An Inquiry Into Waste: Special Homework Instructions

Sharing the Planet -  An inquiry into waste

The big question: How much waste do we produce?

Process: Students will be given a bag today to collect all of their trash, at home and at school for the following week. Everything that they themselves would normally throw away, except for food waste* is to be collected and carried with them each day back and forth from home to school until next Monday, May 17th. 

Once the trash has been collected, we will examine it closely to see what could be reused or recycled. Let's find out next week, how much trash first-grade students produce in one week!  

*Students should wash any containers that might smell and please only collect things they can count (candy wrappers, bottles, etc.) not things like pencil shavings. 

Homework Reminders

If you are ever pressed for time with homework or it is becoming a struggle, here is the priority and purpose for homework in Grade 1:

1. Reading for 20 mins (this can be independent, reading to someone, or reading with someone, or someone reading to the student). If you only have the time and/or energy for one thing: READ!

• Reading is the most important thing for 6-7-year-olds. Students who read more will have a larger vocabulary, better understanding of the language they are reading in, better reading comprehension skills, and more general knowledge picked up through their various reads.

2. Word Study - either the sort and gluing and after practice the words by writing them, making sentences, or choosing something from the menu.

• Word study helps students become fluent readers with a strong vocabulary and better spellers. Word study isn't about memorizing spelling words but about understanding spelling patterns so they can apply them to any word they want to spell in their writing. 

3. Seesaw - please check weekly to be sure they are caught up in Seesaw. 

• I ask students to reflect in Seesaw at home to solidify and reinforce their learning from school. If I notice a student needs practice with a particular skill I might also assign some practice to help them achieve it. 

4. Maths or anything from Guided Reading

• The purpose of maths homework is to share how we are learning maths in school at home and to help reinforce the concepts. Research has shown little correlation between achievement and homework in the early primary years so this can be saved for last or skipped altogether if there is not enough time or you find it becoming a struggle to get the student to do it at home. Maybe even just give your child the option of picking 2-3 problems on the maths homework and they can return just that. 
• During Guided Reading literacy day, small reading groups read a book together and usually have some practice related to that (finding the main idea, comprehension questions, etc.). This is not necessary to return to me unless you want me to check it. If the student seems interested, it is wonderful and helpful to do it together. Otherwise, please feel free to skip.