You were right....this is a lot of work!

You might love to watch this wonderful 'claymation' video of the story that the children will be retelling in their own words.  We watched the video and heard the story read aloud from a big book.

In pairs, the children began with their own little book that has all the same illustrations as the original story by Arnold Lobel.  They told the story aloud while their partner listened.

The story is found in Frog and Toad Together, and is one of five stories found in this book.

It is easy enough that every child in class can read it, so that decoding does not interfere with comprehension.

The retelling is not meant to be be the story copied out of the book.  Instead, the children are practising telling the story in their own words.  The criteria with which the work will be assessed is given to them even before they begin to write.  As well, exemplars of basic, proficient and excellent work done by students in past years, was shared.  

What do potatoes have to do with our Hot and Cold Temperatures unit in science?

We asked a question:  Will a potato change if it is heated?  We made a prediction, which in science is called a hypothesis.  It must tell why we think something will happen.

After cooking, look at how the potato changed!  It smelled so good!

The students are really looking at the patterns of numbers, especially numbers to 100.  There will be a 120 chart sent home tomorrow that you can use to play some games on with your child. 

 For example, place a marker on any number you choose.  Let's say we choose 33.

Ask your child to place a marker on the number that is ten less.  Did they put it on 23?

Ask them to place another marker on the number that is one more. It should be on 24.

Continue in this vein, using the directions:

ten more

ten less

one more

one less

in any order and in any combination.  Each time, the child should place another marker on the number that will be the next move.  The goal is for them to be able to visual this pattern of movement without the chart in front of them...that's called mental math and still be able to make the moves.

Try this while you are travelling to hockey or piano practise in the car.  For example, say:

Start on 55.  What's ten less?  What's ten less?  What's one more? What's one more? What's ten more?

Did they end up on 47?  Hooray!!

Here is a link to a site where you could print out more 120 charts, if you would like your child to colour in the numbers as you give them.  

Click here!