Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Science Jeopardy Game!
Students have requested that I upload the review game we played in class today. I have added it to the Moodle as the last resource under the "Ecosystems" title under "Science" as another study tool. Use the link below to access the Moodle. As a reminder, the online textbook extra credit activities are due tomorrow.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Weekly Update
Writing/Spelling
Students started their essay writing unit with learning the format of an essay. We also brainstormed ideas for our personal essay piece by thinking of important people in our lives that have made an impact on us. We will continue to draft and learn more about the structure of an essay this coming week!
In Spelling, students will take their next test this Thursday, 10/30. (There is no school Friday, 10/31.) Also, students took home The Great American Spell Check newspaper to help them in studying for the classroom spelling bee and possibly the school-wide spelling bee at home. Our classroom spelling bee will be held in December. Our classroom winners will then participate in the school spelling bee on Friday, January 16th! Good luck, students!
Reading
This past week in reading we reviewed main ideas and supporting details in nonfiction texts. Then we moved to studying narrative nonfiction, which means we read nonfiction texts that were written as stories. In these books (such as the "Who Was..." and "I Am..." biographies series), we discussed that the main idea followed the character's struggle. Just as in fiction, there were characters, problems, and solutions in these narrative nonfiction books. However, just like nonfiction, there were also maps, timelines, and facts. Again, this was a focus in reading groups as well. The Friday Homework is an interesting reading titled, "Jack of the Lantern." It is due Thursday, 10/30. (There is no school Friday, 10/31.)
Math
Ask your child about the "zeros trick" that we use in multiplying big numbers with zeros at the end (ex. 8 x 700). This past week we also reviewed rounding in estimating products as well as the distributive property in multiplication. All of these strategies help us to solve bigger multiplication problems. This coming week we will discuss multiplying by multi-digit numbers and the difference between estimates and exact answers in solving word problems. The Chapter 4 Test is scheduled for Wednesday, 11/5. Students should continue to study their multiplication facts at home.
Students started their essay writing unit with learning the format of an essay. We also brainstormed ideas for our personal essay piece by thinking of important people in our lives that have made an impact on us. We will continue to draft and learn more about the structure of an essay this coming week!
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| Meeting with our new writing partners! |
Reading
This past week in reading we reviewed main ideas and supporting details in nonfiction texts. Then we moved to studying narrative nonfiction, which means we read nonfiction texts that were written as stories. In these books (such as the "Who Was..." and "I Am..." biographies series), we discussed that the main idea followed the character's struggle. Just as in fiction, there were characters, problems, and solutions in these narrative nonfiction books. However, just like nonfiction, there were also maps, timelines, and facts. Again, this was a focus in reading groups as well. The Friday Homework is an interesting reading titled, "Jack of the Lantern." It is due Thursday, 10/30. (There is no school Friday, 10/31.)
Math
Ask your child about the "zeros trick" that we use in multiplying big numbers with zeros at the end (ex. 8 x 700). This past week we also reviewed rounding in estimating products as well as the distributive property in multiplication. All of these strategies help us to solve bigger multiplication problems. This coming week we will discuss multiplying by multi-digit numbers and the difference between estimates and exact answers in solving word problems. The Chapter 4 Test is scheduled for Wednesday, 11/5. Students should continue to study their multiplication facts at home.
Science
This past week was an exciting week in science! Students logged on to the online science textbook to review Chapter 4 topics with the diverse activities and resources available. For every activity the students complete, they receive a 1/2 point extra credit to go towards their test- which is up to 13 possible extra credit points! The online textbook can be accessed at home. Usernames and passwords are posted in students' Take Home Folders. Students are currently working on their Chapter 4 study guides, and some took them home. These do need to come back to school if taken home to study. Our Chapter 4 Test over Ecosystems is this Wednesday, 10/29.
This past week we gained a "class pet," as we welcomed a Venus flytrap. We are having a great time learning about this carnivorous plant and taking care of it! Check out the video below.
Also, check out our trip to the Gempp Property this past week! We explored a pond and prairie ecosystem and looked for producers, consumers and decomposers as well as living and nonliving parts of these ecosystems.
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| We also played a food web game! |
Ability Awareness Day
On Friday we enjoyed learning with Ability Awareness Day! We got to hear a lot about Autism, Down Syndrome, deafness, and prostheses.
Other Important Info.
- The Scholastic Book Fair will be open for students to purchase books until Wednesday, 10/29.
- Parent-Teacher Conferences are this Monday, October 27th and Wednesday, October 29th.
- The classroom Halloween parties will be held Thursday, October 30th from 2-3 pm. The school parade will start at 1:30 that day.
- There is no school Friday, October 31st!
Monday, October 20, 2014
Weekly Update
Writing/Spelling
Students finished their spooky poems and stories this past week. Students could have written a poem or a descriptive paragraph, but either one had to include sensory details. Take a look at a couple of them below! This week we are starting our new writing unit, essay writing with personal and persuasive essays. In Spelling, students received new word sorts today.
Reading
This past week in reading we focused on main ideas and supporting details in nonfiction texts. We even practiced this by reading text from our science textbook during reading time! This was a focus in reading groups as well. Again, this week the students have time "off" from reading letters and Friday Homework. The next Friday Homework (Math) will be passed out this Friday and will be due Thursday, 10/30. (There is no school Friday, 10/31.)
Math
This past week in math we finished and were assessed on Chapter 3. This week we start Chapter 4: Multiply with One-Digit Numbers. The MathatHome sheets for Chapter 4 will go home tomorrow. Students should continue to study their multiplication facts at home.
Students finished their spooky poems and stories this past week. Students could have written a poem or a descriptive paragraph, but either one had to include sensory details. Take a look at a couple of them below! This week we are starting our new writing unit, essay writing with personal and persuasive essays. In Spelling, students received new word sorts today.
Reading
This past week in reading we focused on main ideas and supporting details in nonfiction texts. We even practiced this by reading text from our science textbook during reading time! This was a focus in reading groups as well. Again, this week the students have time "off" from reading letters and Friday Homework. The next Friday Homework (Math) will be passed out this Friday and will be due Thursday, 10/30. (There is no school Friday, 10/31.)
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| In reading groups, we wrote the main idea of a paragraph in a "box" and the supporting details in "bullets" to correlate with our boxes and bullets format in our upcoming writing unit. |
Math
This past week in math we finished and were assessed on Chapter 3. This week we start Chapter 4: Multiply with One-Digit Numbers. The MathatHome sheets for Chapter 4 will go home tomorrow. Students should continue to study their multiplication facts at home.
Science
This past week we focused on different biomes and finished our biome quilt project. The quilt has not yet been assembled, but here's a sneak peak at some of the pieces. Our Chapter 4 Test over Ecosystems will be next Wednesday, 10/29. Students will come home with study materials and will be learning how to use our online science textbook as a resource as well.
Buddies
This past week with our buddies, we learned that first and fourth grade buddies will be focusing on a study of the army this year! Different grade levels will be responsible for learning about a different branch of the armed forces to help support our school service learning project. Here's what we learned so far:
Then we wrote down one important fact that we can teach someone else about the army on a boot!
Other Important Info.
- Report cards will be emailed out this week.
- Don't forget to sign and return tests coming home!
- The Scholastic Book Fair will be open for students to purchase books this Wednesday until next Wednesday, 10/22-10/29. We are previewing the book fair tomorrow.
- Ability Awareness Day is this Friday!
- Parent-Teacher Conferences are Monday, October 27th and Wednesday, October 29th.
- The classroom Halloween parties will be held Thursday, October 30th at 2pm.
- There is no school Friday, October 31st!
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Weekly Update
Writing/Spelling
Students are nearing the end of their spooky, descriptive paragraphs and poems and they will be publishing them soon. In Spelling, students received new word sorts. The next spelling test will be Friday, 10/17.
Students are nearing the end of their spooky, descriptive paragraphs and poems and they will be publishing them soon. In Spelling, students received new word sorts. The next spelling test will be Friday, 10/17.
Reading
This week we started our informational text unit. So far we have compared and contrasted fiction and nonfiction books and have identified many different text features such as the table of contents, diagrams, maps, captions, and bold words in various nonfiction books. This is a focus in reading groups as well. The Friday Homework this week is another reading titled, "Wetlands." This will be the last Friday Homework of the quarter, and it will be due 10/17. Students will then have a week "off" as they will not be given a new Friday Homework assignment until 10/24, which will then be due 10/30. Similarly, students will be given time "off" from writing their reading response letters.
This week we started our informational text unit. So far we have compared and contrasted fiction and nonfiction books and have identified many different text features such as the table of contents, diagrams, maps, captions, and bold words in various nonfiction books. This is a focus in reading groups as well. The Friday Homework this week is another reading titled, "Wetlands." This will be the last Friday Homework of the quarter, and it will be due 10/17. Students will then have a week "off" as they will not be given a new Friday Homework assignment until 10/24, which will then be due 10/30. Similarly, students will be given time "off" from writing their reading response letters.
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| Choosing nonfiction and fiction books to add to our venn diagrams |
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| Text Features Scavenger Hunt! |
Math
This week in math we focused on the properties of multiplication and division as well as multiples and factors. We will finish Chapter 3 on Monday. Students will receive the study guide on Monday, and the Chapter 3 Test will be next Wednesday 10/15. Students should continue to study their multiplication facts at home.
This week in math we focused on the properties of multiplication and division as well as multiples and factors. We will finish Chapter 3 on Monday. Students will receive the study guide on Monday, and the Chapter 3 Test will be next Wednesday 10/15. Students should continue to study their multiplication facts at home.
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| Activity Rotation: Keeping a running total of books bought with a $200 budget |
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| New multiplication math games! |
Science
This week we focused on how living things get their energy. Additionally, in reading groups, we are reading nonfiction books that focus on specific biomes and ecosystems.
Missouri Heritage Days at Babler State Park!
Here's a look at our field trip! We had a great time learning about the pioneer days! We rotated to many different stations to learn about the ways of life for the pioneers. From listening to Sacagawea's journey to visiting the mercantile to learning about the different clothes the pioneers wore and the jobs that they had to watching a blacksmith make a nail and "J" hook to square dancing to making a "buzz saw" toy to so much more, we had a blast!
Here's a look at our field trip! We had a great time learning about the pioneer days! We rotated to many different stations to learn about the ways of life for the pioneers. From listening to Sacagawea's journey to visiting the mercantile to learning about the different clothes the pioneers wore and the jobs that they had to watching a blacksmith make a nail and "J" hook to square dancing to making a "buzz saw" toy to so much more, we had a blast!
Want to hear pioneer music for yourself? Watch the clip below!
Other Important Info.
- First Quarter ends Friday, October 17th. It is a half day with dismissal at 11:50, so no lunch will be served. Please make sure your child knows how they are going home.
- Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up on Monday, October 27th and Wednesday, October 29th. SignUpGenius invites have been sent, so please check your email if you have not already signed up.
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