Understand addition

We have introduced the concepts of adding through strategies and manipulatives; drawing, connective cubes, number lines, ten frames, tally marks, dominos, etc. This may not be a new concept for some, but building operations and algebraic thinking is a critical foundation for all. Your child may be going home to express boredom, but we are constantly exploring new ways to add and improve upon critical thinking skills through a variety of tasks.

I have included two exemplars for you to review at home. Since addition isn't just about math facts, I encourage all to apply math into real life experiences. It's much more challenging and a great way to assess understanding.

Week of October 6-10, 2014

Math

We continued to explore shapes and reinforce their names this week. The students are learning names of shapes - Triangle, Square, Rectangle, Pentagon, Hexagon, and Circle. Students made group mobiles as well as individual ones to take home. During center, students built shapes using geo-boards, blocks, play-dough, and played interactive shape games on the iPads. 

Writing

We talked about ways to show respect in specials. Students brainstormed, illustrated, and copied words and phrases off the board. Students are reminded to use punctuation marks (for now just period) at the end of a statement. 

Reading

"Big Thumb" the poem was introduced this week. Please practice the poem at home using the video below and pay attention to the highlighted / high frequency words. 

 

Social Studies

Liu Ying Lao Shi introduced the Great Wall of China, The Forbidden City, Beijing, Taiwan, China, and the US. The students showed enthusiasm and were eager to learn more through pictures and videos. 

HOMEWORK reminder! Restaurant project due THIS Friday 10/17.

WATCH | Math Story Problems |

MCCKOA2 : Solve addition and subtraction word problems

Week of March 3-7, 2014

Flashcards should remain in your child's reading bag. I will be going through them and marking the ones they have mastered throughout the week. 

NOT one, but two mini iPads were delivered this Wednesday! Thanks for the outpouring support from our parents! I was also so excited to purchase apps because of the iTunes credit donated. We immediately put them to use on Thursday. There are so many neat games that reinforce reading, writing, and math skills. 

Dr.Seuss' birthday celebration was a success! We read several of Dr. Seuss' books and discussed what we noticed in his poem. We all made Horton's ears, which they were so proud of wearing. We then compared and contrasted the difference between a story and a poem and an English poem and a Chinese poem written by Li Bai .

From Wikipedia - 

Li Bai (701^[1]–762), also known as Li Po, was a Chinese poet acclaimed from his own day to the present as a genius and romantic figure who took traditional poetic forms to new heights. He and his friend Du Fu (712–770) were the two most prominent figures in the flourishing of Chinese poetry in the mid-Tang Dynasty that is often called the "Golden Age of China".

Around a thousand poems attributed to him are extant, thirty-four in the canonical 18th-century anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems. The poems were models for celebrating the pleasures of friendship, the depth of nature, solitude, and the joys of drinking wine. Among the most famous are "Waking from Drunkenness on a Spring Day", "The Hard Road to Shu", and "Quiet Night Thought", which appears frequently in school texts in China today. Legend holds that Li drowned when he reached from his boat to grasp the moon’s reflection in the river.

In your child's Mandarin journal, you will find the poem "Jin Ye Si 靜夜思" by Li Bai. It's a beautifully written poem and you can even sing it. Below is the clip.  And for your own entertainment, you may watch the other one that is more suitable for adults. 

Below is a glimpse of what we were working on all week. Story problems were introduced this week...the children read the problems, drew pictures, jot down facts, and got it all done! 

Top left - Math Story Problems

Top right - Cutting out poem for the journal

Bottom left - Writing 

Bottom right - Math Story Problem

Top left - Writing

Top right - Poem on the fan

Bottom left - New carpool practice

Bottom right - Hortons working on writing

Homework + Week of February 24-28, 2014

FLASHCARDS - Please have the flashcards made this weekend and keep them in your child's reading bag. Next week I will go through all the flashcards and separate them by the ones they know or are unsure of. 

MAP testing, field trip, and lots of learning occurred this week. The students and teachers had the best cultural experience at the Synchronicity on Tuesday. The play was very well done and engaging for all. There were even some Mandarin words in the play that our children picked up, added bonus!

NEXT week we will celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday with story telling and crafts. Remember next Friday is a teacher workday!

WRITING - The students compared the differences between a regular Chinese restaurant and a Dim Sum restaurant. They were surprised by what they found. We also wrote and illustrated our favorite Chinese and American dishes. Traditional Chinese characters require lots of rigor and patience, but we are all just having fun!

 MATH- Students played Race to One Hundred utilizing the Mandarin hundreds chart. It is not only an excellent way to practice addition and subtraction but also a way to be familiarized with the characters.

Week of January 13-17, 2014

BETTER CHINESE ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION
Make sure you are checking your email for this important log-in information. Spend as little as 10 minutes on this wonderful program nightly. I have already received lots of positive responses from parents and students! 

Animals made out of recycled materials helped us learn about solid shapes. 
See what the kids have created!

Martin Luther King Jr. has inspired our children to think more about treating others based on their characters, creating peace with our words, and loving one another. We made hearts to exemplify his love. 

Happy Long Weekend Everyone!

Seat Work / Centers/ Indoor Recess (Just Dance Kids) 

Week of November 4-8, 2013

This week in Math, the students were introduced Story Problems. There are problems with numbers in them, and the kids had to be the detective to figure them out. Problem Solving is a huge part of Mathematical thinking as well as a lifelong skill. It could be a complicated task, and to do it in Mandarin has got to be more challenging! I was able to engaged the kids by using their names within the problems. Let's just say, we had fun!

Do not forget to bring in FINISHED vocabulary cards on Monday, 11/11 (or Tuesday, if your child is in my homeroom class). We will be familiarizing them during read alouds, singing, and literacy center.

Thank you for all the parents who made it out to the parent teacher conference on time and with those warm and fuzzy smiles. You mean the world to me with your kind words and positive spirit. Looking forward to seeing the rest of you!!! :)

Last but not least, I'm trying to raise money for a projector for our class. Currently my project is on donorschoose.org. For the next 6 days, DonorsChoose will match ANY donation made to the class. If you have the time and the funds, we would really appreciate a donation. Even $1 will help (because really it will be $2 when DonorsChoose matches it). Please do not feel obligated to donate.

IMPORTANT: If you decide to donate within the next seven days, enter the code {CHEER}. DonorsChoose will only match dollar for dollar if the code INSPIRE is entered.

Link to my project: http://www.donorschoose.org/we-teach/2046698.-876216288?supporters=true