This Week...

February 20- February 23, 2018

Reading:  We continued reading various books about forces!  Students learned that it’s important to use strategies when faced with difficult, content vocabulary.  We utilized a S.E.E.D. graphic organizer to help us understand challenging words.  Students found Sentences that contained the word, wrote Examples, wrote an Explanation of the word, and Drew a picture or connection.  Students also recorded their learning about forces in a KWL chart. Reading Logs are due Monday, February 26.  (100 minutes)

Math:  This week, students learned how to draw bar models to represent information in division story problems.  We started the week focusing on one-step problems and ended the week with multi-step problems.  Students applied their knowledge of basic division facts and long division to help them find the answers.

Science:  Students learned how friction affects the movement of a toy car.  They also learned that when forces are applied with equal strength, but in opposite directions, the object will not move.  At the end of the week, students investigated the force of gravity!

Writing:  In writing, we focused on the importance of correctly sequencing important events.  Students applied this idea to My Name is Maria Isabel.  We also continued reading a few more chapters and discussed new character traits to describe Maria Isabel.  Students supported their thinking with text evidence.  In grammar, students focused on writing verbs in the future tense by using the word “will”.

Word Study:  This week, students learned how to analyze the two parts of compound words to determine their meanings.  They also learned that words can be connected in various ways (same beginning, same ending, etc.).  They created word ladders based on these similarities.  At the end of the week, we read complex words by breaking them apart into syllables.

Miscellaneous:  Information about the West states and capitals went home on Wednesday.  Also, an informational letter about the upcoming PARCC tests went home on Thursday.  Today, students enjoyed celebrating student council’s spirit day: 80’s Day!  As always, please let me know if you have any questions…have a wonderful weekend!