Plans Week of March 10, 2014

Last week was a climactic week. We finished up our colonies projects. We finished our study of decimal multiplication and division in math. And we had a wonderful experience on our field trip to the Commonwealth Museum to learn about Massachusetts history and the start of the American Revolution.

Here is the plan for the week:

Reading: We'll dive into reading response practice, which helps students prepare for the MCAS. We'll learn how to determine main ideas, decipher the meaning of new words, and analyze text elements using past MCAS tests and other reading selections.

We'll also read selections about the American Revolution and its causes.

Writing: Written reading response. To accompany our reading response practice, we'll learn how to explain, analyze, and synthesize through writing. We'll response to selected reading and grade our own responses based on models.

Math: We begin our study of fractions. This week we'll investigate fraction concepts using models and fraction sticks. We will model fraction addition and subtraction with fraction sticks and learn how to estimate fraction addition and subtraction.

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In-Class Project: 
The American Revolution
Revolutions are pivotal events that change the course of history. The American Revolution, a time of political upheaval and war between Great Britain and rebellious colonists, remains one of the most momentous events in modern history. The ideals of the rebelling colonists inspired demands for justice and self-determination around the globe, with the quest for liberty and democracy continuing today.
 
In this project, students will work in a mix of cooperative groups and partnerships on a range of activities that explore the following:

1. The causes of the American Revolution, such as the French & Indian War, the Stamp Act, the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, and the Intolerable Acts. 
   
2. Important figures such as John Adams,  Benjamin Franklin,  King George III,  Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson,  James Madison, and George Washington.
   
3. Major battles such as Lexington and Concord (1775), Bunker Hill (1775), Saratoga (1777), Valley Forge (1777-1778), and Yorktown (1781).
   
4. The meaning of the American Revolution and the founding of our modern democracy.

In their teams, students will earn Revolutionary Dollars for the successful completion of activities and assignments. They will also earn Revolutionary Dollars for dressing in colonial attire and using colonial language. The team with the most Revolutionary Dollars at the end of the project will be praised as the Leaders of the Revolution.

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