Vol.

16 January 29th , 2014

LaZarre Ledger
Contact me at clazarre@icsd.k12.ny.us
Stay arm!

" ho#e e$eryone stayed sa%e and &arm last ednesday. " thou'ht %or sure &e(d ha$e school 'i$en the ne& district trans#ortation #olicy that allo&s children to &ait inside until the )us arri$es. " 'uess * 2+,- &ind chill is a )it too e.treme e$en %or us "thacans! ASSESSMENT: /ast &eek &e had t&o district assessments. " read one0on0one &ith each child to 'et a mid0year instructional readin' le$el. 1 stron' le$el %or second 'rade mid0year is / and a)o$e. 2ur end o% year tar'et is 3 or 4. 1n instructional le$el is a le$el sli'htly harder than inde#endent )ut not so hard that it im#edes &ith com#rehension. e also had our &ritin' assessment, &here e$ery child had to &rite a com#lete o#inion #iece &ithin an hour, &ithout any 'uidance. 5 WRITING6 7his &eek &e started talkin' a)out and #lannin' an o#inion #iece re'ardin' our %a$orite #lace in the community. 8ids 'ot $ery e.cited a)out choosin' and &ritin' a)out their %a$orite s#ot, %rom Vi$a 7a9ueria, to Cass :ark, to the S:C1. 7his is #art o% a lar'er 2 nd ;rade Community <lo' :ro=ect that started a %e& years a'o. "t has )ecome a South >ill ?and <elle Sherman@ 2nd 'rade rite o% #assa'e. Children &ill &rite a Are$ie&B o% their %a$orite "thaca #lace usin' #ersuasi$e lan'ua'e. 7hey &ill #roo%read, edit and then in 1rt, create a )eauti%ul accom#anyin' illustration usin' crayons and &atercolors. e &ill ty#e these u#, scan the #ictures and #ost them on to our $ery o&n South >ill Community <lo'. " told kids that e$eryone in the &orld &ho has access to the internet &ill )e a)le to read and comment on their )lo's! 7he )est #art comes &hen all the kids are a)le to #ost res#ect%ul comments on each others( )lo' entries. MATH: 7his &eek and #ast &e did all sort o% measurin' acti$ities %ocusin' on distance and usin' Customary and 3etric units. Su%%ice to say a %e& kids &ere 9uite sur#rised that the CS hasn(t cau'ht on to the metric system. A"t(s so much easier!B they chimed. " a'ree! 4e.t &eek &e &ill re$ie& skills and strate'ies co$ered on the district mid0year math assessment. 7hat &ill )e 'i$e the %ollo&in' &eek. SOCIAL STUDIES: 7his &eek &e continue our Communities unit )y learnin' )asic ma# skills. 7his &eek " sho&ed kids the ma# that all 1merican children ha$e had in their classrooms %or a hundred years, the 3ercator #ro=ection. 7his ma# is 'reat %or na$i'ational #ur#oses ?as it &as created at a time &hen na$i'ators &ere sailin' on the oceans in &ooden, &ind0#o&ered shi#s@. <ut the 3ercator #ro=ection creates increasin' distortions o% size as you mo$e a&ay %rom the e9uator. ;reenland, at the 4orth :ole, a##ears to )e the same size as 1%rica. Des 1%rica(s land mass is actually 14 times )i''er! 7his #ractice results in the 4orthern >emis#here

a##earin' much lar'er than it really is. So today " un%urled my ne&ly #urchased :eters :ro=ection 3a#, a much more realistic #ortrayal o% size distri)ution o% the continents. 7o me, it is much more res#ect%ul o% others continents and countries. 4orth 1merica is not in the middle, nor is 1sia s#lit u#, nor is Euro#e seen as lar'e as 1%rica. 7he students &ere actually 9uite en'a'ed in this discussion and &ere a)le to com#are and understand. " also turned the ma# u#side do&n, =ust to sho& them there is no reason &hy south can(t )e Au#B and $ice $ersa. FE1G"4;6 "n 'rou#s &e are readin' some e.cellent non0%iction )ooks a)out di%%erent communities ?rural, su)ur)an and ur)an@ as &ell learnin' a)out di%%erent roles in the community, 'oods and ser$ices and hel#in' others. 2ne 'rou# is readin' an insi'ht%ul )ook on &hat it must ha$e )een like li$in' in the time o% the Jim Cro& la&s. >a$e a 'reat three day &eekend! arm Fe'ards, Carrie /aHarre

7raditional 3ercator :ro=ection 3a#. 4otice the &estern )ias. 7he human eye 'enerally %ocuses on the center and to# o% a #icture, thus 'i$in' the distorted northern and &estern landmasses a #erce#tion o% 'reater im#ortance.

7he :eters :ro=ection is a much %airer re#resentation o% our Earth in ma# %orm. 4ote the addition o% 1ntarctica, the increased size o% 1%rica and the o)$iously smaller land masses o% 4orth 1merica and Euro#e. Check out 1sia!

Choice 7ime :hoto 7ime

7&o architects are )etter than one.

1rt is serious )usiness!