We worked with real pennies and nickels to notice the attributes that they have that are the same and those that are different. We then worked on techniques for adding sets of coins. It is important to always add coins from most to least valuable, and to cross off coins as you add them to the total.
Identifying Sounds We began our new science unit on sound by listening to a host of mystery sounds. 1R scientists worked with partners to try to identify who or what made each sound and what the sound was. We learned that every sound has a source, and that we can identify many sounds based on our background knowledge. VibrationsWe loved learning that sounds are caused by vibrations. To figure this out, our scientists felt their own throats while making sounds, carefully felt the throats of another student while he/she made sounds, and made mouth kazoos with wax paper. It was incredible to feel the vibrations for ourselves! 1R mathematicians are working hard in their math teams to practice their addition and subtraction skills with nickels and pennies. We are skip counting by 5's, playing games and tackling challenges to master these concepts. Thank you to our very first Secret Reader for doing such a great job! We hope that everyone will be able to come in and be a Secret Reader this year. 
We are learning how to hold our pencils properly. We pinch the pencils with our thumbs and index fingers where the wooden part of the point meets the paint. We hold them so that we can 'swing' the pencils back and forth without dropping them. Then we say "flippery-do" as we use our other hands to flip the pencils into the perfect position for writing! We are using this strategy alongside our great Fundations work practicing our letter sounds and formation techniques.  Our paper footprints help us remember that we all leave a digital footprint online.
To help us remember these important safety tips, we made paper footprints with our names on them as a symbol of our digital footprints. Then, we wrote examples of kind comments we could make to others online on paper hearts. Lastly, we put on a special hardhat to help us remember to always think about safety. We worked with the concept of addition this week, with a particular focus on its related vocabulary: plus sign, add, and sum. We also discovered that you can substitute the word, 'and' for the plus sign. Speed MathWe tried Speed Math for the first time this week. This is a timed fact-practice activity in which students solve number sentences using blue, green, and purple markers! This routine helps students build up their speed and fluency with their math facts. We learned that there are two kinds of letters in the English alphabet: vowels and consonants. We have been singing a vowel song and searching for vowels in words to practice.  We learned more about one another through a group activity. Students asked their classmates which of a range of options they like. Then, they "signed off" on their preferences. We are building a strong community in our first days of school! |
