February Coyote Curriculum Corner
CES Math Shout Out! Our students were given the opportunity to play in the First in Math LOVE MATH Challenge over Winter Break! The following students participated in the challenge and we want to give them a high-five: Nate Emberg (Grade 2), Alima Muazu (Grade 3), Logan Aguiar (Grade 3), and Jase Rideout (Grade 3)!
Kindergarten
Kindergarten students have begun to write like experts on topics that they know and care a lot about! Students are using labels and high-frequency words in their writing and have begun to write simple sentences. They continue to add details to their illustrations and are coming to understand the connection between reading and writing. In reading, kindergarteners are learning to apply what they are working on in phonics to reading decodable texts. Our kindergarten students are on their way to learning to add and subtract! They are working on building a number line as a model to count between 0 and 50. They begin to solve simple addition and subtraction problems! We continue to practice our counting skills to 100! Looking for a fun game to play at home? Check out First in Math Challenge: www.firstinmath.com Login to have your child play fun, engaging math games! Login: carve Password: lovemath
Grade 1
First-grade students are writing about topics that they feel they are experts in. This nonfiction writing unit allows students to generate topics and choose those they are engaged in and know much about. They begin using a graphic organizer to plan their writing and then write about these subtopics across pages. In reading, students are also working on the nonfiction unit; therefore, first graders are beginning to understand the connection between writing and reading. Towards the end of February, our first-grade students will start learning about geometry. They will explore two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. First graders love putting the shapes together and taking them apart! This is a fun unit for our students! Looking for a fun game to play at home? Check out First in Math Challenge: www.firstinmath.com Login to have your child play fun, engaging math games! Login: carve Password: lovemath
Grade 2
In writing, Grade 2 students show us all they know about topics that interest them. Students are learning how to plan their writing through a graphic organizer, create a table of contents, and then write about subtopics using details while applying their phonics and sight words in writing. In reading, students also apply their phonics skills to decode (read) multisyllabic words to read longer and more complex texts. Our second graders are sharpening their measurement skills! They explore their skills through a “Giant’s World,” where they can learn the difference between inches, feet, and yards. Looking for extra practice at home? Check out First in Math Challenge: www.firstinmath.com Login to have your child play fun, engaging math games! Login: carve Password: lovemath
Grade 3
Math: Measurement and Time are the focus at this point in the year for our third-grade students! They solve problems by estimating and measuring mass and liquid volume in metric units. Elapsed time is also a focus! They will then move to the beginning of fractions. They are growing and developing their math skills each day. Looking for extra practice at home? Check out First in Math Challenge: www.firstinmath.com Login to have your child play fun, engaging math games! Login: carve Password: lovemath
ELA: Third graders are fully immersed in their character studies unit. They are studying character traits, how characters change over time, and comparing and contrasting characters from a variety of texts. Students are discussing this with their reading partners, book clubs, and the whole class. They are also responding and reflecting on characters in their writing notebooks. In February, students will begin studying poetry. In the poetry unit, students will be reading and analyzing poetry. They will also be writing their very own poetry.
Grade 4
Math: In Grade 4, we begin our unit on addition, subtraction, and measurement. Keep an eye out for 2 important documents coming home with your child: Bridges Family Letter and Addition and Subtraction Strategies! Both of these documents will give you resources to support your child at home! Looking for a fun math game to play at home? Check out First in Math Challenge: www.firstinmath.com Login to have your child play fun, engaging math games! Login: carve Password: lovemath
ELA:4th graders are in the research unit for reading. They are learning how to read nonfiction articles, books, and online resources. They synthesize, summarize, compare, and contrast information from their reading and discuss this in their research clubs. In grammar, they have been and are continuing to work on verbs: kinds of verbs, subject-verb agreement, verb tenses, and the use of irregular verbs. In writing, students are writing a three-paragraph informative blog post about Seoul, South Korea. After sorting information about three destinations in Seoul, they select two to include in their blog and add an introduction. Finally, they are learning to edit and revise their writing to create a final draft.
Grade 5
Math: In Grade 5 we are finishing our Unit on Place Value and Decimals! For January Number Corner, our 5th graders work with numerical patterns and graphs, multiplying whole numbers and unit fractions, adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators, and discussing equivalent expressions through time and money. Ask your child questions about adding and subtracting money! Looking for extra practice at home? Check out First in Math Challenge: www.firstinmath.com Login to have your child play fun, engaging math games! Login: carve Password: lovemath
ELA: In 5th grade, students finish their nonfiction unit, where they learn how to become researchers as they read. They have summarized texts, compared and contrasted books/articles, synthesized their reading, and learned how to think about complex texts. They have also continued to work on their vocabulary skills by matching pertinent vocabulary words with visual supports and interactive activities. In writing, students are working on expository essays and informational writing. Students have had voice and choice in what they want to write about and what they want to research. They have learned how to take notes and organize their research so that they can write about their topics in various ways (anything from creating magazines to writing formal essays).
