Progress Reports

Progress reports were sent home today.  Please double check on the Parent Portal as well, as I've added a few more grades since Wednesday (the day Progress Reports were generated.)  Have a great weekend!

This Week in Our Classroom...

I hope you had a great weekend!  Below you will find a brief overview of what to expect this week in our classroom.  

Reading:  Students will continue to study characterization.  They have been analyzing clues the author leaves in the story (thoughts, feelings, actions, dialogue, and what others say) to describe the characters and determine how/if they change by the end of the story.  They will continue to practice this throughout the week.  Towards the middle of the week, students will explore character motivation, as well as reasons for the character's change.  

Writing:  This week we'll begin a Realistic Fiction unit.  Throughout the unit students will write and publish their own realistic fiction story.  They will practice using deliberate dialogue, writing with descriptive language, and creating believable characters.  This week, students will brainstorm ideas and begin to plot the events on a plot mountain.  We will be returning to the essay writing that we've been working on more recently; however, I think the kids need a little break.  

Math:  Fractions and decimals are the main focus of Unit 3.  Students will learn to compare fractions this week using a variety of strategies.  Please double check your child's Home Link each night to make sure they're showing their work and writing their name on the assignment.  

Science:  We will wrap up our Energy unit this week.  Students will continue to use electromagnets early in the week and we'll take the assessment later in the week.  The assessment will be an open book/open notes test.  

Important Info: 

• 4th 40BC Response due 12/19

This Week in Our Classroom...

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday weekend.   Below is a brief overview of what we'll be up to this week in the classroom.

Reading:  Students will continue to study characterization clues and make inferences about a character based on these clues.  Specifically, students will identify a character's actions, dialogue, thoughts, and feelings to make inferences about the character's personality traits.  They will also learn that characters often experience a change or learn a lesson within the plot of a story.  Students will continue to study the characters in Every Living Thing, as well as other short leveled texts.

Writing: Students will compose an opinion piece and support their opinions with evidence from the text this week.  Then, students will publish and post this piece.

Science:  Our class will explore electromagnets and electromagnetism in class this week as we wrap up our final section of the electricity unit.

Math:  Unit 3 will kick off with a review of fraction concepts.  I will review equivalent fractions, mixed numbers, and strategies for comparing fractions with students.

40 Book Challenge:  Check in and reading response #3 are due this Thursday.  Students should have the response posted to their Kidblog account and their book list updated.

Picture Day is Tomorrow, December 3rd