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.