- 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 3 is entitled Nature's Network. Students will be working to answer the question: What is Nature's Network? 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 expository nonfiction article, Living Links by Diane Salisian.
- Comprehension skills for this week are: explain relationships between concepts, summarize text, relate concepts, compare content, compare text structures.
- The Reading Comprehension Test will be on Thursday, October 22.
Writing
- Unit 3 is entitled Nature's Network. Students will be working to answer the question: What is Nature's Network? 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 science report. This is the prompt: Your class will hold a mini science fair about food webs. Write a science report for the fair explaining a food web within one ecosystem. Use examples to explain the roles of producers and consumers. Include an explanation of how energy is transferred among living things. Feature a drawing of your food web. Present your final report as a poster.
- 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 writing rubric posted on the top right column of this page.
- This assignment is due on Friday, October 23.
Spelling
- This week we will be working on multisyllabic words and using commonly misspelled word correctly.
- The words are: algae, burrow, carcass, dominant, extinct, instinct, irregular, mutual, native, organic, saliva, slaughter, territory, unique, vegetation, burro, borough.
- The spelling test will be on Friday, October 23.
Grammar
- Students will be working on using plural nouns.
- Students are encouraged to take good grammar notes and to review their notes before each test.
- The grammar test will be on Thursday, October 22.
Math
- Chapter 4 is on multiplying decimals.
- Week will complete the chapter review and chapter 4 test this week.
- On Wednesday, we will begin Chapter 5, Divide Decimals.
- There will be one page of math homework assigned nightly, except for the night of the test.
- 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 2 scores.
- Students will be reading the following books this week: Food Chain Frenzy, One Day in the Prairie, Baboon, Island of the Blue Dolphins.
- Students will also be completing learning stations during our small group reading time. All of these activities go along with our Unit 3 theme of nature's network. Students will turn in a packet of their work which will also count toward their science grades.