Tag Archives: Links

Parent News for March 26-April 4, 2014

Resource listings per parent request!

Online Activities and Resources from the San Jose Public Library (use your library card!):

San Jose Public Library Kids’ Page

Tumblebook Library Online Stories Read Aloud

eBooks for Primary Grades  (may be further sorted by ATOS -AR- level)

Disney Books Online

Homework Help

Kids’ games, Cartoons and Comics, Sports links, and Arts and Crafts ideas

Carson Elementary Adaptive Learning Links:

Main Page 😉

Lexia -Foundational Reading Skills, self-paced

Dreambox -Math practice. Find teacher’s name, then use regular student I.D. and password.

Renaissance Place Home Connect – Practice Math Facts in a Flash; check A.R. level and achievement.

Other resources of Interest:

Maker’s Fair (STEM and education Resources; yearly event; “Maker” magazine)

Bay Area Parent  (Local magazine with listings of camps, tutors, and activities)

Reading Lists:

Benicia Public Library Booklist for Second and Third Grade 

NEA’s 100 Best Books for Children  

Moreland’s Summer reading List-2nd and 3rd

App suggestions:

Education apps for iPad-article on “Teachthought.com”

American Association of School Librarians 2013 Education App list

“Parents Magazine” app recommendations

Local Activities:

7X7 SF’s List of Kid- Friendly Activities in San Jose

Yelp’s List of kids’ activities in our area

Poetry:

Giggle Poetry

Children’s Poetry Archive

<p Language Arts
Unit 5:Learning Through Research
Unit Overview:
Why is it important to explore multiple sources when researching a topic? How does comparing and contrasting multiple texts help the reader to thoroughly understand the topic? How can the reader communicate the information they have learned about a topic to others? …the main purpose for the reader or writer is to communicate their understanding of the message.
Students will:
-ask who, what, when, where, why, and how questions to demonstrate their understanding of text.
-compare and contrast two different texts on the same subject.
-engage in a shared research project to produce a written and oral presentation.
-record science observations.
-use structural analysis and context clues when decoding text.
Spelling Words March 24-27:
1. I’ll 2. you’re 3. we’ve
4. you’ll 5. isn’t 6. I’ve
7. can’t 8. I’m 9. didn’t
10. it’s 11. couldn’t 12. they’re
13. wouldn’t 14. what’s 15. wasn’t
Spelling Words March 31-April 4:
1. she’ll 2. he’s 3. what’s
4. don’t 5. hasn’t 6. that’s
7. he’ll 8. weren’t 9. doesn’t
10. aren’t 11. there’s 12. he’d
13. who’s 14. haven’t 15. where’s
*Reading
2.RL.4 Describe how words and phrases supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.
2.RI.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.
2.RI.9 Compare and contrast the most important points presented by two texts on the same topic.
*Listening/Speaking
2.SL.4 Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts
and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.
*Writing
2.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.
2.W.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations).
2.W.8 Recall information gathered from experiences or gather information provided form sources to answer a question.
*Language/Conventions
2.L.1 Demonstrate command of conventions of Standard English Grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
*Language/Vocabulary
2.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown or multiple-meaning words and phrases based on Grade 2 text.
2.L.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
Language Arts Academic Vocabulary:
Information, research, opinion, information, exposition, main idea, detail, compare, contrast, revise, edit, possessive, contraction
Language Arts Domain Specific Vocabulary:
Chrysalis, larva, larvae, life cycle, butterfly
(Language Arts information from:
San José Unified School District Curriculum, Instruction & EL Services PreK-5 ELA 2nd Grade Curriculum Map aligned to the Common Core State Standards page 59 of 112 SJUSD/Div. of Curriculum, Instruction & EL Services, PK -¬‐5:Albarrán/Lax/Petkiewicz/SJUSD 2nd Grade CCSS Cohort Version: November, 2013)
Math
Unit 10 Adding Whole Numbers
Lesson 6.5; Place Value and Base Ten Review
Enduring Understanding: A variety of Strategies can be used to solve any problem
Essential Questions: Does order matter when you’re adding? How can strategies and the order of numbers help you solve problems?
Unit 11:Adding and Subtraction Whole Numbers With Regrouping
enVision Topics 9 and 10; Investigations Units 8:3 and 8:4
Purpose/Focus:
The purpose of this unit is to give students time to work toward fluency when adding and subtracting numbers within 100. Fluency means accuracy, efficiency, and flexibility. The standard calls for students to use pictures, strategies, and standard algorithms to find the solution. Students who struggle with this may benefit form using concrete objects such as place value blocks. Students must understand the situation before they will be able to solve problems.
*Students will: Solve one and two step word problems, explain why addition and subtraction strategies work, and fluently add and subtract within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.
Common Core Standards:
2.OA.1
2.NBT.5
2.MBT.9
Standards for Mathematical Practice
MP 3
MP 4
MP 5
(Math information from:
San Jose Unified School District Curriculum, Instruction & EL Services PreK-5 2nd Grade CCSSM Scope and Sequence SJUSD Division of Instruction –Albarrán/ Lax/ Petkiewicz / Centeno / SJUSD 2nd Grade CCSS Cohort Page 23 of 47.
Created and modified from original work with permission from the Dana Center, University of Texas, Austin June, 2013)

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Parent News for the Week of February 24-28, 2014

 

Welcome back to school!

This week, we will be reviewing Theme 4: Amazing Animals, finishing our unit on linear measurement, and working hard on our writing and reading while learning more about President’s Day and the two presidents whose birthdays the holiday commemorates: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Below you will find some links to extend your learning about this week’s topics.

 

Upcoming:

-CPAA Benchmark administration for grades K-2 is scheduled for this week.

-Butterfly unit begins first week in March!

-Report cards and conferences March 13 and 14. Information about conferences and report cards for Ms. Seyan’s class will go home Monday, March 3rd.

-Read Across America Week begins March 2, 2014; Read Across America Day is March 3, 2014.

 

Links:

Social Studies:

National Geographic Kids video about Abraham Lincoln.

Mr. Nussbaum’s Abraham Lincoln site for kids

-Mr. Nussbaum’s George Washington site

National Geographic Kids’ Fun President Facts

-Picture and description of Mount Rushmore

Math:

PBS Kids’ Measurement Games for Kids

-FunBrain Measure It!

Reading (Phonics):

-Long Vowel Games

Two Vowel Word Game on Starfall

-Mrs. McKay’s Second Grade Weebly with links to vowel team songs on YouTube!

Read Across America:

-Read Across America on Seussville

Read Across America web home

The National Education Association’s information page for adults

 

Language Arts

 

 Unit: 4 Point of View

 

How do readers note characters’ different points of view when reading dialogue aloud? How do readers identify the author’s point of view? How does an author support his/her viewpoint? The main purpose of point of view is for the reader to gain a deeper understanding of what message the author is relating in the text.

 

Unit Overview:

 

Students will use what they learned about close  reading and delve even deeper into texts by acknowledging that characters have differing points of view and a unique voice. As they think about point of view, they will need to determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text.

 

 *Reading- Read and listen to literary texts, including short stories or a novel, as well as science and social studies informational and functional texts and/or speeches.

 

 *Listening/Speaking- Ask and answer questions to get help, information or clarification. When speaking, students will be able to tell a story or recount an experience with facts and relevant details in an audible voice. As they identify the different points of view expressed by characters, they will learn to speak in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.

 

 *Writing- Continue to develop their skills with informative/explanatory pieces, as well as narratives. In addition to these, they will write opinion pieces on topics or texts supporting a point of view with facts, details, linking words and a conclusion.

 

 *Vocabulary- The vocabulary focus for the unit is using context clues as well as continued work on structural analysis specifically prefixes, roots and compound words. Glossaries and dictionaries should be used to help clarify meanings and phrases.

 

Spelling Words

 

 

1.   smart

2.   party

3.  park

4.   store

5.   short

6.  think

7.  sand

8.   thing

9.  drink

10. drank

11. cold

12. boat

13. blow

14. toe

15. vote

 

Language Arts Academic Vocabulary:

 

opinion, exposition, narrative, main idea, detail, revise, edit, possessive, contraction

 

Language Arts Domain Specific Vocabulary:

 

 (Language Arts information from:

 

San José Unified School District Curriculum, Instruction & EL Services PreK-5 ELA 2nd Grade Curriculum Map aligned to the Common Core State Standards page 59 of 112 SJUSD/Div.  of  Curriculum,  Instruction  &  EL  Services,  PK -­5:Albarrán/Lax/Petkiewicz/SJUSD  2nd Grade  CCSS  Cohort Version:  November,  2013)

 

 

Math

 

 Unit 7: Exploring Measurement

Topic 11: Linear Measurement

 

 Purpose/focus:

The purpose of this unit is for students to measure the length of objects in customary (inches and feet) and metric (centimeters and meters) units. Students should have ample experiences choosing objects, identifying the appropriate tool and unit, and then measuring the object. The teacher should allow students to determine which tools and units to use.

 

 Vocabulary:

 

length; measure; unit; inch; centimeter; yardstick; meter stick, estimate

 

Common Core Standards:

 

(2.MD.1)

 

Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.

 

(2.MD.3)

 

Estimate the lengths of objects using inches, feet, centimeters, and meters. Students should make estimates after seeing a benchmark unit, such as the length of one inch, before making their estimate.

 

Standards for Mathematical Practice

 

MP5: Use appropriate tools strategically.

 

Use available tools recognizing the strengths and limitations of each. Use estimation and other mathematical knowledge to detect possible errors. What estimate did you make for the solution? Why was it helpful to use…?

 

MP6: Attend to precision.

 

Calculate efficiently and accurately. What would be a more efficient strategy? How are you showing the meaning of the quantities?

 

(Math information from:

 

San Jose Unified School District Curriculum, Instruction & EL Services PreK-5 2nd Grade CCSSM Scope and Sequence SJUSD Division of Instruction –Albarrán/ Lax/ Petkiewicz / Centeno / SJUSD 2nd Grade CCSS Cohort Page 23 of 47.

Created and modified from original work with permission from the Dana Center, University of Texas, Austin June, 2013)

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

For Families: Online Resources for Summer Learning

June 13, 2013

Dear Families,

Did you know that studies have shown that students lose about 26% of their knowledge gains during the summer vacation if they don’t practice what they learned that year? The antidote to “Summer Slide” is to keep learning all summer long!

Here are some online resources to support your efforts to keep your children from experiencing  that “Summer Slide”. Online and indoor activities can’t replace camps, family activities,  time in nature, and of course reading (ideally, 35 minutes per day). Study skills honed by pursuing appropriate online activities and quiet seat work, such as Summer Bridge workbooks, are crucial for academic success, however. Aside from maintaining knowledge gains, summer learning activities simply help maintain the study good habits learned in school.

Please check these safe sources out and let me know what you think:

1. San Jose Public Library Kids’ Page. Kids’ catalog, events, and games! Lots of games.

2. Khan Academy. If your child is going to private summer school or studying virtually anything this summer, Khan Academy can help.

3. National Geographic Kids. Science and nature!

5. The American Museum of Natural History’s Science Website for Kids. Visually interesting and informative.

6. San Francisco Symphony Kids’ Website. For “Fun With Music” and to explore what the A-3 All Stars learned with Miss Gail this year!

7. Cool Math 4 Kids. Extremely colorful and kinetic web design; lots of activities.

8. Tumblebooks. Read books online through the San Jose Public Library. Kids may also: Watch informative videos, learn a language, read along with a recording, play lots of educational games, and store their favorites on MyCloud so they can retrieve their booklist from any computer in the world. This is an exciting, FREE resource, and  I encourage all families to explore and use it! Note: Your child will need a library card.

This is only a start! Please keep checking back for this summer for more ideas, announcements, links, and projects.

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized