Week of May 19

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

The Insect unit test will take place on Monday, May 20. Please refer to graded study guides as well as graded quizzes to assist your child.

In addition, on Thursday, May 23, students will take the EnVision Benchmark Test, which covers Topic 13 through Topic 16. Please refer to online EnVision as well as graded homework, lessons, and topic tests to help your child prepare.

From Tuesday, May 21 to Friday, May 24, students will design and create their insect’s habitat. Please send white Model Magic and a shoebox if you haven’t done so.

Murray Wild Cats Walkathon/Fun Fair is scheduled for June 7. Packets for the fundraising will go home Monday, May 20. The funds raised by this event will support special programs at Murray Language Academy. Please return the packet no later than Thursday, June 6.

Balanced Literacy
Independent Reading (30-35 minutes at the beginning of each day). Differentiated instruction is provided at this time as well as throughout the lessons.
Reading and Writing Workshops: Based on Common Core Reading & Writing Workshop, A Curriculum Plan for The Reading Workshop and A Curriculum Plan for Writing Workshop by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from The Reading and Writing Project
Word Knowledge: (Daily)
From Phonemic Awareness by Michael Heggerty
- Onset Fluency
Teachers say word. Students repeat word and then isolate the onset. Teacher choice on blends. Example: Teacher says: claw Students say: claw; /kl/ or /k/ (Different words will be given each day.)
- Identifying Final and Medial Sounds
Teacher says the word. Students repeat the word and isolate the medial sound. Ex: T: lawn S: lawn /aw/
- Deleting Phonemes
Teachers say the words. Students repeat the word. Teacher says without the /*/ and what is left? *Use Sounds

Differentiated Instruction:
- Teachers administer the end-of-year TRC (Text Reading and Comprehension)
- Guided writing: teachers circulate the room to assist students.
- Writing conferences
- Working in pairs
- Allowing extended time
- Using graphic organizers
- Drawing pictures to support writing
- Monitoring students reading progress.

Day 1:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Monday, May 20, 2013. We will begin learning how to write adaptations to familiar fairy/folk tales
Today’s Question: What are some features of a fairy tale or folk tale? Share your answer with a classmate.
Reading and Writing
“Writing Adaptations of Familiar Fairy Tales and Folk Tales, and Perhaps Writing Original Fantasy Stories as Well”
Interactive Read Aloud: The Three Horrid Little Pigs by Liz Pichon
Reading Skill:
Structure and language of Fairy Tales/Folk Tales.
During the read aloud, highlight the structure and language of the story. Chart information to support students’ writing.
Writing:
“Writers, we have been reading many different adaptations of fairy/folk tales and we have noticed that each author has given the story their own spin. Some authors changed the characters—turning girls to boys or people to animals. Others have changed the setting—moving the story from a kingdom far away to the middle of a big city. Well, today I’m going to teach how you can get started planning your very own adaptation. One thing that writers do is think, ‘What would I like to change?’ and ‘How will the change affect all the parts of my story?’ We then plan out our stories, either in a booklet or storyboard.”
Students select and read a story from our classroom collection and internet A to Z Reading. They look for elements found in fairy/folk tales.
Spelling Words: Final E – se as /z/ sound
arise, bruise, cheese, choose, cruise, dense, excuse, please, raise, tease

Day 2:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Tuesday, May 21, 2013. We will discuss and categorize goods and services.
Today’s Question: What are the kinds of things people buy with the money they earn from working?
Reading and Writing
“Writing Adaptations of Familiar Fairy Tales and Folk Tales, and Perhaps Writing Original Fantasy Stories as Well”
Interactive Read Aloud: Seriously, Cinderella Is So Annoying! by Trisha Speed Shaskan
Tip: “We may do quick sketches or jottings to remember all the parts of the story that we want to include.”
Tip: ”Writers, we revise our plans or plan another adaptation, then another, playing with different ideas before we get started in writing. As we revise our plans, we think ‘Where exactly will my story begin?’ and ‘What will my character be saying and doing?’ so that we can begin our stories close to the main action.”
Students continue to select, read and discuss a story from our classroom collection and internet A to Z Reading. They look for elements found in fairy/folk tales and discuss them with classmates.

Day 3:
End of Year MAP Testing for Reading (9:00 to 11:00)
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Wednesday, May 22, 2013. We will continue to learn how to write an adaptation to a familiar folk tale.
Today’s Question: Why do authors write adaptations to familiar fairy tales or folk tales?
Reading and Writing
“Writing Adaptations of Familiar Fairy Tales and Folk Tales, and Perhaps Writing Original Fantasy Stories as Well”
Interactive Read Aloud: Goldilocks Returns by Lisa Campbell Ernst
“Writers, today I want to teach you that you have to make many important decisions as you are writing your fairy/folk tale. Writers ask ourselves, ‘Why am I rewriting this fairy tale?’ ‘Who am I writing it for?’ and ‘What is it, exactly, that I am trying to say?’ One thing that we can do to answer these questions as we plan and write our own is to reread, re-study, and re-think the fairy tales we’ve been studying with our partners. We study and talk about the choices the author made to change their version and how we might revise our plans or stories so that our adaptations are meaningful.”
Example: “Sometimes, we rewrite a familiar tale because we disagree with the way the tale has stereotyped girls, with the good ones always being beautiful and the bad ones always being ugly, or authors may disagree with the way wolves, foxes, or stepmothers are stereotyped as nasty, evil, and mean. Sometimes authors rewrite a tale so that it makes more sense to readers who live in different places or in other cultures.”
Tip: “Writers, remember, as we are exploring ways our adaptations could be tweaked, stretched, or twisted, we can come up with a few different story ideas. Once we imagine other ways the story could go, we can create other mini-booklets to plan through our ideas—we may even need many pages! If this happens, begin with two sheets of paper folded in half, and in half again, creating eight (or more) page-long planning books.”
Students continue to select, read and discuss a story from our classroom collection and internet A to Z Reading. They look for elements found in fairy/folk tales and discuss them with classmates.
Students will have decided on a story to adapt. They can begin sketching their storyboards and jotting down notes for their stories.

Day 4:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Thursday, May 23, 2013. We will identify people who provide goods and services to the community.
Today’s Question: Why is it necessary to have services in your community?
Reading and Writing
“Writing Adaptations of Familiar Fairy Tales and Folk Tales, and Perhaps Writing Original Fantasy Stories as Well”
Interactive Read Aloud: Sleeping Ugly by Jane Yolen
“Writers, we have come up with lots of plans for our adaptations and we are ready to get started in our writing. Today I want to teach you that we choose one of our plans, take the number of pages we need to make a book, transfer our ideas from our planning booklets by jotting a note in the margin or sketching a quick picture on each page, and begin writing using everything we know about storytelling and fairy/folk tale language.”
Tip: “Writers we can act out the scenes to our tale and then story tell it again and again, both to ourselves and to our partners. After we have retold our stories many times, we have a clearer idea of what to put onto the page when we go to write.”
Students begin planning their adaptations of familiar fairy/folk tales.

Day 5:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Friday, May 24, 2013. We will learn how to add dialogue to make our stories come alive.
Today’s Question: How do authors retell traditional folk tales in a new way? Share with a classmate what you have noticed so far about our read alouds.
Reading and Writing
“Writing Adaptations of Familiar Fairy Tales and Folk Tales, and Perhaps Writing Original Fantasy Stories as Well”
Interactive Read Aloud: Petite Rouge by Sheila Herbert Collins
Tip: “Writers, we are storytellers, not summarizers! We need to use everything we know from Small Moments and realistic fiction, including to show not tell as we write our story. We use action, dialogue, and internal thoughts. So, imagine that you are the character. Act out the first scene, say what the character would say, think like you are the character and use lots of action. Then, add it to your writing.”
Students begin writing their adaptations.

Math:
Review for Topic 13 to 16 Benchmark Assessment by playing math games.
- Making coin booklets: Students use rubber stamps to show amount of money. They work with partner by trading their booklets to solve coin combinations.
- Coin “Top It”: Students work with a partner to draw coin playing cards from a deck of cards. Student with the larger amount wins the card.
- Identifying Time Game: Students work in groups of three to draw and match cards with analog, digital, and words.
- Money Bingo: Students work in groups of six to listen to the caller, identify the amount until someone has five chips in a row.
- Dice Addition: Students work in pairs to roll two 20-sided dice to select and add 2 two-digit numbers.

Topic 13 to 16 Benchmark Test

Math Open Response Practice

Science:
Integrated with language arts
Science Content:
- Insects need air, water, and space.
- Insects have characteristic structures and behaviors.
- The life cycle of the beetle is egg, larva, pupa, and adult, which produces eggs.
- The life cycle of the cricket is egg, nymph, and adult, which produces eggs.
Thinking Processes:
- Observe mealworm larvae, pupae, and adults over time.
- Describe and record changes in mealworm structure and behavior over time.
- Observe cricket nymphs, and adults over time.
- Describe and record changes in cricket structure and behavior over time.

Insect Habitat
-Students will design and create a habitat for their research insect. They will utilize a shoe box, white Model Magic, construction paper, glue, scissors, watercolors, etc.

Social Studies:
Unit 6 People at Work
Introduce the Unit
Objectives
- Use a visual to predict content.
- Interpret a quotation.
- Use summary chart to prepare for the unit.
Access Prior Knowledge
Help students make connections between work that people do and products they make and buy. Ask students to name a product that people buy, such as shoes, a bicycle, or bread. Create an H chart for the product. In the horizontal area, write the name of the product. On the left side of the chart, write jobs associated with making the product. On the right side, write ways that people are able to get the product.
Visual Learning/Analyze Primary Source
Have students examine an image of an old typewriter. Explain that the typewriter shown contrast the typewriter keyboard with a present-day computer keyboard. Invite students to describe their experiences using a computer keyboard.
Quotation
Invite students to read a quotation by Martin Luther King, Jr. “Whatever your life’s work is, do it well.” Tell students that his life’s work was to try to bring about equal and fair treatment of Americans regardless of their race. He wanted all people to live and work together peacefully.
Question: What rewards might come from doing a job well?
Preview the Vocabulary
Objectives
- Use visuals to determine word meanings.
- Use words and visuals to predict the content of the unit.
Access Prior Knowledge
Ask students to suggest some of the jobs people do in your community. As necessary, stimulate suggestions by asking questions such as, Who sells food? Who grow food? Who sells clothing? Who repair automobiles? Who works at the library? Then elicit from students that people receive money in return for their work. Discuss the kinds of things people buy with the money they earn from working.
Visual learning
Have students examine and compare hand-made goods with factory-made goods.
Question: What other ways can goods be transported?
Start with a Poem
Objectives
- Obtain information about a topic using variety of visual sources, such as literature.
- Recognize the variety of jobs that people do.
- Explain how people depend on one another in their daily lives.
Read the poem “Work Song” by Gary Paulsen to students. Discuss the meaning of the word It in the first line. Lead students to see that It refers to the many kinds of work people do. Challenge students to identify as many jobs as they can that fit the description of the first stanza. Help students understand that carpenters, mechanics, plumbers, and others use hammers in their work; carpenters, plumbers, electricians, roofers, masons and others build houses; gardeners, farmers, foresters, and nursery workers plant and care for trees; and truck drivers and delivery people work behind the wheel of a truck. Ask students to identify the workers involved in providing food, building and cleaning sidewalks, building skyscrapers, working in offices, and making steel beams.
Question: What kinds of choices can people in our country make about work?
Economics
Discuss reasons besides earning money that people might have for a job. Point out that people often enjoy their work, they like contributing to society, and they enjoy staying busy. Explain that people who enjoy their work are usually successful at what they do.
Question: What are some ways workers contribute to society?
Tell students that people do not get paid for all the work they do. Point out examples, such as parents cooking meals for their families, children sharing household chores or doing tasks in the classroom, and family members and friends helping one another with projects.
Question: How do you think the mother and father in the poem feel about their work? Why do you think Gary Paulsen wrote the poem “Work Song”?
Lesson 1 Goods and Services
Vocabulary: goods, services
Objectives
- Distinguish between goods and services.
- Identify people who provide goods and services to the community.
Activate Prior Knowledge
Have students work in pairs to make two word webs, one labeled goods and the other services. Students share out as we create a goods and services web for the class.
Read and Respond
Focus on the two examples from the book and expand the discussion by asking questions such as: Who makes the fabric that the server uses to make the clothing? Who grows the cotton that the fabric maker uses to make the fabric? Who are some other people who help in getting the clothing to your closet? Lead students to see that all sorts of workers are involved in making clothing, including people who make the sewing machines the sewers use, and so on.
Show the picture of the goods. Ask students: How would your lives be different without these goods? How do store help peoples?
Read and Respond
Economics: Discuss with students the difference between goods and services. Tell them that goods are things you can hold in your hands, such as an orange or a yo-yo, while services are those things we pay other people to do for us, such as clean the streets and deliver our mail. Encourage students to name workers in our community who provide services. Ask: Who cuts your hair? Who makes sure our school is clean? Who put out fires? Who repairs cars? Who treat you when you are sick?
Why do we pay people to provide services?
Students work in pairs to describe pictures of people working in different services. Have students share out their observation.
Ask: Why might someone call a plumber? A car mechanic? A dentist?

Thank you for your support.
Anh Tuan Hoang and LuAnn Lawson

Week of May 12

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We would like to extend a sincere thank you to all the parents who volunteered on the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum field trip. Your support ensured a fun and successful learning experience.

The Past and Present social studies unit test and the science insect unit test will take place on Tuesday, May 14, and Monday May 20 respectively. Please refer to graded study guides as well as graded quizzes to assist your child.

From Wednesday, May 15 to Friday, May 17, students will design and create their personal timelines as their social studies project. Students may bring photos or drawings of events relating to their lives from birth to present. Please assist your child in identifying and recording important events such as birth, began talking, walking, family vacation, family reunion, first year of school, riding a bike, etc.

Students will receive the mid-term progress reports on Wednesday, May 15. Please review the report with your child and sign the bottom portion and return it by May 20. If you desire to meet with any of your child’s teachers, please fill in the request on the bottom of the form.

Balanced Literacy
Independent Reading (30-35 minutes at the beginning of each day). Differentiated instruction is provided at this time as well as throughout the lessons.
Reading and Writing Workshops: Based on Common Core Reading & Writing Workshop, A Curriculum Plan for The Reading Workshop and A Curriculum Plan for Writing Workshop by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from The Reading and Writing Project
Word Knowledge: (Daily)
From Phonemic Awareness by Michael Heggerty
- Onset Fluency
Teachers say word. Students repeat word and then isolate the onset. Teacher choice on blends. Example: Teacher says: claw Students say: claw; /kl/ or /k/ (Different words will be given each day.)
- Identifying Final and Medial Sounds
Teacher says the word. Students repeat the word and isolate the medial sound. Ex: T: lawn S: lawn /aw/
- Deleting Phonemes
Teachers say the words. Students repeat the word. Teacher says without the /*/ and what is left? *Use Sounds

Differentiated Instruction:
- Teachers administer the end-of-year TRC (Text Reading and Comprehension)
- Guided writing: teachers circulate the room to assist students.
- Writing conferences
- Working in pairs
- Allowing extended time
- Using graphic organizers
- Drawing pictures to support writing
- Monitoring students reading progress.

Day1:
Message: Today is Monday, May 13, 2013. We will make and use a pictograph to solve problems in math.
Question: How does showing data in a pictograph and a tally chart help you compare the data?
Reading Workshop:
Unit 7 – Reading and Role Playing
Fiction, Folktales, and Fairy Tales
Interactive Read Aloud: The Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone
Explain to students that as readers get to know characters better, we discover predictable roles they play: we understanding the villain, the hero, and everyone in between
In this part of the unit, we’ll move from stepping into the shoes of a particular character to thinking more categorically about characters. Teach students that just as there are different personality types in the world, there are different character types in stories. Teach students that authors sometimes make deliberate choices about which characters in their book will take on which role. One character might be the good guy—the hero—while another is the bad guy—the villain. And then, of course, there’s the sidekick, the wise adviser, the trickster, to name just a few.
Students read independently.
Science Fair Presentations

Spelling Words: Final E – ce as /s/ sound
chance, bounce, dance, fence, glance, peace, price, prince, race, slice

Day 2:
Message: Today is Tuesday, May 14, 2013. We will explore how authors write adaptation to familiar fairy tales and folktales.
Question: What can an author do to change the outcome of a familiar folktale? Discuss with a classmate.
Reading Workshop:
Unit 7 – Reading and Role Playing
Fiction, Folktales, and Fairy Tales
Interactive Read Aloud: The Gingerbread Man by Barbara McClintoc
Explain to students that as they read, they need to think about what it means to be one kind of character or another. Are there typical patterns of behavior they observe in one type or another? They might, for example, notice that the main character’s sidekick is sometimes funny—that that person’s role is to crack jokes. Or maybe the sidekick (or one of a pair of friends) tends to get the main character into trouble over and over, so he is a troublemaker. Tell students that earlier in the year, they learned that characters go on journeys and encounter trouble along the way. Now they might notice that friends sometimes contribute to that trouble. Alternatively, the person who creates obstacles for the main character may be someone with a much more deliberate villainous intent—the class bully, for example, or the mean kid next door. As children think about how these roles play out in their books, partners—or two sets of partners—can act out scenes in their books that spotlight the bully or the sidekick or the quirky adviser.
Students read independently.
Science Fair Presentations

Day3:
Message: Today is Wednesday, May 15, 2013. We will discuss and design our own timelines. Question: How do timelines help you organize and understand data?
Reading Workshop:
Unit 7 – Reading and Role Playing
Fiction, Folktales, and Fairy Tales
Interactive Read Aloud: Little Red Riding Hood by Jerry Pinkney
Remind children that as they pay attention to the characters in their books, they can think about the role the character plays to predict what’s going to happen. Is the character good or bad? Will she win or will she lose? Teach children to pay attention to the pattern, to ask and answer, “Why is this happening? What will hap- pen next?” Teach children to think about whether a character in the story is the one who is teaching a lesson or learning a lesson.
Students read independently.
Science Fair Presentations

Day4:
Message: Today is Thursday, May 16, 2013. We will play math games to review for our Topic 16 test.
Question: Why might knowing how to tell time be important in your daily life? Share your answer with a classmate.
Reading Workshop:
Unit 7 – Reading and Role Playing
Fiction, Folktales, and Fairy Tales
Interactive Read Aloud: Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten! by Trisha Speed Shaskan
Now is the perfect time to spotlight the antecedents of the character types they will encounter in their modern-day stories—fairy tales, folktales, and fables. These short moralistic tales are particularly powerful teaching texts in part because they feature characters who have such clearly defined, often exaggerated traits. Students will have an easy time identifying the good guy and the bad guy in these stories—and eventually, other archetypes too. These tales are full of drama, so when you read them aloud—as we suggest you do—be sure to throw some gestures into your performance and give characters distinguishable voices to spotlight what sort of role each one plays. Cackle and act crotchety as the wicked old witch, make your voice light and sweet when you are the hero or the heroine. Meanwhile, encourage your kids to ham it up too as they step into these roles. “Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum!” demands to be spoken in a loud, mean voice. “Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” will sound more cunning and coy—and will have a singsong quality. Fairy tales and folk tales (which originated as oral stories) are full of repetitive chants that your children will love to perform.
Students read independently.
Science Fair Presentations

Day 5:
Message: Today is Friday, May 17, 2013. We will complete our personal timeline and share it with the class.
Question: How do you know when a timeline is out of order? Explain it to a classmate.
Reading Workshop:
Unit 7 – Reading and Role Playing
Fiction, Folktales, and Fairy Tales
Interactive Read Aloud: Goldilocks and the Three Bears by James Marshall
After students have heard several tales, they may start to notice that the books they have been reading have similar characters—a bad wolf, a wise old man, an evil step relation—and that these characters have similar traits. The wise old man has all the answers but makes the main character work to get them; the stepmother in these tales is often evil and goes out of her way to harm the heroine. Readers may also notice that these archetypes sometimes differ somewhat from story to story. For example, the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs is the villain in both stories, but the wolf in the first story seems smarter than the wolf in the latter. Teach students that fairy tales and folktales are archetypes for modern stories, that characters who play similar roles will pop up again and again, not only in these old tales but in more modern stories, too. Students might notice, “Instead of a wolf, this book has a mean old dragon! Reminds me a little bit of Mean Jean the Recess Queen.” The hope is that children take note of not just the magic in fairy tales and folk tales (though of course, that’s part of the fun!), but also the ways in which archetypes from these genres repeat themselves again and again in modern literature, albeit in non-magical forms. This is the case not only with characters but also with plots, imagery, themes, but for now it’s enough that children come to recognize similar roles across books.
Students read independently.
Science Fair Presentations

Math:
Lesson 16-5 Pictographs
Objective: Children will make and use a pictograph to solve problems.
Essential Understanding:
Each type of graph is most appropriate for certain kinds of data. Pictographs and bar graphs make it easy to compare data.
Vocabulary: symbol, pictograph
1. Develop the concept:
- How does showing data in a pictograph and a tally chart help you compare the data?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to read data on a tally chart and use that data to make a pictograph.
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to use a tally chart to complete a pictograph. Then use the pictograph to solve problems.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to use a tally chart to complete a pictograph. Then use the pictograph to solve problems.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate

Lesson 16-6 Problem Solving
Objective: Children will use picture graphs to solve problems.
Essential Understanding:
Some problems can be solved by making, reading, and analyzing a graph.
Vocabulary:
1. Develop the concept:
- How can you solve a problem by using a graph?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to use information on graphs to solve problems.
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to use a picture graph to solve problems.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to use a picture graph to solve problems.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate

Topic 16 Reteaching
Provide children with more examples and practice for each lesson in the topic.
Set A: Teachers guide students to associate numerals on a clock face with increments of five minutes.
Set B: Teachers guide students to read and find quarter and half past an hour and before an hour.
Set C: Teachers guide students to represent a set of data in a tally chart and bar graph.
Set D: Teachers guide students to use rulers measure objects and represent data on a line plot.

Games
-Making stamped clocks
Students work in pairs to stamp clock faces, draw minute and hour hands, and ask each other to tell time.
- Clock puzzles
Students work in groups of three to solve puzzles involving analog and digital clocks.
- Interpreting a set of data using bar graph

Topic 16 Test

Science:
Integrated with language arts
Science Content:
- Insects need air, water, and space.
- Insects have characteristic structures and behaviors.
- The life cycle of the beetle is egg, larva, pupa, and adult, which produces eggs.
- The life cycle of the cricket is egg, nymph, and adult, which produces eggs.
Thinking Processes:
- Observe mealworm larvae, pupae, and adults over time.
- Describe and record changes in mealworm structure and behavior over time.
- Observe cricket nymphs, and adults over time.
- Describe and record changes in cricket structure and behavior over time.

Social Studies:
Review for unit test
Past and Present Unit Test
Timeline Project
- Sheet of construction paper, 12×18″ long
- Crayons, color pencils or markers
- Glue sticks
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Stapler
- Photographs, copies of photographs, or drawing of your family—at least one event per year (birth to present)

* Explain to your child that each family has its own special history. Tell your child that together you are going to create a Family History Fanfold Timeline. On the timeline, you and your child will list events that are important to your family.
* Hold your construction paper horizontally. Use your ruler and pencil to draw a horizontal line across the paper, four inches from the bottom. Fold the paper along the line to make a long pocket. Now fold the paper in five fanfold sections, and use a stapler to staple the pockets on each fold. You will have a long paper with five pocket sections.
* Spread your photos on a tabletop, randomly, and talk about them. Which came first? What date did it happen? Make sure that one of them is from the year your child was born! Help your child place the events in order.
* Place the photos in the pockets, in order. In the space above the pocket, have your child write the year of the event, and on the pocket itself, a sentence about what happened. When you’re done, fold the timeline along each of the five sections, to make a fanfold.

Thank you for your support.
Anh Tuan Hoang and LuAnn Lawson

Week of May 5

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

On Thursday, May 9, students will take a science quiz about crickets. The study guide will be sent home on Monday. Please help your child study for it.

The second grade classrooms will take their annual field trip to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum on Friday, May 10. Students will participate in a workshop entitled “Metamorphosing Monarchs” and visit the butterfly atrium. Students will need to bring a lunch from home on the day of the field trip as we will be eating lunch at the museum.

Please be reminded that the science fair projects are due Monday, May 13. Students will present in class the week of May 13. The schedule was sent home and is posted on this blog to encourage your participation.

Balanced Literacy
Independent Reading (30-35 minutes at the beginning of each day). Differentiated instruction is provided at this time as well as throughout the lessons.
Reading and Writing Workshops: Based on Common Core Reading & Writing Workshop, A Curriculum Plan for The Reading Workshop and A Curriculum Plan for Writing Workshop by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from The Reading and Writing Project
Word Knowledge: (Daily)
From Phonemic Awareness by Michael Heggerty
- Onset Fluency
Teachers say word. Students repeat word and then isolate the onset. Teacher choice on blends. Example: Teacher says: claw Students say: claw; /kl/ or /k/ (Different words will be given each day.)
- Identifying Final and Medial Sounds
Teacher says the word. Students repeat the word and isolate the medial sound. Ex: T: lawn S: lawn /aw/
- Deleting Phonemes
Teachers say the words. Students repeat the word. Teacher says without the /*/ and what is left? *Use Sounds
Differentiated Instruction:
- Teachers administer the end-of-year TRC (Text Reading and Comprehension)
- Guided writing: teachers circulate the room to assist students.
- Writing conferences
- Working in pairs
- Allowing extended time
- Using graphic organizers
- Drawing pictures to support writing
- Monitoring students reading progress.

Day 1:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Monday, May 6, 2013. We will learn how to tell time to the five-minute interval.
Today’s Question: What do the short hand and long hand on the clock indicate? Share your answer with a classmate!
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects
(based on the format of All-About Books from the Nonfiction Writing Unit by Lucy Calkins and Laurie Pessah)
- Interactive Read Aloud: What on Earth by Kid’s Discover
Writing:
Editing/Publishing
Have students refer to these questions as they edit their writing.
Does each chapter have enough information? Do some chapters have too much information and others not enough? Do some chapters not fit with the structure you have chosen? How could you rewrite some chapters so they match the structure you have chosen?
- Explain to students that not only do writers edit their work, they also prepare it for publication. Model to students how to fancy up their writing.
- Some students will continue to utilize the checklist to edit their writing.
- Students recopy their writing. They illustrate and label the insect, the insect’s life cycle, the how to, and their selective parts of the All About Insect Book.

Spelling Words: Soft G
gauge, gem, gene, gentle, germ, giant, gist, gym, ginger, genius

Day 2:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Tuesday, May 7, 2013. We will identify and discuss historical figures whose contributions have influenced the community, state, and nation.
Today’s Question: Discuss with a classmate an important leader you learned about last quarter who influenced our nation.
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects
(based on the format of All-About Books from the Nonfiction Writing Unit by Lucy Calkins and Laurie Pessah)
- Interactive Read Aloud: Ant Cities by Arthur Dorros p.5-16
Publishing
- Review with students that not only do writers edit their work, they also prepare it for publication. Review how to fancy up their writing.
- Students recopy their writing. They illustrate and label the insect, the insect’s life cycle, the how to, and their selective parts of the All About Insect Book.

Day 3:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Wednesday, May 8, 2013. We will continue to observe the crickets ‘growth.
Today’s Question: How can you distinguish a male cricket from a female cricket? Explain to a classmate!
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects
(based on the format of All-About Books from the Nonfiction Writing Unit by Lucy Calkins and Laurie Pessah)
- Interactive Read Aloud: Ant Cities by Arthur Dorros p.17-32
Share/Celebration
Writing: After completing writing, it is important to celebrate. Writing takes a lot of work and time. When you have completed a book take time to celebrate. Today we are going to share our non-fiction writing with our peers. We wrote these non-fiction books to help people who read the stories learn about the topic of the book. Today, we are going to learn from our peers. Have students partner with a student/s in the other second grade class to share their writing.

Day 4:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Thursday, May 9, 2013. We will navigate the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum’s website to explore the exhibits in preparation for our filed trip tomorrow.
Today’s Question: How can the museum help us learn about nature?
Preparation for our field trip
Interactive Read Aloud: Bye-Bye, Butterfly! By Scholastic Magazine
- Students work in groups to complete a guide to plan their visit to the Peggy Notebaert Museum. Groups will then share their plans with the whole class.

Day 5:
Field Trip to Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Spelling Test

Math:
Topic 16
Time, Graphs, and Data
Topic Essential Understanding: How can clocks, bar graphs, and pictographs be used to show data and answer questions?
Vocabulary: pictograph
Topic Opener:
Interactive Math Story: Our Favorite Things by Benjamin Khan
Activate Prior Knowledge: How can we use a pictograph to show the color of the shoes of classmates?
Lesson 16-1 Telling Time Five Minutes
Objective: Children will learn to associate numerals on an analog clock face with increments of five minutes.
Essential Understanding:
Time can be given to the nearest five minutes. Time can be expressed using different units that are related to each other. A.M. and P.M. are used to designate certain time periods.
Vocabulary: minute hand, minute, hour hand, hour, half hour
1. Develop the concept:
- How can the hands on an analog clock be arranged to show time?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to use tell time using analog and digital clocks.
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to draw the hands of clocks and write the time on analog and digital clocks.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to draw the hands of clocks and write the time on analog and digital clocks. Then students solve story problems. Finally, students draw a clock displaying their favorite time of the day and writing sentences to explain.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate

Lesson 16-2 Telling Time Before and after the Hour
Objective: Children will read and express time in terms of quarter and half past an hour and before an hour.
Essential Understanding:
Time can be expressed before or after the hour.
Vocabulary: quarter past, half past, quarter to
1. Develop the concept:
- What are different ways to say the times before and after an hour?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to tell time using the vocabulary terms, quarter past, half past, and quarter to.
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to complete analog and digital clocks to show the same time. Then circle an additional way to express the time.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to complete analog and digital clocks to show the same time. Then circle an additional way to express the time. Finally, students will solve story problems, and draw a clock showing 11:45 writing two ways to say the time.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate
TG: p. 513A to 516B

Lesson 16-3 Organizing Data
Objective: Children will represent a set of data in a tally chart and in a bar graph.
Essential Understanding: Data can be organized in different ways.
Vocabulary: bar graph, data
1. Develop the concept:
- How can you use a bar graph to organize information and compare data?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to show the same data in different ways.
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to use a table to make a bar graph. Then use the bar graph to solve the problems.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to use a table to make a bar graph. Then use the bar graph to solve the problems.
Finally, students will solve word problems and use a bar graph to include additional data.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate

Lesson 16-4 Graphing Lengths
Objective: Children will use rulers to measure objects and graph the results.
Essential Understanding:
The lengths of objects can be organized in different ways. A line plot can be used as a visual representation of the relative lengths of objects.
Vocabulary: line plot
1. Develop the concept:
- How can you show the lengths of objects to see which is the longest or shortest?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to measure lengths and make a line plot to show the length of each object measured.
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to measure objects in inches, record each length in a table, and show each length on the line plot.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to measure objects in inches, record each length in a table, and show each length on the line plot. Then students will solve story problems and explain how they used the chart and line plot to solve the problems.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate

Science:
Integrated with language arts
Science Content:
- Insects need air, water, and space.
- Insects have characteristic structures and behaviors.
- The life cycle of the beetle is egg, larva, pupa, and adult, which produces eggs.
- The life cycle of the cricket is egg, nymph, and adult, which produces eggs.
Thinking Processes:
- Observe mealworm larvae, pupae, and adults over time.
- Describe and record changes in mealworm structure and behavior over time.
- Observe cricket nymphs, and adults over time.
- Describe and record changes in cricket structure and behavior over time.

Social Studies:
Past and Present
Objectives:
* Identify historical figures whose contributions have influenced the community, state, and nation.
* Describe ways people honor their heroes.
* Give examples of places in the community where individuals are remembered.
* Explain how local people and events have influenced local community history.
* Describe changes in a community over time.
Vocabulary: monument, memorial, hero
Interactive Aloud: American Heroes by Marfe Ferguson Delano
- Ask students to name someone who they think of as a hero. Tell children they will learn about ways Americans remember their heroes.
- Show pictures of several famous national monuments.
- Ask if they know about the accomplishments of these heroes, i.e. Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson.
- Ask students whey they think the monuments and memorials honoring heroes are located in Washington, D.C.
- Ask them why they are made of stone or metal.
- Ask about monuments, statues, and memorials that they know of in Chicago or Illinois.
- Ask why we name buildings, parks and streets for people.
- Ask if they can name any of these in their neighborhood or in Chicago.
Interactive Read Aloud: Paths to Peace: People Who Changed the World by Jane Breskin Zalben and American Heroes by Marfe Ferguson Delano, and Rabble Rousers by Cheryl Harness.
Read about heroes: Jane Addams and Cesar Chavez, and ways they are memorialized (Hull House, Nobel Peace Prize and Memorial Mural, Plaza in Sacramento).
Objectives:
Interactive Read Alouds:
Chicago: A History edited by Daphne Christensen
Chicago History for Kids by Owen Hurd
- Make a timeline of major events in Chicago. Feature things such as
Native Americans
DuSable
Fort Dearborn
Growth of Chicago
Settlers and Immigrants

Thank you for your support.
Anh Tuan Hoang and LuAnn Lawson

Week of April 28

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

On Thursday, May 2, students will take a science quiz about characteristics of an insect. A study guide will be sent home on Monday to help your child prepare.

The EnVision Topic 15 Test will be administered on Friday, May 3. Please review graded homework, classwork, and activities on EnVision website.

The science fair projects are due May 13. Students will begin presenting their projects in class on that day. The presentation should only be about two minutes long. Parents or caregivers are invited to attend your child’s presentation. Please refer to the schedule we sent home last Friday for the assigned time.

Mr. Barrand’s last day is Wednesday, May 1. Please wish him well in his teaching endeavor.

Balanced Literacy
Independent Reading (30-35 minutes at the beginning of each day). Differentiated instruction is provided at this time as well as throughout the lessons.
Reading and Writing Workshops: Based on Common Core Reading & Writing Workshop, A Curriculum Plan for The Reading Workshop and A Curriculum Plan for Writing Workshop by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from The Reading and Writing Project
Word Knowledge: (Daily)
From Phonemic Awareness by Michael Heggerty
- Onset Fluency
Teachers say word. Students repeat word and then isolate the onset. Teacher choice on blends. Example: Teacher says: claw Students say: claw; /kl/ or /k/ (Different words will be given each day.)
- Identifying Final and Medial Sounds
Teacher says the word. Students repeat the word and isolate the medial sound. Ex: T: lawn S: lawn /aw/
- Deleting Phonemes
Teachers say the words. Students repeat the word. Teacher says without the /*/ and what is left? *Use Sounds

Differentiated Instruction:
- Guided Reading
- Guided writing: teachers circulate the room to assist students.
- Writing conferences
- Working in pairs
- Allowing extended time
- Using graphic organizers
- Drawing pictures to support writing
- Monitoring students reading progress.

Day 1:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Monday, April 29, 2013. We will use addition and subtraction to solve measurement problems.
Today’s Question: Jason’s arm is 25 inches long. Myra’s arm is 32 inches long. How much longer is Myra’s arm?
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects
Interactive Read Aloud: Face to Face with Caterpillars by Darlyn A. Murawski
Reading skill: Reading Across Texts
Teach students that scientists read across a few books to formulate a question. Teach them that science readers think about how the information from one text helps us understand information from another text more deeply, and then we ask a question about what we still want to know. Explain to them that science readers question when information from two different texts doesn’t add up. Readers are on the lookout for contradictions and wonder about the author’s slant or perspective on a topic.
Writing:
- Students share their How-to page with classmates.
Making Texts that Teach:
- Teachers review that nonfiction writers need to include facts that teach in their writing and that they do research by learning from books and articles on their topic.
- Students read and take notes on “amazing facts” or the uniqueness of their insects.
- Teachers model how to elaborate the notes we have taken to write a paragraph about the insect’s amazing facts.
- Students may begin the chapter on “amazing facts” or uniqueness.

Spelling Words for the Week: Hard g
gave, golf, guess, guest, guide, guilt, goose, gain, guard, gust

Day 2:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Tuesday, April 30, 2013. We will begin comparing Groups of Native Americans.
Today’s Question: How did the ancient cliff dwellers use natural resources?
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects
- Interactive Read Aloud: Honey Bees by Deborah Heiligman
Reading skill: Reading Across Texts
Teach students that reading across texts allows us to construct a cumulative understanding, to develop schemas on a topic that borrow and build from many sources. Explain to them that different books can teach us different things about the same topic. “Once nonfiction readers read our second and third book on a topic, we can mix and match information from all these books to make our own notes.”
Demonstrate to children how they might mix and match information from several books.
Writing:
- Students continue to use the notes they have taken to write a paragraph about their insect’s amazing facts.

Day 3:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Wednesday, May 1, 2013. We will use string and rulers to measure to the nearest inch the length of paths that are not straight.
Today’s Question: How does using string help you measure objects that are not straight?
Grammar: Plural Subject-Verb Agreement from Mastering the Mechanics by Linda Holt and Teresa Therriault
Model the Focus Point
Explain to students that when we write sentences about a plural subject, meaning more than one, the verb has to agree. “Here is an example: Our bike are cool! But Our bikes is cool! does not work.” Use the Smart Board to model a writing sample. “ I am going to work on a piece of writing I did about one baby turtle, but now I am going to switch from singular, one baby turtle, to plural, and write about turtles. As you know, that means that I will need to check my verbs very carefully. Baby sea turtle(s)… I have taken out A and added an s to make turtle plural – now let’s look at the verb. Baby sea turtles hatches… Oooops. The verb doesn’t work. I need to remove the /es/ to make the verb agree with the new plural subject. My next sentence needs to say babies instead of baby. Let’s look at the verb and decide what to do. I want to add one more sentence, They have to work hard… Should I choose have or has to go with the subjects, they?
Turn to Talk
“What have you noticed about working with plural subjects and making verbs agree or match? Discuss the ways to know that a subject is plural. We will make a chart of plural subjects and some verbs that agree or match.
Sum It Up
When writing about two or more people, places, or things, write their proper names or the word they. Then use the verbs are, were, have, or plural action verbs.
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects
- Interactive Read Aloud: How Do Flies Walk Upside Down? by Melvin and Gilda Berger (p. 4 to 21)
Writing:
Writing a conclusion
- Review with students that the conclusion paragraph is much like a conclusion sentence; it ends your exposition by summing up the points you made earlier.
- Do a think aloud and a shared writing to model to students how to write a conclusion.
- Students write a conclusion to their insect research.

Day 4:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Thursday, May 2, 2013. We will continue to discuss subject-verb agreement.
Today’s Question: What is incorrect about this sentence? A colorful bird clean its feathers.
Grammar: Plural Subject-Verb Agreement from Mastering the Mechanics by Linda Holt and Teresa Therriault
Guided Practice
Display a writing sample. Have students turn to discuss “If you changed this to singular subjects, what verbs would you use?”
Sum It Up
Tell students to remember that when they write a sentence that has a plural subject, the sentence needs a plural verb.
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects
- Interactive Read Aloud: How Do Flies Walk Upside Down? by Melvin and Gilda Berger (p. 22 to 46)
Writing:
Conferencing and Editing
- Review Peer Conferencing (revising) – What it is and steps for conferencing: Review the “TAG” method: Tell 1 thing you like about the story, Ask 1 question, Give 1 suggestion
1. Read and listen
2. Compliment author
3. Question and suggestion (“W” questions written on sticky notes – who, what, when, where, why questions), students make their writing better by answering those questions and adding more details to the writing in red revising pen.
- Students confer with peers.
Editing
Review the lesson on Reread During Editing
- Using a writing sample, teachers model the focus point (After I finish a piece of writing, I will reread even more carefully! I am going to reread to check carefully for mistakes in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. This kind of rereading is called proofreading. Proofreading is a time when we read to edit or fix mistakes.)
- Students reread their research papers to check for errors.
- Students utilize the checklist to edit their research papers.

Day 5:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Friday, May 3, 2013. We will continue to compare prices and to solve problems about price differences.
Today’s Question: Why does the same item cost more today than it did in the past? Share your answer with a classmate!
Grammar: Plural Subject-Verb Agreement from Mastering the Mechanics by Linda Holt and Teresa Therriault
Independent Practice
Model to students how to look for subject-verb agreement in a piece of writing. Ask students to check their papers to search for a plural subject and to check the verb. Remind them that plural verbs may include are, were, and have.
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects
- Interactive Read Aloud: Chirping Crickets by Melvin Berger
Writing:
Editing/Publishing
- Explain to students that not only do writers edit their work, they also prepare it for publication. Model to students how to fancy up their writing.
- Some students will continue to edit their writing.
- Students recopying their writing. They illustrate favorite parts of their stories.
- Students take the spelling test.

Math:
Lesson 15-7 Adding and Subtracting in Measurement
Objective: Children will use addition and subtraction to solve measurement problems.
Essential Understanding:
Measurements in the same unit like inches can be added or subtracted in the same way as adding and subtracting whole numbers. The measurement unit needs to be written with the sum or difference.
Vocabulary:
1. Develop the concept:
- How can you use addition and subtraction to solve measurement problems?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to use addition and subtraction to solve measurement problems?
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to write number sentences to solve each problem.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to write number sentences to solve each problem. Solve story problems and draw a rectangle measuring in centimeters and inches.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate

Lesson 15-8 Comparing Lengths
Objective: Children will measure to compare length and express the length difference in a standard length unit.
Essential Understanding:
The length of two objects can be compared by subtracting to find the difference.
Vocabulary:
1. Develop the concept:
- How can you compare the lengths of two paths?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to find the lengths of paths, and then subtract to compare the lengths of paths?
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to use a centimeter ruler to measure paths, then answer the questions.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to use a centimeter ruler to measure paths, then answer the questions. Finally, solve story problems.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate

Lesson 15-9 Problem Solving: Use Objects
Objective: Children will use string and rulers to measure to the nearest inch the length of paths that are not straight.
Essential Understanding:
Some problems can be solved by using objects to act out the actions in the problem.
Vocabulary:
1. Develop the concept:
- How can you use objects to measure lengths of objects that are not straight?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to use a string and a ruler to find the measurement of objects that are not straight?
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to use a string and ruler to find the measurement of objects that are not straight.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to use a string and a ruler to measure objects that are not straight. Then solve story problems.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate

Topic 15 Reteaching
Provide children with more example and practice for each lesson in the topic.
Set A: Teachers guide students to estimate and measure items using inches.
Set B: Teachers guide students to measure length and height using centimeters.
Set C: Teachers guide students to measure length in inches, feet and yards.
Set D: Teachers guide students to measure to compare length and express the difference in a standard length unit.
TG: p. 503-804

Topic 15 Test

Science:
Integrated with language arts
Science Content:
- Insects need air, water, and space.
- Insects have characteristic structures and behaviors.
- The life cycle of the beetle is egg, larva, pupa, and adult, which produces eggs.
- The life cycle of the cricket is egg, nymph, and adult, which produces eggs.
Thinking Processes:
- Observe mealworm larvae, pupae, and adults over time.
- Describe and record changes in mealworm structure and behavior over time.
- Observe cricket nymphs, and adults over time.
- Describe and record changes in cricket structure and behavior over time.

Social Studies:
Unit 5: Past and Present
Comparing Groups of Native Americans
Objectives:
- Compare Native American groups.
- Sequence early American history.
Interactive Read Aloud (on the Smart Board): Ancient Cliff Dwellers by Kira Freed (p. 13 to 24) and The Inuit: Northern Living by David Meissner
- Ask children to identify the holidays being celebrated, why we celebrate them and what is their favorite.
- Read about two different Native American groups.
Compare and contrast their food, clothing, and shelter with a Venn diagram.
How did they use the natural resources around them?
- Point out that many names for places, food, animals, and things originated from Native Americans such as squash, potato, pumpkin, moose, skunk, raccoon, chipmunk, moccasin, Michigan – great river, Nebraska – flat river, and Chicago – place of the smelly onion.

Independence and Memorial Days
Interactive Read Aloud (on the Smart Board): Memorial Day by Ann Weil and Fourth of July by Alan M. Ruben
Objectives:
* Explain the significance of various national celebrations.
* Sequence early American history.
* Identify places that remind us of our history.

- Review that a colony is a place ruled by another country.
- Show the 13 colonies on a map and recall that they were ruled by England and that the colonists had to obey English laws.
- Explain to students that the colonists were not always happy about this and so they signed the Declaration of Independence. Independence is being free from rule by another country.
- Colonists said that they should have freedom, or the right to make their own choices, but the English King did not agree.
- Discuss the American Revolution (fought for six years).
- Discuss important landmarks of the American Revolution such as Independence Hall.
- Ask students what other national holiday is coming up?
- Explain to students that Memorial Day was held to honor people who died in the Civil War. The Civil War was fought between two parts of the United States. Some of the states of the South wanted to start their own country. The states in the North fought to keep the country together. The North won, but many soldiers on both sides died.
- On Memorial Day, we remember men and women who fought in all of the wars for this country. People visit cemeteries and leave flowers and flags.
- Ask students to share with each other what they and their family might do on Memorial Day.

Thank you for your support.
Anh Tuan Hoang, LuAnn Lawson, and Andrew Barrand

Week of April 21

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We had a good turnout for report card pick-up and parent-teacher conferences. Thank you, parents, guardians, and family members. All of you had to take time out of your busy schedules to come to the conferences, and we sincerely applaud you for your dedication. Without your support for your child’s education, our jobs would not be as exciting and enriching as they are.

We decided not to send home the presentation schedule for the science fair last Tuesday because quite a few of our students have not submitted the note to identify what science project they will be completing at home for the fair. We will send the presentation schedule as soon as everyone has returned the note that was due April 12.

On Friday, April 26, students will take a social studies quiz about past and present based on the vocabulary cards we sent home. Please help your child study for it.

Balanced Literacy
Independent Reading (30-35 minutes at the beginning of each day). Differentiated instruction is provided at this time as well as throughout the lessons.
Reading and Writing Workshops: Based on Common Core Reading & Writing Workshop, A Curriculum Plan for The Reading Workshop and A Curriculum Plan for Writing Workshop by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from The Reading and Writing Project
Differentiated Instruction:
- Guided Reading
- Guided writing: teachers circulate the room to assist students.
- Writing conferences
- Working in pairs
- Allowing extended time
- Using graphic organizers
- Drawing pictures to support writing
- Monitoring students reading progress.

Day 1:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Monday, April 22, 2013. We will compose our insect’s life cycle paragraph.
Today’s Question: Three fourths of animals on our planet are arthropods. Why are they so successful?
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects
Interactive Read Aloud: Insect Metamorphosis from Egg to Adult “Incomplete Lifecycle” pg. 19-25 by Ron and Nancy Goor
Reading Skill: Read Many Books on the Same Topic to Gain More Understanding
Teach students that nonfiction readers grow our understanding of a topic by reading many books on it. When we read the second, third, and/or fourth book on a topic, we mix and match what we’re reading now with what we read before to grow a more complete understanding of this topic. One way nonfiction readers mix and match information across books is by making quick notes.
Writing: Think Aloud and Chart
- Teachers model how to elaborate the notes we have taken to write a paragraph about an incomplete life cycle of an insect.
- Using their notes, students share knee-to-knee how they will compose the insect’s life cycle paragraph.
- Students begin to compose the insect’s life cycle paragraph. They are expected to identify whether the life cycle is a complete metamorphosis or an incomplete metamorphosis, and explain in detail each step of the process.
Spelling Words for the Week: Soft c
city, center, circle, cease, cell, cent, cinch, cyst, cite, centimeter

Word Knowledge:
From Phonemic Awareness by Michael Heggerty
- Onset Fluency
Teachers say word. Students repeat word and then isolate the onset. Teacher choice on blends. Example: Teacher says: claw Students say: claw; /kl/ or /k/ (Different words will be given each day.)
- Identifying Final and Medial Sounds
Teacher says the word. Students repeat the word and isolate the medial sound. Ex: T: lawn S: lawn /aw/
- Deleting Phonemes
Teachers say the words. Students repeat the word. Teacher says without the /*/ and what is left? *Use Sounds

Day 2:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Tuesday, April 23, 2013. We will estimate and measure length and height in centimeters.
Today’s Question: What are some units of measurement that you know? Share with a classmate!
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects
Interactive Read Aloud: Insect Metamorphosis from Egg to Adult “Complete Lifecycle” pg. 2-12 by Ron and Nancy Goor
Reading Skill: Categorizing
Teach students that sometimes they learn something later in the book that sends them back to reread an earlier part to sort and categorize the book with that new information in mind. For example, a reader might discover later in a book that some insects have wings while others do not. After discovering this, the reader might decide to look again at all of the pictures in the book that show insects and make a list of insects with wings and those without wings.
Writing: Think Aloud and Chart
- Teachers model how to elaborate the notes we have taken to write a paragraph about a complete life cycle of an insect.
- Students continue to compose the insect’s life cycle paragraph. They are expected to identify whether the life cycle is a complete metamorphosis or an incomplete metamorphosis, and explain in detail each step of the process.
- A few students will model their work-in-progress.

Word Knowledge:
From Phonemic Awareness by Michael Heggerty
- Onset Fluency
Teachers say word. Students repeat word and then isolate the onset. Teacher choice on blends. Ex. T: claw S: claw; /kl/ or /k/
- Identifying Final and Medial Sounds
Teacher says the word. Students repeat the word and isolate the medial sound. Ex: T: lawn S: lawn /aw/
- Deleting Phonemes
Teachers say the words. Students repeat the word. Teacher says without the /*/ and what is left? *Use Sounds

Day 3:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Wednesday, April 24, 2013. We will learn how local people and events have influenced local community history.
Today’s Question: How have you helped your community?
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects
- Show the video “Insect” by Eyewitness.
Reading Skill: Picture Clues
Teach students that readers also check the pictures in a book to see whether an unknown word is used in the label. We can study the picture and use words to describe what we are seeing. “Take proboscis, for example. Looking at a photo of one, we see that it’s thin and very pointy. It’s by the moth’s mouth. It looks like it is in the flower. So a proboscis is like a straw.” That is, instead of simply saying, “I don’t know that word, help me,” readers can think through what a tricky word is apt to mean. Even if you can’t pronounce proboscis, you will know how to think about its importance. Encourage students to do their best to pronounce any new vocabulary they encounter, and have them to try to figure out what the word might mean. They can add a Post-it beside the tricky word, signifying that this is a place where some help from a partner might be good. Of course, we need not rely on partners to figure out what tricky words mean, we can rely on ourselves, too—by substituting synonyms in place of the word in the sentence, readers can try on different possible meanings. The text features of nonfiction texts–labels, arrows, close-up pictures, captions, and glossaries–can all be used to figure out unknown vocabulary.
Writing: Making Labeled Diagrams
- Teachers review the importance of labeling diagrams to teach readers about the different parts of a thing.
- Students share work-in-progress on the All-About Insect Book with their table groupings.
- Using their notes, students continue to compose and illustrate the life cycle chapter of the All-About books.

Word Knowledge:
From Phonemic Awareness by Michael Heggerty
- Onset Fluency
Teachers say word. Students repeat word and then isolate the onset. Teacher choice on blends. Ex. T: claw S: claw; /kl/ or /k/
- Identifying Final and Medial Sounds
Teacher says the word. Students repeat the word and isolate the medial sound. Ex: T: lawn S: lawn /aw/
- Deleting Phonemes
Teachers say the words. Students repeat the word. Teacher says without the /*/ and what is left? *Use Sounds

Day 4:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Thursday, April 25, 2013. We will begin writing the How To chapter for our insect research.
Today’s Question: What are the characteristics of a How To? Discuss the information with your classmate!
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects
- Interactive Read Aloud: Are You a Dragonfly by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries
Reading Skill: Add Transition
It will certainly be helpful to teach kids to add (by muttering under their breath) transitional words that seem as though they belong in a text. That is, imagine a text says: “You need many ingredients to make scrambled eggs. You need eggs, milk, and cheese.” A skilled reader essentially reads such a text, thinking, “You need many ingredients to make scrambled eggs. For one thing, you need eggs. Then, too, you need milk. You also need cheese.” It may help if students, for a little while at the start of this unit, became accustomed to adding transitional words into their books as they read them. For example, students can add or, and, however, or but. They might add phrases to create a list where one doesn’t exist: one kind, another kind, the last kind. These transitional words help students mentally demarcate chunks or sections of text. Ask students to use these transitional words as they retell to their partner. Explain that it is not because it will make for smoother retellings (which of course it does) but because these transitional words are important dividers of information, helping us sort whatever they want to retell into categories. Put up charts of helpful transitional words and instances when readers might use them around the room and remind students to use them during partner talk and writing.
Writing: How-to page
- Teachers review the procedures for a How-To Chapter of and All-About Book
- Students select a how-to topic for their books (e.g. How A Cricket Lays Eggs, How To Attract Butterflies To Your Garden, etc.).
- Students activate prior knowledge to take notes and/or compose this chapter.

Word Knowledge:
From Phonemic Awareness by Michael Heggerty
Onset Fluency
Teachers say word. Students repeat word and then isolate the onset. Teacher choice on blends. Ex. T: claw S: claw; /kl/ or /k/
Identifying Final and Medial Sounds
Teacher says the word. Students repeat the word and isolate the medial sound. Ex: T: lawn S: lawn /aw/
Deleting Phonemes
Teachers say the words. Students repeat the word. Teacher says without the /*/ and what is left? *Use Sounds

Day 5:
Independent Reading
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Friday, April 26, 2013. We will estimate and measure the lengths and heights of objects in different units.
Today’s Question: Why is it important to use standard units of measurement?
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects
- Interactive Read Aloud: A Meal Worm’s Life by John Himmelman
Reading Skill: Making Active Connections between Texts and Pictures
Teach students that nonfiction readers look hard at the pictures in our books. Tell students: “We ask, ‘What is this picture teaching me about the topic?’” Teach students to make active connections between texts and pictures: “Nonfiction readers look at the pictures in our book and search for the words on the page that explain this picture, and we read these words closely, then look at the picture again to understand it better.” Tell them, “If after searching, we find that the page doesn’t have words to explain the picture, we might think up some words of our own. We’d ask, ‘If I had to describe this picture to a friend, what parts would I think are important to explain first?’ and especially, ‘How would I connect the picture with what I’ve read on that page?’ ”
Writing: How-to page
- Teachers review the procedures for a How-To Chapter of and All-About Book
- Students select a how-to topic for their books (e.g. How A Cricket Lays Eggs, How To Attract Butterflies To Your Garden, etc.).
- Students continue to compose and illustrate their How-to page.

Students take the spelling test.

Word Knowledge:
From Phonemic Awareness by Michael Heggerty
- Onset Fluency
Teachers say word. Students repeat word and then isolate the onset. Teacher choice on blends. Ex. T: claw S: claw; /kl/ or /k/
- Identifying Final and Medial Sounds
Teacher says the word. Students repeat the word and isolate the medial sound. Ex: T: lawn S: lawn /aw/
- Deleting Phonemes
Teachers say the words. Students repeat the word. Teacher says without the /*/ and what is left? *Use Sounds

Math:
Lesson 15-2 Inches
Objective: Children will estimate and measure items using inches.
Essential Understanding:
The length of any object can be used as a measurement unit for length, but a standard unit such as an inch or centimeter, is always the same length.
Vocabulary: length, inch (in.), width, height, nearest inch
1. Develop the concept:
- How are standard units, such as inches, used to measure length?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to measure the lengths of objects to the nearest inch.
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to estimate the height or length of each object. Then use a ruler to measure.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to estimate the height or length of each object. Then use a ruler to measure. Finally, solve word problems and write two sentences about an object that is 6 inches in length.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate

Lesson 15-3 Centimeters
Objective: Children will estimate and measure length and height in centimeters
Essential Understanding: The length of any object can be used as a measurement unit for length, but a standard unit, such an inch or centimeter, is always the same length.
Vocabulary: centimeter (cm), nearest centimeter
1. Develop the concept:
- How can you measure length using centimeters?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to measure objects to the nearest centimeter.
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to estimate the width, length, and height of objects. Then measure using centimeters.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to estimate the width, length, and height of objects. Then measure using centimeters. Finally, students will solve word problems and draw an object that is about 5 centimeters long and write two sentences about the object.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate

Lesson 15-4 Inches, Feet, and Yards
Objective: Children will estimate and measure items that are about an inch, foot, and yard.
Essential Understanding:
The length of any object can be used as a measurement unit for length, but a standard unit is always the same length.
Vocabulary: foot (ft), yard (yd)
1. Develop the concept:
- What are inches, feet, and yard?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to review how to estimate the length of objects in inches and learn how to estimate and measure the length of objects in feet and yards.
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to circle the object that is about the given length.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to estimate the length of each object shown and measure using a ruler or yardstick. Then students will solve story problems. Finally, students will draw three pictures of objects that are an inch, foot, and yard, and writing sentences to explain.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate

Lesson 15-5 Centimeters and Meters
Objective: Children will estimate and measure the lengths and heights of objects in centimeters and meters.
Essential Understanding:
The length of any object can be used as a measurement unit for length, but a standard unit is always the same length.
Vocabulary: meter (m)
1. Develop the concept:
- Which classroom objects can be used to approximate the standard units centimeter and meter?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to review how to estimate and measure the length of objects in centimeters, and learn how to estimate and measure the length of objects in meters.
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to match objects with an estimated measure.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to estimate the length of each object shown and use a ruler or meter stick to measure. Then students will solve story problems. Finally, students will write about two objects found outside that are and centimeter and meter.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate

Lesson 15-6 Measuring Length
Objective: Children will estimate and measure the lengths and heights of objects in different units.
Essential Understanding:
Measurement is a process of comparing a unit to the object being measured. The length of any object can be used as a measurement unit for length.
Vocabulary:
1. Develop the concept:
- How does the length of the unit of measure affect the number of units needed to measure an object’s length?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to use different units to measure the height and length of objects.
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to measure objects using different units, and circle the unit you need more of to measure each object.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to measure objects using different units, and circle the unit you need more of to measure each object. Then students will solve story problems.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate

Science:
Integrated with language arts
Science Content:
- Insects need air, water, and space.
- Insects have characteristic structures and behaviors.
- The life cycle of the beetle is egg, larva, pupa, and adult, which produces eggs.
- The life cycle of the cricket is egg, nymph, and adult, which produces eggs.
Thinking Processes:
- Observe mealworm larvae, pupae, and adults over time.
- Describe and record changes in mealworm structure and behavior over time.
- Observe cricket nymphs, and adults over time.
- Describe and record changes in cricket structure and behavior over time.

Social Studies:
Unit 5: Past and Present
Skills: Predict a Likely Outcome
Objectives:
- Recognize the importance of knowing the past to predict the future.
- Follow steps for making a prediction.
Vocabulary: predict
Ask students to imagine they are on the playground. They hear a rumbling noise and look up to see dark clouds in the sky. Lightning flashes, thunderclaps, and a teacher carrying an umbrella comes outside and begins rushing them indoors. Ask students what they think will happen next. Explain that they have just predicted an outcome.
Why It Matters
People can use what they learn from the past to predict the future, or tell what they think will happen.
What You Need to Know
List the following steps on the Smart Board for students to follow to predict a likely outcome.
Step1: Think about what you already know.
Step 2: Find new information.
Step 3: Tell what you think will most likely happen next.
Step 4: Check whether what you predicted does happen.
Read aloud Step 1 through 4. Illustrate the steps by reminding students of the prediction they made earlier. “First, we thought about what we already knew about rainstorms. We identified a pattern – dark clouds roll in; lighting flashes and there is thunder. Next, we found new information – a teacher carrying an umbrella rushed the children indoors. Finally, we made a prediction about what would happen next.”
Explain that in this case, we could not check our prediction because the story was made-believe. Ask students to give the kinds of prediction we can check.
Explain that not all predictions turn out to be correct. Sometimes there are clouds but it doesn’t rain. Still it is a good idea to use what you know about clouds causing rain and take your umbrella just in case. Many stories have surprised endings and your prediction doesn’t come true. Still, making predictions as you read helps you pay attention and think about what you are reading.

Tracing A Community History
Objectives:
- Trace the history of El Paso, Texas.
- Explain how local people and events have influenced local community history.
- Describe changes in a community over time.
Vocabulary: museum, settler
Activate Prior Knowledge:
Display a map of the United States and point out the city of El Paso. Have students note its location-on the boarder of Mexico and on the Rio Grande.
Tell students that El Paso is Spanish for, “The pass or the passage,” a passage is a narrow road or opening. Ask students why they think the city got its name.
Read and respond: Read out loud the pages 228 and 229 from the teacher guide. Tell students that after Spanish explorers arrived in America, they began to spread out and claim new lands for Spain. Explain that some of the earliest Spanish colonies were in what is now Mexico. Later, explorers moved northward to the areas we know today as Texas and New Mexico. Point out the influence of early Spanish settlements can be seen today in places names, building styles, music, foods, and crafts. Question: Why might people decide to stay or settle in a place?
Read and Respond: Share with students the background of the Tiguas. Explain that they are the only Native American group that has continued to live in the El Paso area. Tell students that in the 1960s Texas gave the Tiguas enough land to establish a reservation where today they probably display their heritage.
Cultural and Society:
Tell students that when the Spanish arrived, the priests wanted to convert the Native Americans to Christianity. For this purpose, they built missions, like the one Ysleta. There the priests taught the Native Americans about Christianity; they also taught them trades and introduced them to the Spanish way of life.
How do you think the Native Americans felt when the priests tried to get them to change their way of life?
How are both Spanish and Native American cultures apart of El Paso’s history.
History: Tell children that during the time that Spain was settling parts of America, individuals could ask the Spanish government for land if they agreed to live on and use the land. Point out that the land given to Juan Maria Ponce de Leon was 215 acres of riverside land called mudflats. De Leon dug irrigation ditches from the river to his gardens and orchards so that the trees and other plants would grow during the many dry months.
Why do you think the Spanish government gave land to the settlers instead of making them pay for it?
Link History and Economics:
Discuss the fact that railroads opened areas to settlement and growth. Point out that El Paso was hard to reach on horseback or by horse-drawn wagons. Miles of dry, rugged land separated El Paso from other settlements in the Southwest. Explain that once the railroad arrived, businesses began to grow and jobs were created.
What events in your community have caused to grow and change?
Comparing Groups of Native Americans
Objectives:
- Compare Native American groups.
- Sequence early American history.
Interactive Read Aloud: Ancient Cliff Dwellers by Kira Freed (p. 1 to 12)
- Ask children to identify the holidays being celebrated, why we celebrate them and what is their favorite.
- Read about two different Native American groups.
Compare and contrast their food, clothing, and shelter with a Venn diagram.
How did they use the natural resources around them?
- Point out that many names for places, food, animals, and things originated from Native Americans such as squash, potato, pumpkin, moose, skunk, raccoon, chipmunk, moccasin, Michigan – great river, Nebraska – flat river, and Chicago – place of the smelly onion.

Thank you for your support.
Anh Tuan Hoang, LuAnn Lawson, and Andrew Barrand

Week of April 14

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We are looking forward to meeting parents at the third quarter parent/teacher conferences on Wednesday, April 17. There is no school for students on this day. A copy of the finalized schedule was sent home Thursday, April 11. If you have any questions regarding the conferences, please contact the classroom teachers directly.

The Primary Murray Science Fair will be held Monday, May 13 to Friday, May 17 during the school day when students will be presenting their projects. We will send the presentation schedule home this Tuesday for you to consider attending your child’s presentation. All students are required to participate. The informational packet was distributed to students on Thursday, April 4. The note identifying your child’s project was due Friday, April 12. If your child has not submitted his/her project note, please send it in immediately. If you have additional questions regarding the science fair, please contact the second grade teachers. Science Fair projects are to be completed at home.

The EnVision Math topic 14 test will be administered on Thursday, April 18. Please refer to the graded class/homework and the online lessons to assist your child.

Balanced Literacy
Independent Reading (30-35 minutes at the beginning of each day). Differentiated instruction is provided at this time as well as throughout the lessons.
Reading and Writing Workshops: Based on Common Core Reading & Writing Workshop, A Curriculum Plan for The Reading Workshop and A Curriculum Plan for Writing Workshop by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from The Reading and Writing Project
Differentiated Instruction:
- Guided Reading
- Guided writing: teachers circulate the room to assist students.
- Writing conferences
- Working in pairs
- Allowing extended time
- Using graphic organizers
- Drawing pictures to support writing
- Monitoring students reading progress.

Day 1:
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Monday, April 15, 2013. We will be learning a strategy (try, check, and revise) to solve addition and subtraction of money problems.
Today’s Question: Why is it important to have a plan before you solve a problem?
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects (based on the format of All-About Books from the Nonfiction Writing Unit by Lucy Calkins and Laurie Pessah)
Interactive Read Aloud: Insect (pp. 16 -19 Touch, smell, and hearing, legwork) by Laurence Mound from Eyewitness Books
Reading Skill: Using the read aloud to remind students that when we read nonfiction texts independently, we don’t just roar on, tearing through the text at the speed of a Ferrari. We pause quickly and often to collect our understanding. We think, “What have we learned so far?” or “What was this part about?” and hold this information in our mind as we move forward in the book. Of course, when readers stop to recollect what we’ve just read, we are likely to be more mindful, also, of what ought to come next. Tell students they need to learn to categorize text into sections to make sense of the sections, and teach them how to make mental containers as they read and drop the information they learn into the various categories.
Teachers model to students how to elaborate their notes to compose a chapter about their insect’s habitat.
Grammar: Singular Subject-Verb Agreement from Mastering the Mechanics by Linda Holt and Teresa Therriault
Model the Focus Point
Explain to students that when we write sentences about a singular subject, our verb has to match. Use the Smart Board to model a writing sample. “I am writing about a baby sea turtle. Because I am writing about one turtle, I need to be careful with the verbs I choose to make sure they work with a singular subject. My first sentence is ‘A baby turtle hatches…’ I want to look closely at the verb to be sure it agrees. Should I say hatch or hatches? A baby turtle hatch doesn’t sound right to me. I need the s on hatch, so hatch turns into hatches. My next sentence is ‘The baby digs and digs…’ I need to check the verb. I still have a single baby turtle. Should the verb be dig or digs? It should definitely be digs. If I were writing about turtles, then I could use dig. Since this is a singular, one baby, I need to say digs. Did you notice how both verbs, hatches and digs, need an s to agree with the singular subject?”
Turn to Talk: “Remember, my subject is one singular turtle. Verbs that you will often see with singular subjects include is, was, has, and action verbs ending in s. Think together. If I were to add another sentence, what could I write? Careful with the verb. Be sure it matches a singular subject.”
Spelling Words for the Week: Hard c
card, cart, calf, cub, code, cuff, cough, colt, cone, catch

Day 2:
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Tuesday, April 16, 2013. We will be writing about our insect’s diet.
Today’s Question: What types of words can you use to make your writing more colorful and interesting?
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects
Interactive Read Aloud: Insect (pp. 20 -23 Mouthparts and feeding; Battling beetles) by Laurence Mound from Eyewitness Books
Reading Skill: Using the read aloud to teach students that when we read nonfiction texts independently, we pause quickly and often to collect our understanding and be mindful of what ought to come next.
Teachers model how to use sources to take notes for the paragraph that will describe the insect’s diet.
Students begin to read their sources to take notes about their insect’s diet.
A few students will share their work-in-progress.
Grammar: Singular Subject-Verb Agreement from Mastering the Mechanics by Linda Holt and Teresa Therriault
Guided Practice
Display a writing sample on the Smart Board. Ask students to work in pairs to create a T-chart that says “subject” on one side and “verb” on the other. Have them find and write the subject and verb in each sentence. Put a star next to the subjects that are singular and pay attention to the verbs to be sure they match
Word Knowledge: Plural “Y” Ending
Rule: Change the letter “y” to “i” and add es to make a plural when there is a consonant in front of the “y”.
baby, babies
city, cities
butterfly, butterflies
gallery, galleries
reality, realities

Day 3: Report Card Day/Parent Teacher Conferences

Day 4:
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Thursday, April 18, 2013. We will explore methods used to discover information about the past.
Today’s Question: Why is it important to learn about the past?
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects
Interactive Read Aloud: Insect (pp. 30 -33 Beetles and flies) by Laurence Mound from Eyewitness Books
Reading Skill: Using the read aloud to teach students that when we read nonfiction texts independently, we pause quickly and often to collect our understanding and be mindful of what ought to come next.
Teachers model to students how to elaborate their notes to compose a chapter about their insect’s diet.
Using their notes, students share knee-to-knee how they will compose the paragraph about the insect’s diet.
Students compose the diet chapter of the All-About books.
A few students will model their work-in-progress.
Grammar: Singular Subject-Verb Agreement from Mastering the Mechanics by Linda Holt and Teresa Therriault
Independent Practice
Model to students how to look for subject-verb agreement in a piece of writing. Ask students to check their papers to search for a singular subject and to check the verb. Remind them that singular verbs may include is, was, has, and action verbs ending in s.
Word Knowledge: Plural “Y” Ending
Rule: Change the letter “y” to “i” and add es to make a plural when there is a consonant in front of the “y”.
spy, spies
poppy, poppies
penny, pennies
party, parties
dictionary, dictionaries

Day 5:
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Friday, April 19, 2013. We will learn the process for measuring length.
Today’s Question: How would you use paper clips to measure the length of a pencil?
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects
Interactive Read Aloud: Insect (pp. 24 -29 Complete and incomplete metamorphosis) by Laurence Mound from Eye Witness Books
Reading Skill: Using the read aloud to teach students that when we read nonfiction texts independently, we pause quickly and often to collect our understanding and be mindful of what ought to come next.
Teachers model how to use sources to take notes for the chapter that will describe the insect’s life cycle.
Students begin to read their sources to take notes about their insect’s life cycle.
A few students will share their work-in-progress.
Word Knowledge: Plural “Y” Ending
Rule: Change the letter “y” to “i” and add es to make a plural when there is a consonant in front of the “y”.
cherry, cherries
story, stories
lady, ladies
nanny, nannies
fly, flies
Students take the spelling test and the word knowledge quiz.

Math:
Lesson 14-4 Problem Solving: Try, Check, and Revise
Objective: Children will solve problems involving adding and subtracting money by using the try, check, and revise strategy.
Essential Understanding:
Some problems can be solved by making a reasoned first try for what the answer might be and then through additional reasoning arrive at the correct answer.
1. Develop the concept:
- How can trying a method, checking the result, and revising as necessary be used to solve problems?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to use try, check, and revise problem-solving strategy to solve two-digit addition and subtraction problems involving money.
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to use a price chart to practice the try, check, and revise strategy.
- Independent practice: Students will work independently to use a price chart to practice the try, check, and revise strategy. Then students will solve story problems and write to explain the story problems were solved
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate

Topic 14 Reteaching/Shopping Games
Provide children with more examples and practice for each lesson in the topic.
Set A: Teachers guide students to complete and record addition problems using two-digit coin amounts.
Set B: Teachers guide students to subtract using two-digit coin amounts.
Set C: Teachers guide students to estimate the sum of 2 two-digit numbers.
Set D: Teachers guide students to estimate the difference of 2 two-digit numbers.

Topic 14 Test

Topic 15 Measuring Length
Topic Essential Understanding: What is the process for measuring length?
Vocabulary: unit
Topic Opener:
Interactive Math Story: Animal Measurement by Mike Pappas
Activate Prior Knowledge: What tools people might use to measure how tall a chair is?
Lesson 15-1 Exploring Length
Objective: Children will measure the lengths of objects using nonstandard units.
Essential Understanding:
The length of some objects is measurable.
1. Develop the concept:
- How can you measure the length of an object using nonstandard units?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to use paper clips to estimate and measure the length of objects.
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to estimate the lengths of pictures. Then use paper clips to measure.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to find each object in the classroom. Estimate the length and then use paper clips to measure. Finally, solve story problems and write a story problem about their hands.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate

Science:
Integrated with language arts
Science Content:
- Insects need air, water, and space.
- Insects have characteristic structures and behaviors.
- The life cycle of the beetle is egg, larva, pupa, and adult, which produces eggs.
- The life cycle of the cricket is egg, nymph, and adult, which produces eggs.
Thinking Processes:
- Observe mealworm larvae, pupae, and adults over time.
- Describe and record changes in mealworm structure and behavior over time.
- Observe cricket nymphs, and adults over time.
- Describe and record changes in cricket structure and behavior over time.

Social Studies:
Unit 5 Social Studies: Past and Present
Lesson 1
Objectives:
- Identify early uses of calendars and clocks as ways to measure time.
- Describe the order of events by using designations of time periods such as ancient times and modern times.
- Use vocabulary related to chronology, including past, present, and future.
Vocabulary: ancient, modern
Interactive Read Aloud: If I Were a Kid in Ancient China by Cobblestone Publishing
Culture and Society: Explain that early people recognized that a day was the period from sunrise to sunrise, a month was the length of time it took the moon to change from full to new to full again, and a year was the time it took for Earth to move through all four seasons. Ask children to explain how we break these larger periods of time into much smaller ones. For example we know that there are 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour, and 60 seconds in a minute
Visual Learning: Calendars. Ask volunteers to describe what they see in the pictures. Tell children that the symbols at the bottom of this page represent the first five months of the year on the Mayan calendar. Ask children to compare the ancient calendars to modern calendars.
History: Help children locate China and Central America on a map. Tell children that the Mayas and Aztecs both developed great civilizations in the area of present-day Mexico and that they remained powerful for hundreds of years. Explain that even though China and Central America are in different parts of the world, the peoples who lived in both places long ago needed to record and measure time. Have children locate Italy on a map. Tell children that this is where Aloysius Lilius, the man who developed the calendar we use today, lived and worked. Stress that he came up with the idea for this calendar long after the Mayas and ancient Chinese developed theirs.
Skills Read a Time Line
Objectives Trace the history of space exploration on a time line.
Create and interpret time lines.
Sequence and categorize information.
Ask a volunteer to tell what day of the week it is and then to write it on the board. Ask children what day comes next. Have volunteers write the remaining days in horizontal line across the board. Draw a long line under the words and short vertical lines between them. Tell children that together you have created a simple time line.
What You Need to Know: Review the concepts of left and right. Ask children to point to the left-hand page and then to the right-hand page in their books. Emphasize that when they read a time line, just as when they read a sentence, they move from left to right. Point out that each mark on this time line represents a period of ten years.
Discuss the people and events included on the time line. Ask children to tell what they know about space flight exploration. If children have visited one of the space centers, encourage them to tell about their experiences.
Examine Primary Sources Learning About the Past
Objectives:
- Name sources of information, such as people, places, and artifacts.
- Obtain information about a topic using a variety of sources.
- Compare sources of information about the past.
Vocabulary: history, source, artifact
Motivate: Remind children that Earnest says to look for the story in history. Explain that history is the story of what happened in the past. Historians¬–or people who study history–look at things from long ago to learn about the way people lived. Historians also find out about the past by talking with people, reading what people have written, and visiting places such as museums or monuments.
History: Read aloud the text on pages 222-223. Be sure children understand that a source is where something comes from. The source of milk is a cow; the source of rain is from clouds; the source of a story is a person’s memory or imagination. Stress that a story about the past is called history. Then direct attention to the pictures on page 222. Ask volunteers to tell what they might learn about the past from people like those shown in each picture.
Visual Learning Ask volunteers to suggest who the people shown in the pictures might be. Have children point out visual clues that might help them identify who each person is.
Read and Respond: Discuss ways children can use places to help them learn about the past. Point out that some places, such as libraries and history museums, are built specially to house materials that show or tell how people before us have lived. Other places, such as monuments or historical markers, remind us of special people or events from history. In cemeteries, names, dates, and other information carved into tombstones can provide historical information. Buildings can help us learn how people lived and worked in the past, while the names of streets can tell us the names of important people and places of the past.
History: Explain that an artifact is an object from another time or place. Point out that letters and notes can help us learn about people’s everyday lives, and that newspapers and ticket stubs can give information about important events at a certain place and time.

Thank you for your support.
Anh Tuan Hoang, LuAnn Lawson, and Andrew Barrand

Week of April 8 (Revised)

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

The social studies land and water test will be administered on Monday, April 8. Please review the graded social studies study guide over the weekend.

As part of the FOSS science program, second grade students are observing and feeding mealworms (beetle larvae stage), Painted Lady butterflies (pupae stage), and crickets (nymph stage). These experiences are providing a path to develop scientific thinking, including formulating inquiry questions essential for the insect research project.
Therefore, students will be writing insect themed research papers as well as design and create an insect habitat. Please provide your child with a cardboard shoebox. If your child did not bring Crayola Model Magic last fall, please submit one package this week.

The EnVision Topic 13 Test will be administered on Tuesday, April 9. Please review graded homework, classwork, and activities on EnVision website.

The third quarter parent teacher conferences are Wednesday, April 17. The finalized schedule will be sent home Wednesday, April 10.

Please remember that Friday is a half-day. Students will be dismissed at 11:45.

Balanced Literacy:
Independent Reading (30-35 minutes at the beginning of each day). Differentiated instruction is provided at this time as well as throughout the lessons.
Reading and Writing Workshops: Based on Common Core Reading & Writing Workshop, A Curriculum Plan for The Reading Workshop and A Curriculum Plan for Writing Workshop by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from The Reading and Writing Project
Differentiated Instruction:
- Monitor students’ TRC reading progress
- Guided writing: teachers circulate the room to assist students.
- Writing conferences
- Working in pairs
- Allowing extended time
- Using graphic organizers
- Drawing pictures to support writing
- Monitoring students reading progress.

Spelling Words for the Week:
/shr/
shrank, shrink, shrunk, shriek, shred, shrimp, shrew, shrewd, shrug, shrub

Day 1:
Balanced Literacy
(8:30 – 10:30)
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Monday, April 8, 2013. Today we are going to use organizers to take notes.

Today’s Question: How have used organizers in your writing? Share with a classmate.
Reading and Writing
Research:Insects (based on the format of All-About Books from the Nonfiction Writing Unit by Lucy Calkins and Laurie Pessah)
- Interactive Read Aloud: Insect (pp. 6 -9)
Parts of an Insect and What is an Insect? by Eye Witness
- Teachers and students review the major characteristics of an insect: head, thorax, abdomen, antennae, legs and exoskeleton.
– Review the elements of All-About books (table of contents, chapters/headings, how-to section, labeled diagrams, glossary, and bibliography).
- Teachers model how to write a table of contents.
- Students begin the tables of contents for their research papers.

Day 2:
Balanced Literacy
(8:30 – 10:30)
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Tuesday, April 9, 2013. Today we will be writing about your insect’s habitat.
Today’s Question: What types of words can you use to make your writing more colorful and interesting?
Reading and Writing
Research:Insects (based on the format of All-About Books from the Nonfiction Writing Unit by Lucy Calkins and Laurie Pessah)
- Interactive Read Aloud: Insect (pp. 12-13 ) by Eye Witness
Wings and Flight
- Review major parts of an informational text such as the table of contents, diagrams and charts with captions, the glossary, and index. Students refer to their books during independent reading for reinforcement.
- Present the rubric to explain expectations for the insect All-About Books.
- Using a graphic organizer, teachers model how to take notes for chapter one, which is what is the insect and its characteristics.
- Using their sources and the graphic organizer, students begin to take notes for chapter one of their All-About Insect Research Books.
Grammar: Adjectives: Comparative and Superlative Forms from Mastering the Mechanics by Linda Holt and Teresa Therriault
Model the Focus Point:
“I have asked three students of three different heights to line up from shortest to tallest. Listen as I describe them. Tiana is tall. Morgan is taller. Ali is the tallest. Did you notice the way I change the word tall as I compared their height? Here is another way to compare. Ali is energetic. Tiana is a bit more energetic. Morgan is the most energetic of all. We can also use more and most to support our comparisons. I am writing about the greatest clean-up team ever. They are better than great. They are better than greater. They are the greatest. I think it would be a good idea to thank the custodian. Watch as I write her a letter.”
Display a writing sample on the Smart Board. Ask students to examine it and turn to talk to a partner. “What did you notice about my comparisons? Use your wipe-off boards and write down the comparison words I used in this letter. Think together about comparisons you can make using big, bigger, biggest; small, smaller, smallest; loud, louder, loudest. Think of comparisons using more and most.
Sum It up:
We can compare nouns or pronouns using –er, -est, or more and most. Be aware of multisyllable words, which often use more and most in comparison.

Day 3:
Balanced Literacy
(8:30 – 10:30)
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Wednesday, April 10, 2013.
Today we will be adding money values.
Today’s Question: Describe a time when you might have to add two separate amounts of money together. Share your answer with a classmate.

Reading and Writing
Research: Insects (based on the format of All-About Books from the Nonfiction Writing Unit by Lucy Calkins and Laurie Pessah)
Interactive Read Aloud: Insect (pp. 14-15) by Eye Witness
Through an Insect’s Eyes
- Teachers model how to use the notes and stretch them out into sentences, then paragraphs.
- Students share knee-to-knee how they will orally stretch notes into paragraphs.
– Students begin to compose chapter one of their insect books.
Grammar: Adjectives: Comparative and Superlative Forms from Mastering the Mechanics by Linda Holt and Teresa Therriault
Guided Practice:
Display a writing sample on the Smart Board. Ask students to work in pairs to discuss the writing’s meaning. Reread the selection with the idea of inserting comparisons using –er, -est, more, and most to show comparisons.

Day 4:
Balanced Literacy
(8:30 – 10:30)
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Thursday, April 11, 2013. Today we will continue learning about colonists.
Today’s Question: Describe why colonists are so important.
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects (based on the format of All-About Books from the Nonfiction Writing Unit by Lucy Calkins and Laurie Pessah)
Interactive Read Aloud: Insect (pp. 16 -19 Touch, smell, and hearing, legwork) by Laurence Mound from Eye Witness Books
- Teachers model how to elaborate on the notes we have taken to write a paragraph about the insect’s habitat.
- Students read their sources and take notes onto the graphic organizers.
Grammar: Adjectives: Comparative and Superlative Forms from Mastering the Mechanics by Linda Holt and Teresa Therriault
Independent Practice:
Model to students how to reread a piece of writing to notice or insert comparative and superlative adjectives. Give students time to rethink and insert adverbs or adjectives that compare.
Students edit writing.

Day 5:
Balanced Literacy
(8:30 – 10:30)
Morning meeting/morning message
Today is Friday, April 12, 2013. Today we will learn about an insect’s life cycle.
Today’s Question: Share with a classmate what you think an insect’s life cycle might be like.
Reading and Writing
Research: Insects (based on the format of All-About Books from the Nonfiction Writing Unit by Lucy Calkins and Laurie Pessah)
Interactive Read Aloud: Insect (pp. 16 -19 Touch, smell, and hearing, legwork) by Laurence Mound from Eye Witness Books (Day 2)
Reading Skill: Using the read aloud to teach students that when we read nonfiction texts independently, we don’t just roar on, tearing through the text at the speed of a Ferrari. We pause quickly and often to collect our understanding. We think, “What have we learned so far?” or “What was this part about?” and hold this information in our mind as we move forward in the book. Of course, when readers stop to recollect what we’ve just read, we are likely to be more mindful, also, of what ought to come next. Tell students they need to learn to categorize text into sections to make sense of the sections, and teach them how to make mental containers as they read and drop the information they learn into the various categories.
Teachers model to students how to read and take notes about their insect’s habitat.
Students read their sources and take notes onto the graphic organizers.

Spelling Test

Math:
Topic 13 Reteaching
Provide children with more examples and practice for each lesson in the topic.
Set A: Teachers guide students to count coins starting with the coin of greatest value.
Set B: Teachers guide students to find the total amount, counting the bills first, then the coins from the greatest to the least value.
Set C: Teachers guide students to show the same amount in different ways.
Set D: Teachers guide students to use an organized list to show the same amount.
TG: p. 439 to 440

EnVision Topic 13 Test

Topic 14 Money
Topic Essential Understanding: How can sums and differences be estimated?
Vocabulary: estimate
Topic Opener:
Interactive Math Story: Using Addition at the Arts and Crafts Fair by Bella Pony
Activate Prior Knowledge: How can you use mental math to add?
Lesson 14-1 Adding Money
Objective: Children will complete and record addition problems using two digit coin amounts.
Essential Understanding:
The process for adding money, written using cent notation, is the same as adding whole numbers.
1. Develop the concept:
- How is adding money amounts in cents similar to adding tens and ones?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to add money amounts in cents.
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to add two-digit money amounts written vertically.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to add two-digit money amounts written vertically. Then, solve and write story problems using 2 two-digit numbers.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate
TG: p. 443C to 448B

Lesson 14-2 Subtracting Money
Objective: Children will subtract using two-digit coin amounts.
Essential Understanding:
The process for subtracting money, written using cent notation, is the same as subtracting whole numbers.
1. Develop the concept:
- How is subtracting money amounts in cents similar to subtracting tens and ones?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to subtract money amounts in cents and record the cent symbol.
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to subtract money amounts in cents and record the cent symbol.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to subtract money amounts in cents and record the cents symbol. Then students will solve subtraction story problems using money amounts. Finally, students will write and solve a story problem for 50 cents – 25 cents.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate
TG: p. 449A to 452B

Lesson 14-3 Estimating Sums and Differences
Objective: Children will estimate the sum and difference of 2 two-digit numbers.
Essential Understanding: Rounding can be used to estimate sums and differences as can place value and number relationships.
Vocabulary: estimate
1. Develop the concept:
- How can you estimate a two-digit sum and difference?
2. Develop the concept:
- Visual learning: Students will view an animated lesson to learn how to estimate a sum to see if there is enough money to buy two items, and estimate a difference to see if you have more or less money left over.
Guided practice: Teachers guide students to estimate, answer if yes you have enough money or no you do not have enough money.
- Independent practice: Students work independently to estimate, answer if yes you have enough money or no you do not have enough money. Then students will solve story problem. Finally, students will write a subtraction sentence using 2 two-digit numbers and explain how to estimate the difference.
3. Close/Assess and Differentiate
TG: p. 453A to 456B

Science:
Students will complete a synthesis activity over the previous chapter. The students will take the information they learned in the previous social studies unit and create a brief public service announcement.
The student must choose one main idea, and create a short PSA.
Teacher will give examples of PSA through YouTube.
Students will also have to create a visual to go with their announcement.

Insects (also integrated with Balanced Literacy)
Science Content:
- Insects need air, water, and space.
- Insects have characteristic structures and behaviors.
- The life cycle of the beetle is egg, larva, pupa, and adult, which produces eggs.
- The life cycle of the cricket is egg, nymph, and adult, which produces eggs.
Thinking Processes:
- Observe mealworm larvae, pupae, and adults over time.
- Describe and record changes in mealworm structure and behavior over time.
- Observe cricket nymphs, and adults over time.
- Describe and record changes in cricket structure and behavior over time.

Social Studies:

Social Studies Land and Water Test

Interactive Read Aloud:
If You Lived in Colonial Times by Ann McGovern
Unit 5 Past and Present
Objectives:
- Use a visual to predict content.
- Interpret a quotation.
- Use a sequence chart to prepare for the unit.
Access Prior Knowledge:
- Ask children to name activities they do in school every day. Record the activities they mention on separate sentence strips and display the activities on the board in random order. Then call on volunteers to arrange the activities in time order.
Visual learning:
- Present picture and ask questions to guide students to discover time line. Point out that time is always passing. Over time, some things change and some stay the same. Have children predict what changes they might learn about in this unit.
Interpreting Quotations:
- Read aloud the quotation “The present was an egg laid by the past that had the future inside its shell.” –Zora Neale Hurston
Tell children that Zora Neale Hurston was a famous African American writer. Then draw a hen, an egg, and a baby chick on the board. Explain that when Hurston wrote the quotation, she made a comparison between time, which readers cannot picture, and a simple process that is familiar to most people. Use questions to guide students to understand the significance of the quotation.
Explain that the quotation shows that the present, past, and future are all connected.

Vocabulary: history, settler, landmark, colony, artifact
Access Prior Knowledge:
- Discuss the idea that one way we learn about the past is by studying objects that give clues about how people lived long ago. Ask children to consider items in their homes that might give clues about the past, such as photographs, old clothing, artworks, antique furniture, or old-fashioned cooking utensils.
Mark Connections:
- Have volunteers read the word history and its definition. Remind children that when they are reading, looking at the pictures can help them understand the words. Ask how the pictures help them understand what history means.
Visual Learning:
- Ask children to look at the pictures used to illustrate the words settler and colony. Have volunteers read the definitions aloud. Ask children what they can tell about the place the people are settling from details in the picture. (There are trees for building.) Discuss how the clothes people wore, the kinds of houses they built, and the kinds of food they ate all depended on the place where they settled.
- Explain that when the Pilgrims and other people came to America, America was a colony of England. Even though the colonists lived here, they were still English citizens and had to obey English laws.
- Review questions.

Thank you for your support.
Andrew Barrand, Anh Tuan Hoang and LuAnn Lawson