Literatura
Having an authentic purpose for writing sparks certain motivation and creativity. This week in literacy, students worked on a very special writing assignment: Letters about Literature. Letters about Literature is a writing nationwide contest for students grades 4 – 12. Students are asked to write a letter to the author of their favorite book. In their letters students write about the impact that the book made in their life and how it affected them personally. Our 4th and 5th graders did a great job crafting their pieces following the writing process. Even though all the writing stages were done in Spanish, their final copy was written in English. This was a wonderful project done in a collaborative manner. We thank Maestra Ivary for all the help to make this project possible. Please take the time to read these beautiful pieces that will be displayed on our bulleting board next week.
We also had time to start reading the first selection of this unit: Revolucion Estadounidense. Students read aloud to grasp vocabulary and content and also demonstrate fluency and rhythm in Spanish. We are making great emphasis on this. Some of the reading comprehension and thinking skills included: making connections, asking questions, identifying main idea, comparing and contrasting, and identifying cause and effect situations. We will continue to work on the same piece next week.
Along with their regular spelling list, students took home a biography about Martin Luther King Jr. and a homework packet related to the book. Please make sure they practice their reading and are ready to turn in their homework next week.
Ciencias
Focus question: How can you identify a system? Can you explain what a sub-system is?
This week students were introduced to a system as a collection of interacting parts that work together to make a whole or produce an action. They were presented with a common device (a suitcase) and were asked to identify all the elements that together, formed that system. Based on this concept, they were asked to provide other examples. Students concluded that a system can be living and non-living. They also brought up the idea that a system can be a material object – something tangible (the solar system), or it can also be a concept (the system of government or language). Students used precise vocabulary to describe the characteristics of systems and sub-systems.
History & Geography
This week we continued learning about England: Golden Age to Glorious Revolution. Our objectives were:
- Identify and describe who the Cavaliers and Roundheads were.
- Explain what led to the execution of Charles I.
- Summarize the events that led to the Restoration.
- Describe the Glorious Revolution.
- Summarize the key points of the English Bill of Rights
Our field trip is Tuesday, January 16th. If you have any questions please e-mail me!
Mathematics
This week we continued working with Algebra.
Our objectives were:
- Simplify algebraic expressions in one variable
- Write and evaluate inequalities
- solve simple equations
- Solve real-world problems involving algebraic expressions
English Word Work
This week we finished our spelling rotation.
Our rotation days were:
- Vocabulary Day: This week our lesson was about synonyms.
- Writer’s Workshop: This week we wrote letters to our favorite authors describing how their writing impacted our lives.
- Blind Sort Test: Students tested each other on their spelling using the Blind Sort method.
Our next spelling test will be on Friday, January 26th.