Week of March 18th

We want to thank everyone who was able to come in to meet for a conference.  It was wonderful to talk to each of you about your child and the growth that they have met this year. 

Hello everyone!  I, Miss Rapke, have taken over our social studies unit in the last few weeks so Nancy and I decided that I would write about our lessons for this subject.  Doing so also gives me a chance to get used to writing on the blog, which will become my responsibility in the coming weeks as I prepare for and begin my solo teaching in the second and third weeks of April!

This week, we continued our social studies unit thinking about our role in cultural change over time.  On Monday, along with the first grade class, we were introduced to the vocabulary for our read aloud Talking Walls  by Margy Burns Knight.  The book talked about ancestors, cultures, and ceremonies around the world.  Due to the snowday on Tuesday, we continued our work with the vocabulary on Wednesday.  In groups of four, students made a skit, costume, or drawing to help explain their word to the rest of the class.  They came up with some very creative responses!  With a knowledge of that vocabulary, Nancy was able to read the Talking Walls story on Thursday and discussed the significance of walls in different cultures.

During social studies time on Monday this week, we also had a discovery table presentation by Haley on dogs.  She talked about the type of dog she used to have and showed us a picture of her dog now, Sonny.  She also shared what a dog breeding chart looks like and lots of fun facts about dogs.  The students were really interested in how old the world's oldest dog was- 176 dog years!

Have a great weekend,
Taylor and Nancy