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!