We support Jazz Jennings! Jazz is transgender. Do you know what transgender means? That means she was born with a girl brain and a boy body. It's okay if Jazz wants to be a girl.
There's a problem though. Jazz is not allowed to play on the girls' soccer team at her school. She wants to play with her friends. We think it doesn't matter if she's transgender or born a boy. She identifies as a girl so Jazz should be allowed to play with the girls. Jazz dresses like a girl, looks like a girl, and she wouldn't fit in on the boys' team. She wants to be on the girls' team - and that's who she wants to be, a girl. Anyway, we think there's no such thing as girl things and boy things.
Written by the first graders during Drama with Kevin
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
New Social Studies Unit - Community Activism
Last week, we launched our new social studies unit, "Community Activism." In this unit, the first graders will consider questions such as, "What is an activist?" "How can we peacefully and creatively solve conflicts in our community?" and "How does activism relate to community building?" During this unit, we will also work with Kevin, the EVCS drama teacher.
We started our unit by referring to community activists we've already studied, like Martin Luther King Jr and Cesar Chavez. We also started learning about Wangari and the janitors from Los Angeles who went on a strike a few years ago. We will also study many more activists such as Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Claudette Colvin, and Jazz Jennings.
Meanwhile, in writing workshop, we are studying opinion writing! We will think about big world issues and express our opinion about these issues. We'll learn how to structure our opinion pieces, how to include supporting reasons, and lots more!
We started our unit by referring to community activists we've already studied, like Martin Luther King Jr and Cesar Chavez. We also started learning about Wangari and the janitors from Los Angeles who went on a strike a few years ago. We will also study many more activists such as Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Claudette Colvin, and Jazz Jennings.
Meanwhile, in writing workshop, we are studying opinion writing! We will think about big world issues and express our opinion about these issues. We'll learn how to structure our opinion pieces, how to include supporting reasons, and lots more!
Stay tuned for more details on this important work!
Monday, May 4, 2015
Farmers Market Share
Our share is coming up! We hope to see you this Wednesday, May 6th at 8:45AM. Please come ready to "purchase" delicious treats from our very own Farmers Market.
More On Our Current Math Unit on Place Value
This unit builds upon students' work with place value within 20, now focusing on the role of place value in
the addition and subtraction of numbers to 40. Students study, organize, and manipulate numbers within 40. Students use fingers, linking cubes, dimes, and pennies to represent numbers to 40 in various ways—from all
ones to tens and ones. They use a place value chart to organize units.
Students also compare quantities and begin using the symbols for greater than (>) and less than (<). Students demonstrate their understanding of place value when they recognize that 18 is less than 21 since 2 tens already have a greater value than 1 ten 8 ones.
Students also focus on on addition and subtraction of tens. Having used concrete models at the beginning of the unit to represent 10 more and 10 less, students now recognize that just as 3 + 1 = 4, 3 tens + 1 ten = 4 tens.With this understanding, students add and subtract a multiple of 10 from another multiple of 10.
Finally, students use familiar strategies to add two-digit and single-digit numbers within 40. Students apply strategy of counting on and use the strategy of making ten, this time making the next ten. For instance, when adding 28 + 5, students break 5 into 2 and 3 so that 28 and 2 can make the next ten, which is 30, or 3 tens, and then add 3 to make 33.
Students also compare quantities and begin using the symbols for greater than (>) and less than (<). Students demonstrate their understanding of place value when they recognize that 18 is less than 21 since 2 tens already have a greater value than 1 ten 8 ones.
Students also focus on on addition and subtraction of tens. Having used concrete models at the beginning of the unit to represent 10 more and 10 less, students now recognize that just as 3 + 1 = 4, 3 tens + 1 ten = 4 tens.With this understanding, students add and subtract a multiple of 10 from another multiple of 10.
Finally, students use familiar strategies to add two-digit and single-digit numbers within 40. Students apply strategy of counting on and use the strategy of making ten, this time making the next ten. For instance, when adding 28 + 5, students break 5 into 2 and 3 so that 28 and 2 can make the next ten, which is 30, or 3 tens, and then add 3 to make 33.
Spelling Practice
Below you will find some sentences for spelling practice. Dictate the sentence to your child and have her/him write it. Then, go through the sentence together and correct any mistakes (including punctuation).
I got a chill from that bad draft.
Peg swept the rug with the brush.
Did you have any shrimp?
He slept in the tent.
She has many red plans.
I will print on the pad.
Jack felt his leg twist.
Russ slept on the cot.
The blimp did not go fast at all.
Ben twists off many lids.
They can rest and get some drinks.
Should I get stamps now?
You can chop the stump down.
The tot crept to her dad.
How did the skunks smell?
The skunk stinks!
I sat down on the clump of grass.
How many pranks did they do?
She printed our tests.
Frank is swinging on our swing.
He drifted out on the pond.
I am thinking about my class.
I got a chill from that bad draft.
Peg swept the rug with the brush.
Did you have any shrimp?
He slept in the tent.
She has many red plans.
I will print on the pad.
Jack felt his leg twist.
Russ slept on the cot.
The blimp did not go fast at all.
Ben twists off many lids.
They can rest and get some drinks.
Should I get stamps now?
You can chop the stump down.
The tot crept to her dad.
How did the skunks smell?
The skunk stinks!
I sat down on the clump of grass.
How many pranks did they do?
She printed our tests.
Frank is swinging on our swing.
He drifted out on the pond.
I am thinking about my class.
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