Hello Bailly Families! I hope you are all having a wonderful week. Please read on to see what your students have been learning this week in HA.
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS
My First grade friends got to crack their first secret code this week! Students were given a sheet of paper containing random groups of letters and asked to try to make some sense of it. We talked about how the letters were grouped together like words and spaced out as if in a sentence. We also discussed the reasons someone might want to use a secret code.
Next, I introduced them to the Caesar Cipher wheel. This was used by Julius Caesar during battles to pass messages to his men without the enemy being able to interpret the message. We went through together how to use the cipher wheel and interpreted the message together! Students will use the wheel to crack a code in pairs next week.
MATH
Our first grade mathematicians reviewed the attributes of and types of polygons this week. We discussed what makes a polygon and how one shape may be called by many different names based on its characteristics. After discussion, students played Lingo! Lingo is a bingo type game in which they had to roll a die and find a polygon on their gamecard with the same number of sides as the number they rolled. The goal was to get four polygons in a row. They had a blast playing!
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS
Second graders were introduced to the novel, The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. We will begin our novel study next week. This week we talked about what a novel is and if anyone has read such a long book before. We also looked at the cover of the book and students made predictions of what they think the book will be about based on the cover. It will be extremely important for everyone to keep up with reading assignments so that we can hold discussions in class. I will keep you posted of what the reading schedule will be.
MATH
Students were given 3x3 squares of colored paper to fold into lines of symmetry. We reviewed that a square will always have four lines of symmetry. Next, students cut along those lines to get triangles. Each square produces eight triangles when they are cut along the lines of symmetry. Students then manipulated these triangles to make different designs. The first two that they worked on had guided lines as to where the triangles should be placed. Then, students worked with a partner to create designs on an unlined square to create new designs. This proved to be a bit more difficult for them.
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS
Third grade worked in pairs this week on a retelling story map of the myth, Why the Raven's Feathers are Black. The map helps them to break the myth down into smaller parts for a better understanding of the story. Students were able to reference the example that we completed together last week to help them in the process. We will wrap this up next week.
MATH
Students are still working hard to master the skill of using a mathematical formula to find the answer to a question. Practice and patience will help solidify the needed strategies in their minds. We have been experimenting with different problem solving methods. I have no doubt that they will be masters of algebra in no time!
Today we figured out how many fish could sit at at four sided table and how that number would change if you added tables with a full side touching. Students were able to conclude that they needed to double the number of tables and then add 2 for the ends. They rocked at this today!
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS
As we continue our unit on Change, fourth graders will be looking at how a major change can affect a person's life. They had the opportunity to interview me this week as practice for their homework assignment. This was mainly to get them used to taking detailed notes when interviewing their subject choice at home. The details will be very important when transforming their interview notes into an interesting paragraph. Please remind students to return their interview sheet on Monday, October 11.
MATH
Guess My Number! was the name of the game this week. We began by students trying to guess a number that I had picked between 0-50. Students had to ask yes or no questions to narrow down the number until they were able to figure it out. Is your number odd? Is your number a prime number? Is your number greater than 30?
Each kiddo then got a chance to pick their own number and answer yes or no questions while we figured out what number they had secretly chosen. They loved it!
Next, I had them pick another number, multiply it by 3 and add 4. We then worked backwards to discover what the original number was. They did awesome!
Enjoy your weekend!
-Mrs. Marquardt
