3RD GRADE

The Phantom Tollbooth

Hurrah for Milo! The protagonist of TPT has realized that the world IS an exciting place, full of opportunities to play, learn, and love after all! The 3rd grade students enjoyed this novel unit, and all of the word play it offered!

• Identify a thematic element in a literary work or novel

• Identify and create figurative language: alliteration, metaphors, similes, and idioms

Just So Stories

Origin stories by Rudyard Kipling provide the perfect material for the children to practice their summarizing skills. Students are also going to learn how to identify thematic elements in text. At the end of the unit, the kids will enjoy writing their own Just So stories, and act in a play based on their favorite Kipling classic in March. (Exact date to be announced later this month.)

2ND GRADE Poetry – Figurative language, elements and types of poetry are

the focus during this unit. We will begin with couplets, triplets, and

move on to forms, such as limericks and cinquains. Then, the kids can

start reading classics, like Jabberwocky, The Road Less Traveled, and

Casey at the Bat.

Usually, the LAH kids complete their Fable Unit in the fall, but this

year, we’re working on it during February. The small group is going to

be performing their plays the same day that the third grade LAH

students present their Just So Story play for parents and students in

March. The date will be announced later this month. Objectives:

• Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes,

repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.

• Identify morals and themes in fables

THE NEXT

WORDMASTERS MEET

FOR LIST 2

Thursday, February 21st

Grades 2-5

F E B / M A R C H 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9 M R S . P U M O

No Red Ink

Has your child been working on Noredink? This is a program that allows the LAH students in grades 2-5 to tailor their learning to fit their own interests. Kids work on grammar skills in a way that reminds me of MadLibs and Daily Sentences. Each child has his or her own account, and should work on it at home each week, along with their WordMaster vocabulary words. Thank you for your support!

Westfield Challenge

LAH Jan/Feb – 18/19

THE LOREM IPSUMS

2

4/5 LAH

THE WESTING GAME -MYSTERIES, MURDER, AND CRIME LAB CHEMISTRY

We finished two excellent novels in January – The Graveyard Book and The

Westing Game. And at the end of each book, the children gave a round of applause!

It’s wonderful when young people still can appreciate a story that has characters that are strong in intellect and moral integrity. Activities that the class is going to work on in late January and early February to compliment these books include a Crime Lab Chemistry game from AIMs, in which the kids will dissect a crime scene similar to CSI, complete with suspects, fingerprints, hair analysis, and lab investigations. Students are also going to write mini-mysteries, and complete a literary study of conflict and theme, using an online program, called Storyboard That! This program allows students to create storyboard comics that can showcase their knowledge. Super fun!

Our Shakespeare study is drawing near! The play that we will see in March at CST is “ The Scottish Play,” so we’ll read through the student-friendly version first. Then, we’ll move on to our comedy, which is going to be announced later in February. Along the way, students will write their own sonnets about a topic that they LOVE! (Don’t worry, parents – nothing too heavy in 4th and 5th grade! In the past, students have waxed poetic about everything from soccer to donuts!) Until next time…. Mrs. Pumo

Mrs. Pumo