Friday, January 28, 2011

Week 21: Algebra Continued, End of Historical Fiction, and Environments Continued

Welcome to week 21!

Here is what we have planned:

In math we will be continuing our push into algebra.  This week students will have a very quick chapter on solving and writing equations and inequalities.  More specifically, students will be solving addition and subtraction equations, solving multiplication and division equations, learning about inequalities and the number line, identifying patterns and equations, and drawing pictures and writing equations. 

In reading this week we are finishing our historical fiction novels. This will also conclude our direct instruction on inferring. We will continue to practice inferring in the next novel study to reinforce the skill of using background knowledge and text evidence to understand a story better.  In word study, we are going to start learning a new group of prefixes, roots and suffixes.  Students will learn their meaning and have several different activities to do during class to help them retain the meaning and spelling. 

In writing, students will be asked to write their concluding paragraph to their personal narrative. We are focusing on our paragraphs having a topic sentence, supporting sentences and a concluding sentence. We are also working on having the conclusion be a strong ending to our narrative and not leave too many unanswered questions. 

In science we will be continuing our investigation into environments.  Students will complete their terrarium and water tolerance investigations and we will be turning our attention to brine shrimp and the water in which they live.  In addition, students will continue to work on writing questions, hypotheses, and the procedures of our investigations in preparation for the science MSP in the spring.

That's it for now.  Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

-Allyn and Alaina

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Week 20: Algebra Continues, Historical Fiction, and Environments

Welcome to Week 20!  Thank you for taking the time to meet with us this past week.  We truly enjoyed talking with each of you about your students growth this year.  Please remember, this Friday is a staff inservice day.  No school for the kids..but plenty of meetings for us teachers.

Here's the week:

In math we will be concluding our first algebra unit.  The students have take this intense topic and done relatively well.  This week students will be working with the order of operations and using reasoning skills to find algebraic expressions.  We will be completing some peer instruction as well as our end of topic test on Thursday. 

In reading this week we are going to continue to work on inferring using our historical fiction novels. Inferring is using background knowledge and text clues to make a decision, answer a question or understand what is read.  It is important that students are including both background knowledge and text evidence in their answers when working on their comprehension packets. Being able to support an answer with evidence is a skill they will use throughout the curriculum.  Please also continue to stress the importance of writing in complete sentences with proper capitalization and punctuation.

In writing we are working on how to write a strong paragraph.  A good paragraph will have a topic sentence, supporting sentences and a concluding sentence. Paragraphs also need to be about one topic.  We are practicing this skill by writing a personal narrative.  (A personal narrative is a story about oneself) Their narratives will be only three paragraphs long. So far they have turned in their introduction paragraph and have received them back with comments from Mrs. Therriault. This weekend they are writing their body paragraphs which need to be turned in Monday morning. 

In science we will be practicing writing up science investigations.  Specifically, students will be practicing writing hypotheses and procedures as if they were completing an investigation.  These skills are tested heavily on the 5th grade science MSP so we will spend a lot of time practicing, talking about what we were thinking, and discussing what a strong investigation should look like.  In addition, we will continue to observe the two plant oriented investigations that we started last week. 

That's it for now.  Please be on the lookout for a survey and questionaire coming home this week with your weekly eval.

Thanks,

Allyn and Alaina

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Week 19: Conference Week! Algebra, Environments, and Historical Fiction

Welcome to week 19!  It's conference week!  We look forward to meeting with each of you and your children to discuss the year so far.  Also remember, all of this week is half days.  Students will be dismissed at 11:10.

In math this week we will be starting our first unit of algebra.  Although the term algebra is new to our kids, they will be pleasantly surprised that they already know how to do some algebra.  In particular our students will be writing variables and expressions, identifying patterns and expressions, and learning about the distributive property.  It should be an eye opening week for the kids.

In reading, students will be completing their historical fiction novels.  This week will have limited reading time.  As a result, the time we do have will be used to catch up on section of their book or comprehension packet.

No writing this week.  Just not enough time for it.

In science students will be starting their second investigation in our environments unit.  Students will be investigating the water tolerance of plants.  They will create an investigation in which similar plants and soil receive different amounts of water.  As a result, students can observe which plants are able to grow in the different amounts of water.

That's it for now.  Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Allyn and Alaina

Monday, January 10, 2011

Week 18: Area, Historical fiction, and Personal Narratives

Welcome to Week 18!  Is it bad that both of us are checking the weather report every 5 minutes to see if we will have a snow day on Wednesday?

Here's the week:

In math we will be concluding this chapter of geometry.  Students have measured using standard and metric lengths and found the perimeter and area of objects.  This week students will be finding the area of triangles, investigating circles and their circumference, and organizing ideas into lists.  If the week runs exactly to plan, we should have peer instruction on Thursday and a chapter test on Friday. 

In reading we will be continuing to read through our historical fiction novels.  Students have gotten a good start on their novels and have done a solid job working in their novel study groups.  We have decided to check for each students effort in reading their books (on time) by assigning a single comprehension question at the beginning of each day.  If students are able to prove that they have read their assignment, they are allowed to work with their novel groups.  If they have not read, students are asked to read and answer questions on their own. 

In writing, students are continuing to work on personal narratives.  At this point, students should have a couple of different narratives started.  This week we will be continuing to write out different ideas for personal narratives.  Students will continue working on sensory details within their work. 

That's it for now.  Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Allyn and Alaina

Monday, January 3, 2011

Week 17: Perimter and Area, Historical Fiction, and Personal Narratives

Welcome to Week 17!  Sorry for the delay this week.  Our brains are still in vacation mode.

Here is the week:

In math we will be starting a chapter on units of length, perimeter, and area.  In particular:  Monday we will look at cutomary units of length.  Tuesday: Metric length.  Wednesday: Perimeter.  Thursday: Area of a square and rectangle.  Friday: Area of a parallelogram.  In addition, on Friday we will be taking an Easy CBM assessment to see how each student is progressing in math this year. 

In reading we will be start our historical fiction genre study.  This week students will be receiving their World War 2 book and will begin reading it and working through a comprehension packet.  This packet will look closely at students ability to infer within their novel and will continue to ask them to question the text while they read.

Here is the rubric we will be using for this genre study:

4= In addition to 3.0, in depth inferences and applications that go beyond what was taught

3=The students are expected to:                                         
•provide reasonable inferences based on text cues and own background knowledge.                                               
•Provide evidence from text to support answers.                                                                                               
The student exhibits no major errors or omissions

2=There are no major errors or omissions regarding the simpler details and processes as the student:                 
•Gives a inference with EITHER background knowledge support or text support but not both                                                                
Student exhibits major errors or omissions regarding the more complex ideas and processes

1=With help, a partial understanding of some of the  ideas and processes

In writing we will be working on personal narratives.  A personal narrative is a true story about ones self.  Students will be focusing on sensory details. 

That's it for now.  Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

-Allyn and Alaina