It's been a GREAT week and we got to end it with a really fun and exciting celebration...we were the first group of people to hear A Different Kind of Flea...the first children's book written by our very own, Hoseok Lee, illustrated by Urbana's very own, Heather Ovenshire! What a treat for all of us! Hoseok and his mom, Catherine Kim, gave our class bookmarks as a gift. We were very honored to be the first to see and hear his book! Tomorrow there is a PTA fundraiser at Barnes and Noble in FSK Mall...Hoseok and Mrs. Ovenshire will be signing their books, and there are other special events planned...the UES chorus will perform, Mrs. Hollenbeck and Mr. Watkins will be reading books...it's a "can't miss" kind of afternoon...hope to see you there!
Language Arts
This week we have continued our work with poetry...defining and using terms such as metaphor, simile, personification, mood, tone, assonance, consonance, alliteration...we have been using a T chart to try to make sense of poems...one side for the quotes, one side for "my words"...what the kids think they mean...this is a very hard skill...so much inferring involved...but the kids are pretty amazing at figuring out the messages in some very complex poetry. The poems the kids came back with on Thursday were awesome! They did a nice job showing their comprehension of the articles through poetry. The kids have printed articles about a person they find interesting because next week we will be writing Diamante poems about those famous people. (Sorry again about the password mixup!) Thanks to those of you that thought to check the blog!!
My favorite conversation about poetry this week was based on the poem "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes. I have printed it below...ask your child about the poem...
Mother to Son
by Langston Hughes
Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor--
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been climbing on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
ANd sometimes goin' in the dark
WHere there ain't been no light.
So boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now--
For I'se still going' honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
Math
We spent time this week focusing on two different concepts...algebra and coordinate points. I have been tremendously impressed with your kids ability to solve for the unknown...WOW. This has been a fun week of math!
Science
The mystery has been solved...all mystery powders have been revealed...and today we celebrated the end of the unit with "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" game in the computer lab. I am happy to report your kids won ONE MILLION DOLLARS! Not so happy to report, it's not real money...sorry. It was a lot of fun. There will be a science test at the end of next week...they will get a study sheet on Monday or Tuesday of next week.
On Wednesday we celebrated a full marble jar with GAME DAY! We played games in the computer lab, we played board games during language arts, we played math games during math...it was a very fun day! You wouldn't believe how many indicators I hit with game playing...check out a few of them....
- L.A.300.50 Students will develop, demonstrate, and/or independently apply an understanding of the role language plays.
- L.A.300.10.04d Follow a set of multi-step directions.
- L.A.300.70.05b State a position and support it with reasons. (trust me...they do a ton of this when they play games together!!)
Have a great weekend! I'll be at Barnes and Noble tomorrow at 1pm...maybe I'll see you there!
