The Magic of Books

Organizing our arctic animals

Imagination is a wonderful thing, and there is nothing like a good book to captivate our thoughts and dreams. Changing our class library book theme always results in inspiration for new writing ideas, imaginative play activities, and motivation to read new theme related books. Vocabulary, background knowledge, and awareness of other places and time periods in the world are all benefits as well.  Learning about the arctic lands and animals and reading related texts has been so much fun!

Let's set them up this way!

Matching and vocabulary

Most of us have completed our Alaska book - a fun way to merge our social studies map focus on our states and our globe orientation for arctic lands. Learning about how animals adapt to harsh weather conditions in the arctic support science topics on living and non living things and on animal structures necessary to survive. We also completed a seal shaped booklet of arctic animals, and this coming week we may make our igloos! (Just need a few more cream cheese size containers if you have any.)

Writing personal narratives - stories about ourselves and our experiences, has also been a favorite activity. They love hearing their story read aloud to friends and have been putting lots of thought and effort into building up the middle of their stories with details.

examples of detailed 'middles'

A focus on introductions

An inspiring story to kick off writing

Two examples of zooming in on an experience

Phonics lessons have been centered on words ending in Silent E. We enjoy taking turns each morning to spot 'Silent E/King Ed' racing around the room to get to the board and change a word from its short vowel word to its long vowel word!

Here comes Silent E!

Thanks King Ed!

You've made a new word!

Her magic has done it again!

Some popular read-alouds this week included Lars the Little Polar Bear - we have read two in the series so far, and Hide Away Husky. It's been fun comparing three books (fiction and non fiction) that have featured Husky dogs. The kids would love to go on a dog sled ride, I think!


We are also enjoying new books, longer books, and book series. What better way to motivate than practicing to read to our friends?!

Hot Wheels series

Elephant and Piggy

Flat Stanley 

Reading a home made personal book

In math we have begun a new unit. Unit 6 involves finding unknown numbers in an equation, relating addition to subtraction, and solving story problems with the Three Reads protocol. 
We are wrapping up  our Living/Non-Living science focus and moving on to plants next. 

Next week T.E.S. kicks off Kindness Week, a chance to raise awareness on how kindness begins with ourselves and a chance to put into practice responses to others that are especially kind. Check our Important Dates tab to see the related clothing theme for each day. 
At the end of the week, the boy's basketball team at the high school is coming to read to our class and do a follow-up activity. Looking forward to it!

Have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs. Dagley