Dear Family,

This week we will explore the question "How can you learn about animals that lived long ago?" We'll begin by reading the biography The Dog That Dug for Dinosaurs. Can you guess what the surprising discovery might be in this story? Then we'll read an informational text called La Brea Tar Pits, where there are more surprising discoveries for us to find!

Your partner in education,
Mrs. Canning

Domain: Earth Science
Lesson Topic: Fossils
Genre: Anchor Text- The Dog That Dug for Dinosaurs (Nonfiction: Biography)
Supplemental Text- La Brea Tar Pits (Nonfiction: Informational Text) 
Essential Question: How can you learn about animals that lived long ago?
Target Vocabulary: discovered, guard, remove, souvenirs, amazed, explained, exact, growled
Phonics and Spelling Skills: Words with oo (book)
Vocabulary Strategy: Shades of Meaning
Comprehension Skill: Fact and Opinion--tell if an idea can be proved or is a feeling
Comprehension Strategy: Question--ask questions about what you are reading
Writing Focus: Opinion Writing--Opinion Paragraph
Grammar Skill: What is an Adverb?
Fluency: Intonation

Activities to Do Together with Your Child at Home:

Vocabulary
See if you can use this week's Target Vocabulary words in sentences that each also contains the word surprise.

Take a Discovery Walk
Take a walk with your child and see if you can make a surprising discovery or two of your own. Talk about what you see as you walk. What surprising discoveries did you make?

Discover a New Book
Make a literary discovery by reading a storybook with your child that you've never read before. Then work together to write a paragraph that tells what you both thought of that book