During Unit 1 of this module, your child will look at different aspects of tools and work. By the end of the module, your child will be able to participate in a discussion around the module guiding question: “What do we need to make magnificent things?” I am writing today to explain what your child will be learning, describe the activities that will support this learning, and suggest how to support this learning at home. At the end of our deep study, we will celebrate all of your child’s learning!
Your child will begin to study the topic of tools and work with a focus on learning about tools and the jobs they do. The learning will be focused on these ideas:
Tools make our lives easier by helping us do work.
There are different types of tools for different types of work.
Your child will also practice these reading foundation skills:
Identify and write the sound for most consonants and vowels
Segment (break apart) the individual sounds of spoken, one-syllable words, and blend them back together
Decode (read) and encode (write) regularly spelled, one-syllable words
Throughout the unit, your child will read, think, listen, talk, write, and ask questions about the topic of why we need tools. Your child will participate in these activities, among others, to build their literacy skills:
Listening to read-alouds of a variety of texts about tools
“Tool Challenges” to decide which tool is best for a job
Singing songs about tools
Engaging in conversations with classmates
Working with tools to practice and try them out
Writing and drawing about why we need tools
Here are a few activities that you can do at home with your child to support his or her learning:
Ask your child to talk with you about this question: Why do we need tools?
Read books and sing songs about tools from home or at the library.
Identify different types of tools around your home, explain the job they do, and help your child learn how to use them.
Encourage your child to read the weekly Decodable Student Reader or a letter book to you every night.
Practice reading and spelling regularly spelled, one-syllable words with the middle vowel sound /a/. For example: “pat,” “chat,” and “tap.”
During Unit 2 of this module, your child will continue to look at different aspects of tools and work. By the end of the module, your child will be able to participate in a discussion around the module guiding question: “What do we need to make magnificent things?” I am writing today to explain what your child will be learning, describe the activities that will support this learning, and suggest how to support this learning at home. At the end of our deep study, we will celebrate all of your child’s learning!
Your child will begin to study “habits of character”—a different kind of tool that comes from inside to help us get work done. Your child will learn about initiative (asking questions and taking action), collaboration (listening to others’ ideas and working together nicely) and perseverance (continuing to try even when something is hard). The learning will be focused on these ideas:
Habits of character are behaviors that everyone can use to learn and do work
People show initiative, collaboration, and perseverance through their words and actions.
Your child will also practice these reading foundation skills:
Identify and write the sound for most consonants and vowels
Segment (break apart) the individual sounds of spoken, one-syllable words, and blend them back together
Decode (read) and encode (write) regularly spelled, one-syllable words
Throughout the unit, your child will read, think, listen, talk, write, and ask questions about habits of character. Your child will participate in these activities, among others, to build their literacy skills:
Listening to the books The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires and The Little Red Pen by Janet Stevens and Susan Crummel Stevens being read aloud
Practice using habits of character as they engage in a set of group challenges
Here are a few activities that you can do at home with your child to support his or her learning:
Ask your child to talk with you about the following question: How do habits of character help you do work?
Tell a story to your child about a time you showed initiative, perseverance, or collaboration.
Encourage your child to read the weekly Student Decodable Reader or a letter book to you every night.
Practice reading and spelling regularly spelled, one-syllable words with the middle vowel sound /u/. For example: “cut,” “shut,” and “up.”
During the last unit of this module, your child will apply his or her knowledge of tools and work to create magnificent things, write about them, and participate in a discussion around the module guiding question: “What do we need to make magnificent things?” At the end of this unit, your child will be sharing his or her work and we will celebrate all of the learning our class has done throughout Module 1!
Your child will conclude the study of the topic of tools and work by making an item for the classroom. The learning will be focused on the ideas below. Your child will need to work with a team to complete the project before jumping into learning how to write about his or her experience.
People use tools and habits of character to do work.
People can communicate their work through writing.
Your child will also practice these reading foundation skills:
Identify and write the sound for most consonants and vowels
Segment (break apart) the individual sounds of spoken, one-syllable words, and blend them back together
Decode (read) and encode (write) regularly spelled, one-syllable words
Throughout the unit, your child will read, think, listen, talk, write, and ask questions about habits of character. Your child will participate in these activities, among others, to build their literacy skills:
Working with a small group to plan, create, and revise their magnificent thing for the classroom
Practicing using habits of character as they engage in small groups
Engaging in reflective conversations with classmates
Writing about their magnificent things
Ask your child to talk with you about the following question: How are you creating your magnificent thing for the classroom?
Invite your child to name the tools and habits of character being used during work around the house (e.g., cooking, cleaning, fixing).
Encourage your child to read the weekly Student Decodable Reader or a letter book to you every night.
Practice reading and spelling regularly-spelled, one-syllable words with the middle vowel sound /i/. For example: “pit,” “chip,” and “bib.”
Books to check out or you can type in their name and the word read aloud to see if it a read aloud on YouTube or sora.
Tools
Morris, Ann
The Most Magnificent Thing
Spires, Ashley
The Little Red Pen
Stevens, Janet and Crummel, Susan Stevens
A Chef's Tools
Strauss, Holden
My Math Toolbox*
Allen, Nancy Kelly
I Use Science Tools
Hicks, Kelli L.
Tool School
Holub, Joan
Brush of the Gods
Look, Lenore
Building Our House
Bean, Jonathan
Chopsticks
Rosenthal, Amy Krouse
Peaceful Piggy Meditation
MacLean, Kerry Lee
Sam & Dave Dig a Hole
Barnett, Mac
Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad
Rumford, James
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Young Readers Edition
Kamkwamba, William and
The Chickens Build A Wall
Dumont, Jean-Francois
The Pencil
Ahlberg, Allan
Tooling Around: Crafty Creatures and the Tools They Use
Jackson, Ellen
Tools Rule!
Meshon, Aaron
When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry
Bang, Molly
Whose Tools Are These? (Community Helper Mysteries)
Tourville, Amanda Doering
Whose Tools Are These?: A Look at Tools Workers Use - Big, Sharp and Smooth
Cooper, Sharon Katz
Billions of Bricks: A Counting Book About Building
Cyrus, Kurt
Diggers (Seedlings)
Frisch, Aaron
The Red Pencil
Pinkney, Andrea Davis
Interstellar Cinderella
Underwood, Deborah
Monkey with a Tool Belt and the Noisy Problem
Monroe, Chris
Up! Up! Up! Skyscraper
Suen, Anastasia
The World is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha
Winter, Jeanette