The Week That Was...

We are coming to the end of a busy week.  The students wrote their final narrative piece.  I'll send them home after I mark them.  In reading, the students are learning to retell non-fiction texts by identifying 3 things they learned, 2 interesting facts and 1 question they have.  In math, the grade 2's are starting a unit on multiplication and division.  The students will learn how to explain multiplication as the combining of equal groups, e.g., show that 3 groups of 2 is equal to 2 + 2 + 2 and to 3 X 2.  The grade 3's are nearing the end of their algebra unit, determining the missing number in one and two digit equations, e.g., 24 - 5 = 15 + ?, and investigating the properties of 0 and 1 in multiplication.  In science, we are continuing to learn about liquids and solids.  We will be making our floaters early next week so please send in the materials as soon as possible.  In social studies next week, the grade 3's will be comparing a fishing community (Port Stanley) to Chatham-Kent.  The grade 2's will be learning more about life in Zimbabwe.
The poem this week was called Chatterbox, The Rain, which is fitting for April!  

Frog's Lullaby

This week's poem was a fun one!  Your child will enjoy reading it to you.  Once they become fluent at it, challenge each other to read it quickly!

Snowed in at ICRPS

We have been working on writing narratives in class about being snowed in at school and the students have typed up their first piece using the website www.scrawlar.com.  They did a great job and are excited to share their work with you.  Please go to this website and log in with your child.  Our class code is coates23 and your child knows his/her password.  Have your child read their story to you.  Together, edit (fix spelling and punctuation) their story.  Please remember to save (the button is in the top right corner) after you edit the piece.  

Welcome Back!

I hope everyone had a relaxing, enjoyable March Break.  
There is a lot happening in our classroom this week.  In writing, the students are starting a new narrative in which they chose the topic.  They have written their plans and introductions, and so far they look great!  In math, the grade 2's are learning how to subtract 2-digit numbers with regrouping.  The grade 3's are finishing their geometry unit, in which they learned about congruent shapes, symmetry, angles, translations, reflections and turns.  In social studies, the grade 2's are starting a unit in which we will compare a warm climate (Zimbabwe) to a cold climate (Nunavut).  The grade 3's will be studying Ontario with a focus on land uses.  In science, we are starting a unit on matter.  We will be investigating the properties of liquids and solids.

Poem of the Week - March 3

Here is our poem for this week.  Along with reading it daily, we will be discussing how the poem is rich in action and imagery and the students will be drawing pictures to show some of these images.

Structures!

Our Structures unit in Science is coming to an end.  To finish it off, the students are going to make their own structures, using paper, tape, glue, straws and popsicle sticks. We are going to test their strength by putting as many soup cans as we can on them before they break.  The students have been busy planning their designs and there are some students who need some materials from home.  I can provide the paper (bristol board, construction paper and white printer paper), and straws.  Your child will come home with a list on Friday of other materials that they would like.  Please send these items with your child to school on Monday as that will be our building day.
Here is a YouTube video clip that we watched to get some inspiration:

Structures Video


Also, if you could send in some soup cans (like the ones pictured here) to test our structures, that would be great.  If you would like them returned home, please put your child's name on them, otherwise I will donate them to the food bank when we are finished with them.  Thank you!

Poem of the Week

At the beginning of each week, the students are given a new poem for their poem books.  We read the poem a different way each day of that week (e.g., all together, boys, girls, individually, with their groups and in partners).  Here is this week's poem.  Ask your child to read it to you!