Language Arts
Students have been practicing the elements of narrative writing. So far, students have learned to identify interesting or “fresh” beginnings, using action or exclamation words to start off a narrative piece. We have begun a very looooong lesson on “SHOW” and not “Tell”, which should be a skill that anchors any good narrative writing story. Ask your child to tell you the difference between the two.
Students are finishing up our reading novel Al Capone Does my Shirts. Students will finish the book next week. Please consider coming in and reading with us on Wednesdays if you are available!
Our Chris Van Allsburg author study continued with the books The Garden of Abdul Gasazi and Jumangi. Ask your child what elements these Van Allsburg books have in common, and what makes his writing style unique.
Math
We finally completed our advanced multiplication unit and long division unit. While we have moved on to fractions, we are still spiraling back to long division & multiplication to practice and master the skills. Please continue to have your child practice his/her times tables each day with flash cards, mad minutes, etc.
Social Studies
This week students are finishing our study on how Europeans came to explore the coast of California. Your child became an expert on such an explorer. As a cumulating activity, students created an “Explain Everything” presentation on the iPads. Ask your child about how his/her explorer influenced the settlement of California.
Science
Students created a final project to show their knowledge of food webs and food chains. We dissected owl pellets and re-created the rodent as best we could with the remains found in the pellet. See our classroom gallery for photos of the project.
Miscellaneous:
*Laurence Hall of Science photos are available for viewing on the class website. THANK YOU to all the drivers and chaperones who accompanied us, and a big thank you to Kim Schory for the amazing pictures of the kids in action!
*Next Friday we will have a winter themed holiday party. It’ll be a low-key movie party from 1-2:30. In honor of our Chris Van Allsburg author study, we will be watching the movie “Jumangi”. (Does anyone happen to have this movie on DVD?)
*Enjoy your winter break! (December 24-January 7)
Students have been practicing the elements of narrative writing. So far, students have learned to identify interesting or “fresh” beginnings, using action or exclamation words to start off a narrative piece. We have begun a very looooong lesson on “SHOW” and not “Tell”, which should be a skill that anchors any good narrative writing story. Ask your child to tell you the difference between the two.
Students are finishing up our reading novel Al Capone Does my Shirts. Students will finish the book next week. Please consider coming in and reading with us on Wednesdays if you are available!
Our Chris Van Allsburg author study continued with the books The Garden of Abdul Gasazi and Jumangi. Ask your child what elements these Van Allsburg books have in common, and what makes his writing style unique.
Math
We finally completed our advanced multiplication unit and long division unit. While we have moved on to fractions, we are still spiraling back to long division & multiplication to practice and master the skills. Please continue to have your child practice his/her times tables each day with flash cards, mad minutes, etc.
Social Studies
This week students are finishing our study on how Europeans came to explore the coast of California. Your child became an expert on such an explorer. As a cumulating activity, students created an “Explain Everything” presentation on the iPads. Ask your child about how his/her explorer influenced the settlement of California.
Science
Students created a final project to show their knowledge of food webs and food chains. We dissected owl pellets and re-created the rodent as best we could with the remains found in the pellet. See our classroom gallery for photos of the project.
Miscellaneous:
*Laurence Hall of Science photos are available for viewing on the class website. THANK YOU to all the drivers and chaperones who accompanied us, and a big thank you to Kim Schory for the amazing pictures of the kids in action!
*Next Friday we will have a winter themed holiday party. It’ll be a low-key movie party from 1-2:30. In honor of our Chris Van Allsburg author study, we will be watching the movie “Jumangi”. (Does anyone happen to have this movie on DVD?)
*Enjoy your winter break! (December 24-January 7)