by Jill & Sarah | Apr 26, 2019 | In The Loop
History & Geography
We wrapped up our westward expansion unit this week. We learned about the impact of the expansion on the Native Americans. We read the book, Trail of Tears, together as a class. The students finished their lap books and made their covered wagons. The rest of the Covered Wagon home assignment is due this Monday, students will be sharing their list of supplies and show some the items they made to go into their wagons. We took our assessment on Friday.
Our weekly objectives were to:
• understand how Sequoyah taught the Cherokee people to read
• identify the Trail of Tears
• explain the importance of the buffalo to the Plains Indians
• understand how westward expansion harmed the Native Americans peoples
Science
This week in our Simple Machine domain
we began to learn about screws. The class explored using screws and screw drivers on wood. We worked in our Simple Machine journals and watched a short video about wedges and screws.
Our weekly objectives were to:
• the student will identify that a screw is an inclined plane that curves around a shaft or pole
• the student will explain how a screw works in wood
English Spelling and Writing
In our journals we used the idiom of the week ” She got cold feet?” . We also wrote a reader’s response to the book Trail of Tears in our journals. The class got their new sorts and took their practice spelling test on Friday . Our Word Wall words were: two, very,went
Blue group sort
Green group sort
La lectura
This week we read ¿Por que desaparecieron los dinosaurios?
Our weekly objectives were to:
- review the reading comprehension strategy visualizing during our first read
- review the reading comprehension skill Cause and Effect
- discover what antonyms are and play a matching game to identify them
- understand how to make words plural in Spanish using -s, -es, and -ces
Las matemáticas
This week we learned about lines and surfaces. Our weekly objectives were to:
- identify straight and curved line within drawings
- identify straight and curved surfaces on 3D objects
- understand how straight surfaces can stack and slide
- understand how curved surfaces can roll
Specialists:
Music with Ms. Erin
In April we learned more about the orchestra. We listened to all three movements of Vivaldi’s Spring from The Four Seasons, and read sonnets that were written for each movement.
We practiced singing the song we chose for the end of year performance, learning how to focus on each section to clearly memorize lyrics and melody.
In May we will learn more about keyboard music (piano, harpsichord, etc.), including pieces by Bach, Mozart, and Mendelssohn, as well as some contemporary piano composers.
We will also be listening to and singing many songs: Goodbye Old Paint, Follow the Drinking Gourd, The Erie Canal, and more!
Art with Ms. Kelly
This month all the students have been working on artwork for Mother’s Day. Our inspiration has come from these books:
Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Both of these author/illustrators use painted paper and collage to create their amazing books.
We also looked at some famous artwork by Picasso. The students had fun creating their own painted papers using tempera paint and adding texture. I know you’ll enjoy the artwork that your students will bring home in May!
by Sarah Segall | Apr 26, 2019 | In The Loop
La lectura
This week we read such a fun story: Swimmy. This is a story of cooperation and the students all did such a great job, focusing in on the story and really understanding how the fish were going to work together to solve a problem. We had a great time with the story and enjoyed our art project.
This week we also added to our pronoun word bank: él (he), ella (she). We’ve already covered: yo (I) and tú (you). We did some activities to practice replacing names with pronouns.
Las matemáticas
We have really been working on our number bonds. Number bonds help students see that numbers can be “broken” into pieces to make computation easier (decomposing/composing). With number bonds, students recognize the relationships between numbers through a written model that shows how the numbers are related. A number bond helps student clearly visualize the Part/Whole relationship.
History & Geography
This week in our Kings and Queens unit we learned the poem “Sing a Song of Sixpence”. The class added some new poems to their Robot binder. We had fun being Kings and Queens for a day on Thursday and making some royal items. The class continued to work on their K and Q vocabulary books.
Our weekly objectives were to:
• understand that kings and queens possess gold and other treasures
• describe the behaviors that reinforce that kings and queens are royal
• recite poems from this unit
Science
On Monday we honored Earth Day by having Ellen Ives from Waste Connections come in and do a presentation for the class. They learned a lot about garbage and recycling. Afterschool she set up a recycling relay on the grass. This week in our Plants domain we learned about the life cycle of plants. We continue to watch our See Through Planters, anticipating our seeds to germinate. We also did a science experiment to watch how stems carry nutrients to the rest of the plant.
Our weekly objectives were to:
• understand that plants are living things
• explain that seeds are the beginning of new plants
• understand the basic life cycle of plants
Specialists:
Art with Ms. Kelly
This month all the students have been working on artwork for Mother’s Day. Our inspiration has come from these books:
Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert and
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Both of these author/illustrators use painted paper and collage to create their amazing books.
We also looked at some famous artwork by Picasso. The students had fun creating their own painted papers using temper
by Ivary & Paola | Apr 19, 2019 | In The Loop
La Lectura
Literature Studies: Historical Fiction
Essential question: How do people show inner strength?
This week the big idea, Descubrimientos, was analyzed from a personal perspective. Students shared their thoughts about personal growth and the ability to discover our strengths and potential. We read several historical fiction pieces that illustrated these concepts in context. We also spend time reading and learning the meaning of old adages that continue to bring so much life and expression to everyday language, until today.
Students spent time working on our expository writing project. They were given a prompt and will have 2 week to develop this project in class, which has multiple steps. We completed steps 1, 2 and 3 in class this week. Students need to be ready to work on step 4 next week.
The following is the prompt for our informative writing project:
Imagina que trabajas como voluntario en un museo de tu comunidad y en unas semanas se inaugurará una exhibición sobre el Antiguo Egipto. Tu supervisor te ha pedido que des una presentación sobre el arte y la arquitectura del Antiguo Egipto. Tu presentación explicará lo que nos muestran estos artefactos sobre la estructura social del Antiguo Egipto. Tu público serán las personas que visitan el museo.
Ciencias
Students learned about Punnett squares to predict the probability of offspring traits when the genotypes of the parent larkeys are known.
Mathematics
This week we learned about the area of a triangle.
- We learned about how you find base or height when you only have area and base or height
- How to know when it is base or height
- We also worked on a take home math test
(Written by: Jack)
History & Geography
This week we learned about the Industrial Revolution
- We learned about the conditions in the Industrial Revolution era
- We learned about Adam Smith and how he came up with ideas to balance the economy
- We learned about Charles Dickens and his position in the Industrial Revolution
- Then started watching Oliver the Musical
(written by: Maddie)
English Writing & Spelling
In writing this week we
- Worked on our conclusion
- Did research and took notes for our informative writing.
In Greek and Latin Roots this week we
- Did our packets and posters about -Carn, -Anim, -Phys
- Finished our greek and latin roots test
(Written by:Sophia)
Specialists
Character Ed. with Ms. Jennie
Over the past few months we have focused on the themes of Courage (February), Overcoming Adversity (March), and Appreciation of Nature (April). We finished Number the Stars several weeks ago and are now reading The War That Saved My Life. We’ve also continued to focus on one poem each month and in June will have a special poetry day to celebrate. Kids are encouraged to find a poem they love and either practice reading it in order to present it, or go for the extra challenge of memorizing it. This is NOT required but highly encouraged! It strengthens kids’ confidence to stand up in front of the class and read or recite something! Poetry day will be on June 5th.
In May, we will continue to focus on appreciating nature along with our annual May tradition of talking about and celebrating other cultures. Our culminating project for this topic will be our
4th Annual Bake Sale to raise money for a special cause. This year we will be raising money for the
Ryan’s Well Foundation, which was born out of a six-year old’s desire to help dig a well for people without access in Uganda. Check out this inspiring story here:
https://www.ryanswell.ca/about-ryans-well/ryans-story/ This ties in so well to our own water fountain “project” this year and hopefully will remind our kids that no matter what your age, you can make a difference in the world! The Bake Sale will be held outside after school on
Wednesday, May 29th. We will ask for your participation in donating a batch of baked goods to sell. More information to come!
by Sarah Segall | Apr 19, 2019 | In The Loop
History & Geography
Our weekly objectives were to:
- Recognize the importance of the Declaration of Independence.
- Appreciate key concepts articulated in the Declaration, including individual rights, consent of the governed, and limited government.
- Define constitution and explain the relationship between a constitution and ordinary laws.
- Explain the general form and content of the states´ constitutions.
We had a fun end of unit celebration. We made butter, played jacks and marbles, listened to colonial music, and wrote with a quill pen. We finished up the American Revolution and are starting a unit on The Constitution.
We also had a special visitor, Fernando, teach us how to do 3D sculpting. I am certain your kiddos will be begging to do this program at home. If so, the way to get to it is by googling sculptgl and it will be the first link that pops up.
Mathematics w/Laura
Week of April 15, 2019 – April 19, 2019
Chapter 13 Area and Perimeter
- Composite Figures – Perimeter
- Composite Figures – Area
Puzzles available for extra credit and Friday (Math) Bingo
Remember: MATH …. It’s everywhere
La lectura
This week we read a great expository that was really interesting. In this article from the magazine Current Science we learned about the youngest person to ever publish the results of a scientific experiment in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Ask your child what they understand about Therapeutic Touch and the experiment conducted by Emilia Rosa. (We had great vocabulary words that included: skeptic, controversial.)
We also continued working on our grammer and identifying correct noun verb agreement. We have started writing a friendly letter to learn letter writing and to share about our class with others.
Ciencias
We continued conducting our water tolerance investigation, with each student being an expert in one type of seed. Our objectives in this investigation were to:
- conduct experiments with four kinds of plats to discover their range of tolerance for water.
- Describe the optimum water conditions for early growth of seeds.
- Analyze data from plant experiments.
- Use scientific thinking processes to conduct investigations and build explanations: observing, communicating, comparing, organizing, and relating.
Specialists
Character Ed with Ms. Jennie
Over the past few months we have focused on the themes of Courage (February), Overcoming Adversity (March), and Appreciation of Nature (April). We’ve finished reading Wonder and had some wonderful discussions about the book and the quotes that go along with our theme each month. We’ve also continued to focus on one poem each month and in June will have a special poetry day to celebrate. Kids are encouraged to find a poem they love and either practice reading it in order to present it, or go for the extra challenge of memorizing it. This is NOT required but highly encouraged! It strengthens kids’ confidence to stand up in front of the class and read or recite something! Poetry day will be on June 5th.
In May, we will continue to focus on appreciating nature along with our annual May tradition of talking about and celebrating other cultures. Our culminating project for this topic will be our
4th Annual Bake Sale to raise money for a special cause. This year we will be raising money for the
Ryan’s Well Foundation, which was born out of a six-year old’s desire to help dig a well for people without access in Uganda. Check out this inspiring story here:
https://www.ryanswell.ca/about-ryans-well/ryans-story/ This ties in so well to our own water fountain “project” this year and hopefully will remind our kids that no matter what your age, you can make a difference in the world! The Bake Sale will be held outside after school on
Wednesday, May 29th. We will ask for your participation in donating a batch of baked goods to sell. More information to come!
by Jill & Sarah | Apr 19, 2019 | In The Loop
History & Geography
Our field trip to the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center was a great success! Thank you to all the parents who drove and helped with the scavenger hunt. There was so much information that related to our Westward expansion unit. They did a great job of finding evidence in their scavenger hunts. This week in Americans Move West, we had a wonderful presentation by Owen’s grandfather, Dick. He talked about the building of the transcontinental railroad and his family history of settling in the West. He shared lots of pictures and family heirlooms. The students even got to practice how the conductor use to collect messages from the station platform with out stopping the train.
Our weekly objectives were to: 
• recognize the challenges faced by Cowboys, farmers, and miners in the West.
• understand how a cattle drive worked
Science
This week in our Simple Machine domain we learned about wedges. The class did an experiment with apples and clay using non wedges and wedges to separate each material. The class had fun finding examples of simple machines on their field trip too.
Our weekly objectives were to:
• identify that a wedge is a simple machine that is also a small inclined plane that is used as a tool
• identify everyday objects that are wedges
English Spelling and Writing
In our journals we used the idiom of the week ” does the cat have your tongue?” . The class worked on a spelling assignment and took their final spelling test . Our Word Wall words were: too, use
La lectura
This week we read El dinosaurio que vivía en mi jardín.
Our weekly objectives were to:
- Review our PUF and vocabulary words before reading
- Use our comprehension strategies during our first read
- Use the new skill Fact vs. Opinion during our second read
- understand the contractions al and del
- review synonyms
Students also began the Rockin’ Readers Challenge this week. They have been tasked with reading 100 minutes before the end of April. We want to encourage students to read in both English and Spanish. Students can earn prizes for reaching milestones in each language.
Las matemáticas
This week we began learning about Lines and Surfaces. Our weekly objectives were to:
- recognize, identify, and describe parts of lines and curves
- draw parts of lines and curves
- identify, classify, and count flat and curved surfaces
- identify solids that can stack, slide, and/or roll
Specialists:
Character Ed with Ms. Jennie
Over the past few months we have focused on the themes of Courage (February), Overcoming Adversity (March), and Appreciation of Nature (April). We’ve read some great books and had good discussions. We’ve also continued to focus on one poem each month and in June will have a special poetry day to celebrate. Kids are encouraged to find a poem they love and either practice reading it in order to present it, or go for the extra challenge of memorizing it. This is NOT required but highly encouraged! It strengthens kids’ confidence to stand up in front of the class and read or recite something! Poetry day will be on June 5th.
In May, we will continue to focus on appreciating nature along with our annual May tradition of talking about and celebrating other cultures. Our culminating project for this topic will be our 4th Annual Bake Sale to raise money for a special cause. This year we will be raising money for the Ryan’s Well Foundation, which was born out of a six-year old’s desire to help dig a well for people without access in Uganda. Check out this inspiring story here: https://www.ryanswell.ca/about-ryans-well/ryans-story/ This ties in so well to our own water fountain “project” this year and hopefully will remind our kids that no matter what your age, you can make a difference in the world! The Bake Sale will be held outside after school on Wednesday, May 29th. We will ask for your participation in donating a batch of baked goods to sell. More information to come!
by Sarah Segall | Apr 19, 2019 | In The Loop
La lectura
This week we read Llegó la hora de hacer un equipo / The time has arrived to make a team. This story looks at many kinds of teams – teams that work together and teams that play together. This story addresses the value of teamwork and the characteristics of teams. Key concepts include:
- Teamwork makes a job easier.
- Teamwork is essential in any culture.
Our main learning goals this week were:
- to identify and use the pronouns for I and you: yo and tú
- identify and clap out syllables of words
- identify the first sound in given words
- write in their journals, using the words of the day, correct spacing, capitals and punctuation
- identify and form rhymes
Las matemáticas
We had such a great time working together, as a team, to begin to create our class shape mural. We really had to talk about how we should consult with the other members of our team to make the plan and as we work through our plan. We also talked about how to be kind when giving criticism or suggestions.
It was fun to hear the kiddos using their shape and color vocabulary during their mural work time.
We also worked on using manipulatives and number lines to practice our adding and subtracting skills. The kiddos have come a long way with this concept! This is a fun review before we jump into word problems.
History & Geography
Our field trip to Fort Vancouver was a great success. Thank you to all the parents who were able to drive and chaperone for the strip. Seen the blacksmith at work in his shop was one of the highlights of the trip and fit perfectly into our Colonial tradespeople unit. This week in Kings and Queens we continue to discuss royal families and Royal etiquette such as high tea. The class continue to work in their Kings and Queen vocabulary booklets.
Our weekly objectives were to:
• identify treasures that Royalty may have
• understand that there were important rules and behavior that was associated with anyone meeting the King or Queen
.
• retell the story of King Midas and the Golden Touch.
Science
This week in our Plants domain we had fun doing some experiments gathering information on how they bring water and nutrients through their roots and stems. The class also observed there plants growing and know that they can identify stems and leaves are there sprouts. Our goal this week was to identify different plant parts
Our weekly objectives were to:
• identify the root, stem, leaf, flower, and seed of a plant
• explain that roots anchor the plant and take in water and nutrients
• explain that stems support the plant and carry water and nutrients to the various parts of the plant
• explain that the plant makes its own food in its leaves
Specialists
Character Ed with Ms. Jennie
Over the past few months we have focused on the themes of Courage (February), Overcoming Adversity (March), and Appreciation of Nature (April). We’ve read some great books and had good discussions. We’ve also continued to focus on one poem each month and in June will have a special poetry day to celebrate. Kids are encouraged to find a poem they love and either practice reading it in order to present it, or go for the extra challenge of memorizing it. This is NOT required but highly encouraged! It strengthens kids’ confidence to stand up in front of the class and read or recite something! Poetry day will be on June 5th.
In May, we will continue to focus on appreciating nature along with our annual May tradition of talking about and celebrating other cultures. Our culminating project for this topic will be our 4th Annual Bake Sale to raise money for a special cause. This year we will be raising money for the Ryan’s Well Foundation, which was born out of a six-year old’s desire to help dig a well for people without access in Uganda. Check out this inspiring story here: https://www.ryanswell.ca/about-ryans-well/ryans-story/ This ties in so well to our own water fountain “project” this year and hopefully will remind our kids that no matter what your age, you can make a difference in the world! The Bake Sale will be held outside after school on Wednesday, May 29th. We will ask for your participation in donating a batch of baked goods to sell. More information to come!
by Ivary & Paola | Apr 12, 2019 | In The Loop
La Lectura
Unit 5 Discoveries- The Big Idea: How can discoveries open new possibilities?
Weekly concept/Genre: Myths | Myths
Essential question: Why do we tell myths again and again? | Why do people tell and retell myths?
Objectives:
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. - Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (eg, audience, auditory, audible).
- Consult reference materials (eg, dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.
- Use the relationship between particular words (eg, cause / effect, part / whole, item / category) to better understand each of the words.
- Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
- Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (eg, stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.
- Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.
- Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (eg, visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
- Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
- Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone.
- Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.
Ciencias
Students put eight letter tiles in cups to simulate the four-gene genotype of larkeys. After preparing a female larkey genotype and a male larkey genotype, they breed the pair by drawing one allele for each gene from each parent. The combination of eight random alleles is the genotype of the F 1 offspring. After breeding two F 1 offspring, one male and one female, students will decode the genotype to see what traits both offspring have. The key words for science this week were: homocigotico y heterocigotico. Ask your child to tell you about this.
Mathematics
This week we learned about the Coordinate Plane. We learned
- How to find the lengths of line segments
- Real world problems with line segments
- Using graphing to solve real world problems
(Written by: Juliette)
History & Geography
This week we learned about the Industrial Revolution
- We learned about the cotton gin, the Spinning Jenny and the flying shuttle.
- We learned about the constant variations in population.
- The population went down when there were wars, plagues, and poor sanitation.
- The population went up when factories produced more food for a lower price.
- The company owners were greedy, so they kept the machinery secret.
(Written by: Evan)
English Writing & Spelling
In writing this week we
- Shared argumentative writing
- Brainstormed ideas for Informative writing
- Did research and took notes for our writing.
In Greek and Latin Roots this week we
- Did our packets and posters about -Deci, -Cent, -Non
(Written by:Tamra)
by Sarah Segall | Apr 12, 2019 | In The Loop
History & Geography
Our weekly objectives were to:
- Describe the conditions at Valley Forge.
- Describe the character of George Washington and how it affected the outcome of the Revolutionary War.
- Identify Frederick von Steuben and discuss his contribution to the Revolutionary War.
- Describe battles in the southern colonies.
- Identify George Rogers Clark and describe his role in the war in the West.
- Identify John Paul Jones and describe his role in the American Revolution.
- Identify Benedict Arnold and explain how and why he betrayed his country.
- Describe the final major battle at Yorktown.
- Explain how the Americans defeated the British.
We had fun doing a scavenger hunt answering questions about the events leading up to the Revolutionary War! Congrats to Marisol and Kate for coming in 1st place and to all the students for their hard work!
Save the date: May 13th we will have a field trip to the Capitol building! More info to come soon.
Mathematics w/Laura
Chapter 13 Area and Perimeter
- Area of a Rectangle
- Rectangles and Squares
- Math Journal
The current homework assignment is due Friday, April 19, 2019.
Puzzles available for extra credit and Friday (Math) Bingo
Remember: MATH …. It’s everywhere!
La lectura
We finally were able to finish our cliffhanger story from before spring break! It was amazing how much everyone remembered and were able to summarize in great detail.
Our weekly objectives were to:
- summarize a story
- answer comprehension questions in complete sentences
- write about spring break
- edit writing, looking for spelling and grammar errors
- identify words in a sentence that tell WHEN it is taking place and correctly conjugate the verb
- identify words in a sentence that tell WHO is the subject and correctly conjugate the verb
Ciencias
Students set up and monitor an experiment to determine the range of water tolerance for early growth of four kinds of plants: corn, pea, barley, and radish.
- Conduct a plant experiment to determine range of tolerance.
- Organize data and communicate results.
- Relate differences in growth to the factor of water.
by Jill & Sarah | Apr 12, 2019 | In The Loop
History & Geography
Social Studies:
This week in our unit, Americans Move West, we continued to work on our lap books, learned a song about the Erie Canal, and read about the Gold Rush and the Pony Express. The class got a chance to try out an old telegraph machine. We will be making a covered wagon as a class project in the next couple of weeks. Please send in a small shoe box for this project. Look for more information to come home soon.
Our weekly objectives were to:
• recognize the Oregon Trail and the California Gold Rush
• identify Jedediah Smith and Levi Strauss
• understand how the Pony Express worked
• understand how telegraphs and railroads replaced the Pony Express
Science
This week in our Simple Machine domain we learned about the inclined plane and wedges. We did some demonstrations using both of these. We continued to work on our Simple Machines journals.
Our weekly objectives were to:
• develop an understanding of quantities associated with energy movement and change
• understand interrelationships among science, technology, and human activity and how they can affect the world
• examine how certain tools work and are made to perform specific jobs
English Spelling and Writing
In our journals we used the idiom of the week ” She laughed her head off ” . The class got their new spelling sort and took their practice test on Friday. Our Word Wall words were: than, then, them, thing.
Green Group sort
Blue Group sort
La lectura
This week we began our new unit Los Fósiles. We read Los fósiles nos hablan del pasado.
Our weekly objectives were to:
- review how to spell color words
- review our reading strategies; summarize, making connections, visualizing, and asking questions, during our first read
- review the comprehension skill sequencing during our second read
- play a game to review adjectives
Las matemáticas
This week we began learning about picture graphs. Our weekly objectives were to:
- understand how to read information on a picture graph
- identify the four parts of a picture graph (title, categories, pictures, and key)
- draw our own picture graphs
- answer questions about picture graphs
Specialists:
Our weekly objectives were to:
This week we read ¿Por que desaparecieron los dinosaurios?
This week we learned about lines and surfaces. Our weekly objectives were to:
This month all the students have been working on artwork for Mother’s Day. Our inspiration has come from these books:
