This week...

Reading:  This week, the class started a new unit that focuses on fiction.  We discussed several different types of fiction and previewed books that we will read together.  We talked about story elements that are used in fiction and students identified the different elements in their own books during reading time.  We ended our week with Anansi, who is a mischievous spider that can be found in folktales from the Ashanti! 

Reading Logs are due Tuesday, January 21st.  (100 minutes)

Math:  This week, we began working with division problems!  Chapter 8 focuses on mental division, as well as solving problems with and without remainders.  We learned the vocabulary associated with division terms and talked about where to put the each of the numbers in the division “house.”  The class used math manipulatives to increase their understanding.

 **Please encourage your child to continue practicing his/her basic multiplication/division facts. 

Science: This week, we continued our investigation into inheritance & variation.  Discussion focused on how offspring inherit traits from each parent.  Students then used their knowledge to conduct an experiment to determine the fur color of a litter of puppies.

Writing:  The students began a new writing unit this week, which focuses on the genre of expository nonfiction.  We spent time exploring how information is organized and presented in nonfiction texts about animals.  The class previewed several books on a variety of animals.  Students used writing time to write facts about animals that interest them.  In grammar, students focused on noun-pronoun agreement.

Word Study:  This week students worked with words containing double consonants.  We also investigated seven different letter patterns that represent the /oi/ sound! 

Miscellaneous:  Happy Friday!  We do not have school next Monday (1/20) due to Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.   Enjoy the long weekend!