POEM IN YOUR POCKET DAY
This Thursday is National Poem in Your Pocket Day. Each child will choose a favorite, short poem written by a favorite poet or perhaps one they've written themselves. If it’s a poem from home, please send in a copy of it by Wednesday. We have also be searching for favorite poems in our many poetry books here at school. On Thursday, make sure your child wears clothing with pockets. The children will carry their poems with them throughout the day and read them to anyone who will listen. We invite you to join in to and share a poem with your child.
POETRY STUDY
Our exploration of poetry has continued. Last week, we talked about how to see the world with a poet's eyes. Poets see the world in new, unique, surprising and interesting ways. The most ordinary object, like a pencil sharpener, can become magical and the imagery leaves a lasting impression or feeling for the reader. Here are a few examples that we shared with the children:
This Thursday is National Poem in Your Pocket Day. Each child will choose a favorite, short poem written by a favorite poet or perhaps one they've written themselves. If it’s a poem from home, please send in a copy of it by Wednesday. We have also be searching for favorite poems in our many poetry books here at school. On Thursday, make sure your child wears clothing with pockets. The children will carry their poems with them throughout the day and read them to anyone who will listen. We invite you to join in to and share a poem with your child.
POETRY STUDY
Our exploration of poetry has continued. Last week, we talked about how to see the world with a poet's eyes. Poets see the world in new, unique, surprising and interesting ways. The most ordinary object, like a pencil sharpener, can become magical and the imagery leaves a lasting impression or feeling for the reader. Here are a few examples that we shared with the children:
Pencil Sharpener by Zoe Ryder White I think there are a hundred bees inside the pencil sharpener and they buzz and buzz and buzz until my point is sharp! | Pencil Sharpener by Georgia Heard The pencil sharpener chews the pencil into a sharp point and spits the leftovers out. |
Words are the poet's tools and because poems are often short, they must choose carefully. The children have been hunting for interesting, unusual, and surprising words. Along the way, we have learned about verbs, adjectives and synonyms. We have also used the reading comprehension strategies of visualization and inferring to help us make sense of a poem and to create a "picture in our heads."
Poets observe the world around them and find poetry hiding everywhere. To begin our own observations the children chose objects from our wonderful Nature Museum, including skulls, shells, crystals, fossils, seed pods and more. See the Gallery for some photos. For much of their note-taking, the children have used a scientist's eye. They recorded the facts and details using words about size, shape, color, texture, and even used their tape measures. After reading many poems this month, we hope the children will be inspired to look at the world with more of a poet's eye and begin to see the world in a fresh, new way. Here is the example we shared with them:
Poets observe the world around them and find poetry hiding everywhere. To begin our own observations the children chose objects from our wonderful Nature Museum, including skulls, shells, crystals, fossils, seed pods and more. See the Gallery for some photos. For much of their note-taking, the children have used a scientist's eye. They recorded the facts and details using words about size, shape, color, texture, and even used their tape measures. After reading many poems this month, we hope the children will be inspired to look at the world with more of a poet's eye and begin to see the world in a fresh, new way. Here is the example we shared with them:
Scientist’s Notes on a Leaf One inch long, three inches wide Sawtooth edges Dark green on one side Paler green on other side Veins stick out | Poet’s Notes on a Leaf Tiny enough to be a tree for a village of snails. It’s as if someone scissored the edges to make them pretty And painted on a deep forest green |
The children started writing their own poems today and we can't wait to share them with you! Be sure to ask your child about the three types of poems we discussed today: list poems, acrostic poems, and haiku.
MATH
In math, we have continued working on double-digit subtraction. All children have been introduced to the "Trade First" strategy and we continue to build on their understanding. Below is an example of how we "show our work" with paper and pencil and a little rhyme to help us remember what to do:
MATH
In math, we have continued working on double-digit subtraction. All children have been introduced to the "Trade First" strategy and we continue to build on their understanding. Below is an example of how we "show our work" with paper and pencil and a little rhyme to help us remember what to do:
We are also working on comparison word problems where children need to find the difference or the quantity. One example is Cindy scored 27 points. Barb scored 17 points. How many more points did Cindy score? The two quantities are 27 and 17. The difference is 10. 27 - 17 = 10.
Another example for finding the quantity is John is 36 years old. He is 6 years older than Sam. How old is Sam? 36 - 6 = 30 These are a great word problems to connect to everyday life. If you get a chance, make up a few for your second grader!
Reminder: There is no school this Friday for Faculty Professional Development Day.
We are still in need of a large bottle or two of hand sanitizer and some extra snacks. Thanks in advance for your donations.
Enjoy the week!
Another example for finding the quantity is John is 36 years old. He is 6 years older than Sam. How old is Sam? 36 - 6 = 30 These are a great word problems to connect to everyday life. If you get a chance, make up a few for your second grader!
Reminder: There is no school this Friday for Faculty Professional Development Day.
We are still in need of a large bottle or two of hand sanitizer and some extra snacks. Thanks in advance for your donations.
Enjoy the week!