This Week...

September 8- September 12, 2014

Reading:  Students read our main selection, Dear Juno.  In order to find out character traits, students found text evidence to support their ideas.  They learned that Juno was a clever young boy by analyzing his actions throughout the story.  We also discussed various nonfiction text features and their importance to the reader.  Students created a visual representation of the text features, including: captions, the table of contents, boldface words, photographs, and the glossary.  Headings, charts, subheadings, and diagrams were also analyzed and discussed.  We continued to practice using context clues to figure out unknown vocabulary. Reading Logs are due Monday, September 15.  (100 minutes)

Math: Students utilized number grids to find differences between various numbers.  They practiced using calculators to solve “change-to” problems where a number is given and needs to be changed to a new number.  Students were responsible for figuring out how to get to the new number using a variety of operations.  As a class, we learned the importance of knowing our basic facts during the game “Beat the Calculator”.  Money concepts were also reviewed at the end of the week.  Students wrote different amounts in dollar-cents notation.  Our unit 1 math test will be on Thursday, September 18.  A review guide will be going home next week.

Social Studies:  Students learned how to use a physical map to determine various landforms across the country.  They also learned how to use map scales to find accurate distances from one place to another.  By using a ruler to measure the distance in inches, students were able convert that measurement to determine the actual distance in miles.  At the end of the week, students practiced reading a community map.

Writing:  We started our writing program: The Writer’s Express (WEX)!  Students enjoyed learning about the writer’s mindset, the rules for writing, and how to “show” readers with their words.   We also discussed how to share our work and provide positive feedback to classmates.  In grammar, we differentiated between exclamations and commands.

Spelling/Cursive: We took our week 2 spelling test.  In cursive, students practiced the letter “i”.

Miscellaneous:  We had another great week!  On Tuesday, we had the wonderful opportunity of attending the Music for Youth concert.  By watching peers play the violin and cello, students were able to see if this experience was something they would like to do in the future.  Next week, our class will be taking the MAP tests in the areas of reading and math.  An informational letter went home today specifying dates and times.  Just a reminder, book orders are due on September 26.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and please let me know if you have any questions!