This Week...

January 29- January 31, 2014

Reading:  Students practiced going back in the story to find evidence for their answers.  They also compared two different texts and wrote about their similarities in an extended response. Reading Logs are due Monday, February 3. (100 minutes)

Math:  Students reviewed major concepts from unit 6!  Polygons, polyhedrons, rays, lines, and line segments were the main focus.  Students took their unit 6 test today. Xtra Math practice is due Monday, February 3. (3 sessions) If applicable: for students still on addition and subtraction, fact tests and graphs are due Monday, February 3.

Science:  We spent the week reviewing major concepts from the beginning of our light unit.  Students identified light sources and demonstrated how light travels.  Per the students’ request, I sent home directions for making homemade periscopes!  I know many students were excited to try this and to experiment with how light bounces in a periscope.  Next week, we will begin the second part of our light unit which focuses on how various materials respond to light.

Writing:  In writing, students sequenced particular details to describe a moment from My Name is Maria Isabel.  In addition, students were thrilled with the ending as we finished the last chapter of the book!   They responded in a journal entry about their favorite part and added showing details from the text to describe the moment.   In grammar, students continued to review verb tenses.  They also took the January writing words test.

Cursive/Spelling: As a result of the shortened week, we did not have spelling.  We will resume regular spelling and homework next week.  In cursive, students wrote the uppercase “N” and “M”.

Miscellaneous:  The Dryden Book Fair begins next week!  We will be touring the book fair on Tuesday, February 4.  Since we will be having the fair, there will not be February book orders.  The Northeast states and capitals test will be next Thursday, February 6.  Please let me know if you would like additional practice sheets and/or maps.  Just a reminder, our music field trip to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will be next Friday, February 7.  A letter will be home shortly explaining details about the trip.  Also, a Valentine’s Day information letter will be going home early next week.  Please let me know if you have any questions!  Have a wonderful weekend!

School Closing Update!

Wow, this is turning into a winter to remember with these record low temperatures!  Being that we will not have school on Monday and Tuesday, I will be moving our unit math test and light quiz to Friday, January 31.  We will review the material in class on Wednesday and Thursday.  Also, the writing words test will now be on Thursday, January 30.  As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
 
Stay warm & enjoy your weekend!

This Week...

January 22- January 24, 2014

Reading:  Students reviewed key vocabulary from unit 3.  We also continued working on reading extended responses by balancing our ideas with information from the text.  Students used text evidence to support their ideas.  Next week, we will begin unit 4! Reading Logs are due Monday, January 27. (100 minutes)

Math:  At the beginning of the week, students focused on symmetry.  Students learned how to draw the mirror image of an object from the line of symmetry.  They also studied various characteristics of 3-D shapes.  Vertices, faces, bases, and edges were identified on the shapes.  The unit 6 test will be on Wednesday, January 29.  A review guide will be going home on Monday. Xtra Math practice is due Wednesday, January 27. (3 sessions) If applicable: for students still on addition and subtraction, fact tests and graphs are due Wednesday, January 27.

Science:  We discovered that our eyes are not light sources.  Instead, light bounces off objects and then travels in a straight line to our eyes, allowing us to see.  We also had the chance to experiment and explore with periscopes!  Students discovered how light travels and bounces off mirrors in order to reach their eyes.  Our first light quiz will be on Wednesday, January 29.  A review guide will go home on Monday.

Writing:  In writing, students participated in a dialogue relay race!  They worked in teams to create dialogue between characters in My Name is Maria Isabel.  They also identified telling sentences in their writing and completed a revision assignment to add more showing details.  In grammar, students reviewed major concepts from unit 3, including verb tenses and sentence combinations.

Cursive/Spelling: Today, we had our review test.  Next week, we will resume regular spelling and homework.

Miscellaneous:  Our Writing Words test will be on Tuesday, January 28.  This test will cover the words from October, November, and January.  Please let me know if you need additional copies.  As the weather remains quite cold, please be sure your child brings his/her hat, coat, gloves, and scarf to school each day.  Also, please remember to send your child with a water bottle…this is very helpful when students are thirsty during class.  Please let me know if you have any questions…have a fabulous weekend!

This Week...

January 13- January 17, 2014

Reading:  Our theme this week focused on the art of illustration!  Students practiced sequencing events throughout various nonfiction pieces.  We looked for key transition words, such as: “finally”, “next, and “after” to help us determine the order of events. We also were very excited to learn our first signpost!  There will be six signposts that we will learn this year to help us comprehend fiction stories.  Students learned that when you reach a signpost when you are reading, you must stop and think.  Contrasts and contradictions is a signpost that helps us understand why a character starts to act differently.  The students learned they must ask the question, “Why is the character acting this way?”  By asking this question, students can make strong inferences and predictions. Reading Logs are due Wednesday, January 22. (100 minutes)

Math:  At the beginning of the week, students discovered there are 360 degrees in a full turn.  They also took a quiz on the first half of the unit.  At the end of the week, students categorized various triangles.  They learned the difference between right triangles and equilateral triangles.  Isosceles and scalene triangles were also investigated.  They discovered that all triangles have three angles and three vertices.  At the end of the week, students learned how to name various polygons.  Xtra Math practice is due Wednesday, January 22. (3 sessions) If applicable: for students still on addition and subtraction, fact tests and graphs are due Wednesday, January 22.

Science:  Students discovered many different light sources within our darkened classroom.  They learned that a light source must emit its own light.  They also learned that light travels in a straight line by shining a flashlight/laser pointer through a cloudy solution.  At the end of the week, we explored how light bounces off various objects and surfaces.  On smooth surfaces, the light bounces back up to the viewer.  On bumpy surfaces, the light scatters in various directions.

Writing:  In writing, students determined various character traits to describe Maria Isabel.  Based on Maria Isabel’s actions in the story, students developed journal entries about a particular character trait.  They also developed a continuum to show the subtle differences between various verbs.  In grammar, students combined sentences that had the same subject.

Cursive/Spelling:  Today, we had our week 17 test.  We also learned the cursive “A, C, and E”.

Miscellaneous:  Just a reminder, January book orders are due January 24.  The January writing words test will be January 28 and will cover the last three lists (October, November, and January).   Also, there will be no school on Monday or Tuesday.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  Enjoy the 4-day weekend!

This Week...

January 8- January 10, 2014

Reading:  Making journeys was our weekly theme!  Students read nonfiction and fiction pieces about people traveling in different ways.  Our main skill this week was making inferences based on clues we found in the text, as well as our own experiences.  Differentiating between different homophones was also practiced in a variety of activities.  Students are continuing to work hard on figuring out the differences between words that sound the same, but have different spelling and meanings.  Reading Logs are due Monday, January 13. (100 minutes)

Math:  We began unit 6!  A family letter went home this week outlining the major concepts.  Rays, lines, and line segments were a main focus this week.  Students practiced labeling them, as well as finding examples in the real world.  Intersecting lines and parallel line segments were also discovered.  Students practiced drawing and manipulating various angles with straws!  They learned that a square corner is also called a right angle.  We will be having a mini quiz over the first part of unit 6 on Wednesday, January 15.  A review guide will be going home on Monday. Xtra Math practice is due Monday, January 10. (3 sessions)

Science:  Students were very excited to begin the first of many new lessons on light!  In lesson 1, they explored how light moves by experimenting with flashlights and mirrors.  Some of the lessons in this unit will have homelinks (homework) that will need to be returned the next day…thanks for your support at home.

Writing:  Students worked on a New Year’s Resolution writing project!  They developed various resolutions based on four aspects of their lives: home, school, personal, and character.  Students received their January writing words list.  At the end of the month, they will have a test over October, November, and January words.  A list containing all of the words went home today.  Students also participated in a close reading activity with our WEX novel My Name is Maria Isabel.  Students analyzed the text to discover the importance of the main character’s name.   In grammar, students identified the future tense of various verbs and applied quotation marks.

Cursive/Spelling:  Today, we had our week 16 test.

Miscellaneous:  Happy New Year and welcome back!  I hope you all enjoyed a relaxing break with family and friends.  January book orders went home today.  They will be due on January 24.  Have a wonderful weekend…stay warm!

Welcome Back!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable winter break!  Hopefully you were able to stay nice and warm the past few days!  Due to the shortened week, spelling homework will be due on Friday, January 10.  As usual, we will still have a spelling test on Friday.  Please let me know if you have any questions!