November 12, 2013

All the students in the class became bloggers today! Using kidblog, each student has his or her own username and password. They can go onto this site as part of the class I set up and write their own blog posts or comment on other people's posts. We practiced commenting today, with students listing the book they are reading right now. To keep this blog safe and private, only the students can log on and see the posts. They all know their user names and passwords, though, so if they'd  like to log in at home to either write or share with you, they're welcome to! Our website is here. In the future, I hope to have students type out some of the writing they've done.

We've been learning about how the Earth is shaped in science class. We've learned about how plate movement created mountains, and how weathering and erosion created the Grand Canyon. We'll learn about glaciers, fossils, and renewable/nonrenewable resources, and then students will have their test next week on Friday, November 22.

Students all received their own Bibles last week! This is their Bible, but it should be kept at school since we will be using it regularly for the next few months. One way we'll do this is through creating a Jesse Tree together. Each student will have a story to look up and create a symbol for. The students will choose their stories next week.

November 7, 2013

I was very impressed with all the ofrendas students shared last week! I could tell they'd learned a lot about their families and were eager to share that information. The church bulletin article this Sunday will be about our class, so be sure to look for us if you go to mass.

In reading, we've begun to read How to Eat Fried Worms. The students are very excited about this book, and so am I! We read a Scholastic article earlier this week about people in different parts of the world who eat bugs, and we'll learn about sequencing and characterization as we read, as well as identifying different types of writing like poetry, prose, and drama.

Social studies is going to be a quick unit this time, since there are only two chapters on government. I expect the test to be on November 20, and I'll pass out the study guide next week.

In math, we're learning all about fractions. Today we discussed equivalent fractions and made fraction strips to help us visualize what that meant. If you have an iPad or other tablet, McGraw-Hill is offering a few of their math apps for free through tomorrow (November 8). They have a great one on equivalent fractions. You can find them here.