Week of March 13th

This week in literacy, we focused on creating a story using wordless picture books. This has been another great way to help us learn how to create rich stories. Using the books, we could tell a story orally and then create a modified version. We took the time to look closely at the illustrations so that we could find the words to describe what the character and setting were showing us. The stories were very imaginative, and we quickly learned if you can tell a story, you can write one! 

While editing our writing, we have learned how to use a dictionary to help find the spelling of new common words. We have also been learning about the homonyms their, there, and they're, as well as to, too and two. To enhance our work, we have also been paying close attention to synonyms and using them as much as possible to avoid word repetition. 

This week our puppetry residency came to an end. The students had a fantastic time learning how to create a variety of puppets and being exposed to another avenue of storytelling. A big thank you to those parents who came out to give us a helping hand. I especially enjoyed joining in with the students as we created magnificent puppets and cranky boxes together.




In social studies, we continued to question and discuss how we measure the quality of life and what factors are associated with better or worsening quality of life. This week we ventured to Peru as we started to investigate life in different communities worldwide to gain an awareness and appreciation of how people live. To do this, we have been exploring nonfiction books more closely and learning about the helpful features that are not a part of most fiction books. These parts include a table to contend with, an index, a glossary, photographs and charts with captions, and a list of sources. As a class, we used one source and the strategy of jigsawing the book. Jigsaw is a cooperative learning strategy that enables each group of students to specialize in one aspect of a topic ( for example, Peruvian celebrations or food and farming in Peru). After each group became educated on their subject, they were tasked with creating a slide to contribute their information. By next week our class slide show will be complete, and we will have had the opportunity to learn from each other. 

 


On Friday we had the pleasure of connecting with the Kindergarten class and start our reading buddy program. This is wonderful time to build a greater sense of community and have the opportunity to build on our leadership skills. The grade three students did a lovely job reading a book to their buddy and supporting them to answer a few questions to help them get to know each other a bit better. 




As we head into the next few weeks, please be aware that on Wednesday, March 22nd, we will make our third attempt at going on our community walk!! The students are so excited, and I thank our two volunteers who have been so kind to join us. Also, please mark your calendars that on Thursday, April 13th, we will go to the Calgary Zoo for the entire day. Again, we would love to have volunteers, so please let me know if you can join us!!! 

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