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January 19-22

This week we've continued honing our skills with keyboarding and even took a words per minute test to help us measure our growth. Both links to practice and the "test" are here on the blog, so students are free to practice anytime!





Fourth Graders have been working hard on how we can marry description with detail in our nonfiction expository pieces. We've focused on precise word choice, especially vivid verbs, to create those powerful images for our readers. We've also continued our journey with Joe Rantz in Boys in the Boat. It's a wonderful example of how nonfiction uses descriptive language to capture the reader, so it fits in perfectly to what we are doing in writing.

Third Grade has analyzed their nonfiction piece, "Too Close to Gone." We looked at a section on Bald Eagles first together, then they began the analyzing on their own with Tigers.  We've been examining how each graphic and caption helps us understand the text better, as well as looking at main ideas/supporting details in each and every paragraph. In writing, we are using that text understanding to write examples and supporting details in our own expository pieces.

Second Grade explored two biographies of MLK Jr, both written by his own family members. We were mesmerized by the interesting perspectives of this man as a brother, and then as a dad. We've been working on our homonyms, grammar, and phonic writing in writing.

All three grade levels are working on a card/letter writing project for Dell Children's Center. We read some fascinating biographies about several children who are undergoing or have undergone treatment at this fabulous place, and we are drafting positive, upbeat pieces for them to let them know we are their biggest cheerleaders!!

In science, we've been investigating force and motion. Second grade designed and built tops to observe one pattern of movement: spinning. After testing out their creations, they realized that forces both started AND stopped the motion of their tops!




Third graders spent the week learning about how simple machines can change force and make work easier. They deepened their understanding with a Simple Machine Scavenger Hunt around the school, identifying simple machines that we see and use everyday!

Our fourth graders used technology to understand balanced and unbalanced forces along with two major forces we experience regularly: gravity and friction. Ask your scientist to tell you which is a pulling force and which is a pushing force! You can also see evidence of their learning in the comments below the Force Websurf post below.

In math fourth graders learned how to make and use frequency tables. They also made dot plot, and played Sumdog on the computer. Third graders made frequency tables, pictographs, and bar graphs. Then used them to problem solve and answer questions. Second graders learned about lending money, producers, and consumers. We all ended the week completing Sunshine math.

Many of our Third and Fourth Graders had the opportunity to vote for this year's Texas Bluebonnet Book! What a great way to wrap up our week! In order to vote, they had to read at least 5 of the nominees. The next year's nominees are already out: start reading now! :) (And yes, Second Graders can get started for next year -- it will count for their Third Grade reading). 



Happy Friday!
Your SBLC Team

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