We began our theme this week focusing on kindness, and looking at how our actions lift others up. During this week, as a No Place For Hate school, Kiker celebrated by having a "chalk week." Teachers organized their classes to put positive messages around school emphasizing how we represent No Place For Hate. Our kiddos, with their positive, growth mindset, turned it around and created a word web in Team Meeting with the phrase: "We ARE a Place For..." Look below for all these fabulous, kid-generated words. The SBLC Team really embraces what it means to represent and to affect this world for GOOD.
In reading and writing, our study of each of our novels continue. We have examined literature in our responses, from context clues to summarizing. We are using our mentor texts to help us draft our own pieces. Seeing how good writers focus on important details and events that reveal our character's struggle rather than just adding things in sequence helps us do that in our own writing. Finding the ways the author uses description to help the reader visualize the scene rather than just telling us what happens next inspires us to do the same.
In math, 2nd and 3rd graders wrapped up their study of 2-D and 3-D shapes. We reviewed vocabulary like faces, vertices, and edges. Then we applied all of our shape knowledge by designing structures that would hold at least 2 pounds of weight 1.5 to 2 inches off the table. It was exciting to discover that triangles and cylinders are the strongest shapes and many of our young engineers are continuing to build stronger structures in class, some even exploring at home.
We also explored symmetry through a webquest and some symmetrical building with 3-D shapes.
4th grade continued working with measurement and building an understanding of perfect squares. We've made some big discoveries about how to calculate area of squares, given just one side length. We're also continuing to build accuracy with our calculations in all 4 operations.
After we wrapped up our geology unit, second and third graders created a landforms project. Their creative juices were flowing as they constructed their own world filled with mountains, plateaus, rivers, and canyons. Fourth graders continued their study of history with the Texas Missions and then began their ecosystems unit. Today, we planted seeds in our terrariums and created a cozy environment for our fish and snails. Stay tuned for eco-column updates over the next few weeks!
Happy Weekend!
Team SBLC
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