For Social Studies today, Danny and I were to discuss neighborhoods. We were to watch a Brain Pop Jr learning video about homes we find in neighborhoods. These tie into our discussions on community. Additionally, we were to discuss and perform activities related to goods vs. services. We were to read several books highlighting community service based jobs and assess Danny's ability to recall basic community helper positions and tasks we have discussed over the past month.

For Social Studies today, Danny and I were to discuss neighborhoods. We were to watch a Brain Pop Jr learning video about homes we find in neighborhoods. These tie into our discussions on community. Additionally, we were to discuss and perform activities related to goods vs. services. We were to read several books highlighting community service based jobs and assess Danny's ability to recall basic community helper positions and tasks we have discussed over the past month.

After lunch, Danny was not feeling well. His nose was running quite a bit and he was showing signs of fatigue. Instead of our social studies work, we performed some easier language arts activities that coincided with our community helpers theme. We read "Farmer Will" by Jane Cowen-Fletcher, which is a sweet book about a little boy who is an animal farmer. He carries around a toy cow, horse, pig, and sheep and when he brings them outside they magically "stretch out" and become big so that he can play with them. Danny retold the story and we discussed the character's feelings based on the illustrations. We also discussed "magic".
Finally, we read "How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?" by Jane Yolen. We discussed the actions of the dinosaurs and Danny retold the story.

Today we discussed the farmer and their role as a community helper in some communities. We read "Farmers" by Alice K. Flanagan which described the farmer's jobs, tools, and clothes. We also watched the Pebble Go learning automated reader called "Farmers" which taught us about different types of farmers such as dairy and livestock. Additionally, we learned that farmers use computers to help with the business end of farming.
We made our farmers poster to highlight facts we learned today. We wrote that farmers work long hours, use a lot of tools, take care of plants and animals, and provide us with food and milk. Danny assembled and colored an emergent reader, "I See the Farm". This booklet follows a repetitive pattern and names various farm animals, for ex., "I see the cow." This provides for good pre-reading practice. We also heavily focused on Danny using the pronoun "I" instead of "my". He worked really hard to make corrections and we laughed at all of the effort it was taking! This reader was sent home in his backpack for continued practice. We reviewed the auditory and visual discrimination fire-themed activity from the other day to determine if the word begins with the /f/ sound or not. We enjoyed two more fun farm related books today entitled "My First Trip to the Farm" by Katie Kawa and "Dear Dragon Goes to Grandpa's Farm" by Margaret Hillert. Although nonfiction and fiction, respectively, both stories showed life on the farm. In Danny's Social Studies workbook, we completed a "From the Farm to Your Table" in which we sequenced four steps of apples on a farm to a child eating applesauce at her kitchen table. Danny completed a community helpers review quiz today which tasked him with matching 6 community helpers with their respective tools. He did a great job scoring 6/6. We ended our session with a little time on the Starfall app practicing short e and short o words and beginning word sounds.

We began our day with an educational video on Pebble Go.com about Firefighters. This shared with us their duties, clothes, and tools. We then performed a fire themed game in which Danny had to use auditory and visual discrimination to determine if the word started with the /f/ sound or not. This included words like friends, fly, four, duck, and tree. Today's exercise provided introduction and training to this type of task. Visual cues were given to help Danny see the /f/ sound made on the lip. We then read about the community helper the mail carrier in "Working at the Post Office" by Katie Marsico. This book showed us about the various jobs at the post office and all that is involved with moving our mail. Next, we made Danny his very own mail carrier bag! We used two sheets of paper and held them together. Danny then punched holes through both sheets using a single hole puncher. This is a great hand strengthening exercise for handwriting skills. We then laced yarn through the holes which requires concentration as well as hand-eye coordination. Danny then drew a quick picture to deliver to his mom and we put some other envelopes in his mail bag. We cut and assembled the pages in the correct order for an emergent reader entitled "I Deliver the Mail" which used words in the -ail family throughout. This was sent home in Danny's backpack. We then reviewed the mail carrier's role with a poster highlighting that they: bring the mail, take our mail back to the post office, drive the mail truck, work outside and even in the rain and snow. Finally, we watched a short video about The Berenstain Bears "On the Job". In this video, we saw Brother Bear exploring community workers in his town such as a beekeeper, a police officer, and a plumber.

We had an extra busy day in Social Studies today! First, we painted a paper plate red. The plate was cut into a firefighter's hat and after it dried, we added a firefighter badge and Danny wore it for the rest of the afternoon. Since we spoke about the community helper, the firefighter last week, we continued our discussion with fire safety. We watched a Brain Pop Jr learning video about "Fire Safety" in which the characters Annie and Moby taught us about fire drills, alarms, staying low if in a smoky area, and fire prevention. We completed a sorting activity in which Danny had to choose if the picture is "hot" or "not hot". Danny did an awesome job sorting pictures such as a candle, coffee, a book, an apple, a toy, matches, and a stove. We colored and read a fire safety mini-reader. This provides basic fire safety tips for in the home. This reader was sent home in his backpack. Danny completed a worksheet with fire related items in which he had to finish an ABC pattern. We enjoyed a Legoville picture story book called "Around Town" by Victoria Taylor. This provided a nice kids' perspective on community helpers such as mechanics, supermarket workers, road sweepers, zookeepers, police, and the firefighters who put out a fire in the story. To integrate language arts with social studies, we completed a reader book called "Who is the Hero?", which is about firefighters. On each page we completed the sentence by adding each letter needed for the word "who". Danny picked up on the word well and we spelled it on each page. We then went back and practiced reading this sight word in repetitive phrases with pictorial support for early reading development. We then read "Arthur's Pet Business" by Marc Brown. In this story, Arthur provides a service to the community by caring for people's pets. Finally, we ended the day with a little short i vowel practice on the Starfall app. Danny then practiced building words for -ig and -ip. We sounded out each sound in the field of four to find the sound that started the picture presented. Danny was able to find a few of the sounds on his own!

Today we celebrated our community helper, the firefighters! We read a picture rebus nonfiction selection entitled "Firefighter" by Dana Meachen Rau. We also read a rebus poem about firefighters and items they use and wear. Danny then worked very hard on a color by number picture of a firefighter. Next, Danny finished sequencing patterns of firefighter related pictures. We enjoyed a cute story, "Clifford the Firehouse Dog" by Norman Bridwell. Clifford helped save the day along with the firemen at a three-story building! We then made a firefighter poster, highlighting their characteristics by writing: Firefighters are...brave, strong, helpful, smart, and quick. We ended our firefighter activities with coloring and reading an emergent reader called "Fire Truck". We finished the day with a little time on the Starfall Learn to Read app in which Danny echo read short o and short u stories. We also built CVC words to the word families -ug, -en, and -et. With each one, a field of four starting letters is presented along with a picture. Danny was to choose the correct starting sound to spell the word. He was excited to find a few of the right sounds!

Danny and I continued our study of Community Helpers by focusing on the police officer today. We read "Officer Buckle and Gloria" by Peggy Rathman. In this cute story, Officer Buckle performs safety speeches at local schools. The speeches get a lot more exciting when the police dog Gloria becomes his partner. We analyzed the story further by completing a sequence recall worksheet. Danny was to put 6 pictures in the order of which they occurred in the story. I modified the activity to detail two events at a time. This was a little tricky and we worked through the recall on this together. Next, we completed a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the characters Officer Buckle and Gloria and then the two together. We read the traits described and attributed it to the single character or the pair. Danny did a great job with this task. We then read "Dear Dragon Goes to the Police Station" by Margaret Hillert. This book described a little more about the role of a police officer. We then made a police officer poster noting some of their roles as: keep us safe, catch the bad guys, help us, and teach us to be safe. Danny then colored pieces for a policeman's hat and we assembled the pieces. Danny seemed very happy with his hat and was looking forward to showing it to Mommy! We finished the day with a little time on the Starfall Learn to Read app in which Danny echo read some short i vowel and short o vowel stories.

Glencoe World History Textbook © 2010
Unit 1: The First Civilizations and Empires
Today Marcos and I read Chapter 2: Western Asia and Egypt and discussed all of the new information and new vocabulary. We completed the “Check for Understanding” section verbally and looked over Chapter 3. Marcos was on-task more than he was off.

We continued our study of community helpers by reading ,"Veterinarians" by Lucia Raatma. This book addressed items involving veterinarians such as tools and equipment they use, how they help, where they work, what they wear, as well as training and skills needed. We made a poster about veterinarians highlighting their roles in taking care of sick animals, helping animals stay healthy, and helping owners care for pets. We watched a Brain Pop Jr learning video called "Caring for Pets". The characters Annie and Moby showed us about daily care of pets including visiting the veterinarian. Next, we read a nonfiction selection "Zookeepers" by Sarah Tieck. We learned that zookeepers keep areas clean, care for animals, help keep them active, bathe and clean them, and finally train them. We then read "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?" by Eric Carle and Bill Martin Jr. This book talks about a zookeeper hearing the sounds of different animals. The language of the book uses great descriptive hearing words such as braying, hissing, snorting, and growling. Danny then colored a "Zookeeper, Zookeeper, What Do You Hear?" emergent reader version of the story. Danny remained very focused and attentive throughout the entire activity of coloring his book. We worked hard to match the colors of the illustrations in the book. He also greatly enjoyed doing a color-by-number picture of the zookeeper.