2nd/3rd: Week of Apr 21

Math –

Ms. Andrea’s math group is deep into our graphing unit! We made T charts for our favorite weekend day and types of weather in Austin per month. We also made a tally chart and practiced reading a pictograph in which one picture represented 2 students. Next, we shifted our focus to surveys. After learning what they are, the Betas polled their peers, recorded data and analyzed their results. We devoted time to analyzing various graphs and drawing all sorts of information from them. And, we learned LOTS of new graphing games!

Ms. Kelly’s crew has been hard at work exploring and practicing equivalent fractions! We’ve used a variety of strategies—drawing models, working with fraction bars, and plotting on number lines—to build a strong understanding of what makes fractions equivalent. Each activity helps bring these tricky concepts to life, and our mathematicians are making great progress!

Reading –

Ms. Kelly’s spelling group is diving into prefixes this week—specifically re- and un-. We’ve explored their meanings and how adding a prefix can completely change the meaning of a base word. Through both fiction and nonfiction texts, we’ve identified these prefixes in context, built new words, and even tackled some impressively long words that contain both prefixes and suffixes. By breaking them into syllables, students are becoming more confident, fluent readers—one word part at a time!

Ms. Andrea’s spelling group studied spelling patterns that produce the long o sound this week. In addition to the classic silent e rule, there’s the open syllable rule we learned earlier this year, as well as ow, oe, and oa.

Book clubs are getting creative! The brand new Eerie Elementary group was asked to crumble a piece of paper and describe its appearance and feel. Meanwhile, the Bunnicula group made posters for a “Found Bunny.” 🐰

Writing –

This week, our Beta writers made fantastic progress on their space-themed nonfiction books! We’ve officially completed the final drafts of our covers, table of contents, and introductions— and now we’re diving into the heart of our books: the main body of information. These books are truly coming to life, and we can’t wait to share them at PoP!

Theme –

This week, we dove into the exciting world of astronaut training and discovered just how much preparation goes into blasting off into space! First things first—education! Astronauts must attend college and study a science-related field, work in that field for several years, learn the Russian language, and be able to repair and maintain all kinds of equipment aboard the International Space Station—even the toilets!

Our own Beta astronauts began their training by focusing on physical fitness. We learned that without regular exercise, astronauts’ bones become fragile and their muscles weaken in space. To prevent that, we powered through a mini astronaut-approved workout circuit: squats, pushups, sit-ups, bear walks, and crab walks got our blood flowing and lungs working hard. We’ve got to be in top shape to explore the planets next week!

But that wasn’t all—we also trained our fine motor skills, just like real astronauts who perform intricate maintenance tasks during spacewalks while wearing bulky gloves. Beta partners tackled small, detailed challenges using oversized work gloves, such as picking up coins, linking tiny chains, and buttoning shirts. It wasn’t easy, but we were up for the challenge!

To cap off the week, we took a creative spin on space exploration—by adding our astronaut selves into a cosmic art masterpiece. We may not be boarding a rocket (yet!), but we’re definitely reaching for the stars!