Wonder of the Week - What is the Iditarod?

This week our Wonder asks us to consider the following questions:

• What is the Iditarod?
• Where does the Iditarod take place?
• What other jobs do sled dogs have?

I think the Iditarod is a dog sledding race taking place in Alaska. I think sled dogs deliver things like medicine if kids are sick. - Nick C.

I think the Iditarod is dog sledding race that takes place in Alaska. I think sled dogs can pull people places like in the snow. - Kaitlyn M.

I think the Iditarod is a special sled that dogs in Alaska pull and it takes place in Alaska. The special sled will not be too heavy for the dogs to carry so they can get over to places faster in case someone's sleds broke down the dogs could get there faster. - Bradyn M.

I think the Iditarod is a sled. I think sled dogs help people go places to go hunting. - Sawyer A. 

On Wednesday, we will have the big reveal and will learn what this event is all about!

Wonderopolis

Book Clubs!

This week we are beginning a new Unit of Study in Reading Workshop! This Unit focuses on Book Clubs. Over the next three weeks, students will have the opportunity to lead their very own Book Clubs and will discuss topics and aspects of books that are meaningful to them. This week, students will learn and practice what a Book Club should look like (sitting in a circle, looking at the speaker, only having a book in hand), and sound like (one voice at a time, everyone has a chance to speak, adding on to each other’s thinking, addressing classmates using their name).

Next, students will make a plan for their Book Club. As a group, students must decide how much they will read each day and when they will meet to discuss their book. Students will also begin to deepen their thinking about a text by using bookmarks with sentence starters to help generate new ideas to really get the book club conversations going!

Hopefully all of this rich student led discussion in school will lead to some interesting, engaging book-talks at home as well!

Learning About Alaska

Last week we studied Alaskan culture and traditions and compared them to our culture and traditions here in Vermont. For example, in Alaska winter starts in September while here in Vermont we are still wearing shorts in September!

This week we are looking at the environment and geography of Alaska. So far we know that Vermont and Alaska both have mountains but that Alaska’s mountains are much larger than Vermont’s! Check in with your student this week to see what else they are learning!

Wonder of the Week

This week our Wonder ask us to consider Alaska. In Social Studies this week we are learning about Alaskan culture and traditions. Our Wonder helped us get thinking about the environment and size of this interesting state.

Our Wonders this week were:

• How big is Alaska?
• What is the environment like in Alaska?

We think:

I think Alaska is five times bigger than Vermont. I think the environment of Alaska is very cold. I also think there is a lot of snow. - Nick C.

I think Alaska is three times bigger than Vermont. I think the environment of Alaska is very cold and I also think there are lots of mountains there. - Nicole

Now it's time to reveal the Wonder! This video from Wonderopolis should answer our questions!

Celebrations!

On Friday, we had a wonderful time celebrating our positive behavior! As a school, we filled our “Be Respectful” warm fuzzy bin all the way to the top! To celebrate, students enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate! As a class, we celebrated with Ms. LaRose's class. Together we had a “Just Dance” Dance Party! What a great way to celebrate all of our hard work!

Wonder of the Week: Who was Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.?

Next Monday, we have no school for students because of Martin Luther King Day. We all love a day off, but what makes this day so special? For our Wonder this week we are answering the following questions:

• Who was Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.?
• What is segregation?
• What was the Civil Rights Movement?

Some of our ideas so far are:

"I think Martin Luther King was no different than a white person. He was treated like he was different and that he didn't fit in because of his skin color. I think segregation was when black people got on the bus they would have to sit on the back and white people would tell them to get up and give up their seats." - Kaden

"I think Doctor Martin Luther King wanted freedom so that white people didn't always have the better stuff. I think it's really not fair to the black people because they didn't get to go in the bathrooms or sit down on the bus." - Tucker

"I think that Doctor Martin Luther King Jr, stopped the way that the black people had to sit at the back of the bus and made it fair so that everyone had to share their seats so that they could all sit instead of the white people having their own seats." - Josh L.

Wonder of the Week

"Do you like to stay up late on New Year’s Eve? Counting down to midnight is a longstanding tradition that many families share. There’s nothing quite like welcoming the new year at its very start in the company of good friends and family members."

• How do you celebrate the New Year? What traditions does your family have?
• What is your New Years Resolution?

"I celebrate the New Year by staying up and watching Harry Potter with my family. My New Year's Resolution is to play with my sister everyday." - RB

I celebrate the New Year by having a big feast, this is our tradition because we do it every year. My New Year's Resolution is to spend more time with my family." SL