Destination: Australia!

We are surrounded with amazing Australian wildlife this week! It has been so much fun to see each of the animals being brought into the room. Our classroom has come to life with so much creativity and color. We love swimming in the Great Barrier Reef, traveling across the Outback, and exploring the rainforest. 

Language Arts Block
We kicked the week off by explaining all of our centers for the week. The students enjoyed lots of Australian themed activities and other centers that enhanced what we are learning.

In guided groups, students completed their Australian animal research. They also created jellyfish for our Great Barrier Reef, read and completed comprehension questions, and practiced their animal riddle.

Listening Center Follow-Up

Using a Key to color the map of Australia

Australian Animal Venn Diagram

Writing a research paper in guided groups

Learning about the Great Barrier Reef and making jellyfish

Australian ABC order

A journal entry about Uluru

Reading a non-fiction book titled, A Platypus, Probably, on TumbleBooks

Math
We have been reviewing place value this week!  Using manipulatives, double digit addition and subtraction, and Australian story problems, we are gaining a better understanding of what place value truly means.  This is a hard concept for students, and we will continue to work on gaining a better understanding next week.

Social Studies
We have learned all about the Australian Flag, the Aboriginal Flag, and the Great Barrier Reef this week!  Take a look:

TNT
We continued to learn about the Great Barrier Reef and made fish to hang from our ceiling!

Spelling
Phonics skill- ar, er
Regular words- farm, part, card, chart, yard, start, fern, her, perch, kernel
Challenge words- Perth, computer, Outback, spring
"Surprise the teacher word"

REMINDERS

Monday, March 9th: Australian Animals due!  We will start presenting them next week! 

Wednesday, March 11th: Please have your child wear all black for the International Festival.  Do not go out and buy anything...just do your best. They will be taking part in an Australian Animal Parade.  The focus will be their animal, but we would love for the kids to look uniform; hence the reason for all black!  We thought this would be easy and keep it simple. If they don't have black pants, jeans are fine.  We will provide the straw head pieces for them to wear.  Thanks! 

March 14th-23rd: Spring break!  Students return to class Tuesday, March 24th.   

We have had a wonderful first week with Mrs. Herbers and are looking forward to a great rest of the year!

Have a wonderful long weekend,

Maeve and Beth