have a geography quiz on the exact same questions. Geography is a lot of fun and the kids really do get a better sense of where they are in this great big world! We will continue this routine for the rest of the year...not just this planner.

BASH project #1

Here's a sneak peak at Oliver's project for the Bash! I hear it is framed in a nice black wooden frame. Don't you think it looks great with the PYP attitudes? Nice touch. Stay tuned for Bash project #2...we are still working on it in class! You won't be disappointed! Also, Oliver will be selling individual photos of the children.

Map Key

Today we learned that a map key has symbols which help us find places on a map. We used our new knowledge to build "bird's eye view" maps of our classroom. We used our shape templates and made key maps showing what each shape represented in our classroom!

Quarter hour

Telling time is SO tricky! Today we added telling time to the quarter hour to our telling time belts. It's hard to understand that a quarter in money is worth 25 cents but when telling time a quarter means 15 minutes. Click here for a million fun games online that will help with this new skill!

compass rose

Today we learned about the compass rose. The children really enjoy being the first to find the compass rose in our new planner books, atlases, and maps. Compass roses are everywhere!

Promotion Standards

As many of you noticed, another copy of the Promotion Standards went home in the red folders this week. Sorry to be such a hound about it! Please sign and return the slip in the back acknowledging that you've read and understand the state requirements needed to go on to 2nd grade. This is a needed component to your child's permanent folder that I am required to submit.

measurement

To reinforce the concept of measuring in inches, we measured our height. Our class ranged from 45-53 inches! We constructed a graph and recorded our results

safety program

Safe Kids Are Taught Early

Today we had the privilege of having someone from the Laura Recovery Center come to our school and teach the kids about some of the lures a person might use to take them from a safe place to another location where they could be harmed.

To better enforce what they learned, please talk to your child about the program. Here are some sample questions:

• What is the puppy lure?
• Could money be used to keep a secret?
• What is the emergency lure?
• Why shouldn't your name be on the outside of your backpack, hat, or shirt?
• What does SKY mean? (scream, kick, yell)
• If you were in a store and someone grabbed you and tried to take you, what would you do?
• When would you run, yell and tell?
• Before you ever go with someone, what should you do?
• What did you like best about the program?

The program ended with the presenter showing photographs of real children that are missing. He explained where each was taken (riding their bike, walking to a neighbor's house, etc.) and how long they have been gone. The kids were very receptive to the presentation for an hour! I sincerely believe that if any of our kids were presented with a situation that we think we are never ready for... they would have the skills to escape and save their lives.

New Planner

Today we started our new planner, "Where We Are in Time and Place." The central idea is this: Pictures and symbols help people make sense of the world around them. We will inquire into the use of pictures and symbols, the way maps explain characteristics of a place and how and why maps change.

To help us with these inquiries, we will be adding a new geography component to our daily routine in our classroom for a few minutes each day. We colored USA and world maps today which we will keep in our geography folders. Each day they will be given 2 questions to ponder. We will have discussions about each question each day and use the maps to answer the questions if needed. The will have the option of taking home the geography folder on Thursday to go over the questions at home for homework because on Friday we will have a geography quiz on the exact same questions.

Geography is a lot of fun and the kids really do get a better sense of where they are in this great big world!

If you had $100

Today in writing, I had the children write about if they had $100. They were eager to tell their greatest wish! Some were excited about new treasures and many were heartfelt wishes for those less fortunate. Ask your child what they wrote...

non-standard unit of measure

Today we measured items in our room with cutouts of a standard foot and our own feet to facilitate understanding the need for standard units.

Valentines

Be on the lookout for your child's valentine...check backpacks!