First Grade News April 20, 2015 Curriculum Highlights

3D shapes Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Word Webs Earth Week Grade 2 show

Word Study - word webs News From Ms. Tindalls Class Fractions will be introduced in math shortly. Kids need lots of hands on experience to get the idea of fractions as being parts of a whole. In first grade our goal is exposure. Children are not expected to master this concept until they are a little older but it is important to start using the language and experience parts and wholes now. Well be looking at 1. Dividing one object into equal parts such as a pizza into halves or quarters and 2. Dividing groups of objects into equal parts such as sharing 12 candies equally among 3 friends. Using measuring cups and spoons, dividing things equally among family members, cutting sandwiches (pizzas etc) into halves and quarters are all very appropriate activities that will help your child begin to understand this challenging concept. Time too is concept coming up in math so here are some notes I hope you find helpful: The concept of time does not only include the ability to tell time on a clock but also relates to being able to order events in sequence (such as first I was born, then I learned to crawl, then walk etc.) Using comparison of events to understand the passage of time is another concept children find tricky (eg. walking home takes as long as watching one television show). Vocabulary surrounding time is equally important such as yesterday, today, tomorrow, past, present, future, hour, minute, day, month, year. Our next social studies unit, I Was, I Am, I Will Be lends itself to many opportunities to expand childrens concept of time. In partnership, Ms. Tindall

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handy handicraft handicap

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Monday Reading Math: Making change. You have $1.00 (100 cents). How much change would you get if you bought: a candy 29 cents an eraser 56 cents a pencil - 76 cents a sticker 92 cents a gum ball 7 cents (Do each problem separately ie 5 different answers) Word Study: Read the words. What do they all have in common? Talk about how each word is related to the base word. Science: Choose one product in your kitchen cupboard or refrigerator that comes in a packet. Talk with someone about why a product is packaged that way? Is it is a liquid? Of many pieces? Does the packaging protect something delicate? Is there any excess packaging? Talk about the material/s used for the packaging. What is needed and what is excess? What can be recycled? How much will end up in the trash?

Earth Week Follow-Up: Ask your parents if you recycle anything at home. Do you save old newspapers in a stack to be recycled? Do you wash and keep cans or glass bottles and jars until you have a bag full to recycle? Your garbage collector will be happy to recycle for you if you can keep these things separate from the garbage. Recycle all we can

Tuesday Reading Math: Give change from a dollar. Play shop. Label things in your home with cent values. Practicing paying with a dollar and counting up to give change. Word Study: Circle compound words in one colour (two bases joined to make a new word that is related in meaning) Circle words that are bases + suffixes in a different colour. Science: Repeat yesterdays task with a different package.

Earth Week Follow-Up: Ask your parents if you can try to re-use some things at home. eg Do you keep old Christmas or birthday cards ? You can cut out the picture and re-use it by making a gift label or card for next Christmas or a birthday. Do you swap toys? Do you give old clothes to charity? To you repair things instead of buying new ones? Re-use all we can

Wednesday Reading Math: Find 3D shapes in your home. Look out for cylinders, spheres, cubes, rectangular prisms and pyramids. Word Study: Write word sums for the bases + suffixes. EG hand + le + ing (ing is a vowel suffix so when added to the base, the is dropped from handle) Science: Look at the label on a package. What has the seller done to try to make you buy their product? Colours? Words? Pictures? Popular characters? Health claims?

Earth Week Follow-Up: Do you use both sides of the paper before putting it in the recycle tray? Do you ask for no bag when buying things from the store? Do you bring your own bags to the supermarket instead of getting new ones every time? Ask your parents if they use any products that are refillable? Do you THINK before buying is this something I want or something I need? Reduce all we can

Thursday Reading Math: Practice math facts. Choose a game such as addition top-it to practice your math facts. Science: Repeat yesterdays task with a different package.

Friday Reading Poem Collection