This Week...

February 25- March 1, 2019

Reading:  We started our Forces and Action reading unit!  We began by focusing on our essential question: How and why do objects move?  Students accessed their prior knowledge of forces by drawing upon their science experiments.  This information sparked new wonders and questions.  Students also 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.  Reading Logs are due Monday, March 4.  (100 minutes)

Math:  This week, we worked on unit 11.  Students learned how to measure mass, capacity, and volume.  They focused on making conversions.  Next week, we will begin unit 13.  Unit 13 focuses on data collection and graphing.

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:  Students spent the week working on their Maria Isabel essays.  They wrote revisions to improve their original pieces.  Then, they completed their editing checklists.  Students made sure they had effective leads, a character trait, and text details.  We discussed the importance of writing complete sentences and checking for clarity.  In grammar, students focused on writing verbs in the future tense by using the word “will”.

Word Study:  We worked on breaking words into syllables by playing the game “Follow the Path”.  We also focused on the meaning of compound words by playing “Battle”.

Miscellaneous:  Students continued working on their Kindness Grid!  It was great to see students showing acts of kindness throughout the day.  March book orders and conference time notices will be going home next week.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  I hope you have a great weekend!

Unit 11 Math

Good Morning!  We will be starting unit 11 today in math.  We will be focusing on two lessons, reviewing on Wednesday, and taking our test on Thursday.  This is a quick unit, so please let me know if you have any questions...thank you!

This Week...

February 19- February 22, 2019

Reading:  We read an article about whether or not elementary school children should have homework.  Students analyzed both viewpoints and then chose a side.  They found evidence in the text to support their position.  Then, they wrote a persuasive essay, which shared their own thoughts and text support.  Reading Logs are due Monday, February 25.  (100 minutes)

Math:  We completed unit 9 and reviewed the unit assessment in class.  We worked on solving multi-step problems with various operations.  At the end of the week, students took a midyear assessment, which covered a variety of topics from the first half of the year.  These assessments will be shared at spring conferences.

Science:  Students worked together to find creative ways to make a toy car move.  They created questions and tested out their ideas with various materials.  While experimenting, students discovered that a force is a push or a pull.  A force must act on an object in order for it to move.  The students’ experiments focused on the four force descriptors: what the force is, what the force is acting on, the direction of the force, and the strength of the force.

Writing:  In writing, we finished reading My Name is Maria Isabel.  Students also began their response to literature essays!  They learned how to create a lead.  They also chose a character trait for Maria Isabel and used text details to describe the moment where she showed that particular trait.

Word Study:  We looked at words with apostrophes.  Students distinguished between contractions and possessive nouns.

Miscellaneous:  Students were excited to start their Kindness Grid this week!  They worked on giving each other compliments, compromising, and cleaning up their own areas.  Thank you to those who donated tissue boxes…we greatly appreciate it!  As always, please let me know if you have any questions.  Have a terrific weekend!

Building Bridges!

Today, students designed and built various bridges!  They acted as engineers as they developed and revised their designs.  Students took notes and tested out the strength of their bridges.

This Week...

February 11- February 15, 2019

Reading:  We reviewed key strategies and skills from our fiction unit.  At the end of the week, students took their fiction unit test.  Students also used their nonfiction reading strategies to read a new Time for Kids issue.  They focused on analyzing different perspectives.  Reading Logs are due Tuesday, February 19.  (100 minutes)

Math:  We continued working on unit 9.  Students practiced drawing the various types of bar models to represent information in number stories.  We focused specifically on multi-step problems.  Students learned to start with the information they know and then build on from that point.  Students took their unit 9 test today.

Social Studies:  Students reviewed important ideas from our Illinois unit by playing Kahoot!  They took their Illinois test on Thursday.  Next week, we will begin our new science unit: Forces and Action!

Writing:  In writing, we focused on the importance of correctly sequencing important events.  Students applied this idea to My Name is Maria Isabel.  Transition words help the reader understand the order of events.  In grammar, students focused on past tense verbs.

Word Study:  We grouped words based on their meanings.  They sorted color words by focusing on shades and objects that were a certain color.  Students also completed word ladders.

Miscellaneous:  Thank you to everyone who made our Valentine’s Day party possible!  The students really enjoyed the celebration!  A special thank you to Aubrey’s mom, Ivan’s mom, and Jeanie’s mom for volunteering at the party.  Also, thank you for all the sweet gifts, cards, and treats…it was so thoughtful, and it truly made my day!   Just a reminder, students do not have school on Monday due to President’s Day.  Enjoy the 3-day weekend and I’ll see you back on the 19th!

Valentine's Day Celebration!

We had a wonderful time celebrating Valentine's Day!  Thank you to everyone who donated supplies for our party.  Also, thank you to Aubrey's mom, Ivan's mom, and Jeanie's mom for helping out at the party.  It was so much fun!

Agriculture in the Classroom!

Today, students enjoyed an in-school field trip from the Cook County Farm Bureau! They learned a lot of about Illinois crops and the impact they have on our lives.