Dear Family,
During Unit 1 of this module, your student will look at how different people enjoy trees. By the end of the module, students will be able to participate in a discussion about the module guiding question: “How and why are trees important to us and our communities?” I am writing today to explain what your student will be learning, describe the activities that will support this learning, and suggest how to support this learning at home. I hope that you will plan to join us at the end of our deep study to celebrate all of your student’s learning!
WHAT will your student learn?
Students will begin to study the topic of how and why trees are important to us and our communities with a focus on the different ways people enjoy trees. The learning will be focused on these ideas:
There are different ways that people can enjoy trees.
We can learn about different ways people enjoy trees through comparing and contrasting characters in books.
Students 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
HOW will your student learn?
Throughout the unit, your student will read, think, listen, talk, write, and ask questions about the different ways people enjoy trees. Students will participate in these activities, among others, to build their literacy skills:
Listening to read-alouds and comparing and contrasting how characters enjoy trees in a variety of texts. These A Tree for Emmy, and Oliver’s Tree.
Reciting poems about trees
Engaging in conversations with classmates
Closely observing pictures of trees and/or trees in the community
Writing and drawing in their Enjoying Trees journal, Part I
What can you do to SUPPORT your student’s learning at home?
Here are a few activities that you can do at home with your student to support his or her learning:
Ask your student to talk with you about these questions: How do people enjoy trees? What do you enjoy about trees?
Read books and sing songs that show how people can enjoy trees from home or the library.
Create a list with pictures and words of different ways people enjoy trees. Then do those activities with your child.
Encourage your student 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 student will look at where and why people plant trees. By the end of the module, students will be able to participate in a discussion about the module guiding question: “How and why are trees important to us and our communities?” I am writing today to explain what your student will be learning, describe the activities that will support this learning, and suggest how to support this learning at home. I hope that you will plan to join us at the end of our deep study to celebrate all of your student’s
learning!
WHAT will your student learn?
Students will begin to study the topic with a focus on identifying places to plant trees and providing reasons to plant them. The learning will be focused on these ideas:
There are many places and reasons to plant trees.
Trees can provide nice things and help solve problems.
It is important to provide reasons for your opinions.
Students 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
HOW will your student learn?
Throughout the unit, your student will read, think, listen, talk, write, and ask questions about the topic of where and why people plant trees. Students will participate in these activities, among others, to build their literacy skills:
Listening to read-alouds about why trees are nice and how planting trees helped people in Kenya in a variety of texts. These include A Tree is Nice and Mama Miti: Wangari Maathi and the Trees of Kenya.
Singing a song about places trees are planted that also helps them learn about prepositions.
Engaging in conversations with classmates
Closely observing pictures of trees and/or trees in the community
Writing and drawing in their Enjoying Trees journal, Part II
What can you do to SUPPORT your student’s learning at home?
Here are a few activities that you can do at home with your student to support his or her learning:
Ask your student to talk with you about these questions: Where do people plant trees? Why do they plant trees? Where is a good place to plant a tree? What are your reasons for that opinion?
Read books and sing songs about places trees are planted from home or the library.
Observe and draw the trees in your community. Discuss with your student why it is nice or useful to have a tree there.
Encourage your student 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 3 of this module, your student will be considering how to inspire others to appreciate trees. By the end of the module, students will be able to participate in a discussion about the module guiding question: “How and why are trees important to us and our communities?” I am writing today to explain what your student will be learning, describe the activities that will support this learning, and suggest how to support this learning at home. I hope that you will plan to join us at the end of this unit to celebrate all of your student’s learning!
WHAT will your student learn?
Students will begin to study the topic of how to inspire others to appreciate trees with a focus on how trees contribute to our communities. The learning will be focused on these ideas:
Trees contribute many beautiful and useful things to our communities
We can inspire others to appreciate trees through high-quality work
Students 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
HOW will your student learn?
Throughout the unit, your student will read, think, listen, talk, write, and ask questions about the topic of where and why people plant trees. Students will participate in these activities, among others, to build their literacy skills:
Listening to a read-aloud about how planting trees made the world a better place for different communities using the text, We Planted a Tree
Singing songs and reciting poems about trees in preparation for our Celebration of Learning
Engaging in conversations with classmates
Closely observing pictures of trees and/or trees in the community
Creating, revising, and publishing writing and pencil sketches with watercolor that inspires others to appreciate trees
What can you do to SUPPORT your student’s learning at home?
Here are a few activities that you can do at home with your student to support his or her learning:
Help your student to practice typing his or her name on the computer at home or at the library in preparation for our culminating project.
Ask your student to talk with you about this question: How do trees contribute to our community?
Read books and sing songs about trees from home or the library.
Encourage your student 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.”
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.
A Leaf Can Be
Salas, Laura Purdie
Because of an Acorn
Schaefer, Lola M. and Adam
Celebritrees: Historic & Famous Trees Of The World
Preus, Margi
Dear Baobab
Foggo, Cheryl
Luna and Me: The True Story of a Girl Who Lived in a Tree to
Kostecki-Shaw, Jenny Sue
Picture a Tree
Reid, Barbara
Poetrees
Florian, Douglas
Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors
Sidman, Joyce
The Falling Flowers
Reed, Jennifer
The Great Paper Caper
Jeffers, Oliver
The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving
Hopkins, H. Joseph and
Tree of Cranes
Say, Allen
Trout Are Made of Trees
Sayre, April Pulley
Wangari's Trees Of Peace
Winter, Jeanette
A Tree for Emmy
Rodman, Mary Ann
A Tree is Nice
Udry, Janice May
Gus is a Tree
Babin, Claire
Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya
Napoli, Donna Jo
Oliver’s Tree
Chase, Kit
We Planted a Tree
Muldrow, Diane