Dec. 13, 2025

Hello 1A Parents,

I began a new ELA Knowledge module introducing students to the development of early civilizations!!  We’ve been learning how people of Mesopotamia started farming, established cities and government, and even created writing and religion.   Their Great King, Hammurabi, created the use of canals and 282 laws (the Code of Hammurabi).  We learned that their writing style, cuneiforms, was symbols pressed into clay!  

 This week, we will begin learning about life approximately 1,000 years later when King Nebuchadnezzar ruled Babylon.  We will hear about the “Hanging Gardens of Babylon”!

We did have our first Spelling quiz and the kids did GREAT!  I incorporate hunks and chunks (letters that make one sound) into our ELA Skills and it really helps students learn sounds/ spellings.

We are comparing many different items by height and length in Math.  I have begun teaching students to actually measure with the unit of centimeter cubes.  This week, we will begin using centimeter sticks (a group of 10 cubes).

Weekly Highlights:

• Ask your child if they know why we decorate evergreens at Christmas.  Also see if they can tell you the country that this originated from.

• We learned a Greek name for Mary, Mother of God.  See if they remember the name.  (Theotokos)

• Your child knows what a Christmas cracker is and the country that it came from.  Maybe they could make some at home! 🙂 (They may ask if you can hide a coin in foil and bake it in a cake, etc. like Christmas pudding.)

Religion - decade rosaries; Adoration; Mary (the New Eve); the Annunciation; How can we say YES to God?

Math -  measure objects with centimeter cubes and sticks (groups of 10 cubes); show measurements in sticks/ cubes; Math facts+/-

S.S. - Christmas around the World 

ELA Skills -  Spelling words: frog, moth, quote, spoon, tooth, wood, took, *why; new hunk and chunk“oo” sound as in hook, Tricky words:  could, should, would; introduce verbs; summarizing stories (title, characters, setting, plot, lesson)  ; reader

ELA Knowledge - vocabulary words:  religion, caravan; learning about religion (polytheistic) in Mesopotamia 

Author - Christmas books

I hope that you are enjoying the Winter Wonderland outside!!!  Stay safe and warm!! 🙂

Mrs. Greer