We started our week with fractions, talked more about the different layers of the atmosphere, weeded in our garden beds with Mariah, and welcomed in San Francisco Symphony concert docents who had instruments for us to play!
Thus far, Temescalians are getting the idea that fractions are part of the whole. The denominator is on the bottom of the fraction and tells you how many parts there are altogether. The numerator is on the top of the fractions and tells you how many parts there are. A tricky work was trying to figure out the whole when a fraction was given.
As we begin our interdisciplinary study of local plants and animals in the Bay Area, we will be using non-fiction texts! Non-fiction texts have many features that fiction may not have. To explore this, we first charted different elements of non-fiction texts. Then the Temescalians played Bingo to see if they could find all of the features of a non-fiction text in the book they had selected. Many found captions, an index, and a glossary. We found that if the book had illustrations, it may not also have photographs. Some books had text boxes while others didn’t.
Our cursive “c’s” and “o’s” inspired art work as we emphasize the importance of those letters’ connections.
We continued our exploration of the atmosphere and approached it from many different angles. We used it as a prompt for creative writing: Describe what it would be like to go through the different layers of the atmosphere. The Temescalians were tasked with including factual statements AND 2 similes. There were stories from the viewpoint of space travelers, rocket ships, and even a few aliens! We also played “Simon Says” with the different layers of the atmosphere. Naming different parts of our body the different layers of the atmosphere, kids got to lead and put each others’ familiarity of the layers to the test. Finally, Julianne led the Temescalians in a wonderful art project where they recreated the different layers of the atmosphere using pastels in a blue gradient. They then drew different objects that could be found in each layer and glued it onto the appropriate layer. The final product is quite striking and on display on our front windows.
Mariah visited us on Tuesday and we talked about what a “weed” is. Often, you think of it as specific plants like dandelions or chickweed, but we decided that “weeds” are plants that you don’t have a purpose for in that space. After our walk in Strawberry Creek Park, we noticed that our garden beds have many of the same plants! We harvested chickweed, weeded out grass, and tried to keep the fava bean, potato, and onion plants in tact. As we weeded, we noticed that it was really hard to separate out the dirt from the root systems under the clumps of grass. This led to a conversation about how plants keep erosion from happening, and a connection to what happens in an area that has had no water for a long time: mudslides and floods! This is so pertinent to our study of the atmosphere, El Niño, and weather systems!
We tried out the chickweed and many didn’t prefer the taste, but at least they gave it a go! Some noticed that it tasted “green” and “watery”. Others thought it tasted like arugula – a little peppery. We hope to plant our caledgula seedlings the next time that Mariah visits!
Tying the study of the natural world with our cultural studies, we finished our plans for creating shelters out of natural materials that are found in the immediate area. The Temescalians considered using willow branches, redwood bark, leaves, vines, mud, sand, and rocks. As they finish up their plans, we prepare to make models of these shelters with Julianne. Perhaps with these models, the Temescalians might get a taste of the work it takes to make a standing structure.
Learning spelling patterns in small groups and with games. Hangman is a great way to practice! We also use Wordly Wise to learn new vocabulary, practice critical reading skills, and apply our knowledge of parts of speech.
To prepare for our field trip to the San Francisco Symphony, we welcomed two docents to Temescal Creek. They talked about the music that we will hear during the concert. They talked about classical music concert etiquette and when to clap. They also talked about the different sounds that instruments make. Then, we got to play a few instruments that the docents brought! The adults in the room were able to share their instrument playing insights with the kids. Carmen shared her marching experience as we marched around the room to John Philip Sousa’s “Liberty Bell March”. We can’t wait for our concert on February 10!
Next week is going to be a busy one. We sent home letters about the 1000s Projects in the homework packets. The idea of the project is, with the theme of different local ecosystems, to split the burden of making a collection of 1000 things between 4 or 5 Temescalians. We will plan our projects in class, send home an outline, but the creation of the collection will be done at home, independently. These projects will be displayed on Math Night on Thursday, February 25 from 6:00 – 7:30pm at school. That evening is like an open house when you can come and go, but have your Temescalian teach you different math games and strategies that we use in the classroom to build and reinforce math concepts.
Next week will also be our Friendship Week celebration (February 8-12). We’ll select Secret Buddies this Friday. We’ve brainstormed different acts of kindness that don’t focus on giving things. Please support the Temescalians as they find ways to be kind to not just their Secret Buddy, but others as well. We’ll culminate with a cookie decorating with the kids in class on Friday.
Finally, to help our school community shape our strategic planning process around diversity and inclusivity goals at The Berkeley School. Please click on this link: A.I.M. (Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism) Survey and fill it out before Friday!
A few other views from our week:
