News from the Totally Awesome Tigers

Hello all!

The sun's been shining and there's a feeling that spring is just around the corner! WIth this comes much excitement! In the classroom we are directing this excitement to learning about many new things!

MATH
We continue to explore geometry. This week our explorations remained focused on 2-D shapes. We used pattern blocks to build shapes and fill in the outline of shapes. Some of us practiced fitting pieces together just right, so they'd completely fill the outline of a larger design. Others practiced filling in the same outline many different ways, trying to use as many pattern blocks as possible and then as few pattern blocks as possible. Tricky, tricky!

In small groups, we sorted a variety of shapes. We sorted one way, then another, and then even another way! I was surprised to see how many different ways each group came up with for sorting the shapes! Some categories included number of angles, types of lines, number of sides, how many lines could be drawn from corner to corner...each group's favorite way of sorting can be found on display in our room!

After making symmetrical butterflies last week, we formally discussed symmetry and defined it in our own words. We practiced building symmetrical designs with pattern blocks, some of us working on designs with single line symmetry and others on designs with double line symmetry!

To finish the week, we created kaleidoscope designs that beautifully illustrate the concept of double line symmetry. Be sure to check these out right outside our door!

LANGUAGE ARTS
Our handwriting works continue, as we finish up learning the strokes for the lowercase letters. We spent time playing the mystery letter game, reviewing all letters. We are starting to use the specially lined handwriting paper throughout the day, and you will see some of this in your child's Thursday pack. Please know that learning to make letters in these new ways is a process that involves lots of practice! Determining the size of letters in relation to one another is challenging for many...especially knowing which lower case letters are brave enough to extend above or below their snuggly lines! Please let me know if you have any questions!

In Writing Workshop we continue to focus on stories with a beginning middle and ending...and adding detail to our stories by asking questions...what happened next?...where did she go?...what did they eat?...what did it feel like?...what did it look like?...

Phonics groups focused on long vowels, long a vowel pattern, long i/ short i and short vowels. Groups sorted picture or word cards and recorded their learning in various ways. Some started a book recording long vowel patterns and examples of each, while some wrote silly sentences using as many of their focused vowel sounds as possible. Reading groups practiced sounding out words, using pictures for word clues, making predictions, and reading out loud (we read our very first play!). When not reading with me groups played phonics/ reading games, reinforcing their phonic studies and practicing reading skills.

We are working on creating a group yoga book. We each picked a pose, practiced and posed for a picture. Together, we created a story that includes each of the animals or objects we posed as. The ending result is a wonderful story about the adventures of a slithering snake in the desert. Look for this book coming soon!

THEME
The views great from 200 feet up in the air! And it sure is sunny! We are learning about the emergent layer of the rainforest this week...the very top layer comprised of the tops of the tallest trees! Together we read about this layer and summarized what we learned. Students then wrote their own paragraphs describing this layer. We also learned many plants and animals that live on this layer and how they have adapted to life so high above the ground! We each picked 3 plants and 3 animals to draw pictures of and label (these will eventually be included in our final rainforest book!). Did you know that orchids are found up in this layer?! Or that some birds spend their whole life up in this layer? Ask your child what some of the tallest trees are! We read a great book about one of these types of trees and all the life that depends on this amazing giant!

We paired up to find interesting facts about the rainforest, using our very best handwriting to record these facts. We learned that water lily flowers change colors when the sun comes up and that 3/4 of the worlds frogs and toads are found in the rainforest! WOW!