Explorers 3/31/2023

 Hello Explorer Families!

Peek at our Week

Language Arts

Text features tools used in nonfiction text that will help the students navigate through the text as they read. If the author wants a reader to understand where a country is in the world, then providing a map helps the reader visualize and understand the importance of that country’s location. If the anatomy of an animal is vitally important to understanding a text, a detailed photograph with labels gives the reader the support he needs to comprehend the text.

Text features also help readers determine what is important to the text and to them. For example, without a table of contents or an index, students will not be able to quickly look through the book to find the information they need. Special print in a caption or fun fact helps draw the attention of the reader to important or key words and phrases. 

At home you can help your reader by taking some time before reading to look through the photographs/illustrations, charts, graphs, or maps and talk about what you notice. Make some predictions about what they’ll learn or start a list of questions they have based off of the text features.

Science

First graders are continuing to learn about the earth. They have examined the materials that make up the earth’s surface and how they affect our lives. Ask your child to tell you about minerals and rocks. This week we are classifying rocks- igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. 

Second graders are studying how natural events can change the Earth’s surface. Some changes such as earthquakes, volcanos, or landslides cause change to happen quickly. Weathering and erosion are examples of slow changes.  Ask your child about the experiment we did this week.

Math

Our first grade level mathematicians reviewed the skill of adding 3 numbers both vertically and horizontally.  A great way to practice this skill is rolling 3 number cubes and adding the 3 numbers together.

Our second grade level mathematicians continued their skill building when adding 3 and 4 two digit numbers.  We are learning to recognize when regrouping is necessary and to explain our thinking when working with this type of problem solving.

Our third grade level mathematicians are working with trickier multiplication problems as they learn to multiply by 7 and 8.  We often refer to our tiny fact books when stuck on a problem or draw arrays to assist us.

Social Studies

Our first graders talked about the importance of addresses and practiced writing the school address.  We also continued our work with directions and how to find a location within the school using written and verbal directions.

Our second graders listened to the story Homeplace and discussed what happens when a home is abandoned and becomes part of nature again as it falls into disrepair and nature takes over.  We talked about how this changes the environment and the positive and negative consequences that are a result of this occurrence.  We will continue to discuss the impact of changes to our environment, such as building new houses, parks and businesses, and what these changes bring to our communities.  We know from our projects several weeks ago, the changes we like to see but what happens when we do not always like the changes.