Reading Workshop:
Cause and Effect, theme, main idea, prefixes, and suffixes are skills we will be working on in the anthology story “What Jo Did”.
Summary of story: Imagine that you could jump as high as a basket ball rim. That’s exactly what Joanna Marie, or Jo, could do. Jo makes new friends when she shows off her talent during a basketball game in which she is the only girl.
Additionally, we wrapped up Sarah, Plain, and Tall. After given some background information on three different novels, students selected their top choices for Sees Behind Trees, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, and Morning Girl. All novels are historical fiction and tie nicely into our social studies curriculum. Ask your child which book they will be reading. Students will be completing a variety of activities that go with the novels and working in small guided reading groups with me. From time to time, students may be asked to read some pages at home.
The Non-Fiction Reports were a success. Students were engaged in their reading and learning about a non-fiction topic. Our goal is to work on a different genre each quarter. The students also presented their reports and evaluated themselves on a notecard. Overall, they did a fantastic job!
**There will be no reading log for December. However, we will have one for January.
Writing Workshop:
During writing time, we are working on the grammar concept of action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs. We have just finished studying adjectives that tell what kind, which one, and how many. Please continue to review common and proper nouns, and adjectives with your child at home. Also, we are beginning a new writing piece that will be published which is a personal narrative on a memorable day or event. Students will work on including characters, setting, problem, and solution. Also, they will focus on the traits of word choice and voice. Figurative language plays an important role in our writing especially similes and metaphors. Students will also need to include a smile and metaphor in their writing as well. We will wrap up quarter 2 with a “how-to” writing piece.
Word Study/Grammar:
This week we are taking a Cycle 6 word study test tomorrow with the skill of adding the suffix –ed. Please have your child review the rules of –ed at home. We will then begin Cycle 7 focusing on the skill of doubling and e drop when adding –ing. If your child passes the preassessment, they are given a unit of Wordly Wise . These are vocabulary building activities. The last activity in the packet is the homework and the first activity is counted as the quiz.
Science:
Students are learning about what the particles of matter look like in a solid, liquid, and a gas. Ask your child to act out for you how these particles move. We learned how water changes into all 3 states of matter in an experiment called “Melt, Boil, and Evaporate.” Students were surprised to see how quickly the temperature can change matter into all 3 states. Cause and effect is not only a skill we are learning in reading, but in science as well. Students are looking for things that cause changes in the states of matter. For example, solids keep their shape because their particles are packed tightly together and vibrate against one another. This week we will study shaving cream and discuss the state of matter of this substance. We will then move into learning about mixtures and solutions. Students will be tested on chapter 5 on December 20th. A study guide will come home the week before the test.
Social Studies:
The Chapter 2 test on will be assessed on Thursday of this week. A study guide will go home today. Students have worked hard taking notes on Ch. 2 on the prehistoric Indians. Prehistoric means “Before written Records”. These Indians include the Paleo, Archaic, Adena, Hopewell, and Fort Ancient people. Students understood how each group made advances in technology as time went by and how at first they were most concerned with finding food and how their values change over time. We also practiced how archaeologists draw conclusions about artifacts that are found and when they find new artifacts they can change history. Finally, we had a very exciting Skype visit with Dr. Wilson of the Aurora Historical Society. She shared the differences between primary and secondary sources and shared many artifacts with the students from Aurora history. It was very exciting. Next, we will discuss Ch. 3 on the historic Indians. Historic means they did leave behind written records. These studies help prepare us for our Natural History Museum visit. Chaperones have been chosen. Thank you for attending with us on this wonderful experience.
Math:
Students have done an excellent job solving smaller multiplication problems, arrays, and working with prime, composite, and square numbers. We will be taking an assessment on Wednesday of this week. A study guide the students fill out will go home today. Also, a parent guide will come home to use to help your child study. Next, we will be moving into solving larger multiplication problems such as double digit by double digit. We will focus on two main strategies of expanded form and the algorithm. Other strategies are accepted as well that are efficient and accurate. Please continue to make sure your child is practicing their facts at home. Thank you for your support!
Dates to remember:
December 14 – Natural History Museum Field Trip – your child needs a completely disposable lunch and drink please.
December 19 – Choir Concert – 6:30 at LES
December 20- Orchestra concert – 6:30 at AHS
December 21- Winter Festival – 2:00-2:45 PM
December 22-January 3 – Winter Break
One piece of log creates a small fire, adequate to warm you up, add just a few more pieces to blast an immense bonfire, large enough to warm up your entire circle of friends; needless to say that individuality counts but team work dynamites. –Jin Kwon
