A New Week . . . A New Unit

Next week, we will begin our unit titled, "American Contributions". In this unit, we will read fiction and informational texts and meet various Americans and learn all about how they shaped our nation. We will also discover the American symbols, as well as discover their importance to the United States of America. We will be digging deep in this unit, as we touch on everything from slavery to the constitution and a lot of stuff in between. We will open the week by building our background knowledge on the Underground Railroad and how freedom for everyone began to take shape. On
Tuesday, we will be reading a very deep book titled, Henry's Freedom Box. On this day, I ask that you talk to your child about the content of the book and how the book made them feel. We will be doing a deep discussion on our feelings as we read and how the main characters determination for freedom comes true. Below is a rundown of everything else that we we will be working on next week.

Reading/Units of Study: We will identify key details and the central message within a text. We will understand the importance of asking questions as we read to deepen our thinking. We will understand the meaning of the words biography (a story about someone's life) and timeline (shows a sequence of events over time). We will also be learning about prepositions.

Writer's Workshop: We will write a personal narrative about a time in our life that we were brave. We will include details that tell how we feel to make our stories more exciting.

Math: We will be able to identify 1 more, 1 less and 10 more, 10 less using a hundreds chart. We will use models to compare numbers. We will compare numbers to identify which is greater than and less than using >, <, and =. I will be sending home the Topic 9 home letter/game that you can play with your child.

Phonics: We will be able to read and write words that begin with qu- and squ-. The words for the week are: quiz, quilt, squid, quit, squash, squint, quick, quail, queen, squeak, quake, squeal. Our test will be on Friday, and as always, head to Spelling City to get some fun practice in!

Shining Star: This past week we got to learn all about Carrera's likes and dislikes, and during the week of January 26th, we will get to learn more about our new Shining Star . . . Caleb! I will be sending stuff home on Monday with our new Shining Star!