This Week...

January 26- January 30, 2015

Reading:  While reading Cook-a-Doodle-Do, students used Venn diagrams to compare and contrast various characters in the story.  We discussed the importance of finding similarities and differences in stories to help us understand the main idea.  We also analyzed idioms and how they can make stories more interesting.  At the end of the week, students participated in a lesson on how to monitor their comprehension.  We identified factors that could break down our comprehension and determined different “fix-up” strategies that we can use when we need help.  Rereading, reading on, accessing background knowledge, and asking questions were just a few of the strategies we discussed and practiced. Reading Logs are due Monday, February 2.  (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 on Thursday.  Please remind your child to be practicing his/her basic facts.  Unit 7 will be focusing on multiplication and division fact extensions, so your child’s knowledge of the basic facts will be extremely important…thank you for your help!

Science:  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.  Students also experimented with various materials to see what happens when light hits objects.  We learned that opaque objects allow no light to get through, translucent materials let some light through, and transparent materials let most light through.

Writing:  Students determined character traits to describe Maria Isabel in various situations.  They were thrilled with the ending as we finished the last chapter of the book!   In grammar, students continued to review verb tenses.  They also took the January writing words test.

Spelling/Cursive:  Today, we had our week 19 test.  In cursive, students wrote the uppercase “C” and “O”.

Miscellaneous:  The Dryden Book Fair begins next week!  We will be touring the book fair on Tuesday, February 3.  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 5.  Please let me know if you would like additional practice sheets and/or maps.  Also, thank you to Alex’s mom for a wonderful art appreciation session on Henri Matisse!  Our class enjoyed making collages based on Matisse’s unique style.  Finally, a Valentine’s Day information letter will be going home early next week.  Please let me know if you have any questions!  Have a great weekend!

This Week...

January 21- January 23, 2015

Reading:  This week, our main focus was how authors use figurative language to convey messages.  We talked about the following poetic techniques: similes, metaphors, and onomatopoeia.  Students learned that similes and metaphors are used to compare two different things in an interesting way.  They learned that onomatopoeia helps readers experience the sounds of the text.  Reading Logs are due Monday, January 26.  (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.  Congruent and similar shapes were discussed and investigated.  Students 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 Thursday, January 29.  A review guide will be going home on Tuesday.

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. Our first light quiz will be on Monday, January 26.  A review guide went home on Thursday.

Writing:  Students worked on identifying the subject and verbs in excerpts from My Name is Maria Isabel.  They also wrote showing details to describe a time when Maria enjoyed an activity or when she disliked an activity.  Students worked on incorporating details from the text to support their ideas.  In grammar, students reviewed major concepts from unit 3, including verb tenses and sentence combinations.

Spelling/Cursive:  Today, we had our review test.  Next week, we will resume regular spelling and homework.  We also wrote the uppercase “C” in our cursive packets.

Miscellaneous:  I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend!  Just a couple of reminders…January 28 will be the January writing words test and book orders are due January 27.  3 “I Wonder” questions are due every Monday.  As always, thank you for your support at home…I truly appreciate it!  Have a wonderful weekend!

This Week...

January 12- January 16, 2015

Reading:  One of our main skills was making inferences based on clues we found in the text, as well as our own experiences.  Differentiating between different homophones was practiced in a variety of activities.  They also worked on 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.  At the end of the week, we read How Many Days to America? By Eve Bunting.  We worked on listening to our inner voices and leaving tracks of our thinking on sticky notes.  We had a wonderful discussion about how we need to listen to our thoughts to help our comprehension. Reading Logs are due Wednesday, January 21.  (100 minutes)

Math:  We began unit 6!  A family letter went home last week outlining the major concepts.  Rays, lines, and line segments were a main focus.  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.  In addition, they categorized various triangles.  They learned the difference between right triangles and equilateral triangles.  Isosceles and scalene triangles were also investigated.  Students learned how to name various polygons and that there are 360 degrees in a full turn.  Today, students took a quiz on the first half of the unit.

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.  Students also 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 (mirror-like reflection).  On bumpy surfaces, the light scatters in various directions.

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.  In WEX, students worked on using sensory details to describe moments.  In grammar, students identified the future tense of various verbs and applied quotation marks.  They also combined sentences using commas and a connecting word.

Spelling/Cursive:  Today, we had our week 17 test.  Next week will be a review week, so there will be no homework.  We also started our uppercase cursive packet.

Miscellaneous:  Happy New Year and welcome back!  I hope you all enjoyed a relaxing break and stayed warm during last week’s cold days.  Just a reminder, January book orders are due January 27.  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!

Newsletter

I hope you all have been staying warm the past few days!  Due to the shortened week, I will be sending home a newsletter next Friday.  It will talk about what we did in class this week and next week.  Thank you!

MAP Testing Information

We are scheduled to take our math MAP test on Friday morning, January 9.