This week in First Grade...

December 3-7

Reminders:

Wednesday, December 5^th  Early Release at 12:45pm

Thursday, December 13^th  Family Art Night

Wednesday, December 19^th  Winter Parties

December 21^st- January 7^th (Students return on the 7^th)

Reading Workshop:

This week we are focusing on making predictions.  As students make predictions they are using their background knowledge to help them comprehend what they are about to read.  We will talk about how good readers make preconditions by envisioning the story, they use the text to make predictions and they make connections with the story.

Writer’s Workshop:

During Writer’s Workshop we  will be focusing on our Giving Unit.  We will begin by discussing the meaning of giving and philanthropy.  We will talk about what it means to give and how we can help others in our community and beyond.  We will read stories about Giving and discuss their meanings.  We will begin with The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.  We will discuss how the tree gave to the boy as he grew.

Math:

In math we will being a unit on Patterns.  We will build on student’s prior knowledge of patterns by creating patterns with concrete objects such as cubes and ask students to label their patterns.  We will design pattern blanket and have students elaborate on how they began with a pattern and continued it.    We will use numbers to make patterns.

Social Studies:

We will begin our unit on cultural celebrations this week with The Elf on the Shelf: Holidays around the World.  Our very own Elf will come to our classrooms each day and teach us about holidays that are celebrated in countries all around the world.  We will learn about traditions and read stories that give us information about various holidays.