Read about what's happening in our grade-level and exploratory classes at MSES!
Preschool: In the afternoon class students learned that Sally Ride was the first American woman to travel into space on the space shuttle. Ask your expert if they would like to be an astronaut! In Dinosaur School we talked about problem solving when we have a problem. Ask your expert what they can do when their friend has a toy that they would like to play with? (Ask your friend for a turn.)
Kindergarten: Colonial Towns and Townspeople unit of study will continue students’ journey as they learn more about the early history of our country. Students already know that the Pilgrims came to America from England seeking religious freedom, which they learned in our Columbus and the Pilgrims domain. The setting for Colonial Towns and Townspeople is more than 150 years later, after the colonies had been firmly established. Who are some tradespeople we have learned about? (Cobbler, dressmaker, baker, miller, blacksmith.) In the country, are houses close together or far apart? (They are far apart.) Why would farmers make trips into town? (To barter with shop owners to get items they need for their farms.) Where did farmers get most of their food? (They grew their food and butchered their own meat. Cows gave them milk, chickens gave them eggs.)
1st Grade: First graders are wrapping up their Animals and Habitats domain! This week, we studied animals of freshwater and saltwater habitats. We also discussed habitat destruction and endangered species. Ask your expert: What are some examples of freshwater habitats? (Rivers, streams, lakes, ponds.) Is most of the earth’s water fresh water or salt water? (Salt water.) What are some of the ways that animals have adapted to the salt water habitat? (Large mouths and sharp teeth to catch prey, feelers to find food in the dark, chemicals to make light, etc.) What is an endangered species? (A species that could die out because there are so few still living.) How do people affect habitats? (They can hurt them by building cities and roads, cutting down trees, etc. They can protect them by making careful laws about where to build, and by avoiding chemicals that harm animals like the bald eagle.)
2nd Grade: Second graders had the opportunity to go to the Space Foundation for a field trip this week! There are many projects in our hallway demonstrating their learning of the many cycles of nature we studied. Ask your expert what are the reasons for the seasons? (Sun and tilt of the earth.) What is a cycle? (A cycle is a sequence of events that repeats itself again and again.) What is the plant/tree cycle? (Seed to seed.) What about the chicken, butterfly, and frog cycle? (Egg to egg.) What is the water cycle? (A process of the sun, evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and run-off/collection.) Do we get new water all the time? (No, the water we use today is the same water the dinosaurs drank and bathed in, too!) Are they in a cycle? (Yes, growth stage.)
3rd Grade: In third grade we have begun our study of Native American regions and cultures. Ask your expert: What does it mean that the prehistoric people were nomadic? (They moved from place to place in search of food.) How did farming change the lives of these early people? (Once they began to farm, it allowed them to choose to stay in one place.) How did people begin to use plants? (To make things such as clothes, homes, and medicines.) Why did many groups choose to settle near a river? (To have access to drinking water, growing crops, irrigating crops, and traveling.) Why did mound-builders build mounds? (For burial sites of their ancestors, for ceremonial and religious reasons, and possibly as defense structures.)
4th Grade: In fourth grade, we are continuing our exciting invention-based unit, "Eureka! Student Inventor". Students have been working hard to develop the skills and systems needed to become an effective inventor themselves!
Ask your expert: What does “invention breeds invention” mean? (Previous inventions inspire new invention ideas; old inventions can be used when creating new inventions; inventions help us see “problems” to solve that haven’t been solved yet.) Tell a family member about how the lightbulb is an example of an invention breeding an invention (Possible answer: Because of lightbulbs, headlights on cars were invented and made driving so much safer.) Some classes have begun the process of documenting their invention ideas. What do you need to do when drawing an effective diagram? (3D drawing, descriptive materials label, explanation of how things work.)
5th Grade: Fifth grade will be wrapping up our CKLA Unit on the Renaissance. Students are demonstrating their skills in reading and understanding informational text, as well as writing a biography in the form of a diary entry. Ask your expert: What is a humanist? (Someone who admires ancient Greek and Roman art, literature, and government.) Did Leonardo da Vinci prefer to be called a sculptor or a painter? (Sculptor.) What is a patron? (Someone who provided an artist with food, clothing and a house while they worked.) How did Machiavelli think a prince should rule his people? (He should rule them with fear and should not keep his word if it isn’t to his advantage.) Where did Shakepeare hold his plays? (The Globe Theater.)
Art: Third grade artists have finished creating their amazing space t-shirts and are now busy creating a giant origami star covered in beautiful tissue paper designs. Third graders should have a clear understanding of three-dimensional forms both real and implied.
Please wash your child’s space t-shirt in cold water and limit the washings for longer lasting color.
cdunlap@mssd14.org
Spanish: Among other topics, the first graders learned the prepositions, to the left, to the right, forward, behind - in the middle - back. They learned to say simple sentences in Spanish: It's yellow (amarilla) - Mona Maria is smart (lista) - Pedro is a blue fish (pez azul) - Pedro is small (pequeño) - Maria is big (grande).
Music: This week, fourth and fifth graders finished up their composition projects and learned about African American music from the early 20th century (rock & roll), funk, hip hop, and the artists Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder. Ask your expert “What kind of African American music did you enjoy learning about this week?”
PE: Our kindergarteners are finishing up the ball skills unit. Throwing, catching, passing, setting and spiking with oversized volleyballs. They have done a fantastic job, as we have taken their skills and played mini volleyball games on small nets and small courts.
I hope you all have an enjoyable and safe spring break.
TEAMS: This week in TEAMS second graders created an iMovie after going on a field trip to the Space Foundation. Upon returning they created an iMovie about their experience. They recalled all of the new space facts they learned, made a script, and imported pictures. The students then recorded their voice to match the pictures. We talked about how they can create iMovies about other things they learn as well, however we ALWAYS ask permission if we are importing a picture of someone other than themselves.
Reading/Math Intervention: In reading intervention, we continue to work on basic literacy skills: decoding CVC words and "silent e" words, recognizing familiar sight words, and reading appropriately leveled books to enhance fluency and comprehension.
