Room 7
March 21, 2008
Friday’s Message:
Walkathon Writing/Math
After the Walkathon, students shared how many kilometers they walked. (They had made predictions before the event) The first writing assignment of the week was to tell how much more or less they walked compared to their guess. Then they wrote about it. I told them to tell about it from start to finish. I prompted them by giving suggestions of what to write about. They could include the time they started, how they felt, who they walked with, did they take a break, anything they wanted to tell. I asked them to end it with their feet and/ or what happened when they got home. How they rested their feet/bodies!
We also found out how many kilometers we walked as a class. Students used unifix cubes to show how many kilometers they each walked. As they combined their unifix cubes, they made “trains” of tens. Ask your child how many kilometers our class walked!
(Only one student had a “good” estimate of our total kilometers walked. Everyone underestimated!)
Spring Harvest
We finally harvested part of our abundant garden. All the students got to cut a leaf of spinach, swiss chard, red chard, and lettuce. In small groups, they pulled out radishes.
I cut off two big heads of cauliflower. Then they helped wash the vegetables and cut them. They also peeled rice noodles apart. It was all tossed together in a wok, a traditional chinese stir-frying pan. We made vegetable chow fun. In Chinese, “chow” means fry, and “fun” means noodle. Kids told me they had fun. We got to chow down. Of coarse they ate the chow fun with their chopsticks.
A Taste of Ireland and Mexico
Grant and his mom, Peggy, made Irish Soda Bread from Ireland on
St. Patrick’s Day. We learned that Ireland is a small island; it’s about same size as West Virginia. There are 4 million people on Ireland; the Bay Area (where we live) has 9 million. It is a lot more crowded here than there. They speak English just like us, but the weather is cooler because it is so far north.
Of the bread, we found out that originally it used only four ingredients: buttermilk, baking soda, flour, and salt. Peggy did a variation by adding an egg, butter, and golden raisins. We also learned that baking soda is the ingredient that makes the bread rise. Unlike yeast, baking soda is fast acting. Irish soda bread is quick and easy. The kids sifted the dry ingredients together , then stirred in the buttermilk. After the dough was mixed, it was baked for 30 minutes. In Ireland, they eat Irish soda bread with their main meal, supper/dinner. Often it would be eaten with soup and stews. We enjoyed our bread just by itself.
Jacky brought bolillo from Mexico. Sometimes this bread is called pan frances; different parts of Mexico refer to this bread by different names. But everywhere in Mexico people will have bolillo in the afternoon with a cup of milk or coffee. It’s also a favorite to use to make “thorta,” a big sandwich. Bolillo is made of wheat flour, water, salt, sugar, and vegetable butter. Bolillo is famous around the world.
Persian New Year and Bread
Sam and his mom, Dolly started by explaining that the Persian Empire was one of the greatest empires of the ancient worlld. Using the world map, they showed how far the Persian Empire once stretched, from Greece to India, also touching parts of China and Africa. Now, Iran, is considered Persia. Because of its roots, the Persian new year, Norooz, is celebrated in countries besides Iran. Norooz starts the first day of Spring; it means “new day.” Springtime is a time for rejoicing. It’s a time to celebrate warmer weather, the melting of snow, and the rejuvenation of the earth. This celebration last 13 days, during which people don’t work or go to school.
Haji Firooz is a funny guy who comes out with a red dress and hat and black face and sings and dances in the streets and does funny things to announce festivities. Sam had a Haji Firooz doll that he shared; it put a smile on all the students faces. There is also a Persian Santa Claus that gives gifts to children and tells them stories. Children get to run through the streets banging on pots and pans with a spoon; they knock on doors and ask for treats, similar to our Halloween. There is also a time when seven small fires are set, and adults and children jump over them singing a chant that celebrates the renewal of life, taking in the redness, warmth, and energy of the fire.
As with many celebrations, tables are set with special foods. There is a “haft seen,” where the items symbolize the family’s beliefs and values: sweet dry fruit of the lotus tree (love), wheat pudding (sweetness), apple (health), gold coins (prosperity), crushed sumac berries ( the color of sunrise), vinegar (age and patience), and garlic (good health) . There is also a bowl of spring sprouts (sprouted wheat or lentils) that signify rebirth. The last day of Norooz is spent outside the home. It’s like a national picnic day where everyone goes to the park or mountainside. They take the spring sprouts that are starting to turn yellow by this 13th day. They toss it into a flowing stream or creek; this symbolizes their sicknesses and problems floating away.
Then we had Persian breads. Sam brought lavash, barbari, and sangak from Iran. Iranians like to eat their bread warm and fresh every day. Traditionally bread was baked in special big oven at home (similar to pizza ovens.) In villages, some people still bake their own bread, but now most cities and towns have bakeries. Bread is eaten with every meal.
Lavash is a very thin bread. Sam brought both regular and wheat lavash.
Sam asked the class if they thought there was yeast in this bread. The kids said “no,”
but there is. Lavish is just rolled until it is very, very thin. Our lavash was fresh and soft. But if left out, in a day, it could get hard like a cracker. The students compared this lavash
to lefsa, matzoh, and a tortilla.
Barbari is made of white flour and is a thicker bread. This bread seems to be more popular with Turkish speaking people.
Sangak is made of brown flour. It is baked in special ovens where pebbles are at the bottom. When the pebbles get really hot, the heat of the pebbles bake the bread.
Star Students
***Jordan Klein*** was the star this week. Next week ***Mari Takata *** is the star when we return from Spring Break.
There is no homework over the Spring Break. Just read and record in your Reading Log.
HAPPY SPRING!
Room 7
March 14, 2008
Friday’s Message:
Report Cards
Your child brought home their report card today. I have met with all parents at least once and have been scheduling additional conferences as needed. If you would like a conference, or have questions/ concerns, please feel free to contact me and/or sent a note with your child.
Get Out Your Walking Shoes
Tomorrow is the school’s Walkathon. We’re hoping for 100% class participation. Come walk a few kilometers with us if you don’t have time to stay all day. If you don’t want to walk, there are plenty of kids for your child to walk with. I plan to be there for part of the day; I’ll walk with them, too.
Don’t stay away just because you didn’t turn in your Walkathon sponsor sheet. You can turn it in when you sign your child in. If you’ve misplaced it, there will be extra forms.
Hope to see you!
In class, students wrote predictions of how many kilometers they will walk. Next week we will be doing walkathon math and writing about the experience. (If your child couldn’t make it to this event, there will be an alternate assignment.)
Thank you Jon, Nola’s dad, for being our room coordinator for this event.
Purim
Reese’s brother, Alex, came to visit and teach us about Purim, a Jewish celebration. We learned about Haman, an assistant to the king. He was a bad person; he wanted to kill all the Jews. The students would “boo” every time Alex said Haman’s name.
Mordecai, a relative of the king’s wife, queen Esther, wanted to save the Jews. He was a good person. Everyone said “yay!” when they heard his name. With students cheering, Alex told the story of Purim. He told how Mordecai, pleaded with his cousin Esther, who was also Jewish, to tell the king of Mordecai’s plan. (Back then, women didn’t have much say, and to approach the king about “business” was not common.) So Esther and Modecai risked their lives by confronting the king. By doing so, the king sided with them and got rid of Haman. Purim celebrates survival, life. It is a fun and festive holiday. It’s a time for good food and sharing.
Alex shared a special treat made especially during Purim, hamantashen. This is a fruit filled cookie that is shaped with 3 points. Hamantashen is supposed to be representative of the 3-cornered hat Haman wore.
Learning with Bread
Alex K. brought croissants from France. We learned that croissant means crescent in French; and that crescent is a shape. Several students drew the shape. Then Alex’s dad, Richard, showed them croissants that were premade, all we needed to do was bake them. He told us the croissants had risen overnight, and when they are baked, they would rise some more. Besides the flour, water, and salt, we learned yeast makes them rise and the butter makes the bread light and flaky. We learned French people like to eat croissants for breakfast, but they really can be eater any time of day.
Alex brought in a book that had pictures of other kinds of delicious French food. He also taught us a few French words like “bonjour” for hello, and “merci” for thank you. Someday Alex wants to go to France to see the Eiffel Tower.
Students have been turning in the form with the bread they will be sharing. Several students listed the same bread. To be fair, the student that turned in the form first gets to bring the bread; it’s a “first come, first serve” basis. I will be contacting you when to bring in the bread or if a particular date/day works for you, please let me know and I will schedule you in.
Besides naming the bread and pointing out the country it originated from on a world map, the student tells something about the bread / country. Classmates then repeat something they learned that the student has shared. (I write the short blurb on the bread for YOU, so you know what was presented. Ask your child questions about the bread. Hopefully s/he can tell you more.)
Please leave the bread whole so students can see what the bread looks like. Then we will do math as we cut up the bread.
We work hard for our food! We are doing geography, cultural diversity, language arts, science (when you make the bread with the class), math, methods for cooking bread, similarities and differences, and so much more....
Please turn in the bread forms if you haven’t done so. Thanks!
Star Student
**Olivia Petty*** was the star student this week. *** Jordan Klein *** is the star next week.
A Clean Sock
Please have your child bring one clean (old) sock. We will be making sock puppets.
Tissue Please
Spring is in the air and allergies are rampart, or kids are coming to school with colds.
We’ve been going through two boxes of tissue a week. If your child could bring a box it would be appreciated. Thanks.
Book Orders
If you would like to purchase books, please return the forms by next Friday,
March 21. Make check payable to Scholastic.
READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.
WRITING
The students have listened to the story Clever Tom and the Leprechaun. The leprechaun outwitted Tom. For the writing assignment, the leprechaun is going to let your child find the gold because he knows your child will use the gold to help people that are less fortunate than themselves.
Have your child write who s/he would give the gold to and why. Then because your child is so kind and generous, s/he gets a gold piece. Have your child tell what s/he would do with the gold and why.
MATH
After spending all that gold, they get to come back to reality and learn the value of a dollar. Let your child use $3.00 in assorted coins. If possible, take them “shopping” at a grocery store or use the ads in the newspaper. The purpose of this math lesson is to have your child practice counting / adding coins to pay for the items up to one dollar.
The following are suggestions when you take your child shopping to help him/her focus on spending money in dollar increments.
What kind and how many fruits can be bought for one dollar?
What kind of vegetable and how many vegetables can be bought with a dollar?
Are there any novelty toys you can buy for a dollar?
Are there any dairy products that can be bought for a dollar?
Do you have any money left?
After your child counts out the coins needed to pay for the items, put all the coins in a pile and have your child group the coins into dollars. Then have your child write the total amount spent. (If your child would like to spend a couple more dollars, please encourage him/her.)
Students should the coins at home, but when they turn in the homework, their list will suffice. Their list should include the number of the items bought for each dollar. Students will see how much/little one dollar buys. Then write what the total cost is for everything you “bought.” How much change is left?
The objective of this lesson is to review money and the value of 100 cents. (Also when they make sock puppets, they will be given a certain amount of money to buy items and sometimes will need to make change. They will also have to calculate the total cost of their puppet.)
HOW ACTIVE ?
What kind of physical activities do you do during the week? Write the name of the week day, the activity/activities, and how many minutes you do each activity. If you don’t do a physical activity on a particular day, just write “none.”
Room 7
February 22, 2008
Lucky Tuesday
It was our lucky day. Though it started to rain, we decided to head for Chinatown in hopes that the rain would subside. It did. Hopefully your child told you about things they saw, smelled, touched, heard, and tasted. We looked in delis, markets, restaurants, and
the wide assortments of foods outside the markets. We went to a fortune cookie factory,
a medicine/herb shop, a fish market, and the town plaza/square. There we tasted baked bread filled with barbecue pork and steamed bread with chicken. They also tried bok tong goh, steamed rice cake, a “jello” like dessert.
Then we went to the lunar new year presentation. It started with a lion dance, two lions dancing and prancing. The audience was awed by the different forms of martial arts. Students from Fruitvale school did a Vietnamese fan dance. There was also violin music and a Korean senior group sang songs in English and Korean. After the performance, we went to a park where the students woke up a sleeping dragon. It was a full day.
Thank you Alexander’s, Aria’s, Gemma’s, Nola’s, Reese’s, and Sam’s parents,
Glenn, Caroline, Jean, Jon, Dolly, and Steve for driving and chaperoning on our trip.
Star Student
***Christian Singleton***is the star this week. ****Aria Everingham *** is the star next week.
Aesop’s Fables
Since the field trip is today, I’m thinking/ hoping the Theaterworks performance will delight the students. All three 1st grade classes attended this performance. Later in the Spring, we will be present a performance for you about Aesop’s fables.
Thank you to Alex K.’s, David’s, Jordan R.’s, Keziah’s, Leah’s, and Olivia’s parents, Richard, Nanci, Marcia, Angela, Lynn, and Rebecca for driving/chaperoning on this trip.
Asian Pacific Islander Day
Wednesday, March 5th, all the first graders will participate in this event. Students will be able to do crafts and games from other countries. Artifacts are displayed. Lunch is provided. Students are encouraged to dress in clothes from these countries. This is a fun-filled learning day. Parents are welcome to join us.
Flyers have been sent home about volunteers and costumes. If you have questions, please contact Nancy Kho (336-9518), Joan Korin (530-0312), or
Kerryn LaDuc (915-2314)
READING
Read and record in your Reading Log.
WRITING
I started reading a few Aesop’s fables this week. After I read these short stories, students told what they thought the lesson of the story is.
Choose your favorite story/fable from the performance. Write several sentences telling why it was it your favorite? Then tell what lesson/ moral is from the story. If your child would like to tell the lesson from another story, please encourage him/her.
MATH
Your child will make a schedule of two days: a weekday, school day and one of the weekend days.
Have him/ her list what they do and what time of the day they do it . We have been telling time as we do activities in class. Choose a day for your child to record the many routines and activities they do. (You can be flexible in the definition of a “day,” more the daily routine when things go according to “schedule.”)
Start with when they get up to when they go to bed/ lights out. Try to include when they eat, go somewhere, get back home, things you do together, getting ready for bed, etc.)
In class we’ve been using an analog clock to read and show time. Your child can write the digital time (the way we write time) when s/he is writing their schedule or
can use the attached analog clocks.
TANGRAMS
Tangrams are great for visual perception. They originated in China. It is a seven piece puzzle that can be manipulated into many shapes. In class I read Grandfather Tang’s Story where animals made from tangrams kept transforming. Students then had the opportunity to try puzzles with varying degrees of difficulty. Now they can try the challenge at home.
Have your child cut out the 7 pieces of the square. Remind him /her to cut carefully on the line. All the pieces are used for each tangram. How many can your child do?
The tangram kit is for your child to keep at home. If your child enjoys and/or is challenged by this activity, there are many more tangram puzzles you can buy. You can also extend this kit by having your child make up his / her own puzzle. After s/he makes a shape, help trace around it. Then take the pieces off and see if s/he can put it back together, or better yet, can a family member. Can you get the pieces back into a square? Have fun!
There is nothing to turn in for the tangram portion of the homework. If our child wants to turn in a puzzle shape outline s/he makes with the 7 pieces, s/he can do so.