Two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate?

This week in Writer's Workshop we continued our work on persuasive writing. Students  picked a person they think deserves to be appreciated , but maybe that person goes unnoticed. Students wrote about why that person deserves to be appreciated, trying to convince the reader to appreciate all that person does. Many students picked a parent, or someone here at school such as Mr. Grace, Nurse Jeannie, or Miss Erika. Students have also been learning the skills of persuasive writing. Right now, students are focusing on how to directly address concerns, questions, or worries the reader may have about their topic. I am really impressed with the writing I am seeing. Students are using skills that they have learned throughout all of units of writing to make their writing better.

In reading we are continuing our fairy tales unit. This week the students have been working on a Cinderella compare/contrast project. First, I read the students what is considered the classic version of Cinderella by Charles Perrault. This version was written in 1694 in France. This is the version Walt Disney based its classic movie Cinderella on. Students then selected a different version of Cinderella to read independently. (Did you know that there over1,500 versions of the Cinderella tale and just about every culture has its own version of the story?) Some students a version from another culture, some students choose more humorous versions such as the version told from the step-mother's point of view. After reading, students are creating a Venn diagram showing the differences and similarities between the two versions.

In math we are continuing with geometry. Students are learning to find the perimeter and area of shapes. Students will also be solving word problems where they have to determine do they need to the area or the perimeter to find the information the problem is asking for.

In science the students are learning about the water cycle.

Just a reminder that report cards go home Friday, April 4th. If you have any questions or concerns about your child's progress, please contact me.

The weather this past week has been gorgeous. It looks like spring has finally arrived. I hope you have been able to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather with your child.

Have a great day and remember to fill someone's bucket!