Ms. Gillespie’s Newsletter Volume 3

1. Ms. Gillespie’s Newsletter Volume 3 Reading Our fourth unit is all about Point of View and Comparing and Contrasting! Below are the concepts and questions we will be exploring this unit: Concept: Point of View What is the point of view of a character? How do characters make decisions based on events or challenges from the story? How do different characters respond to the same event or challenges from the story? Links: http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/aboutface/aboutface.html ***Read the story. Click on Point Of View button. http://student.readingeggspress.com/gym/lessons/35 Concept: Compare/Contrast How can I determine the central message, moral or lesson of a story? How do characters respond to the main event in different versions of the same story? How can I use a graphic organizer to compare and contrast the same story from different cultures? Links: ***Read the story. Click on Compare/Contrast button. http://student.readingeggspress.com/gym/lessons/33 Find two fairy tales from different cultures and ask your child to tell you the similarities and differences. Our next unit is all aboutwriting Informative pieces! Below are the questions we will be exploring: What is a How-to writing piece? How can I write a detailed How-to piece that describes the steps in detail? Writing @ Rachel Thorp 2013

2. Math • Our fourth unit is all about Adding and Subtracting using Place Value within 1,000. Below are the concepts and questions we will be exploring this unit: • Concept: Adding and Subtracting using Place Value within 1,000 • What efficient strategies can you use to solve a story problem with unknowns in all positions? • Using base-ten numerals how can you show any number up to 1,000? • Using written number names how can you write any number up to 1,000? • Using expanded form how can you write any number up to 1,000? • How can place value help you compare 2 three-digit numbers using these symbols >, <, =? • How can you use place value to help you mentally add or subtract 10 or 100 to any three digit number? • Links: • http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-2/add-multiples-of-100 • http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-2/add-two-three-digit-numbers • http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-2/subtract-multiples-of-100 • http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-2/subtract-three-digit-numbers • http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-2/convert-to-from-a-number-up-to-hundredshttp://www.ixl.com/math/grade-2/value-of-underlined-digit-up-to-hundreds Science/S.S. Our second unit in Social Studies is all about Landforms and Climate! How are landforms formed? How does the difference in landforms affect how and where people live? How does the temperature change as you get closer to the equator? How does the difference in climates affect how and where people live? Our secondunit in Science is all about Balancing and Weighing! How do you know if something is balanced? What tools or technology can you use to determine balance or mass? Why might one object have more mass than another object that takes up the same amount of space? How can you change a balanced structure to make it unbalanced? How can data be represented to show results and allow comparisons? http://pbskids.org/sid/balancingact.html @ Rachel Thorp 2013