Friday, January 18, 2013

Science: Kidney Beans- Week 2!

Sorry I didn't get a shot of the plants originally. Here they are at Week 2.

Here they are next to the heater. We used plastic wrap and sand to help keep them warm. During the first week, some seeds didn't make it, so some students have gotten new seeds that will hopefully start growing soon.

Every week, the students use their observation skills to write about their plant and describe what life stage it's in. Hopefully in the third week we'll see some sprouts! ^^

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Hello Families!

This term is off to a great start!

        In the past week we learned about the different types of honeybees, drone, worker and Queen Bee and about how hard they work to build and maintain their hives as well as collecting nectar and their important roles as pollinators.

        In math, we began learning about probability and what it means to make a prediction and to think about the chance of something happening by using our new math vocabulary words, likely and unlikely. 

        We ended the week in a great way!  We planted our kidney beans!  This marks the beginning of our four-week Plant Diary, where we will track the progress of our plant in both writing and diagrams each week.  We’re excited to see what happens!


        We also look forward to learning about all the different recipes as we begin preparation for our Food Presentations!




Tuesday, January 1, 2013

January Newsletter

ACI 1 News
Date: January 2nd - February 1st
Special Note:
Dear parents,

I hope you and your child enjoyed our last unit, Follow a River! We learned a lot of great facts about rivers and how they are formed and used in the world.

In addition, we also had our first monthly presentations! The topic this month was a famous river. Students learned how to research information as well as how to create a good speech. They also learned important presentation skills.

This month, our presentation will be on presenting a food recipe for a potluck at the end of the month. More details will be sent out later in the unit! So please look forward to it J
Thank you.
Science:
Unit 5: Plants
One of the most important parts of an ecosystem is the plants. This month, we will be discussing plants in depth to better understand them.
Week 2: Introduction and How Plants Grow
* Students will learn about what a plant is, and the different parts of a plant. 
* We will discuss how plants grow from a seed into a full adult. We will be growing our own plants!
Week 3: Plant Reproduction
* We will discuss how plants reproduce to create new seeds and promote diversity.
Week 4: Weird Plants
* We will learn about some interesting and unusual plants around the world.  
Week 5: Importance
* We will learn about the importance of plants in our lives and our ecosystems.  
Math
Unit 5: Probability
Now that we have developed a strong base in the basics of mathematics (subtraction, addition, and math stories), we are ready to move on to probability.

We will be focusing on what it means to make an educated guess, and how probability lets us predict things.

We will also begin to figure out the probability of simple events such as flipping a coin, rolling dice, or choosing items out of a bag.
English Language Arts:
Unit 5: Eva the Beekeeper
This month, we will be reading Eva the Beekeeper, a look into what it is like to be a beekeeper and the lives of bees.
Week 1: Introduction
Topic: We will read and understand the book via discussions and book walks. 
Week 2: Bees
Topic: We will learn in depth how bees live.
Week 3: Insects
Topic: We will discuss other insects such as butterflies.
Week 4: Presentation Preparation
Topic: Students will be given time to develop their presentations and practice their speeches.
Week 5: Cooking and Food
Topic: Students learn cooking terminology and safety.