Highlights from Last Week:

Our Science experiment on simulating the cycling of water on earth has been engaging. Students created little models of earth out of clay, sand, dirt, stone, and water in an effort to make "rain." We learned that earth is special because it has an abundance of water and an atmosphere that traps water when it evaporates. Students want to further investigate the water cycle with additional experiments using food dye and salt.

In both Reading and Writing, we've been studying poetry. Students have read and anlayzed some great poems, including some Robert Frost. In their writing, students are learning to use poetic techniques such as rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, assonance, and imagery to bring out the meaning and mood of their poems.

Students did well on their recent math tests. They learned how to model decimals and be mindful of place value when adding and subtracting. They also reviewed numerical expressions and grouping symbols to represent real world situations. We're now on to decimal multiplication.

Congratulations to Emma for winning the DARE essay contest, and to Caroline for earning 2nd place.

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What We Didn't Get To:​

• Instead of diving into figurative language in Writing, we focused on structure and overall poetic techniques.
• We didn't get to finish learning about the Water Cycle in Science.

This Week's Plan


Upcoming Special Events: ​​​

• Geography Bee Round 1 --Wednesday, December 21
• Beatnik Cafe --Friday, December 23 at 1:30pm
• Winter Break --Monday. December 26 thru Monday, January 2. School resumes Tuesday, January 3, 2017.

Special Activities:

• Poetry Practice --Students will have opportunities to practice reciting poetry in class.

Math:
Decimal Multiplication.

• Decimal Multiplication --We'll use models to show decimal multiplication, then use estimation and the standard algorithm.
• Multiplication with Decimals Less than 1 --We'll look at problems such as 0.3 x 0.45 and use models to show why there are three decimal places in the product.

Reading:
Poetry.

• Poetic Techniques --We'll learn about rhyme, rhythm, tone, mood, and imagery. We'll read a variety of poems and discuss how poetic techniques influence meaning.
• Teacher Read Aloud --We're reading Love That Dog, by Sharon Creech. It's an amusing and powerful story told through the poetic diary of a boy who learns to like poetry.

Writing:
Poetry.

• Figurative Language --We'll learn how to use similes, metaphors, and personification to develop short poems.
• Word Play --We'll practice using alliteration and assonance to enhance the beauty and flow of our poems.

Social Studies:
We've switched to Science.

Science:
Weather and Climate. 

• The Water Cycle --Students will research the water cycle and collaborate to create a presentation that explains the how the water cycle works and how it influences the weather.

Homework:
Please check the Homework page for more details.

1. Poetry Inquiry Project, due December 22nd. This will require memorizing a poem, which students will recite in class on Thursday, the 22nd.
2. There is no new at-home blog this week.
3. Read 25 minutes at home per day and log the title, author, and time in the planner.
4. There will be a math page for homework each night.

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Thanks for Reading!
That's the plan for the week. Please feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or feedback.

Highlights from Last Week:

Students created an impressive presentation about Wind. They collaborated in small groups to become experts on their specific wind topic --measuring wind, prevailing winds, wind systems, etc. On Friday, students shared their knowledge in one giant student-led presentation. All I had to do was click the forward button! Thoroughly informative and entertaining presentation, students!

Students are getting more responsibilities. They now are taking turns running morning meetings and homework check-ins. The goal is for them to take ownership of our classroom operations and increase their leadership skills.

We finished up decimal addition and subtraction and began reviewing for an assessment. Students seem ready!

Also on our list of recently finished things: our class read aloud of There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom. This beloved story of how a troubled boy gains the self-confidence he needs to succeed academically and socially will stick with us all year long. 

What We Didn't Get To:​

• In Science, we didn't get to the water cycle.

This Week's Plan


Upcoming Special Events: ​​

• Winter Concert --Tuesday at 6:30pm.
• Early Release --Wednesday
• DARE Essay Winner Share --At Friday's All School Meeting
• Geography Bee Round 1 --Wednesday, December 21
• Beatnik Cafe --Friday, December 23 at 1:30pm

Special Activities:

• Poetry Practice --Students will have opportunities to practice reciting poetry in class.

Math:
Decimal & Expressions Assessment.​

• Assessment on Tuesday --Here is the Study Guide. We'll review on Monday, take the test on Tuesday, then correct it on Wednesday.
• Decimal Multiplication --We'll use models to show decimal multiplication, then use estimation and the standard algorithm.

Reading:
Begin Poetry.

• Poetic Techniques --We'll learn about rhyme, rhythm, tone, mood, and imagery. We'll read a variety of poems and discuss how poetic techniques influence meaning.
• Teacher Read Aloud --We begin a new read aloud of Love That Dog, by Sharon Creech. It's an amusing and powerful story told through the poetic diary of a boy who dislikes poetry.

Writing:
Finish Fictional Narrative Writing.​ Begin Poetry.

• Review of Narrative Technique --This will help us wrap up our fictional narratives.
• Share --Students will have the opportunity to share their fictional stories.
• Figurative Language --We'll learn how to use similes, metaphors, and personification to develop short poems.

Social Studies:
We've switched to Science.

Science:
Weather and Climate. 

• Water on Earth --We explore how water cycles on earth through a model. Students will then create a drawing and interpretive dance of what they learned.

Homework:
Please check the Homework page for more details.

1. Poetry Inquiry Project, due December 22nd. This will require memorizing a poem, which students will recite in class on the 22nd.
2. Students will have a partner to respond to on Blog #5. Students will need to comment on their partner's response by Thursday. They will then need to reply to their partner's comment by Sunday.
3. Read 25 minutes at home per day and log the title, author, and time in the planner.
4. There will be a math page for homework each night.

​
Thanks for Reading!
That's the plan for the week. Please feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or feedback.

Highlights from Last Week:

​In Science last week, we conducted another fun experiment to explore how the earth's surface heats up and cools down unevenly. Students used heat lamps and thermometers to explore which substances heated up and cooled down the fastest: sand, dirt, rocks, or water. They found that sand and rocks heated up and cooled down the fastest while water heated up and cooled down the slowest. We analyzed how this connects to the sun heating up the earth and how that can affect air and weather.

​In Writing, students shared excerpts of their personal narratives with the class. Their stories were very well-crafted! We've now moved on to writing realistic fiction and explored how to develop realistic characters with believable traits and character flaws. Students seem to be enjoying this creative endeavor!

We are just about to the end of There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom. Students have been loving this read aloud about Bradley Chalkers and his struggle to make friends and do well in school. Throughout the story, students have been analyzing the deeper meaning of important details and characters' actions.

Our second Newsletter is compiled, copied, and ready for distribution! Students took feedback from survey sent out last month to influence the topics they chose to write about. We hope you enjoy the December issue of th 5K Newsletter! Find it here.

What We Didn't Get To:​

• In Writing: Narrative Assessment.
• In Reading: We didn't get to discuss "Stray" yet.

This Week's Plan


Upcoming Special Events: ​​

• Superintendent candidate visits --Monday, Wednesday, & Thursday
• Early Release --Wednesday
• Reception for Illustrator Kevin Barry --Thursday 3-4pm
• Shrek the Musical at the Middle School --Thursday, Friday, & Saturday

Special Activities:

• The Kimball Class Newsletter --The December issue is published. Students can start working on articles for the next issue!

Math:
Decimal Operations.​

• Adding and Subtracting Decimals –Students will learn how to add and subtract decimals using models and the standard algorithm.
• Decimal Patterns & Number Stories --We'll look at real world situations using decimal addition and subtraction.
• Review for Assessment --We'll review numerical expressions, grouping symbols, and decimal basics. Here is the Study Guide.

Reading:
Close Reading.

• Character Analysis --We'll read "Stray" by Cynthia Rylant this week and meet in groups to discuss one of the characters and his motivations.
• Teacher Read Aloud --We're reading There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar. We're getting close to the end! As I read, I model fluent reading and literary analysis skills.

Writing:
Fictional Narrative Writing.​

• Personal Narrative Assessment --Students will go through the writing process to write an on-demand personal narrative in 50 minutes, showing off their new skills. We'll compare these stories to their initial on-demand narrative from before the Unit.
• Choose a Small Moment --We'll look at how to choose a small moment for our fictional narrative. We'll study a mentor text by Sandra Cisneros called "Eleven."
• Orienting the Reader --We'll learn how to establish a situation and help readers dive into the world of our story.

Social Studies:
We switch to Science now.

Science:
Weather and Climate. 

• Wind --We will read about wind and create a short writing piece to share our knowledge.
• Water on Earth --We explore how water cycles on earth through a model. Students will then create a drawing of what they learned.

Homework:
Please check the Homework page for more details.

1. Decision Making with DARE Homework Project -due Wednesday, Dec 7
2. There is a new at-home Reading Blog #5 (Complex Character) for students to respond to by Friday.
3. Read 25 minutes at home per day and log the title, author, and time in the planner.
4. There will be a math page for homework each night.

​
Thanks for Reading!
That's the plan for the week. Please feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or feedback.