Judson Elementary School

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Math

Our second math unit is on patterns. Students will generate a number or shape patterns that follows a given rule. Students will apply this skill to problem solving using tables, geometric patterns, shape patterns, and number patterns.

Please make sure your child is practicing their facts on a daily basis. Math skills for the year will build on these facts. Math contracts are due every Friday.

Science

Our first unit in science is on ecosystems. In this unit students will learn the ways and places in which different organisms live. In the science unit our class will learn how plants and animals interact with each other and with their environments. Students will learn how living things get their energy and how the energy flows through an ecosystem.

Writing

In our first unit students will write personal narratives. Students will learn strategies to generate their own writing. All writing will be done in their personalized writer's notebook. These notebooks should be a tool to inspire their writing and creativity.

Reading

Our second reading unit is one the students are sure to enjoy. In this unit students will explore how different cultures deal with the same theme. Students will explore Cinderella stories from around the world and will compare and contrast the different versions. In this unit students will focus on identifying the message that the author is giving and then they need to use evidence from the text to support their answer.

At the end of the unit students will complete a performance task in which they will compare a multicultural Cinderella to Disney's version. They will then "pitch" to Walt Disney why this version would make a good movie.

Guided Reading Groups:

In our guided reading groups, I am enforcing skills that we are working on for the unit. Students are also in small groups in different novels. Ask your child what group they are in. We are currently reading A Boy at War, a novel about the bombing of Pearl Harbor; Nory Ryan's Song, a book about a family's struggle during the potato blight in Ireland; Holes, a wonderful book about a boy wrongfully accused of a crime who realizes his destiny; The Library Card, a series of short stories all tied together by a magical library card that changes the lives of those who encounter it; and finally Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, a hysterical book about sibling rivalry.

Check out these great websites!!!