ART N BLUES N FUN LEARNING AT GRANT

This is always one of my favorite weeks of the year.  During Arts n Blues week and the Blues Corps, our individual and community strengths appear in so many ways.  The excitement is evident and when you throw in a few more awesome field trips and general Grant All Star enthusiasm, it is always a nice week.  Thank you to all who helped out and enjoyed the atmosphere and were able to attend the festivities with TJ and the Blues Corps. 

As we say goodbye till next year to TJ, we ride the lasting wave of excitement back into a our normal schedules and routines.  We can channel our creativity back into island maps and book shares and sundials!  Below is a snapshot of our current focus in each subject. 

READING: In reading this week, we are wrapping our focus on questioning and transitioning into a focus on predicting and inferring.  We are using our read aloud, shared and independent Nonfiction and fiction materials for this work.  Students are getting time to make progress on book share books as well.  Students should have about 2 book shares completed by now to be making average progress.

WRITING: Our main writing project will soon become writing about the islands we created.  Students will use nonfiction techniques to describe their islands.  Students are using writing/ss time to work on their maps.  Our writing focus also is on writing in each subject, using math/science vocab, writing about our reading, etc...

MATH: In math, we are working through the beginning of the second unit, focused on moving through the number system with exponents, powers of 10, and using our basic multiplication and division skills.  This weeks focus is on multiplication.

SS: Our Island Close-Up Maps are the focus this week.  This creative work is due on Friday.  During this work, we focus on geography, including landforms, climate and resources. This work lays the foundation for focusing on the development of American History throughout the year.

SCIENCE: Matter remains our focus and our matter experiences are helping lay the foundation for our science work throughout the year.  In between our matter lessons and science experiences, we are also applying the matter ideas on our field trips.  Last week, students drew matter models using organisms from our CCUA field trip.  We have two exciting trips next week, too.  Also, we used the fall equinox to have a quick sun/shadow experience that led us to making sundials!  I have a feeling our ecosystem matter work, Seedfolks garden ideas from reading, SS resource discussions and sundial investigations might end up with a garden design experience for some of Grant's new greenspaces.

Please enjoy pics of CCUA field trip and Blues Corps: