Room
December 14, 2007
Friday’s Message:
Singing Lessons
David’s mom, Nancy, had the class singing songs related to themes we’ve been doing in class. Each student got to beat on a drum as they sang about the root vegetable they sliced, diced, and chopped a lot to put in our big soup pot.
We’re making rain books now, so she showed them a rain stick. Then they waved scarves to music to show the wind blowing. As the storm grew, they beat rhythm sticks together for thunder. When the storm subsided, they sang a song about how very very special they are. I hope they shared it with you.
Dutch Celebration
Aria’s mom and grandmother, Caroline and Oma (grandma in Dutch), came in and told us about Sinterklaas Day. This holiday is celebrated in Holland on December 5th.
It started long ago when a bishop from Spain traveled by boat to Holland. He would ride his horse through towns and children would sit on his lap. He would look up their names in a book and find out who had been good or bad that year. (Sound familiar?)
Kids would leave their shoes by the fireplace, and the next morning they would find little “goodies” in their shoes. In the evening, when families are celebrating together, there would be a knock on the door.....open it, and there would be gifts! Sometimes there would be “josh” gifts. Ask your child about it. There was a knock on our door, and they got such a gift. After opening the josh gift, they had a speculaas, a dutch cookie. The cookie was shaped like a windmill. We learned that windmills were an important part of Holland’s culture. They were used to grind flour and pump water into canals.
The Teamwork of Building Houses
This week we only were able to make the icing and assemble the gingerbread house. For the icing they read the recipe, measured the ingredients, and mixed the ingredients together. They separated egg whites from egg yolks. They measured and leveled the ingredients with partners. Then they took turns holding the bowl and using the electric beaters. Today they worked with a partner building the walls and roof ot their house.
We have been doing math activities with the candies they brought to share.
Next week they will record with tally marks the number of candies they put on their house.
More Buddy Work
Today they worked with their fourth/fifth grade buddies making tissue paper
decorations. We try to get together with them once a month. Have they told you about the older friend?
Time Capsule
When students return in January, they will be writing for a time capsule. Save a plastic jar or container with a wide mouth opening (at least a two pound size jar, like a peanut butter size jar or large yogurt size container). Your child can bring it to school when s/he returns in January 2008! Please have your child label their container.
This will be the last homework assignment for this year!
READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.
WRITING
The year 2007 is almost over. Have your child write one special thing that happened. Be sure to include why it is special. Write several sentences.
We’ve been working on using descriptive words and extending sentences/stories. Please encourage your child to do so.
MATH
Your child is bringing home his/her dreidel and the directions for the game. (We used beans instead of pennies.) When your child made the dreidel, they were using math concepts. Playing the game, they used more math.
Have your child play the dreidel game with you and/or the family at home. When your child plays, have him/her write at least a dozen number sentences (or more) to show what happens to his/her pile of beans/ or whatever counters you decide to use..
For example, in class each student started with ten beans. The dreidel is spun and lands on “shin;” the student writes 10 - 1 = 9. When it is time for another round / spin, everyone puts another bean in, including your child, so s/he would write 9 - 1- = 8. Spin the dreidel again, if it lands on gimel, your child takes all; write 8 + ___ (whatever is in the middle of the “pot”) = ____ (total amount). Continue to play and write number sentences.
The purpose of this week’s math assignment is to practice writing addition and subtraction number sentences, understanding when to add/plus or subtract/minus.
As student’s spun their dreidel, they read/told the name of the Hebrew symbol and did the action. Play the game with your child at home. This is the chart we used in the class.
HOW MUCH MORE?
We’ve been comparing numbers. Students have been building two digit numbers with manipulatives. They tell which number is larger / smaller. Then they tell how much more the larger number is than the smaller number.
Have your child practice this concept at home. Have two “piles” of things your child can compare (i. e. a handful of quarters to a handful of dimes, a pile of legos to a group of toy animals, apples to oranges, any two sets of objects) Have your child tell which pile has the bigger number. Then tell how much more it has. Have her/him “prove,” explain how s/he got his answer.
For the homework, have your child do at least 6 comparisons. Have your child write the two objects they are comparing, then the number each has. Then tell how much more they have of one object than the other.