Making a Statement

Our spelling list for the week was a review of root words and suffixes.  We talked about the rule for adding suffixes that begin with a vowel to root words that end with a consonant following a vowel.  So, the class turned "hop" into "hopping" by adding an extra "p".  The, we reviewed the rule about adding suffixes that begin with vowels to words that end with "e" after a consonant by dropping the "e".  This changed "hope" into "hoping".  We worked through many examples of these.  They used letter tiles to practice spelling different words.

Art-  In art class, we continued to work on our massive rooster collage!  These are looking awesome!  Most of the day was spent tracing and cutting, as they all needed to gather enough hand cutouts to create the body and head.  We will put the body together next time we are in class!

History-  Ms. Allison discussed Julius Caesar from their at home reading.  Then, she taught them about Caesar Augustus.  This leads up to the beginnings of Christianity, which they will begin in the next lessons.  To help the class remember how popular Caesar August was, they made calendars for the month of August, which was named after him.

Math-  Before the break, the class learned how to tell time on an analogue clock.  They created their own clocks, with movable hands, to help them as they worked at home.  Today, we talked about estimating time.  Instead of telling the exact time, they were able to look at the clock and tell what time is was near.  For instance, 8:10 is about 8:00.  They also learned the concepts of "till" and "past" in telling time.

Agriculture- Spring is here!  We reviewed the incubation times and requirements for guineas.  Unfortunately, none of our turkey eggs were fertile, which was due to it being too cold last month.  However, the guinea eggs are progressing nicely, and are due to hatch on Tuesday!  The class took a stroll over to see the pregnant does and their rapidly expanding udders today.  Gretta is due on Tuesday, and June is due on the following Sunday.  We discussed characteristics of mammals, including producing milk for their babies.  The class then learned the proper technique for milking.  It's tricky to master, as just "squeezing" the teat will cause the milk to flow back up into the udder.  You must begin the "squeeze" at the top and work your way down, but without pinching!  We used a glove to demonstrate the process.  It took some practice, but they did a great job by the end of class!

Science- Schoolyard Safari that extended all the way to the zoo.  To prepare for our field trip to the zoo, the kids went on an animal hunt.  They weren't just looking for animals, but they were looking for signs of animals.  They saw a wasp nest, which meant that wasps had been there.  They saw bees, chickens, goats, bugs, cats, and even fish in the fish pond.  The class created a Schoolyard Safari Survey, documenting their findings.  Ms. Caroline had an excellent discussion with the class about each animal and the different habitats in which they are found. 

Language Arts- Before the break, we had discussed the definition of a sentence.  The class also learned about sentences and sentence fragments.  At home, the class learned about the first of four types of sentences: statements.  Today, we discussed statements, and how they simply give us information.  The kids each drew scenes, and then came up with different statement sentences that described their scene.  This was a great way to practice writing complete sentences, using capital letters, and punctuation.  The class also learned a little about fact and opinion.  We worked through a reading exercise, answering whether or not different passages from the story were facts of opinions.