January/February in Review

Room 13 rang in the New Year with smiles on our faces, happy to be reunited.  We have been working hard and playing hard in the months of January AND February! Read on to find out how.... 

"Far Out" in Space...

We were very immersed in our Solar System Unit both in the Science Lab and in the classroom. We learned about all of the planets and how each planet is unique. We  watched videos, read books, and researched each planet's facts and important information.  In addition, students worked in cooperative groups to research their randomly assigned planet in the computer lab.  They used a variety of websites and books to become experts on their planet.  They have almost finished creating PowerPoints with their research, and we know they will be OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!!! 

Landforms, Landforms, Landforms

Room 13 has been hard at work, learning about the different types of landforms in our world.  We have read books, researched the internet, watched movies, and participated in a variety of activities to immerse ourselves in the different landforms we see or know of.  Soon, students will start to create a project (which they will chose) to demonstrate their knowledge of their researched landform.  Project styles include; a mini model of their landform and using the Show Me app, students will embed a picture of the landform and narrate their landform's characteristics. We can't wait to see what they create!

Hero Writing/Letter Fun               

Our last writing unit was very  informative and interesting.  Students were asked to think of a person that inspires them-either from their family, school, or community.  Your children then researched this important person by conducting an interview.  We  asked students to think about why their person is important and how they are inspired. We then took all the information gathered and wrote a letter explaining to others why this person is a TRUE hero.  Shout out to Mrs. Colucci for being Team Marsen's model and hero! Your work continues to inspire US each day! A key component we focused on this unit was adding in your opinion.  We felt it was very important for students to form opinions and support their thinking during this unit.   Have a conversation with your child about who inspires them and why! Next up.....Fairy tales!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are so excited for this unit, because it promotes creativity and out of the box thinking. 

Measurement Matters!                   

Our previous unit in math was measurement in meters and centimeters. This unit has given us an opportunity to have discussions on the two different systems of measurement and why it is important to be familiar with both.  Although this particular unit targets length, we used this opportunity to discuss different kinds of measurement.  We were impressed with the children's knowledge.  We hope that you can take the time at home to discuss measurement when it applies.  We talked about how it is a real world skill that will help the students long after the unit is over. We currently are working on our money unit in math, and are already impressed with our students strong foundation in this subject area. 


Party time/Fun times!
We have had so much to celebrate since returning to school.  Valentines Day, 100th Day of School, Chinese New Year, 50 class compliments, and theJump-a-Thon are all reasons to smile and celebrate.  We truly enjoyed each of these occasions and know the students did too!

We are looking forward to meeting with Team Marsen families, at the end of March, to discuss students' growth this year!

Until next month....stay warm!