Week of December 19, 2016

Student teams building their earth models.

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.