This Week...

April 16- April 20, 2018

Reading:  We continued our study of poetry!  Students figured out how poets utilize white space and line breaks to help the reader understand the message.  We also discussed the importance of reading a poem “start to finish”.  Students determined the meaning of a poem after each stanza.  They learned that it is necessary to read a poem in its entirety to truly understand the meaning.  Finally, students analyzed a poet’s style by comparing and contrasting poems by the same author. Reading Logs are due Monday, April 23.  (100 minutes)

Math:  At the beginning of the week, we spent time reviewing important concepts from unit 11.  The unit 11 test went home today and should be signed & returned on Monday.  We also started unit 14!  This unit will focus on fraction concepts.  A family letter explaining the topics went home on Thursday.  Students learned that fractions can represent part of a whole or part of a set.  Unit fractions and like fractions were discussed.  Students also learned important terms like “numerator” and “denominator”.

Social Studies:  We discussed the history behind the settlement of Chicago, including Jean Baptiste Pointe Du Sable, our city’s founder.  Students also read a real diary account, preserved from the Chicago Historical Society, written by a woman living at Fort Dearborn back in the 1800s.  Students discovered interesting problems Chicago had when it was first formed and how transportation transformed the city of in the late 1800s.  Students also learned what the symbols on the Chicago flag stand for and why it’s an important part of our city’s history.

Writing:  In celebration of Earth Day, students created projects based on Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax.  They were each able to “speak for” something in nature that needs protection.  In WEX, students used showing details and strong verbs to write about their character doing an activity in the kitchen.  They also completed a revision assignment where they added more showing details to a section in their writing.  In grammar, students learned about helping verbs.

Word Study:  This week, students focused on making plural nouns by following certain rules.  They learned that words that end with a consonant and an “o” require an “es” at the end.  They also learned that words that end with a vowel and an “o” require just an “s” at the end.  They completed a word sort to practice these ideas.

Miscellaneous:  On Thursday, students participated in an evacuation drill to practice what we would do if there was a fire in the building.  As the weather continues to change, please be sure your child has appropriate attire for outdoor recess…thank you!  As always, please let me know if you have any questions.  Have a fabulous weekend!