- We are working on a unit on economics called the Classroom Economy. Throughout this unit students will be learning valuable life skills in an experiential way. They will take part in a simulation of real-world economic activity; learn the value of earning a paycheck, as they bank salaries from classroom jobs; learn how to budget their spending, balance checking accounts, and make scheduled payments; discover the importance of saving money to obtain what they want; find out that every decision has an opportunity cost.
- We are also working on a unit on geography. Students will be reading maps and answering questions.
Reading
- Unit 2 is entitled Catching the Light. Students will be working to answer the question: What is the power of the sun? This unit will focus on science concepts as well so some of the assignments during this unit will count toward students' science grades.
- Students will be reading the how-to article, How to Make a Solar Oven by Solargirl.
- Comprehension skills for this week are: use quotes to explain text, ask questions, compare text-features, compare documents, use multiple resources to answer a question, integrate information from several texts.
- The Unit 2 Reading Comprehension Test will be on Tuesday, September 29.
Writing
- Unit 2 is entitled Catching the Light. Students will be working to answer the question: What is the power of the sun? This unit will focus on science concepts as well so some of the assignments during this unit will count toward students' science grades.
- This week's writing project will be to write a myth. This is the prompt: Write a myth that explains how something in nature came to be. You and your classmates will share your myths with a group of younger students.
- We will work on this project during class, however, students may need to work on some of the assignment at home. Students will be graded according to the research rubric posted on the top right column of this page.
- This assignment is due on Monday, September 28.
Spelling
- This week we will be working on spelling words with consonant blends nd, st, lt, mp, nt, fr, sm, sn, sl, cl, tr, pl, dr and using commonly misspelled word correctly.
- The words are: abundant, asteroid, descended, destructive, droop, eclipse, friction, limply, planetarium, slanted, smolder, snuffed, transparent, wasteland, wilted, ensure, insure, wander, wonder.
- The spelling test will be on Monday, September 28.
Grammar
- Students will be working on using compound sentences and complex sentences.
- Students are encouraged to take good grammar notes and to review their notes before each test.
- The grammar test for Unit 2 will be on Tuesday, September 29.
Math
- Chapter 3 is on adding and subtracting decimals.
- Week will complete lessons 3.10-Chapter Review this week.
- On Friday, students will take the Chapter 3 test.
- There will be one page of math homework assigned nightly.
- There are many resources available on ThinkCentral to help students.
- Every Friday, we will be having a multiplication timed test. Students should be practicing their multiplication facts daily.
Small Group Reading
- Students will be placed into leveled small groups based on the results of their Unit 1 scores.
- Students will be reading the following books this week: Star Power, Potato Clocks and Solar Cars, The Kids' Solar Energy Book.
- Students will also be completing learning stations during our small group reading time. All of these activities go along with our Unit 2 theme of catching the light. Students will turn in a packet of their work which will also count toward their science grades.