Birthday Girl

It was Brenna's birthday today.  Everyone enjoyed her birthday treat.  Happy birthday Brenna!

Science

This week we've been learning about different ways that land changes.  Today the students watched videos on Brainpopjr.com.  They took notes and will be creating paragraphs explaining what they learned.  The link to this website is below.  Your child should know the username and password.
brainpopjr

Another Xtramath Success

Brooklyn passed the addition portion of xtramath.  Great job Brooklyn!

Xtramath Success!

Brenna, Blake and Robbi all passed their current level on xtramath.  Keep up the great work!

Animal Paragraph

Each student was given a writing assignment for this weekend.  Their assignment is to use their notes about their animal and write a nice paragraph.  They are also being asked to add two graphics to their assignment.

Take Care of Your Body

We Need to Take Care of Our Bodies!

We need to take care of our bodies because ..... your body has so many systems.   If one system fails then they all might FAIL too!!! To take care of your body you should eat right and exercise.  You need calcium to grow strong bones! You need fruits and vegetables to fight DISEASES! You need whole grains to give you so much fuel,  You also need protein to make your muscles strong!

Written by Jesse

Fraction Story Problems

My mom baked 54 fudge bars. 3/9 are dark chocolate. How many fudge bars are dark chocolate?

A cheese pizza was cut in to nine equal slices and a different cheese pizza was cut into 22 slices. If cheese was your favorite pizza and you could have a slice from one of the pizzas, what pizza would you take it from?

I had made a sheet of brownies. I cut it into unequal slices. If I gave some to six people would everyone get equal slices?

Written by Jonah

Fraction Teachers

Some of the students were given the opportunity to be the teacher during math.  They went in front of the class and explained how they solve various problems.

Kangaroo Math

The students had to solve a math problem about kangaroos today.  This problem had to do with the growth of kangaroos.  They had to change the table into different units of measurement.  Part of the problem is shown below.  Also, there are two images below that show the final tables that two groups created.

An Xtramath Celebration

Shaidyn has completed the division in under 3 seconds program on xtramath.  Congratulations!

What We Learned

Here are some short paragraphs and facts students learned while reading today.

Bones

Bones have to stay healthy to remain strong. Bones need exercise to keep them in good order. Eating well balanced diets will help bone marrow to produce good bloods cells.  Some foods you should eat are peas, pinto beans, fruits ,and juice. Keeping your bones healthy is important, so you can run, move, jump, sit, stand, and write.

written by Aubrey

We take care of our body by eating healthy foods, exercising, getting enough sleep, and getting enough energy. We also need to drink lots of water, eat protein, dairy products, fruit, vegetables, and drink a protein shake.  Avoid stress and unsafe situations. 

written by Haydon and Emily

We learned that the Achilles tendon got its name from a warrior in a Greek myth and that the warriors only weakness was his heel.

written by Blake and Owen

Dem Bones

As a class we listened and some of us sang to a song about our bones.  Below is a link to this video. Also, there is a short video of our class listening to this song.

Dem Bones Video

Research Project

The students started their research projects today.  Some of the topics they are learning about are the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys.

Xtramath

Way to go Brenna, Blake, Liberty and Charity on practicing your math facts!  Keep up the great work!

Anglerfish

Anglerfish

    Anglerfish are interesting creatures.  Anglerfish live mostly in the Atlantic Ocean.  They live 3,000 meters in depth.  Anglerfish are dark brown to dark grey.   Also they are 1 meter long. Another fact is that female anglerfish have a stem with a light.  Males do not have a stem because they just latch onto the females and and lose their eyes and all their internal organs except for one.  Anglerfish can use their light to lure fish by them.  When the fish gets close the anglerfish eats it.  Anglerfish can eat fish twice their size.  Anglerfish are very interesting creatures.

Written by Brendan and Blake

anglerfish

Math

A anglerfish is 1 meter in length.  How many anglerfish would cover the length of three desks?

Answer:  3 anglerfish

How many angler fish would it take to cover the length of the school hallway by the third grade and second grade classrooms?

Answer:  52 anglerfish

Writing Assignment

This weekend each student is to write a paragraph about the state of Wisconsin.  They should include a topic sentence, details and a closing sentence.  Also, each student should add two pictures showing details from their paragraph.  We talked as a class about writing neatly and in complete sentences. Also, we discussed giving our best effort on our assignments.

Parts of Words

Today the students had to find words that had a prefix or a suffix or both added to them. They were to break these words apart and then find their meanings.

My word is communication. It means to talk to another. The base word is communicate. The Suffix is -ion.  Haydon

My word is breathing. The root word is breath. It means to take a breath of air.  The suffix is -ing.  It means to keep breathing. I'm breathing really fast. Emily

Attach ed means that something is together.

Movement means that you go some where.

Pulled means to tug something.

The suffix -ed means past tense and a verb.

Muscles are attached to your bones.

Emery & Jonah.

Our word was involuntary.  The prefix of involuntary is in- and in- means not.  The root word of involuntary is voluntary.  So the word means not to choose.  Our sentence is blinking is involuntary.

Our word is Powerful. The suffix is -ful which means a lot. The root word is power and power means to have strength or force.  So the word means full of power.  Our sentence is The man was powerful.

Our word was replenishes.  The prefix is re- which means again.  The suffix is -es which means present tense.  And the root word is plenish which means to fill something.  So the word means to full up again.  Our sentence is At school the boy replenishes his desk. Owen and Blake

One of our words were powerful.  The root word is power.  The suffix is ful.   Powerful means full of power. *The king in England is powerful.   Brenna and Kelly

Math Measuring Problem

The students were given a problem in math today that involved measuring.  They learned that a Goliath Bird Eating Spider is 10 inches long.  Using this information, they then had to figure out about how many of these spiders would cover the length of their desk, the width of the Smart board and the length of our classroom.  They were pretty successful in solving these problems.

Art

Below is a picture of students in art class.  They're working on the art of weaving.  Each student is creating person made out of yarn for their project.

Science Reading

The students were asked to explain what they learned in their books.  Here are some of the responses:

Muscles

We learned that muscles are made up of fibers.  Each muscle fiber is made up of smaller

fibers, called myofibrils.  Long muscle fibers are bound together in groups called fascicles.

All the fascicles and tissues make a strand of muscle.  Muscles jobs are to help you

move, walk, talk, smile, chew, and many other things.  Muscles help you move.

By: Brendan and Lily

Bones

One thing that we learned about is our kneecap. Our kneecap lays over our knee joint.  Another thing that we learned about is our skull. It's job is to protect our brain.  Another thing we learned about is our rib cage. Our rib cage protects our lungs and heart. The last thing we learned about are our ligaments.  Our ligaments connect all bones together to form a skeleton.

By:  Aubrey and Jada

The Systems of the Body

We learned that muscles control the movement of your body.

The circulatory system is made up of your heart and blood vessels.  It's job is to pump blood through your body.  The blood delivers food and oxygen to every cell in your body.

The respiratory system takes care of breathing.

By:  Brooklyn and Damien

Skeletal System

The bones make the shape of your body and protect your organs. They connect together

by the joints.  The joints let the bones move.

Circulatory System

It is made up of blood vessels that are called veins.   The blood is moved by the heart beating and brings food to the cells and cleans the cells too.

By:  Jamaesen

Math Problem

Here is a math problem the students were asked to solve today.  A koala eats about 2 1/2 pounds of gum leaves each day.  How many gum leaves would a koala eat in 4 days?  a week?  in the month of September?

Below are some different explanations from students on how they solved this problem.

Today we did a math problem.  First we did the 4 days.  We did 4 x 2=8.  Then we figured out ½ x 4 = 2 wholes. Then we did 8 + 2 = 10.  So the koala eats 10 pounds of gum leaves in 4 days. Then we did in a  week.  We did 2 x 7 =14.  Next we did ½  x 7 = 3 ½ . So we added 14 + 3 ½ = 17 ½  . The koala eats 17 ½ pounds of gum leaves in a week.  After that, we figured out how many pound of gum leaves a koala eats during the month of September.   There are 30 days in September so we did 30 x 2 = 60.  Then we did ½  x 30 = 15. Finally we did 60+15=75.  That was our math problem that we did today!

By: Brenna and Blake

For the last problem I did it by first doing 2 x 4 and its 8.  The ½ part is easy.   4 halves are 2 wholes, so 2+8=10.  The first answer is 10 pounds. Next was 1 week.   Which a week is 7days, so I did 2 x 7 and it is 14.  ½ x 7 is 3 and ½, so 14+3-1/2=17-1/2. The third problem was for the month of September.  It was so hard.   First in September there are 30 days.  I did ||| then || because each one has two wholes and one half.  I took the half from the next group so there were no halves.  Then I counted all of the lines 1,2,3,4,5… and I got 75.
By: Jonah

How we found out about how much  koalas eat in 4 days is by figuring out 4 x 2 ½ = 10.  In a week you do 7x 2 ½ = 17 1/2.  Finally the month of September is 30 days so 30 x 2 ½ =75.

How we found out the answer is we did 30 x 2= 60 and then 30 x ½.  We knew that two 1/2 equaled one whole so 30 halves equaled 15.  Finally we did 60 + 15 = 75.
By: Devyn and Owen

Below is a picture of how Nathan solved the last part of this problem.

Cause and Effect

The students were asked to share cause and effect sentences after they read their stories today.  Here are some of them.

You breathe in oxygen so the different parts of your body can have energy.  Jesse                                  

Your food mixes with saliva, so it's easier to digest it. Hayden

Your brain sends a message to your muscle so you can move that muscle. Brenna

Your brain has a thousand of miles of nervous fibers so you can control your fingers.  Nathan

You should have protein so your muscles are strong. Blake

Your teeth are made out of enamel, so your teeth are not bones. Angelina

Your ribs protect your heart and lungs so when you bang your chest your lungs and heart don't get crushed. Sophia

One muscle must pull or contract so you can move in one way  Then another muscle must pull or contract, so your body can move in the opposite way. Lily

If you want to move, you form a thought in your brain.  Your brain then sends a signal to the muscles. Owen

Protein is an important building block for muscles ,so eating protein is important. Kelly

You need to drink orange juice and dairy products so your bones get stronger.  Shaidyn

For a bone to heal correctly, the bone must be put back the way it was before the break. Sometimes the doctors may have to put them back in place. Aubrey

Muscles are important because they help you move.  Emery

Your heart pumps blood so you have energy. Liberty

You breathe out so carbon dioxide can leave your body.  Brooklyn

Your muscles know what to do because the brain sends signals to them. Emily

There are 206 bones in your body that are connected by joints so you can run and walk.  Jaemasen

You move your hand away from a hot stove because your brain sends a signal to tell your hand to move.

Reading Homework

The students were asked to choose at least two just right science books from the library today.  They are to use these books as their reading homework books.  When your child finishes reading these stories they should return them to school.  Then I will give them an opportunity to  check out different science books for their homework.

Story Problems

The students worked on writing division story problems.  Here are a few examples.

Brooklyn had 24 gummy bears. She shared them with eight people equally. How many gummy bears does she have now?

24 / 8 = 3

written by Charity

I have 99 chocolate bar pieces. A chocolate bar has 9 pieces. How many full chocolate bars do I have?

99 / 9 = 11

written by Jonah

Brenna has 55 candy necklaces.  She gives each of her friends 5 candy necklaces.  How many friends did she share with?

55 / 5 = 11

written by Kelly

Jesse has 26 strawberries and shares them with 13 friends.  How many strawberries should each person get?

Each person gets 2 strawberries.  26 / 13 = 2

written by Jesse

What We Learned

Today the students started reading one of three different books about their bodies.  They either read about muscles, bones, or various systems of their bodies.  After they read their books they were asked to send me a sentence sharing one thing they learned.  Here are some facts they learned.

  It takes 17 muscles to smile and 40 muscles to frown. Brenna

The heart has openings that control the flow of blood moving through it.   These openings called valves are controlled by smooth muscles which open and close them. Owen

When you move your arm above your shoulder the bicep muscles pull up.   JONAH

The circulatory system is the only thing that would make your blood pump throughout your body.   Nathan

The gluteus maximus is the biggest muscle.   Brendan.

There are 206 bones in your body. Devyn

I learned that your eye muscles move more than 100,000 times a day.  Emery

The rib cage has 12 bones on each side. Charity

I learned that your skull has 22 bones not counting the six bones in your ear and in your throat. Sophia

I learned that smooth muscles are found in your skin, stomach, and other organs.  Liberty

I learned your brain gives you signals and helps you think.  Haydon

You have 206 bones in your body.  Brooklyn

I learned that your skeletal muscles are attached to your bones.  Damien

Your brain controls everything in your body . Jesse

I learned that your brain tells muscles what to do. Emily

I learned that you have a spinal column that has two jobs.  Shaidyn

It's jobs are that it protects the spinal cord which runs through the vertebrae.The spinal cord is the place where your nerves meet to send information. Shaidyn

I learned that not all joints are the same.  Aubrey

The cranium is very important and it's very soft. The cranium protects your brain. Angelina

The pupils of your eyes move from the smooth muscles. Blake

One thing I learned was that you move the skeletal muscles.  Kelly

The nervous system is important to your body.  Anthony

I learned that your brain sends waves to parts of your body. Jonathan

I learned that there is a frontal bone.  Jada

I learned that when you pull your arms upwards that your biceps contract.  Lily

Weekend Writing Assignment

The students were given a writing assignment for the weekend.  Their task is to write a paragraph about their hometown.  Also, they should draw pictures, use images from the internet, or take photographs to add to their paragraph.  These pictures should relate to the topic they wrote about.  The students were given a head start today.  Each student was able to research information about Sheboygan.  They should use their notes to create their paragraphs this weekend.

The Rainforest by Brenna and Jonathan

Rain Forest levels

    The rainforest has 4 different levels.  The four different levels are called the forest floor, understory, canopy and the emergent layer.  The forest floor is wet and dark, because it does not get much sunlight.  In the understory the trees have big leaves, so they can absorb the tiny amount of light that they get.  The canopy has the most animals out of all of the levels.  The emergent layer has thick waxy leaves on the trees which keeps the leaves moist, so the leaves will not dry out.  In the emergent layer the trees can grow to be up to 250 feet tall.  I learned that the 4 layers of the rainforest are important and different in lots of ways.

The howler monkey is bigger than the Brown Capuchin.

The Howler Monkey is louder than the strawberry colored poisonous frog.

The Cock-of -a-Rock is big, but the tapir is bigger and the green anaconda is the biggest.

The leaf cutter ants are loud, but the Toucan is louder and the Howler Monkey is the loudest.

The emergent layer gets the greatest amount of sunlight but the forest floor gets the least amount of sunlight.

The canopy has the greatest amount of animals.

rainforest video

Rainforest Animals by Emery and Charity

The rainforest has four layers. The four layers are called the emergent layer, canopy, understory, and forest floor. The emergent layer has many different animals. Some of the animals that live in the emergent layer are the howler monkey, morpho butterfly, and the harpy eagle. The canopy layer has a poison strawberry frog, toco toucan, and the three toed sloth. The understory layer has a flying lizard, leaf cutter ants, and a brown capuchin. The forest floor has a tapir, cock of the rock bird, and the green anaconda. The periwinkle flower on the forest floor helps give people medicines for diabetes and some kinds of cancer.

The sloth is slower than the green anaconda.

The cock of the rock lives lower in the rainforest than the young harpy eagle.

The forest floor is the darkest floor in the rainforest.

The howler monkey is the loudest animal in the emergent layer.

rainforest animals

Rainforest by Aubrey and Jada

Four Layers of the Rainforest

The rainforest has four layers.  They each have different animals that live in them.

The forest floor gets a little light because of all the big leaves on the trees.  One of the animals that lives on the forest floor is the Cock of the Rock.  It puffs out it feathers.  Also it dances.  The next layer is the understory.  The understory gets a tiny amount of light.  One of the animals found in this layer is the Flying Dragon.The Flying Dragon can glide half a football field.  The next layer is the canopy.  The canopy gets bright light in it.  One of the animals found in the canopy is the toucan.  The toucan uses its bill to pick berries off trees.  It's bill is also lighter than it looks.  The next layer is the emergent layer.  The emergent layer gets strong sun and it also gets wind.  One of the animals is the Morpho butterfly. The Morpho butterfly joins other males.  The females are attracted to their shimmering wings.

The farmer ants are smaller than the Flying         

The Tapin is bigger than the Cock of the Rock.                       

The Anaconda is the longest snakes.  

The shortest animal is the farmer ant

layers of the rainforest

The Rainforest by Jonah and Liberty

The Rainforest layers

There are four layers of a rainforest. The first layer is the forest floor. It is wet and dark. The second layer is the understory. There is a little bit of light. The third layer is the canopy. The trees there are 60 to 150 feet tall and there are more species of animal at the top of the bright canopy than other layers. The last layer is the emergent layer. The trees are 250 feet above the forest floor.  The trees grow off the canopy trees and the trees look like a giant umbrella.

These are the levels of a rainforest. :)

       

The Howler monkey is louder than a tapir.

The Taco toucan has a longer beak than the Cock-of-the-rock.

The canopy has the greatest number of animals.

The Harpy eagle is the fastest bird in the rainforest

Log in to brainpop jr. The username is ewaara and the password is waara11. Then go to the science section and check out the rain forest video!
brainpopjr

The Rainforest by Lily and Devyn

The four layers of a rainforest

Come join us in our fun adventure in the tropical rainforest.  The first thing you need to know is that there are four layers.  The first one is the forest floor which has the least amount of light because of the big leaves and branches that block out the sun.  The first one is also the wettest layer because all of the raindrops fall off the big leaves and branches on the top layers.  The second layer you need to know is the understory which has small to medium sized trees.  The third layer is the canopy.  The trees grow to about 60 to 150 feet tall in this layer.  The canopy has the most species of animals there too.  The last layer you need to know is the emergent layer which has trees poking out of it.  This makes the trees look like umbrellas.  Thank you for coming with us on this wild adventure.

The anaconda is faster than the sloth.  The sloth is slower than the anaconda.  

The forest floor has the least amount of light but the emergent layer has the greatest amount

of light.  

rainforest layers

The Rainforest by Emily and Blake

A Visit to the Rain Forest

 The rain forest has four layers that make up the steamy, sticky, and wet rain forest.  The forest floor is dark, wet, and full of plants that give us medicine and have anacondas.  The understory has trees that are small to medium size and that have big leaves. There are leaf cutter ants in the understory too.  The canopy has trees that grow to 60 to 150 feet tall. You can see sloths hanging on trees.  The emergent layer has trees that grow up to 250 feet above the forest floor and act like giant umbrellas. It has male Howler monkeys that can be heard from 3 miles away.  People cut down trees to make buildings and for lumber.  People are working hard to protect the rainforest.  

• The howler monkey is louder than the green anaconda snake.

          

The understory is higher than the forest floor.

      The forest floor is the lowest layer.

      The emergent layer has the tallest trees.  

rainforest

rainforest2

The students worked hard building a chain of blocks the length of our classroom during lunch recess today.  There was a lot of collaboration during this process.  They were excited to share their creation with you.

Reader's Theater

At least once or twice during the school week our class likes to work on our reading fluency by using reader theater scripts.  This week we're reading fairy tales.  Two of the fairy tales we are reading come from other parts of the world, but are very similar to the American version of Cinderella.  I'm sure you child would be more than happy to tell you about the story he or she is reading.

Stack the States by Brendan

I would give Stack the States one out of five stars.  Stack the States is a horrible game.  One reason it stinks is the music is always happy even when you lose. There is no variety.  Another reason is if you are in kindergarten or first grade you probably can't read the questions, so you will probably guess and not improve on your learning.  Another reason I disliked it is that the states fall off too easily.  Finally the game is frustrating.  I say you shouldn't buy this sorry excuse for a game.