Curricular Update for 3/21-3/25

Hi 5V Fams! Here is what we will be studying next week, prior to spring break:



Reading:

• Inferring the reasons for why the 13 colonies and their delegates declared independence from Britain.
• Learning and reviewing note taking strategies to take effective notes in order to prep for exams.
• Studying the difference between important vs. just interesting details in a SS text.
• We're also going to study and share a variety of texts through book shares and reading conferences.

Writing:

• Students are continuing to work on their research persusasive papers. They are researching information and taking surveys for data collection.
• We've written the introduction. Next week we finish with the body paragaphs and the conclusion.
• Students will also continue writing their own student made stories in writer's workshop.
• After break we are doing a fun 6 word memoir activity. You can win a prize if you participate. More details later!

Math:

• We continue to study fractions and review fractions.
• We've studied how to add and subtract mixed numbers and multiply fractions.
• We will continue studying adding and subtracting mixed numbers and multipying them.
• In addition we are going to study division of fractions and strategies for comparing fraction values, converting them to decimals and more. It's a lot with fractions! A test may be given on Thursday or Friday of next week.

Social Studies:

• We are loving social studies. We are studying about how the 13 colonies declared independece from Britain and we're going to study our country's first government, the Articles of Confederation.
• The kids will be examining perspectives of different Revolutionary groups such as the Colonists, African American soldiers, the British, and the important women who helped win the war!

Citizenship:
We will have an in-class bully discussion next week in a positive and structured setting so that students can focus on ideas and behaviors that can prevent bullying. I also want to give students who could not attend the bully meeting after school an opportunity to share their thoughts on what problems they see with bullying and how they feel about the behaviors, as well as how to prevent bullying and what kids can do to stick up for one another.

May Watts Fun Fair 3/19 11am-3pm

The May Watts Fun Fair is this Saturday, March 19th between 11am and 3pm. Please come for games, food, prizes, and a silent auction!

Curricular Update 3/1-3/11

This curricular update will include math and science from this week. Because of ISAT testing, reading, flex groups, and writing classes have been minimized.

Reading:

• Kids are giving meaning to words in context by using context clue strategies. We are performing skits to demonstrate the meanings of words like: swoon, pugnacious, distinguish, lethargic, pungent, despair, and undeniable.


• The kids are reading their traditional literature stories with two specific purposes: 1.) To analyze character personalities based on evidence and 2.) To recall important scenes from the text that are important to the goal/conflict of the characters and story.


• We'll probably start some type of reading in our reading anthology book-maybe a fictional story and we'll practice comprehension skills or strategies.


• We'll practice our fluency through 6 minute solution fluency practice, reading silently, and the read aloud.


• At some point we will also analyze non-fiction as we cross this with our current events subject and articles.

Writing:

• Next week we will be in the computer lab researching information about homework and trying to find data and sources to support our viewpoints about the amount of HW children receive.


• As we research, we are studying how to report our arguments in a persuasive manner as we study how to write and organize a persuasive essay.


• Kids will also have time to work on, as always, their student composed, self driven created work.

Math:

• This week and next week we are studying how to measure area for rectangles, triangles, and paralellograms.


• Towards the end of this week and early next week we will study how to measure volume for 3 dimensional objects and how to measure surface area.


• Finally, we will study how to measure area for a circle.


• We are going to study how to use formulas to measure area and volume for our objects and surfaces.


• There will be no math quiz this Friday, but one the following on the 11th.

Science:

• Our astronomy unit has been great. The kids are really enjoying it.


• This week we are studying different constellations, their stars, and the colors/temperatures, and how bright their stars are on the spectral classification scale.


• Kids have been also studying the life cycle of a star as we study constellations.


• Next week we'll finish up our unit with a study of galaxies and take a test, probably on Wednesday or Thursday.


• Be sure to study using the study sheets that are handed out in class.

ISAT Testing Week

HI 5V Families! This week is ISAT testing for 3rd through 5th grades.

Our schedule looks like this each day, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

10:30-11:30 Reading ISAT

12:00-1:00 Math ISAT

On Friday, March 4th between 1:45pm and 3:15pm, we will having our gold ticket celebration party because the kids made their goal of 1300 tickets in our recent counting period.

Children will have the choice between 2 movies (TBD) and can go to a 5th grade classroom to watch the movies. There will be no math class on Friday.